Isaiah, Prophet of Salvation, Book 4, part 25

Isaiah seems to love metaphors to illustrate truth. Isaiah 28:20 says,

²⁰ The bed is too short on which to stretch out, and the blanket is too small to wrap oneself in.

This is a metaphor of Judah’s inadequacy, pictured by a six-foot man trying to sleep on a five-foot bed or a blanket that cannot cover one’s neck and feet at the same time. They had made a defense treaty with Egypt that proved to be totally inadequate, and it was only by the direct intervention of God Himself that Jerusalem was saved from the Assyrians. A century later, Judah would again depend on Egypt against Babylon, but to no avail.

David’s Example

Isaiah 28:21 says,

²¹ For the Lord will rise up as at Mount Perazim, He will be stirred up as in the valley of Gibeon, to do His task, His unusual task, and to work His work, His extraordinary work.

The prophet was telling Judah to follow the example of David and Joshua, both of whom had received divine aid through prayer. Appealing to Egypt was inadequate but appealing to God would obtain good results.

Mount Perazim was in the valley of Rephaim, where David obtained two victories over the Philistines in 2 Samuel 5:17-25 shortly after he had been anointed king over all Israel. We read in 2 Samuel 5:19, 20,

¹⁹ Then David inquired of the Lord, saying, “Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will You give them into my hands?” And the Lord said to David, “Go up, for I will certainly give the Philistines into your hand.” ²⁰ So David came to Baal-perazim and defeated them there; and he said, “The Lord has broken through [paraz] my enemies before me like the breakthrough [perez] of waters.” Therefore he named that place Baal-perazim [“Lord of the Breaks”].

We then read that David and his army captured and destroyed all of the idols that the Philistines had depended upon for victory. This is what Judah should have done as well.

The Philistines regrouped and came again to the valley of Rephaim to fight against David. This time God told David to circle around the Philistines under cover of the balsam trees. When God gave the signal, “when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees” (2 Samuel 5:24), then David was to ambush them from behind. This battle too was successful.

The Breakthrough

David then named the place Baal-perazim, “Lord of the Breaks,” because the Lord, or “Baal,” (i.e., Yahweh) had broken through the Philistine defenses. Baal is a title that means “owner, husband, or lord.” It is primarily a landlord, or landowner. Israel’s Owner, Husband, and Landlord was Yahweh (Leviticus 25:23), while other nations, of course, had their own lords (baalim). The term can be applied to either the true God of Israel or to false gods, much like the term Elohim, as we see in Exodus 20:2 and 3,

² I am Yahweh your Elohim, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. ³ You shall have no other Elohim before Me.

The problem comes when men worship a false Elohim or a false Baal. The false gods of the Philistines were destroyed when God broke through their ranks.

Then, too, God’s use of balsam trees may be significant as well, seeing as how this battle took place in the valley of Rephaim. Rephaim comes from the word rapha, “to heal,” while balsam oil was an essential oil that promoted healing (Jeremiah 8:22). David’s victory, then, along with burning the Philistine idols and false gods, healed the land. So we read in 2 Chronicles 7:14,

¹⁴ If My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin, and will heal [rapha] their land.

No doubt Isaiah was suggesting that if Judah would repent and follow David’s example, God would heal their land.