Land of Silence in Darkness

Isaiah 21:11-17

11 The burden against Dumah.
He calls to me out of Seir,
"Watchman, what of the night?
Watchman, what of the night?"

12 The watchman said,
"The morning comes, and also the night.
If you will inquire, inquire;
Return! Come back!"

13 The burden against Arabia.
In the forest in Arabia you will lodge,
O you traveling companies of Dedanites.

14 O inhabitants of the land of Tema,
Bring water to him who is thirsty;
With their bread they met him who fled.
15 For they fled from the swords, from the drawn sword,
From the bent bow, and from the distress of war.

16 For thus the LORD has said to me: "Within a year, according to the year of a hired man, all the glory of Kedar will fail; 17 and the remainder of the number of archers, the mighty men of the people of Kedar, will be diminished; for the LORD God of Israel has spoken it."

These burdens laid on the prophet Isaiah by the Lord were aimed at Edom and Arabia with fugitives running from violence.  Darkness enveloped the world and the message heard a cry out of the silence (Dumah in Hebrew meaning “silence,” that is, the land of silence; see Ps. 94:17; 115:17) of that darkness they were in.  The reply was for them to keep seeking the answer no matter how the darkness came and went from them.  It was as if a call for repentance in the command to return and come back.  In Arabia they were running from the violence, but the end of defeat was promised instead because God had predetermined it and indeed Sargon invaded Arabia in 715 B.C. and they were defeated by Assyria between 691–689 B.C.  The darkness and death followed those enemies of God’s people and of the Lord Himself with certain action, but not without warning as given by Isaiah here.  We also have been given warnings of the tribulation and wrath to come (Revelation 6:17, 1 Thessalonians 1:10) and can rest assured that it will absolutely come to pass in His appointed time.  The darkness is all around and we have the words of life that lead into the marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9, Acts 26:18) of forgiveness and reconciliation with God in Christ!  May we speak these words faithfully (Jeremiah 23:28-29) to bring down the opposition of defeat (2 Corinthians 10:5) which leads people to run away from the violence of certain judgment.  This certain hope of His word brings life and light into the death and darkness of this fallen world.  Oh, may those without Him in darkness and with a view to impending defeat keep inquiring and turn to Jesus Christ for light and life (John 1:4) as we bring that word which is like a hammer and fire to bear on them and break stubborn hearts before they are counted among the chaff separated from the wheat and consumed in the fire of judgment (Luke 3:17)!