At the end of seventy years, the LORD will deal with Tyre. She will return to her hire as a prostitute and will ply her trade with all the kingdoms on the face of the earth.  Yet her profit and her earnings will be set apart for the LORD; they will not be stored up or hoarded.  Her profits will go to those who live before the LORD; for abundant food and fine clothes.

Doomed to destruction in this prophecy of God, we see the wealth of the wicked, and their profit will not go to them, but will be used by God to provide for the people who live for God.  This reminds me of the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt.  God plundered the wealth of the Egyptians to care for His people.  We need to remember this when it looks like the wicked are prospering.  They may have money and power for a time, but in the end it all belongs to God and He will use it for His purposes.

Beware, the LORD is about to take firm hold of you and hurl you away, O you mighty man.  He will roll you up tightly like a ball and throw you into a large country.  There you will die and there your splendid chariots will remain – you disgrace to your masters’s house!  I will depose you from your office and you will be ousted from your position.  In that day I will summon my servant Eliakim son Of Hilkiah.  I will clothe him with your robe and fasten your sash around him and hand your authority over to him.  

If you ever doubted, who is in charge of the  governing authorities in this world, this passage makes it pretty clear.  The LORD is going to remove this man from a position of authority and honor, putting His own chosen man in the position of authority instead.  This should give us great hope in our times.  God is still on His throne, and still in charge!

The LORD, the God of Israel has spoken.  

Whether a prophecy of destruction as we see in Chapter 21, or a promise such as the one in Isaiah 41:10 So do not fear for I am with you, do not be dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you and help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand, or the promise of salvation and eternal life, when the LORD, the God of Israel has spoken, it will be accomplished.  Ps. 95: 7 for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care.

Then the LORD said, “Just as my servant Isaiah has gone stripped and barefoot for three years, as a sign and portent against Egypt and Cush, …”

We see this in the book of Ezekial as well, where the prophet becomes the actual, physical representation of the humiliation that will befall a nation.  Three years Isaiah bore the shame of nakedness, and he was a CHOSEN man of God.  We are ambassadors for Christ.  If He asks us to suffer for his name sake, shall we refuse, and kick against Him?  Reminder:  Isaiah was representing the interests of God; he spoke God’s words,; he preached God’s wisdom and proclaimed His glory.

One thing I learned from this chapter: No matter how wicked a nation, God is able to make Himself known to them.  He is able to bring them to repentance and to a place where the people of that nation acknowledge Him and worship Him.  This should give us hope.

All you people of the world, you who live on the earth, when a banner is raised on the mountains, you will see it, and when a trumpet sounds, you will hear it.  This is what the LORD says to me; “I will remain quiet and will look on from my dwelling place, like shimmering heat in the sunshine, like a cloud of dew in the eat of harvest.”

It seems we are in this time when God is remaining quiet, looking out at all the activities of man.  We long for the banner to be raised and the trumpet to sound.  It is our comfort, though, to know He is looking on, seeing it all, watching over us.  We need not be anxious.  When you see the heat shimmering in the sunshine, remember God is ever watchful.

In that day men will look to their Maker and turn their eyes to the Holy One of Israel.  They will not look to the altars, the work of their hands, and they will have no regard for the Asherah poles and the incense altars their fingers have made.

God removes everything that will hinder our relationship with Him.  If we rely on work, on material things, on stuff our hands have made,  on money or on human relationships instead of Our Saviour,  we can expect that He will strip those things from us.  Then, we will turn to Him – the Only One we need for LIFE and godliness.

In love a throne will be established; in faithfulness a man will sit on it – one from the house of David – one who in judging seeks justice and speeds the cause of righteousness.

This is an oasis of promise in the dry desert of a prophecy of destruction.  The idea is clear – a throne will be established in love.  It is Christ Who came and showed us the love of God.  It is He Who comes from the house of David and will  judge with justice and righteousness. With our hope set firmly in Christ,  we look forward to the fulfillment of this prophecy.