What Isaiah 14 Reveals About Satan, Babylon, and the Path to True Greatness
Isaiah 14 is the famous taunt against Babylon. Many have rightly seen the king of Babylon as the devil himself. That’s because Babylon is the embodiment of opposition and hostility to God’s purposes.
Human Pride Brought Low
Arrogance and pride are two characteristics of Babylonian attitudes and actions. God, our Creator, is highly exalted and all creation should submit in obedient worship of His Being.
Humans may exult in their beauty, wisdom, power, and possessions, but death levels the playing field. Isaiah often uses sarcasm to point out that anything short of loving obedience to God is short-sighted. In this case, the mighty king of Babylon realizes his true status before the Lord.
Sheol beneath is stirred up
to meet you when you come;
it rouses the shades to greet you,
all who were leaders of the earth;
it raises from their thrones
all who were kings of the nations.
All of them will speak
and say to you:
“You, too, have become as weak as we!
You have become like us!”
Your pomp is brought down to Sheol,
and the sound of your harps;
maggots are the bed beneath you,
and worms are your covering. (Isaiah 14:9-11)
Satan and World Leaders
One of the clearest pictures of the nature and defeat of Satan is found in this chapter. It originally was a reference to the king of Babylon.
When Satan works his will through rulers of this world, he reproduces his wicked qualities in them. They become virtual shadows of his image. That is why a prophecy about a Babylonian king can also be about the devil.
The feature of Satan’s character and that of human rebellion before God is found in the many “I will” statements of the evil one.
You said to yourself,
“I will ascend to heaven;
I will raise my throne
above the stars of God;
I will sit on the mount of assembly
on the heights of Zaphon;
I will ascend to the tops of the clouds;
I will make myself like the Most High.” (Isaiah 14:13-14)
Human willfulness must be avoided at all cost. Nothing makes someone less like God than the effort to be His equal.
Jesus demonstrated true greatness and power, and it is the opposite of Satan’s willful lust.
Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus,
Who, though he existed in the form of God,
did not regard equality with God
as something to be grasped,
But emptied himself,
taking the form of a slave,
assuming human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a human,
He humbled himself
and became obedient to the point of death—
even death on a cross. (Philippians 2:5-8)
Satan and humans who imitate his character traits attempt to grasp the kind of self-rule that is not theirs. Jesus, on the other hand, does not grasp, but empties Himself of all heavenly honor and glory. His path to glory was the humiliation of being crucified as a common criminal.
God’s Last Word
God’s last word for Jesus’ servanthood approach was this:
Therefore God exalted him even more highly
and gave him the name
that is above every other name,
So that at the name given to Jesus
every knee should bend,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
And every tongue should confess
that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:9-11)
God also has a message for the kings of the world who rule in the spirit of Babylon and the devil.
But you are brought down to Sheol,
to the depths of the Pit. (Isaiah 14:15)
Jesus is worshiped and adored because of the way He lived His life and provided salvation for humanity. On the other hand, the majority of people feel the “depths of the Pit” is the right place for the devil.
What we need to seriously consider is whose life we are imitating.
Jesus live in obedience to the Father. Every day, Jesus was in constant contact with His Father.
He described His relationship with the Father: “Very truly, I tell you, the Son can do nothing on his own but only what he sees the Father doing, for whatever the Father does, the Son does likewise” (John 5:19).
Jesus’ humility and faithfulness to the Father’s purpose was the hallmark of His life.
What about Satan? His attitudes and actions oppose God’s purposes. He is filled with pride and self-will. Individuals like Babylon’s king were the embodiment of Satan’s principles.
The best choice we can make is to positively respond to Jesus’ invitation.
“If any wish to come after me, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me” (Mark 8:34).
YouTube Discussion
Rudy Ross, Bruce Kirby, and I discussed this passage on YouTube today.
Real Voices 