Today’s passage: Isaiah 14:1-23
Helpful thoughts:
- Those who had previously enslaved Israelites, would soon find that being a slave to an Israelite was better than the life they could have in their own land.
- Verses 4-21 are given as a taunt to the king of Babylon. Many people attribute verses 12 and following to Satan though the passage does not directly address him. (The use of “Lucifer” in the King James version comes from the Latin translation of “Day star” or “Morning star”.)
- Though the passage may not explicitly single out Satan, what this passage says would certainly be true of anyone who thought themselves worthy of supplanting or even replicating God’s authority and power.
- This king of Babylon picked a fight with the only One he perceived as still higher than he, and he was humiliated as all who would challenge the LORD of Hosts will be.
Questions to consider:
- Why is God right (And kind) to command, “You shall have no other gods before me”?
- How does the desire and effort of this king contrast with the actions of the King of Kings in Philippians 2:5-11? How did God respond to humility versus pride?
- If our greatest desire is for man to think highly of us (Even to worship us), what will be the likely outcome (Verse 16)?