Isaiah: Egypt? Again? Seriously?

Isaiah 30-31 

We love our children and desire a deep, meaningful relationship with them, right? Consider all the elements that contribute to a healthy relationship: love, care, protection, teaching, mentorship, friendship, laughter, respect, tears, pain, and discipline, to name a few. It’s the same with God. His mercies are new every morning, and each day offers renewal. All the wonderful aspects that build and maintain a great connection with our children are the same qualities needed in our relationship with our heavenly Father.

In the book of Isaiah, God’s covenant love for his people encourages, warns, and sometimes disciplines them. He loves us that much!

Isaiah begins his prophecy by addressing Judah directly (Isa. 1-12) and subsequently reminds them of God’s sovereign power over all nations (Isa. 13-23). Following a section on God’s love, discipline, and future blessings (Isa. 24-27), the prophet outlines six “woes” for God’s people. A “woe,” sometimes translated as “Ah” (Hebrew: hoy), serves as a verbal warning signal, alerting Judah to slow down and change direction to avoid impending danger. Here is a list of the six woes:

Woe #1: (Isa. 28:1) Judgment on the northern kingdom (Israel).
Woe #2: (Isa. 29:1) Judgments on the southern kingdom (Judah and Jerusalem).
Woe #3: (Isa. 29:15) Judgment on Judah’s arrogance.
Woe #4: (Isa. 30:1) Judgment on Judah for allying with Egypt.
Woe #5: (Isa. 31:1) Judgment on Judah for relying on the Egyptian military.
Woe #6: (Isa. 33:1) Judgment on the enemies of God’s people.

Isaiah 30 takes place when Judah’s King Hezekiah tried to secure an alliance with Egypt (we will put this in its historical context when we study Isaiah 36-39). Assyria posed a real threat, and Judah needed support. However, they overlooked the only One who could truly help them! 

Judah’s attempt to align with Egypt was not God’s plan. They headed down with “their riches on the backs of donkeys, and their treasures on the humps of camels” to buy Egypt’s support (Isa. 30:6). However, God said that Judah devises their plans without asking for his direction (Isa. 30:2). Egypt could not provide aid.

Isaiah 30:7
Egypt’s help is worthless and empty; therefore I have called her “Rahab who sits still.” 

There is considerable discussion about why Egypt is called “Rahab.” In ancient mythology, Rahab was the counterpart of Leviathan, akin to the behemoth in Job. In our study of Job, we noted that the behemoth may have been a hippopotamus. Just as a hippo sits in the Nile, Egypt would remain unmoving when Judah needed their help. The NET Bible notes that “Rahab” is used as a name for Egypt in Psalm 87:4 and may represent a mythical sea monster that was a symbol of chaos.[1]  Bible scholar John Oswalt observes that the Egyptian pharaoh at this time was a Nubian, not an Egyptian. He states, “Egypt did not have the cultural strength to produce its own leadership, let alone protect anyone else.”[2] Indeed, Egypt was “worthless and empty.”

Judah, however, was a rebellious people “unwilling to hear the instruction of the Lord” (Isa. 30:9). They told the prophets of the day, “Do not prophesy to us what is right; speak to us smooth things” (Isa. 30:10). This mirrors what Paul told Timothy about those in the last days who would not “endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions and will turn away…” (2 Tim. 4:1-4). Because Judah was willfully deceived, they would bear the weight of their sin and its consequences (Isa. 30:15-17).  Despite their rebellion, God offered his grace. Here’s today’s Anchor Point:

Isaiah 30:18
Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you. For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him. 

 If only God’s people would be willing to trust him and wait on him. Then they would find renewal. If they would wait on him, God promised that he would guide them (Isa. 30:19-22), provide for them (Isa. 30:23-26), and protect them (Isa. 30:27-33). He said, “In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength. But you were unwilling (Isa. 30:15). However, they would soon find out that God was the “Rock of Israel” when he supernaturally defeated the Assyrians (Isa. 30:29-33). We’ll get to that later.

Isaiah 31 (the fifth “woe”) continues the same message of how reckless it is to trust in Egypt.

Isaiah 31:1
Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help and rely on horses, who trust in chariots because they are many and in horsemen because they are very strong, but do not look to the Holy One of Israel or consult the Lord! 

The emphasis on horses reminds us that in Isaiah’s day, a “horse’s speed, stamina, and maneuverability gave an army mobility and a shock effect” to defeat the enemy.[3] And yet, “the Egyptians are man, and not God” (Isa. 31:3a). The Lord of hosts is the One who will “protect Jerusalem; he will protect and deliver it; he will spare and rescue it” (Isa. 31:5).

So, if you are seeking renewal and a deep, meaningful relationship with the living God, you must sincerely ask and answer this question: Is your trust in man and temporary things, or is it in God and his eternal treasures? 

Back to our Anchor Point. 

Isaiah 30:18
Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you. For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him. 

God is eager to refresh you with his grace. He is poised to show mercy to you. God does all things for your good.

Renewed! Refreshed! Reinvigorated! Restored! That’s what you want, right? Renewal comes to those who wait and trust in God—the Rock of Israel. 

PERSONAL TIME WITH GOD
Time in the Word: Read and reflect on Isaiah 30-31. Focus on our Anchor Point: Isaiah 30:18.
Are you waiting for God, trusting in his plans, or rushing ahead with your own plans?

Talking to God:  Talk to God about waiting on him. Ask him to renew and refresh you with his presence. 

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Every day is a day of spiritual renewal as we follow hard after Jesus.