ISAIAH
CHAPTER
16
I would like to share this joke before reflecting on this chapter of the prophet Isaiah:
Why would the small prophet render less income than the other prophets such as Isaiah?
Easy answered the economy student; "Because they are of small profit!
1. Send Lambs to the ruler of the land, from Sela, by way of the desert, to the mount of daughter Zion. 2. Like fluttering birds, like scattered nestlings, so are the daughters of Moab at the fords of the Arnon.
(Book of Prophets Isaiah Chapter 16 verses 1 to 2)
Oh God my Father, when we decide to act according to our own ways and not according to You will we are like frail birds fluttering in panic in order to find a means of escape from the negative forces of evil who try to kill us and eat us. Oh God my Father during such moments we would like to seek Your comfort but our sin is like a blindfold which hinders us from seeing Your light and the safety path leading towards our salvation.
3. "Give counsel, grant justice; make your shade like night at the height of noon; hide the outcasts, do not betray the fugitive; let the outcasts of Moab settle among you; be a refuge to them from the destroyer."
(Book of Prophets Isaiah Chapter 16 verse 3)
Oh God my Father Your orders are clear. They guide us in giving refuge to those who seek it as in the case of Asylum seekers. May we act out of love and not out of fear and adopt a negative perception of these people who may be literally seeking refuge from their destroyer, for we also seek refuge in You my, God from our destroyer, meaning the evil one who is able to destroy both the soul and the body. Amen
4. let the outcasts of Moab settle among you; be refuge to them from the destroyer." When the oppressor is no more and destruction has ceased and marauders have vanished from the land
(Book of Prophets Isaiah Chapter 16 verse 4)
Oh God my Father instead of making enemies of those whom we fear or perceive as a threat as in the case of illegal immigrants, our attitude may change and we may also grow in our relationships with others and even with You Amen.
5. then a throne shall be established in steadfast love in the tent of David, and on it shall sit in faithfullness a ruler who seeks justice and is swift to do what is right.
(Book of Prophets Isaiah Chapter 16 verse 5)
Oh God my Father may you always occupy the throne of my heart. May it always be available for You. Even though at times such as the present I do not feel Your presence due to my own sins, I still believe in You and reserve this seat for You. Amen.
6. We have heard of the pride of Moab how proud he is! of his arrogance, his pride, and his insolence; his boasts are false. 7. Therefore let Moab wail, let everyone wail for Moab. Mourn, utterly stricken, for the raisin cakes of Kir-hareseth.
(Book of Prophets Isaiah Chapter 16 verses 6 to 7)
Oh God, my Father let us tear our hearts out in pain, for the proud, for those who are proud, have no space for You in their hearts and mind. They think that their successes are all their doing. Once they are subjected to Your testing and witness their world which may start to fall apart, they may yell at You in a spirit of anger and desperation and ask You why You permitted this and that to happen, as if they or anyone of us have something special that protects us from the ways of the world, which are all under Your control Amen.
8. For the fields of Heshbon languish, and the vines of Sibmah, whose clusters once made drunk the lords of the nations reached to Jazer and strayed to the desert; their shoots once spread abroad and crossed over the sea. 9. Therefore I weep with the weeping of Jazer for the vines of Sibmah I drench you with my tears, O Heshbon and Elealeh; for the shout over your fruit harvest and your grain harvest has ceased.
(Book of Prophets Isaiah Chapter 16 verses 8) to 9)
Oh God my Father when we spread our roots to tap the contaminated resources of the world we will still remain weak and thirsty and we will not bear fruit for the sources of the world are of the world, while the sources that find their origins in You are nutritious for our soul Amen.
10. Joy and gladness are taken away from the fruitful field; and in the vineyards no songs are sung, no shouts are raised; no treader treads out wine in the presses the vintage-shout is hushed."
(Book of Prophet Isaiah Chapter 16 verse 10)
Oh God my Father, where Your presence is not experienced, there is silence depression, alcohol and antidepressants, for nobody and nothing can fill in or replace Your presence in us. I pray oh God my Father that You breach our firewall of sins during such situations and may Your light penetrate our darkness Amen.
11. Therefore my heart throbs like a harp for Moab, and my very soul for Kir-heres. 12. When Moab presents himself, when he wearies himself upon the high place, when he comes to his sanctuary to pray, he will not prevail.
(Book of Prophet Isaiah Chapter 16 verses 11 to 12)
Oh God my Father even though at times we come before you in worship, if our lives are not according to Your ways there will still be blockages between us as in the case of Moab. You love us so much that You empathise with us and long to be reunited with us, however, although You love us dearly, You do not force Yourself upon us. It depends on us if we are to accept You as our God and Father or not Amen. May we all decide to accept Your offer Amen.
13. This was the word that the LORD spoke concerning Moab in the past, 14. But Now the LORD says, In three years, like the years of a hired worker, the glory of Moab will be brought into contempt, in spite of all its great multitude, and those who survive will be very few and feeble.
(Book of Prophet Isaiah Chapter 16 verses 13 to 14)
Oh God my Father, You had warned Moab many times about the consequences of the negative actions that had taken place, now came the time as according to Your Divine will when Moab was to be brought down from his high horse and have his nose rubbed in the dirt.
Oh God my Father, I would like to end this chapter with the following prayer.
Oh God, You love us so much that You give us one chance after another, in order to turn back from our sinful ways. You even speak to us by means of others and even by means of situations that may not always be to our liking or according to our agendas or plans. However, if we willfully still persist in doing what is not according to Your will we are subject to experience the negative consequences of our actions, and it is not God's fault if we end up in serious trouble Amen.
3. "Give counsel, grant justice; make your shade like night at the height of noon; hide the outcasts, do not betray the fugitive; let the outcasts of Moab settle among you; be a refuge to them from the destroyer."
(Book of Prophets Isaiah Chapter 16 verse 3)
Oh God my Father Your orders are clear. They guide us in giving refuge to those who seek it as in the case of Asylum seekers. May we act out of love and not out of fear and adopt a negative perception of these people who may be literally seeking refuge from their destroyer, for we also seek refuge in You my, God from our destroyer, meaning the evil one who is able to destroy both the soul and the body. Amen
4. let the outcasts of Moab settle among you; be refuge to them from the destroyer." When the oppressor is no more and destruction has ceased and marauders have vanished from the land
(Book of Prophets Isaiah Chapter 16 verse 4)
Oh God my Father instead of making enemies of those whom we fear or perceive as a threat as in the case of illegal immigrants, our attitude may change and we may also grow in our relationships with others and even with You Amen.
5. then a throne shall be established in steadfast love in the tent of David, and on it shall sit in faithfullness a ruler who seeks justice and is swift to do what is right.
(Book of Prophets Isaiah Chapter 16 verse 5)
Oh God my Father may you always occupy the throne of my heart. May it always be available for You. Even though at times such as the present I do not feel Your presence due to my own sins, I still believe in You and reserve this seat for You. Amen.
6. We have heard of the pride of Moab how proud he is! of his arrogance, his pride, and his insolence; his boasts are false. 7. Therefore let Moab wail, let everyone wail for Moab. Mourn, utterly stricken, for the raisin cakes of Kir-hareseth.
(Book of Prophets Isaiah Chapter 16 verses 6 to 7)
Oh God, my Father let us tear our hearts out in pain, for the proud, for those who are proud, have no space for You in their hearts and mind. They think that their successes are all their doing. Once they are subjected to Your testing and witness their world which may start to fall apart, they may yell at You in a spirit of anger and desperation and ask You why You permitted this and that to happen, as if they or anyone of us have something special that protects us from the ways of the world, which are all under Your control Amen.
8. For the fields of Heshbon languish, and the vines of Sibmah, whose clusters once made drunk the lords of the nations reached to Jazer and strayed to the desert; their shoots once spread abroad and crossed over the sea. 9. Therefore I weep with the weeping of Jazer for the vines of Sibmah I drench you with my tears, O Heshbon and Elealeh; for the shout over your fruit harvest and your grain harvest has ceased.
(Book of Prophets Isaiah Chapter 16 verses 8) to 9)
Oh God my Father when we spread our roots to tap the contaminated resources of the world we will still remain weak and thirsty and we will not bear fruit for the sources of the world are of the world, while the sources that find their origins in You are nutritious for our soul Amen.
10. Joy and gladness are taken away from the fruitful field; and in the vineyards no songs are sung, no shouts are raised; no treader treads out wine in the presses the vintage-shout is hushed."
(Book of Prophet Isaiah Chapter 16 verse 10)
Oh God my Father, where Your presence is not experienced, there is silence depression, alcohol and antidepressants, for nobody and nothing can fill in or replace Your presence in us. I pray oh God my Father that You breach our firewall of sins during such situations and may Your light penetrate our darkness Amen.
11. Therefore my heart throbs like a harp for Moab, and my very soul for Kir-heres. 12. When Moab presents himself, when he wearies himself upon the high place, when he comes to his sanctuary to pray, he will not prevail.
(Book of Prophet Isaiah Chapter 16 verses 11 to 12)
Oh God my Father even though at times we come before you in worship, if our lives are not according to Your ways there will still be blockages between us as in the case of Moab. You love us so much that You empathise with us and long to be reunited with us, however, although You love us dearly, You do not force Yourself upon us. It depends on us if we are to accept You as our God and Father or not Amen. May we all decide to accept Your offer Amen.
13. This was the word that the LORD spoke concerning Moab in the past, 14. But Now the LORD says, In three years, like the years of a hired worker, the glory of Moab will be brought into contempt, in spite of all its great multitude, and those who survive will be very few and feeble.
(Book of Prophet Isaiah Chapter 16 verses 13 to 14)
Oh God my Father, You had warned Moab many times about the consequences of the negative actions that had taken place, now came the time as according to Your Divine will when Moab was to be brought down from his high horse and have his nose rubbed in the dirt.
Oh God my Father, I would like to end this chapter with the following prayer.
Oh God, You love us so much that You give us one chance after another, in order to turn back from our sinful ways. You even speak to us by means of others and even by means of situations that may not always be to our liking or according to our agendas or plans. However, if we willfully still persist in doing what is not according to Your will we are subject to experience the negative consequences of our actions, and it is not God's fault if we end up in serious trouble Amen.
