The NIGHT is FAR SPENT and the DAY is AT HAND!
July 22
Bible Reading: Isaiah Chapters 19-21
The NIGHT is FAR SPENT and the DAY is AT HAND!
The burden against Dumah. He calls to me out
of Seir, "Watchman, what of the night? Watchman, what of the night?"
The watchman said, "The morning comes, and also the night. If you will
inquire, inquire; Return! Come back!" (Isaiah 21:11-12)
In the above
two terse verses Isaiah announced that the “night”
of Assyrian occupation for Edom might eventually be followed by a “morning” of freedom. Dumah refers to
Edom, which was south of Moab near the mountain of Seir, and was inhabited by
the descendants of Esau. Isaiah is called a watchman and he warns that both
morning and also the night are coming.
In this
brief oracle against Dumah, a question is asked by sleepless Edom to Isaiah
about how much of the “night” is left
(v. 11), and Isaiah’s enigmatic response that “night” accompanies the new day (v. 12). “Night” is symbolic of evil, death, judgment, and hell or eternal
punishment (John 13:30). Isaiah warns them of impending judgment unless they
return (repent).
Isaiah’s message
is one of impending judgment which can be averted by Edom’s willingness to
return. Edom is pictured here as hiding in Seir, wondering if it is safe to
come out; and the prophet calls back to them that they should return unto the
Lord in whom alone they can find safety.
While the
prophet was anxiously watching so he could warn the people, the nation’s
leaders were carelessly feasting and thinking only of themselves (v. 5). The
watchman sees both night (trouble) and morning (blessing), and that is how it
will be until Jesus comes. The most important thing is that the watchman be
faithful to warn when danger is coming (Ezek. 25:12–14). We too can be watchmen
for God’s kingdom. The Vine's commentary - Isaiah
- explains the following:
“The watchman is one who stands in
God’s counsels, knows what is coming and looks out for the event. So now, he
who learns from the completed Scriptures what God has foretold, discerning His
purposes, not by speculative interpretation, but by comparing Scripture with
Scripture, and accepting what is therein made plain, is able to warn and exhort
others. He stands upon the watch-tower in fellowship with God.”
Victor
Buksbazen in his classic book, The
Prophet Isaiah, has applied this passage to our present life with the
following words:
The night of your present turmoil
will end, and a new day will follow, but soon another night will come. If you
seek a comforting answer to your anxious inquiries, you must first “return,” a
word which also means “repent.” Only then will the answer be such as you hoped
for; the night of your suffering will end, and a new bright morning of
deliverance will dawn upon you.
Let us
remember that the night is far spent and
the day is at hand. It is high time that we awake out of our sleep, throw
away all our ungodly activities, and renew our commitment to daily live and
walk in a way that pleases God. One day, we will have to answer to God for all
that we have done in our lives.
"Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light." (Romans 13:10-12)
