Isaiah 34:5-7
Amplified Bible, Classic Edition
5 Because My sword has been bathed and equipped in heaven, behold, it shall come down upon Edom [the descendants of Esau], upon the people whom I have doomed for judgment.
6 The sword of the Lord is filled with blood [of sacrifices], it is gorged and greased with fatness—with the blood of lambs and goats, with the fat of the kidneys of rams. For the Lord has a sacrifice in Bozrah [capital of Edom] and a great slaughter in the land of Edom.
7 And the wild oxen shall fall with them, and the [young] bullocks with the [old and mighty] bulls; and their land shall be drunk and soaked with blood, and their dust made rich with fatness.
5
The Lord says that His sword has been bathed and equipped in Heaven. God is a mighty warrior and this is a picture of God placing on His heavenly armor before He brings forth judgement on Edom. In the previous verse the Lord spoke about dealing with all the hosts of Heaven. The demonic powers and principalities are no match for the Living God. Often we may have a very wrong understanding and picture of Satan because of what is portrayed in the entertainment industry. But throughout the book of Isaiah we see how truly awesome God is. He is both the Lion and the Lamb. But here we see the Lion preparing His sword to bring forth His judgement.
Here the focal point of God’s judgement is the nation of Edom. Edom was descended from Esau. Esau was the first born of Isaac, but he forfeited his birthright and Jacob deceptively stole the blessing that Isaac believed he was praying over Esau. But God had revealed this to Rebekah when the boys jostled in her womb. Here the Lord highlights Edom because it was one of the major enemies and adversaries of Israel. But in the large picture Edom represents any nation outside of Israel that would stand against the Living God and His purposes. Those who curse Israel shall be cursed and those who bless Israel will be blessed (Genesis 12:3).
6
It says the sword of the Lord is filled or bathed in blood. God’s word tells us that without the shedding of blood there can be no forgiveness of sins (Hebrews 9:22). We are also told that the life of the individual is in the blood (Lev 17:11). This is why under the Old Covenant the Lord required a sacrifice for sins to be forgiven. It was the life of one in place of another. The sins of the individual were transferred to the one being sacrificed. This is why Jesus is the perfect and once and for all sacrifice because He was fully man and His blood was without sin.
But here the sacrifice has become the wicked nations that oppose God and His purposes. For its wickedness it says that God’s sword is bathed in blood. The picture we have of the different animals that are listed are those animals that were sacrificed under the Old Covenant. Bozrah is the capital city of Edom and there would be no escape for anyone in Edom when the judgement of Almighty God began to be poured out.
May this be a warning to the nations of the world and to those who live on the earth at this time. There is a time of judgement that is coming to the nations. God has an appointed hour in which He will pour forth His wrath on the earth. He has not appointed His bride to suffer wrath and when the day and hour comes when the bride is removed, the wrath of Almighty God will be released upon the earth to rightly deal with the nations.
7
The wild oxen here most likely refers to the mighty men of Edom. Men who were seen as warriors and those in positions of power and leadership. The Lord says the bullocks with the bulls. He is speaking of both the young men and the old and mighty men. There is no one who will be able to withstand the sword of God’s judgement. It says the land shall be drunk and soaked with blood.
When God pours out His judgement, it has reached a point where His mercy has been rejected, His word has been rejected, and wickedness has taken hold and reached its full. The judgement of God is not based on a simple reaction of evil. God continually sends forth His word to people with the hope they will heed His word and turn from their wickedness. But because He is holy, righteous, and justice, He must respond rightly to those who continue in wickedness.
When we view our world today many look at the issue of abortion and see how many countless lives have been lost because of this wickedness and cruelty. Children growing in the womb of their mother are murdered and destroyed often because of selfishness and fear. Today we view the unborn as things that can be simply cast aside and forgotten. But God sees every tear and counts every life that is destroyed upon this earth. This is one thing of many on this earth that is wicked and invites the judgement of God.
But there is coming a day when God shall pour out His full measure of judgement upon the earth. We may wonder where the Living God is as we watch terrible and wicked things happen in our day. But know that He is not absent, asleep, or ignoring what is happening. He is watching and sending forth His word. Those who are heeding the word of the Lord and living for Him are being saved from the wrath of Almighty God to come. Not only the wrath of judgement upon the earth, but from an eternity separated from God. A person and nation truly reaps what it sows. Those who heed the word and voice of Almighty God in this hour and sow to the purposes of His kingdom, shall reap the goodness and blessings of the Lord. They shall be protected by His mighty hand and what waits for them in eternity is far greater than they can imagine.