There is general correspondence between this sixth "woe"and the third one (29:15-24), but this one deals more with application and the third one more with principles. It is the most eschatological of the "woes,"though it contains many references to the Assyrian invasion. It is the only "woe"directed against a foreign power, the others being addressed to the Judahites. This is a woe against Assyria for its destructive opposition to Yahweh and His plans. The first six verses anticipate the salvation of Zion and contain a prayer for deliverance.
33:1 The destroyer and treacherous one in view is Assyria. So far Assyria had practiced destruction and treachery without having them come back on her, but eventually they would (cf. Deut. 19:18-19). Sennacherib accepted a large sum of money that King Hezekiah sent to him so he would not besiege Jerusalem, but Sennacherib accepted the money and besieged Jerusalem anyway (2 Kings 18:13-17). That is treachery.320
"As the royal annals demonstrate, Assyria took great pride in her capacity to destroy anyone who had the temerity to stand against her. By the same token, she had no qualms about breaking agreements which were not to her advantage, all the while punishing with great severity any who broke agreements with her."321
33:2 The faithful remnant in Judah prayed to the Lord, evidently as the enemy approached Jerusalem. These godly Judeans asked for Yahweh's grace on the ground that they had trusted in Him (cf. 30:18-19). They asked Him to be the daily strength of those who opposed the destroyer, Assyria. They also requested deliverance for the Jerusalemites when Assyria attacked.
33:3 The prayer continues as the remnant anticipated the Lord creating a tumult and rising up to defend His people. When He would do that, enemies would flee and their nations disperse.
33:4 When the Lord arose against Israel's enemies the battle would be over almost as soon as it had started (cf. Rev. 19:19-20). The Jerusalemites would loot the spoils of war as voraciously as caterpillars and as swiftly as locusts (cf. 37:36-37).
33:5 The result would be glory for God. He is the sovereign ruler of the world. He would fill Zion with justice and righteousness (cf. 1:26-27; 32:1, 16). Here Isaiah began to look into the distant future.
33:6 The Lord Himself would be the sure foundation of the blessed Zion. His people would then enter into their time in history, a time marked by salvations (pl.) of many kinds, wisdom in following God's ways, and knowledge of the truth.
"Wisdom is the true and correct evaluation of things, whereas knowledge is the true recognition of what things are. It emphasizes the objective, whereas wisdom' brings to the fore the subjective aspect."322
Fearing the Lord will be the key to the treasures that He has laid up for His people. The practical meaning of the fear of the Lord is admitting that one's destiny lies in His hands.
Verses 7-12 provide the background for the hope just articulated. This pericope describes Judah's judgment by the Assyrian invaders. It contains a lament (vv. 7-9) and God's response (vv. 10-12).
33:7 The siege of Jerusalem is underway. The brave warriors are weeping in the streets of the city, and the ambassadors who had returned from peace talks (probably with Sennacherib at Lachish, 2 Kings 18:13-16; cf. Isa. 36:22) also grieve publicly. Both "hawks"and "doves"realize that trust in humans rather than in God proved ineffective.
33:8 People are afraid to go out onto the highways to travel about the land (cf. Judg. 5:6). The enemy has broken his treaty having no regard for the cities or the individuals he is now attacking.
33:9 All parts of Israel suffer because of the invading Assyrians. Lebanon was a forested region in the north, Sharon a beautiful plain to the west, and Bashan and Carmel were fertile areas to the east and north respectively. Assyria had decimated all the best, most fruitful, parts of the land.
33:10 God's people having been punished in measure, it was time for the Lord to arise in their defense. The critical moment for Him to act had arrived, and He would now exalt Himself by delivering them.
3:11-12 The Judahites had done their best to bring forth victory through their own efforts, but all they yielded was chaff and stubble, nothing substantial. Now God would thoroughly consume the little that they were able to produce.323He would also destroy Israel's enemies as thoroughly as limestone and thorns.
"The tragedy of sin is that it ruins the life of the sinner; the danger of sin is that it excites the wrath of God."324
Isaiah now turned to focus on one aspect of the future hope of the nation: Zion. It will consist of a people and a king. The prophet concentrated on the people first (vv. 13-16) and then their king (vv. 17-24).
33:13 God summoned, through His prophet, the entire earth, those far and near, to pay attention to what He had done to His people. It has worldwide significance. God's powerful acts toward Israel in the past will cause the nations to stream to Zion in the future.
33:14 The spectacular demonstration of God's holiness in Assyria's defeat would terrify sinners in Zion, those Jews who were unrepentant in Isaiah's day. They would realize that they could not reside in His holy presence because of their sins.
33:15 Only the righteous may dwell in Zion where God resides. Various activities mark the righteous person (cf. Ps. 15; 24:3-6); they do not make him righteous before God. His righteousness is not just private but public. His speech is pure, he does not extort money from others, and he does not take bribes (because he does not love money). He does not listen to anything connected with hurting other people, and he will not look at anything vulgar, evil, or perverted (cf. Ps. 119:37). That is, he will not participate in these things. These last two characteristics are particularly challenging to us who live in an age of motion pictures, television, and internet.
33:16 Such a righteous person will dwell with God, who dwells on the high places (v. 5). He will be safe from attacks by enemies since God is his refuge. And God will provide for his needs (cf. Matt. 6:33). In other words, he will enjoy God's fellowship, protection, and provision.
The subject now shifts from the people who will inhabit the future Zion to the king who will rule there. This is a revelation of Messiah's universal rule. It is a picture that stands in stark contrast to the one Isaiah painted of the present Jerusalem in chapters 28-31.
33:17 The prophet now assumed that his audience was righteous. Not only will the righteous be with God in the future (v. 16), but they will even see the excellent king (cf. Ps. 45:3). They will also see a broad land in which there can be freedom of movement.325
33:18-19 There will be no fear there of enemy officials who noted things down, weighed things out, and assessed Israel's strength by taking inventories. Neither will there be terror caused by invading armies that used incomprehensible speech (cf. 28:11, 19). Foreign tax collectors who spoke an alien language may also be in view. These were all fears that the Judeans had when the Assyrians invaded.
33:20 Zion had a future that Isaiah's audience needed to contemplate. It would be a place where God's people would feast and rejoice in fellowship with Him. It would be a peaceful, secure, durable habitation in contrast to the temporary and vulnerable tents of their nomadic forefathers and all the Israelites during the wilderness wanderings. The seemingly endless pilgrimages of the Israelites would finally be over.
33:21 The mighty king over this Zion will be Yahweh Himself, a divine ruler, even Messiah (cf. 53:11). There will be plenty of water in Zion, as well as plenty of land (v. 17). But the absence of boats on the rivers and canals, all of which were notably absent in ancient Israel, suggests that there will be no need for commerce and shipping. This presents a picture of a self-sufficient Zion not maintained by the same economic system that has driven humankind since its Fall (cf. Rev. 18).
33:22 Messiah will be the judge (leader and governor), lawgiver (legislator and chief), and (permanent) ruler of His people. He will provide deliverance in every situation.326
33:23 The enemy of Israel, represented here as a disabled ship, would not be able to overcome other cities or pursue trade by normal means.327Zion would take the spoil of a conquest that her king had gained that was now past. The physically weak would take the plunder of the strong (cf. Matt. 5:5). Assyrian kings boasted of the spoil that they took in war, but even the lame among God's people will take plunder.
33:24 Physical sickness and spiritual sin will be totally absent from eschatological Zion (cf. Ps. 103:3). This description pictures the absence of all disabilities. Iniquities will also be forgiven (cf. Lev. 16:21-22). The basis for this forgiveness is the sacrifice of Christ (cf. 53:4, 14; Heb. 10:17-18).
This is one of the grand pictures of life during the coming reign of Jesus Christ. That kingdom will begin on earth following His second coming, continue for 1, 000 years, and then extend forever into eternity (cf. Rev. 19-22).
