[오렌지힐교회] "노래를 되찾은 사람들" I 이사야 14:1-5절 I 백창호 목사 I 2026. 08. 02

Today, we will look at the Book of Isaiah. The structure of Isaiah is as follows: from chapters 1 to 66, the first half, chapters 1 to 12, warns of judgment against Judah and Israel. Then, from chapters 13 to 23, the prophet Isaiah proclaims God's judgment against all the nations of the world, the Gentile lands. Yes, there is judgment against all nations. This is a warning. However, since today's passage is chapter 14, it will convey a message of judgment against a specific nation. Yes, today's judgment is against the nation of Babylon, and the prophet Isaiah is delivering a warning message about this. But would the people of Babylon be listening to Isaiah as he speaks of judgment against them? Historically, the Babylonians were not yet a nation at this time. They were still under the rule of Assyria. So, while Isaiah is talking about Babylon facing judgment in the future, he is addressing a small nation like Israel, and a religious leader is declaring judgment against this superpower. When he says, "You will be destroyed," would the listeners have been shocked? It sounds absurd. Yes, if a religious leader from Africa were to loudly proclaim that Russia, China, and the United States are finished, we, living in those superpowers, would probably scoff and think, "What nonsense is this?" Not only would we not hear it directly, but due to the time and distance, we would dismiss it as absurd. So, who is this message of judgment meant for? Primarily, it is for the people of Israel. Yes, the prophet is telling the Israelites that all nations will face judgment. When the Israelites hear that the nations will be judged by God, what lesson do you think they would learn? First, the world nations, especially Babylon, are a superpower with immense power, and yet God is saying He will judge and destroy that nation. When the Israelites hear this, they might initially think, "No way, that can't be true," but then they would reflect and realize that Assyria will fall, Babylon will fall, the Philistines will fall, Damascus will fall, Moab will fall, Egypt will fall, Edom will fall, Cush will fall, and Tyre will fall. As the message of judgment continues to come from nation to nation, they might start to wonder, "Is this for real?" The Israelites had thought of God, Jehovah, merely as a guardian deity for their nation or as a national god of Israel. But now they realize that the God they believe in has the power and authority to judge all the nations of the world. Wouldn't that have been a tremendous shock? "Could it really be?" From the perspective of the Israelites, they might have felt a sense of awe about the absolute sovereignty of God, realizing that He is not just the God of Israel but the true God who rules over the entire universe. And when they hear that superpowers like Assyria and Babylon will face judgment and fall, they would understand that nations in this world are not eternal. All nations will fall. There is no eternal nation. They would realize that they should not trust in Assyria or Babylon but should trust only in the God they believe in. Wouldn't this faith begin to sprout little by little? Moreover, as they look at these transient nations, they would think about the eternal kingdom that God is establishing, the kingdom of God, and reflect on its permanence. They would think, "We should seek first that kingdom and its righteousness." Wouldn't they realize that they should not set their hearts on the nations of this world? They should not rely on them, for they are doomed. These nations are finite beings. They would come to understand that God is establishing His eternal kingdom. Wouldn't this realization bring a sense of privilege to their hearts?

Now, as we look at the superpowers like the United States, China, and Russia, we often find ourselves captivated by them. We think, "These nations are controlling everything." In this world, our lives, stability, and future seem to depend on aligning with these nations. Don't we think that way? And the strong leaders of these superpowers manipulate the course of history, controlling economic markets, oil prices, and political climates at will. When we see wars like those in Ukraine or Russia, it feels like a game, as if they are playing with lives, sending thousands to their deaths for their own interests and to solidify their power. In the midst of this turmoil, we must ask ourselves: Can we truly trust these leaders? In a world where leaders abuse their power to satisfy their selfish desires, we live in the eye of the storm, wondering if we can continue to trust these kings and leaders of the world. The kings are finite, and their wisdom and power are not eternal; they are unjust and pursue their own interests. In the midst of such nations, we must seek first the kingdom and its righteousness. God's kingdom is eternal. Only God's righteousness is just and fair. We belong to the kingdom of God. Don't we need to recover this kind of thinking and faith? Are we just going to be swept along?

Secondly, when the Israelites heard that the kings and nations would face judgment, what thoughts might they have had? Would they have thought, "Is God really this fickle? First, He raised up Babylon and Assyria to strike us, and now He is going to strike them?" Why is He doing this? Is God inconsistent? Is He a warmonger? Is He a belligerent God? It might be easy to think that the God of the Old Testament is always fighting, destroying, and judging, while the God of the New Testament is gracious and loving, leading us to believe that they are different gods. But wouldn't the Israelites have pondered why the God of the Old Testament, who used Assyria and Babylon, is now judging them? In Isaiah 10, God explains this. He says that although the Assyrians struck you, they too will be punished. "Woe to Assyria, the rod of my anger! The staff in their hands is my fury." God used them as a rod to strike the ungodly nation. But the Assyrians, not understanding God's intent, thought that their purpose was to destroy many nations. When God commanded them to strike one nation, they ended up striking many and forming their empire, abusing their power to destroy and annihilate. God says, "I have heard the prideful words of the Assyrians. They boast, 'By my strength and wisdom, I have achieved victory.' They have drawn boundaries and conquered nations, fulfilling their ambition to build an empire." God declares that He will punish them for their arrogance. They wielded the axe but boasted as if they were the ones wielding the axe. God used them as a rod, but they tried to manipulate the one who wielded the rod. They abused their power. Thus, the warning that Babylon and Assyria will face judgment is a strong message from the prophet Isaiah: "You will be destroyed." God is saying that the wealth, power, and military strength you possess should have been used to serve others, but instead, you used it to conquer and kill, satisfying your own desires. This is something that deserves judgment from God. You have crossed the line, acted arrogantly, and thought you could do without God. God will surely punish you, Assyria and Babylon. In this light, God is not a warmonger; He is a just God. He is not random in killing or destroying; He is detailed and meticulous. He sees and knows everything.

Have you ever felt wronged? Living in a world where we feel powerless amidst the powerful, do you feel pitiful? You might think, "I have sinned, and I understand that God is punishing me. But this has gone on for too long. The pain is too severe. The rod that strikes me has been too harsh for too long." You might feel that your illness or poverty has lasted too long. You know you have made mistakes, but you feel that you have suffered too much, and it has left scars on your heart. Is it not unfair? God knows, even if others do not. He will repay you. He will handle everything justly. He knows the moments when you cried without understanding why you were being punished. He knows all your pain and the wounds inflicted by others. God says, "I know everything." If you have power, how will you use it? You have gifts and blessings from God. You may have studied more than others, have better looks, or enjoy a more comfortable economic life. You may be healthier than others. But if you let those blessings become a source of pride, looking down on others and using them to justify your own depression, do not be mistaken. Those blessings were given to you not for self-indulgence but to serve others. If you hoard them for yourself and forget their purpose, God will take them away. God is a just God. He is meticulous and knows everything.

When Babylon rises up and strikes us, the Israelites would have found great comfort in knowing that God is repaying them for what they have done to us.

Thirdly, when the Israelites heard that Babylon would fall, they must have thought, "Finally, salvation is coming! Finally, rest is coming to us!" The judgment of one person can be the salvation of another. The day of judgment and the day of salvation can be the same day. So, when Babylon falls, it means that God is giving me another chance. Now we are being set free. This can be a message of restoration for us. I have mentioned three points. Yes, today I am talking about the third point, which is about restoration. In Isaiah 14:1-2, it says that the Lord will have compassion and will choose Israel again, restoring them and granting them grace to return to their homeland from judgment. But it is not just about returning; the Israelites will take captive those who had previously captured them and rule over those who had oppressed them. There is a complete reversal. How can such a great reversal happen? Just returning would be enough to say, "Ah, now we can live a little better. Now we have some stability." But it is not just that; they can live boldly and powerfully, and instead of trembling before their oppressors, they can shout loudly and live as victorious conquerors. They will take captive those who had previously captured them and rule over those who had oppressed them. What does this mean, my friends? When will this happen? Ultimately, it was fulfilled when Jesus Christ died on the cross, resolving our issue of death. We were once held captive by death, trembling in fear, but through Jesus Christ, who conquered death, we now live in the resurrection life, no longer fearing death. Those who were groaning under the bondage of sin have now become righteous and holy children of God, living a new victorious life in Christ. Those who once held us captive no longer do so; we have taken them captive and are now enjoying true freedom. Life is very fearful of death. We fear and tremble at the thought of dying, don’t we? But we have conquered the death we feared. Jesus Christ, through His death, has given us true victory. Ah, we have obtained true victory in Christ. I hope that your faith can be restored. Yes, He has chosen us again out of compassion. In 14:1-2, it says He has chosen us again. What does it mean that He has chosen us again? It means that He has reaffirmed His choice. God did not choose someone and then discard them, thinking, "This person is no good," and choose another. To say He has chosen us again means He is reaffirming that He has chosen us. It means He will not abandon us. Once chosen, that choice is eternally valid. Even if we live foolishly, He will not abandon us but will reaffirm His choice with compassion. He will choose us again. He is not abandoning us; I am eternally held in His hands. This is His love. God's love for us is endless. His mercy and compassion are eternal. I hope that this song will be restored in us.

When you feel how much love the other person has for you, how enduring and unchanging that love is, doesn’t that change the depth of your love for them? Do you know why your faith is shallow? It is because you do not deeply understand His love. He has chosen you again. He reaffirms His choice. You do not realize how precious that is. Despite your flaws, He has chosen you again, giving you a new opportunity. He is not abandoning you; He loves you to the end. If we are moved by the depth of God's love, shouldn’t our love for Him also become more faithful? Shouldn’t we have a commitment to Him that is endless, regardless of our circumstances? Yes, God has shown us such compassion and given us this amazing grace. So, what needs to be restored in us? It is our song. In 14:3-5, it says that the Lord will free you from sorrow, distress, and hard labor. Three things: sorrow, distress, and hard labor. He will set us free and grant us rest. And what song should we sing? You should compose a song about the king of Babylon, saying, "How the oppressor has ceased, the violent city has fallen! The Lord has broken the rod of the wicked and the scepter of the rulers." What is the content of this song? The content of the song is that the oppressor, the violent king of Babylon, who seemed so powerful, has been broken by the Lord. Yes, they have all the power, but God, who is above all, has broken their strength. God alone is the Almighty. This is what our song should be about.

Let me remind you again, in what state were we saved? It was sorrow. The first is sorrow. Sorrow is a state of our emotions, but it is not just about shedding tears; it is a deep despair within. When a person is sad, it means there is despair inside. That despair inevitably manifests in our expressions and tears. What is the opposite of sorrow? It is not joy but hope. Yes, I have hope. The second is distress. Distress means I am in a state of hardship. My life is truly in distress. This means I am shaken, lacking stability, and fearful. Distress signifies a lack of peace. The third is hard labor. Physically, I am doing a lot of work, and it is exhausting—mentally, economically, and physically. It is hard work. This can be said to be a state of hard labor. But what is the opposite of hard labor? It is freedom. Because no matter how hard the work is, if I do it voluntarily and joyfully, it is not that hard. But if it is something I am forced to do, then that hard work becomes truly hard. So, being freed from these three things means what? It means rest. Rest means recovering hope instead of sorrow, peace instead of distress, and freedom instead of the burdensome work.

When this rest is restored, what will be in me? A song. It says, "On the day the Lord frees you from sorrow, distress, and hard labor, you must sing this song." First, who has restored this peace, this freedom, this joy? It is the Almighty God who has broken the scepter of the king of Babylon, who was ruling over the world. God has shattered the rod of the oppressor. He has overthrown the kings. Because God is the Almighty.

Now, how long will this song continue? How many verses will this hymn have? It should have at least four verses, right? Yes, hymns can have six verses and more, but today we will go up to four. What was the first verse? God is Almighty. God alone is Almighty. He is the only one we can trust to break the power of all the kings of the earth. Let’s look at the second verse. In Isaiah 14:6-8, it says that even though they raged and oppressed many nations, there was no one to stop them. You see, they were angry and oppressing us, causing chaos in the world, and we thought, "I wish that person would just disappear." But suddenly, the whole earth is quiet, and the trees of Lebanon rejoice, saying, "Since you have fallen, no one will come to cut us down." This means that no one can take away our peace. Why? Because the oppressor has fallen. We can be assured of our peace. We can enjoy peace. Suddenly, peace has come. Yes, it is not the peace of the world but the peace of God that we enjoy in His kingdom. Now we can sing this peace. Even though the kings and nations are raging and the world is in turmoil, God has given us this peace. No one can take this peace away. That was the second verse.

What was the third verse? In Isaiah 14:9, it says that in the underworld, the realm of the dead, something is happening. The proud king of Babylon, who once boasted in life, is now coming down to the underworld. He will die and become just like us. As the heroes of the world enter the realm of the dead, they awaken and say, "Have you become weak like us? Have you become like us? You who once shook the earth and terrified the nations, now you lie in the pit, covered with worms." Despite living a glamorous life, he has fallen into the depths of hell. The most successful person in the world becomes finite before death. Older people often say that when you reach 60 or 70, appearances level out. Death equalizes everyone; all become the same, whether heroes or rulers. We all become weak and face death together.

From this, we learn that first, dying does not mean the end. "Don't die; if you die, it's over." This is a big mistake. Even in death, there is life. Secondly, we recognize each other even in death. The king of Babylon is coming. So, even in death, we maintain our identity and recognize one another. Yes, both believers and non-believers will be resurrected, but for different purposes. Will it be a resurrection for eternal punishment in the pit? Or will it be a resurrection to eternal life? You will live even after death. How we live in this life determines what our life after death will be like. Life is finite. Death equalizes everything. We should not boast too much.

What about the fourth verse? Finally, in Isaiah 14:12-17, it says, "How you have fallen from heaven, O morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations!" The king of Babylon, who exalted himself to the heavens, will now fall to the lowest depths of the pit. Everyone will see, "Is this the one who shook the earth and terrified the nations?" He has become the most fallen person. The content of the fourth verse is that humans should never exalt themselves. The end of self-deification is a fall to the lowest place. Everyone tends to elevate themselves. When they receive applause and respect, they become proud and enjoy the attention, but this leads to a great fall.

You must not elevate yourself. If you feel that way, you need to be careful. When someone around you is being praised, do not get too close.

I have shared the fourth verse. The first is that God is Almighty. God alone is Almighty. We should praise the Almighty God. What was the second verse? It is the peace that God gives me, a gift from God. This peace has suddenly come to me. What was the third verse? Humans are finite. Even heroes will face eternal punishment in the pit. Humans are finite. What was the fourth verse? Finite humans must be humble. We must not elevate ourselves or try to deify ourselves in any way. We must live humbly and lower ourselves.

I pray that the song of restoration will be in each of us.