Isaiah 14: Intellectual rigor and biblical interpretation

I need to step away from A Spiritual Formation Workbook for a few moments, and talk instead about intellectual rigor in scriptural interpretation.  We, as believers, are often guilty of sloppy thinking.  For me, the various interpretations of Isaiah 14 is a good example of how convoluted biblical "scholarship" can become.  I'll let you decide for yourself which interpretation is the most valid, and I'll tell you which one I think is best.

Before I say anything, read the verses that are associated with the fall of Satan:

“How you have fallen from heaven,
O star of the morning, son of the dawn!
You have been cut down to the earth,
You who have weakened the nations!
“But you said in your heart,
‘I will ascend to heaven;
I will raise my throne above the stars of God,
And I will sit on the mount of assembly
In the recesses of the north.
‘I will ascend above the heights of the clouds;
I will make myself like the Most High.’
“Nevertheless you will be thrust down to Sheol,
To the recesses of the pit (Isa. 14:12-15)

Now take a moment to read the entire chapter, and think about these verses in context.

(Journal, Jan. 13, 2012)

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Isaiah 14:12-15. New American Standard Bible. Web. 16 Feb. 2012. <http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isa.%2014:12-15&version=NASB>.