Isaiah 14

Isaiah 14:12-15 (ESV)

“How you are fallen from heaven,

O Day Star, son of Dawn!

How you are cut down to the ground,

you who laid the nations low!

You said in your heart,

‘I will ascend to heaven;

above the stars of God

I will set my throne on high;

I will sit on the mount of assembly

in the far reaches of the north;

I will ascend above the heights of the clouds;

I will make myself like the Most High.’

But you are brought down to Sheol,

to the far reaches of the pit.

It becomes difficult in Isaiah 14 to know whether God is talking about Babylon or about Satan. I think that is intentional. You will find the Enemy in the shadows behind every nation, every movement, every people bent on destroying others or uniting against God’s truth. With the wickedness of our world it is easy to believe that he is more powerful than he really is.

Satan’s primary tool is deception. Jesus said that Satan “is a liar and the father of lies” (Jn 8:44). He would convince us that he has more power than he does. He will seek to convince the world that he is truly God. He will seek to demonstrate that he is God’s equal. He will fail.

Those who stand against God may appear to be winning, but they will fail. Remember the Flood! The world was bent on violence and evil. It appeared that evil had taken over the earth and was winning. It appeared that way until the rain began to fall. Then God’s greatness was revealed.

Only one man found favor with God in that story, and yet eight people were saved in the Ark. Similarly, in Isaiah 14 God’s people will be a refuge to others. As the people of God, we do not exist for the purpose of huddling in safety until the winds of wickedness blow over. Rather, we are called to be a refuge to the world. When Judah was facing deportation to Babylon God told them to “seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare” (Jeremiah 29:7). Judah would not find their safety by huddling together or by fleeing Babylon’s advance. They would find their security in seeking and praying for their enemy. God’s people would be a blessing to the very people that were seeking to oppress them.

What does that look like in our world? I am not sure that I know. It may look different for each of us. What I do know is that it does not look like circling the theological wagons and huddling in the safety of our church buildings. It means seeking and praying for the welfare of our city, our country, and our world. Let us begin to pray in that direction and ask God for wisdom to know what it truly means to seek the welfare of our world. Only God knows the power and influence of a prayer like that. Perhaps God will use us for his glory in ways we cannot even imagine. Certainly, God will accomplish his purposes, and the Enemy will not win. God is greater.