To understand this set of verses, we need to read other parts of the Old Testament and understand the history and context of the passage. It will shed light on what Philistia is, and also how it was treated by the nations.
(A) Real God News: The broken line of David will rise again, Philistia’s destruction is sure (Isa 14:29-30)
Isaiah 14:29a makes a reference to the rod that struck Philistia. To understand this reference, and who Philistia is, we need to go back to Israel’s history. In 2 Chronicles 28:1, we are introduced to Ahaz, king of Judah, the southern kingdom. He is the son of king Jotam, a direct descendent of David and reigned for sixteen years from the age of twenty. We are told too, that he did not do what was right in the eyes of the LORD (2 Chron 28:1).
The writer of 2 Chronicles goes on to detail the tings that Ahaz did. King Ahaz brings back officially sanctioned idol worship and made metal images for the Baals (2 Chron 28:2). He went so far as to sacrifice his own son “in the valley of Hinnom” (2 Chron 28:3). It seems to be a repeated pattern, for he burned multiple sons. Ahaz went against what was explicitly stated in Leviticus 20:1-5, when the LORD outlines to Moses the severity of such an act of child sacrifice. Like any sin, God takes such acts personally, saying “ I myself will set my face against that man and will cut him off from among his people.” Children, and all people are made in God’s image, and not to be used as sacrifice to other gods.
The fact that this act was carried out amongst God’s people makes God’s sanctuary unclean and profanes his holy name. Moses writes in Leviticus 20:4-5 that if the people of the land close their eyes to this man’s sin, God will set His face against their clan and they will be cut off from God’s people. During his rule, Ahaz normalized idol worship in a big way and outrightly disobeyed God’s instructions not to do so. He disregarded God’s strong and clear warning over child sacrifice and that also implicates his people in this sin.
Under David’s rule, there are many accounts of David’s victory over the Philistines in 1 Samuel 17, 18 and 19, but in this study, we will turn to 2 Samuel 5:17-21. In 2 Samuel 5:17, the Philistines realize that David is a threat when he becomes king of both Israel and Judah and they try to rid of him. David felt external pressure, with another nation seeking to take his life. The Philistines get ready for war and David hears of the Philistine approach (2 Sam 5:18). Now, David does not run away but heads to the stronghold and faced their attack. He positions himself to observe and act. Before taking further action, David inquires of the LORD’s will on the matter, and does not take matters into his own hands (2 Sam 5:19).
David only acts when the LORD tells him to do so. Upon defeating the Philistines, he gives glory and credit to God who he knows fought on his behalf — “ the LORD has broken through my enemies before me like a breaking flood” — and the place is named “LORD of breaking through” to mark how God had given David success by fighting for him (2 Sam 5:20). David, in the face of danger, continued to seek God’s will.
As a result, the Philistines abandon their idols. Their idols were useless in the face of the Lord’s might, They could neither save the Philistines, nor themselves from being captured (2 Sam 5:21). David and his men carried the idols away and in 1 Chronicles 14:12 we learn that David subsequently had the idols burned.
For a long time, the Philistines had superior innovations with blacksmithing. In 1 Samuel 13:19-21 we learn of how in Saul’s day, Israelites had to rely on the Philistines to sharpen and repair their iron tools. For a long time, Philistines had harassed and oppressed the Israelites and invaded their territory and God’s people could not deal with the military superiority of the Philistines. All this only ceased when King David were able to defeat the Philistines.
Thus, David was the rod that struck Philistia? There was no other king in Judah that had such complete victory over Philistia. In our account, David trusted in God in his moment of distress, he did the necessary preparations, but ultimately acted only when God told him to. David decisively cleanses the land of the idols of Philistia instead of adopting them into his religious worldview. At the end of it all, David gives the glory to God and helps others know of what God did by naming that place.
How is the Rod broken now? What are the nations that defeated or invaded Judah during Ahaz’s rule? In 2 Chronicles 28:5, we read of how Judah, under King Ahaz, is defeated by the King of Syria, who took captive a great number of people and brought them to Damascus. King Ahaz, we are told too, was given into the hand of the King of Syria (2 Chron 28:5). 2 Chronicles 28:6 goes on to tell us that “he was also given in to the hand of the king of Israel, who struck him with great force”. Pekah, the son of Remaliah from Israel killed 120,000 from Judah. God gave him into the hands of the King of Israel because they had forsaken the LORD, the God of their fathers and 200,000 more were taken captive to Samaria, the capital of Israel (2 Chron 28:8-9).
It did not stop there. The Edomites again invaded and defeated Judah and carried away captives (2 Chron 28:17). The Philistines also raided cities of Judah and took Beth-shemesh, Aijalon, Gederoth, Soco with its villages, Timnah with its villages and Gizmo with its villages (2 Chron 28:18).
From these verses, it is clear that God gave Judah into the hands of the peoples around them to discipline them for how they had forsaken him. Instead of turning from his sin, repenting before God and coming back to trusting and relying on God for security, Ahaz led Judah further into sin. This was most notably seen in 2 Chronicles 28:16. In the face of difficulty, King Ahaz turned to the king of Assyria for help. The extent to which this help was asked is in 2 Kings 16:7 — “So Ahaz sent messengers to Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria, saying, “I am your servant and your son. Come up and rescue me from the hand of the king of Syria and from the hand of the king of Israel, who are attacking me.”
Ahaz chooses an alliance with The King of Assyria instead of faith in God. He gives up sovereignty as God’s king over Judah, and bows as a vassal before the King of Assyria in order to raise military aid to fend against Syria and Israel in the north. God’s king subjugates himself under another human king, and in turn rejects God’s rule and protection. It is this act that introduces the downfall of the dynasty of David. The rod that God uses to strike the nations is broken because of Ahaz’s flagrant idolatry, immense disregard for God’s holiness and most notably in the breaking of trust and reliance on God.
When we turn back to Isaiah 14, we see how Philistia is told to refrain from rejoicing (Isa 14:29a). This implies that the Philistines saw the broken rule of Ahaz as a window of opportunity for relief and maybe potential gain. They did not see it as God’s punishment over his own people for their waywardness. Implicit in this rebuke is a call to sober up, the discipline of Judah is a warning to Philistia to turn too from their wicked ways. If God will discipline his people, how much more will he pour out on those set against Him and his own?
Isaiah 14:29b describes the broken rod as a flying fiery serpent that is venomous and deadly. This might confuse us even further, thus, a good picture of this is in Exodus 7:10-12. As Aaron and Moses were called to prove to pharaoh that their God was real, God told them to "cast their staff down before Pharaoh that it may become a serpent." This God, mighty in power, could turn a staff into a serpent that people might know he is the one true God. He is the same God that can take the broken line of David and transform it into a people for his purposes again. Do you see that God is yet for his people and has not given up on them despite Ahaz’s waywardness?
If we contrast the people of Judah with the people of Philistia, we notice that they have different fates (Isa 14:30). For Judah, the poorest of the poor will graze, they will find pastures and have sustenance, and they will be kept safe & be able to find rest. This is in contrast to the very certain end of the Philistines. Their root, or their future will be killed by famine. And their remnant will be slain, or die by the sword. Though being just neighbouring nations, they will face very opposing ends. God’s people will be fed, and Philistia will be in starvation. God’s people though oppressed in the past will find safety, and the philistines slaughtered.
Who acts? The “I” in Isa 14:30 is God speaking and acting. Though Ahaz failed to protect his people, God promises to act on behalf of his people. To provide and to protect. In these verses we see the image of the “rod to strike” used by God to punish and destroy those that persistently oppose him but we also see God’s gentle and nurturing staff used to guide and safeguard his people. God’s people, though impoverished, still enjoy God’s care. In contrast, God’s hand is set against the Philistines. This was an assurance and comfort, though it might not have been how Judah felt in those days, when they were consistently raided.
This is consistent with what we read about God in Exodus 34:6-7. God is described as merciful, gracious, slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but also one who clear the guilty.
Notice also, how God’s people are described: firstborn of the poor or the poorest of the poor (Isa 14:30). They are the needy. Indeed they are materially needy and poor because of the bad governance of Ahaz, but they are also implicit in his sins, not calling him out in his sinful idolatry. They are also the morally and spiritually poor and needy, unable to rise above their current circumstances with their own means.
Do we as God’s people identify with these descriptors or do we despise it? If you are well-off, this is not calling you to identify as God’s people by ridding yourself of your wealth. But do we as God’s people see ourselves innately as people that are morally and spiritually poor and needy? My friends, I hope that as we read this Oracle to Philistia that we read it not as a people aloof or self-righteous, for we are the Philistines, uncircumcised in our hearts who had no relationship with God, morally and spiritually depraved, rejoicing in a life of independence apart from Him.
As Paul quotes Isaiah 11:1 in Romans 15:12 that the root of Jesse will come, even he who arises to rule the Gentiles; in Him will the Gentiles hope. This root of Jesse or the root of the serpent is Christ. His reign extends to us Gentiles because of his death on the cross for sinners. Because of that God has given Him authority over all those who would see him as King of their lives. If you are in Christ, this mercy and grace that Judah experiences is yours to experience.
May we take heart that though the line of David was broken in Ahaz, God is for his people and He will work salvation for us: to judge against all unrighteousness, to ultimately crush sin, and to provide and protect us.
(B) Real Good News: Assyria marches south but there is refuge for God’s people in Zion (Isa 14:31-32)
Instead of rejoicing, the appropriate response from Philistia is to wail, cry out and melt in fear (Isa 14:31a). The smoke in the north depicts an army moving down against them from the North. There is no straggler amongst their ranks, they are trained men of war, effective and disciplined, overwhelming in number such that as they make their way south, smoke and dust are kicked up in their trail. Indeed, we know of this further down in Isaiah 20:1 “that the commander in chief , who was sent by the King of Assyria, arrived at the city of Ashdod (one of the 5 major Philistine cities) and fought against it and captured it.” So we get a picture of the near term defeat that the Philistine were sure to encounter.
The Philistines in the face of imminent attack, will send messengers or envoys to Judah, most probably seeking an anti-Assyrian alliance (Isa 14:32). The response from Judah this time will be different from Ahaz’s very human past response to pressure. The “matter-of-fact” response is calm, assured. It is absolutely certain that the defining character of their city is that the LORD, the living God is their personal relational God. He has set his presence in their midst. The response highlights this truth first and that all of their perceptions of the unfolding events are seen through this lens.
He is not only with them, but the LORD God is the very founder, the chief architect of this city. Isaiah 28:16 says “I am the one who is laying a foundation in Zion, a stone, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, of a sure foundation: “whoever believes will not be in haste”. The NIV translates it as “not be stricken with panic”. Because of this, the afflicted find refuge from the carnage outside.
Though the lineage of David was broken in Ahaz the failed king, God did not give up on his people and provided for them safe refuge in Jerusalem against Assyria. He also gives us today a true king that rules and reigns over eternal Jerusalem. He is the tested and precious cornerstone who is the sure foundation for all God’s people. Will we likewise bow before this eternal King’s rule, by heeding his words to us, and obeying it? Or will we stumble over this stone because we are distracted by other false securities?
So what is the Philistine equivalent today? I would say anything that comes before you promising any other foundation other than the sure foundation of Jesus Christ are the Philistines of your life. Is your sure foundation against rising inflation and gas prices your steady job in a growing sector? Is your sure foundation in life a job that gives you meaning and purpose? Is your sure foundation your well diversified investment portfolio for your retirement? Is your sure foundation against loneliness your girlfriend or your boyfriend? If any of these are knocking on your door now to present to you an alternative foundation we are to face them plainly, and say, my sure foundation is in my saviour Jesus Christ who bled and died for my sins on the cross. Because of him, I have peace with God, and I have ultimate safety into eternity. No worldly alliances can save but only Christ and in His presence will I find lasting refuge. No other King can rule with perfect holy justice and compassionate love, and only in His city, can we dwell secure.
Friends, today you either call this Christ your king or you don’t. You are either in the city of refuge or you are not. I plead with you that you would seek out Christ. Respond to him today by repenting of your desire for independence apart from Him.