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Isaiah, Prophet of Salvation, Book 3, part 16

The oracle against Moab in Isaiah 15 is similar to what Jeremiah prophesied a century later in Jeremiah 48. What is perhaps most significant is that both prophets weep and wail for Moab. They do not gloat or rejoice over Moab’s destruction and captivity in spite of their idolatry. In fact, their tears reflect the heart of God, for there is no doubt that, like Jesus, they spoke only what they heard their heavenly Father speak and wept when they heard Him weep.

God’s Compassion for Moab

Isaiah 15:5 says,

⁵ My heart cries out for Moab, his fugitives are as far as Zoar and Eglath-shelishiyah, for they go up the ascent of Luhith weeping; surely on the road to Horonaim they raise a cry of distress over their fate.

Jeremiah 48:31, 32, 36 says,

³¹ Therefore I will wail for Moab, even for all Moab will I cry out; I will moan for the men of Kir-heres ³² More than the weeping for Jazer I will weep for you, O vine of Sibmah!... ³⁶ Therefore My heart wails for Moab like flutes…

Jeremiah mentions many of the same cities written about in Isaiah 15. It appears that Moab was not destroyed and exiled with Israel but rather a century later in the time of Jeremiah. King Nebuchadnezzar took Moab along with Judah, Ammon, and other surrounding nations.

Perhaps the most significant prophecy of Jeremiah that is not found in Isaiah 15 is that these nations, along with Judah, were to be restored in the future. So Jeremiah 48:47 says,

⁴⁷ “Yet I will restore the fortunes of Moab in the latter days,” declares the Lord. Thus far the judgment on Moab.

Likewise, of Ammon, we read in Jeremiah 49:6,

⁶ “But afterward I will restore the fortunes of the sons of Ammon,” declares the Lord.

The same is said in the prophecy against Elam (Jeremiah 49:39). These prophecies, I believe, indicate that certain nations will be part of the Kingdom of God in the future, when many nations recognize Jesus Christ as the King of Kings. John tells us in Revelation 21:23, 24,

²³ And the city [New Jerusalem] has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God has illumined it, and its lamp is the Lamb. ²⁴ The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it.

This is part of the restoration of the nations, when they are turned from their idolatry to recognize the right of Jesus Christ to rule all things. The prophets therefore weep with compassion over these idolatrous nations, seeing them as God sees them—future believers. Those who see Moab and Ammon and other nations through the eyes of God are able to share His love and concern for them and to give these nations hope for the future.

Moabite Cities

Isaiah 15:5 mentions Zoar, which was the first town where Lot and his family found refuge after escaping the destruction of Sodom. It was located on the southeast side of the Dead Sea and was just a small town. But Lot did not remain there, for he was afraid it too would be destroyed (Genesis 19:30).

It was originally known as Bela (Genesis 14:2), a word that means “devoured, swallowed up,” for it was destroyed by the fire of God. Afterward, a town was reestablished on its location, but it was known as Zoar, “insignificant, small.” We might call it Littleton or Smallville. It still existed in the time of Isaiah (Isaiah 15:5) and Jeremiah (Jeremiah 48:34).

Isaiah 15:5 also mentions Eglath-shelishiyah, which the KJV renders “heifer of three years old.” The NASB restores its proper name as a town. Eglah or Eglath means “heifer,” a word that Samson used in Judges 14:18 when his Philistine friends guessed his riddle: “If you had not plowed with my heifer, you would not have found out my riddle.” He was referring to their threats against his bride’s family if she did not help them discover the secret of the riddle.

In my novel, Power of the Flame, I gave the name Eglah, “heifer,” to Samson’s bride, as the biblical text suggests.

The word shelishiyah is used again in 2 Kings 4:42, “a man came from Baal-shalishah.” Shalishah is from shalash, “three or thirds or three parts.” Hence, Baal-shalishah means “thrice-great lord,” and Eglath-shelishiyah means “heifer of three years old.” Scripture does not tell us the local story of how this town received its name.

From the standpoint of prophecy and how names tend to prophesy, we may turn to Genesis 15:8, 9, which tells us about God’s covenant with Abraham:

⁸ He said, “O Lord God, how may I know that I will possess it?” ⁹ So He said to him, “bring Me a three year old heifer, and a three year old female goat, and a three year old ram, and a turtledove and a young pigeon.”

Hence, we see that the promise of God was sealed by blood from five different animals. Five is the number of grace. There were two birds and three animals, each three years old, including a three-year-old heifer. All of these birds and animals represented Jesus Christ Himself, for they were killed in order to seal the promise with a blood covenant. The animals had to be fully mature, and this also suggests a three-year time of Jesus’ ministry in order to bring His work to maturity before dying on the cross to ratify the covenant.

The name of the Moabite town, then, suggests that the Abrahamic covenant applied to Moab when God told Abraham in Genesis 12:3, “in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.”

Isaiah 15:5 and Jeremiah 48:5 also mention “the ascent of Luhith.” Luhith was a town not far from Zoar on the Moabite plain above the Dead Sea. Luhith means “tablets” (stone), or “boards” (wood) or “plates” (metal). If this name also suggests a prophecy, no doubt it would be a reference to Moses’ ascent to receive the tablets of the law. This would indicate that the restoration of Moab, as part of the Abrahamic covenant, would also write the law in their hearts in order to conform Moab’s nature to that of Christ Himself.