Isaiah 23: 1-5

The Fall of Tyre

¹ The oracle concerning Tyre.

Wail, O ships of Tarshish,
For Tyre is destroyed, without house or harbor;
It is reported to them from the land of Cyprus.
² Be silent, you inhabitants of the coastland,
You merchants of Sidon; Your messengers crossed the sea
³ And were on many waters.

The grain of the Nile, the harvest of the River was her revenue;
And she was the market of nations.
⁴ Be ashamed, O Sidon;
For the sea speaks, the stronghold of the sea, saying,
“I have neither travailed nor given birth,
I have neither brought up young men nor reared virgins.”
⁵ When the report reaches Egypt,
They will be in anguish at the report of Tyre.

On the far right-hand corner of the map above, you will see the word Phoenicia. You will then see the two noted cities of that territory--Sidon and Tyre. Chapter 23 of Isaiah is the prophecy concerning the fall of Tyre. Today, through our opening verses, we piece together some background about this major trade city.

"Zidon [Sidon] was the more ancient city, situated upon the same sea-coast, a few leagues more to the north, and Tyre was at first only a colony of that; but the daughter had outgrown the mother, and become much more considerable. It may be a mortification to great cities to think how they were at first replenished."

--Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible (addition, mine)

Tyre may have started out as Sidon's child, but it grew to be one of the most important trade route locales on the Mediterranean Sea. This is one of those passages that requires a full read of the text, with supporting background, to appreciate why this is even here in the Bible. Tyre had a perfect location--the far-eastern part of the Mediterranean. Goods from that region would be loaded onto large cargo vessels and sent off to major ports westward, like Cypress, Crete, points in Greece and Italy, and over to Spain, which is where Tarshish may have been located. [The commentaries are all over the place on this one!] Being situated close to Egypt also meant Tyre had access to that country's resources, which we read about here in the text. The young, vibrant, bustling, economically minded city earned its title of "the market of nations." (vs. 3)

 

"'Tarshish was your customer because of the abundance of all kinds of wealth; with silver, iron, tin and lead they paid for your wares.... Judah and the land of Israel, they were your traders; with the wheat of Minnith, cakes, honey, oil and balm they paid for your merchandise....'"

--Ezekiel 27: 12 and 17 (Chapters 26 and 27 of Ezekiel also prophesy the fall in addition to giving many more details of Tyre's splendor and resources)

 

Knowing that Isaiah is always speaking to Judah, even when it seems like he isn't, it is helpful to understand the relationship between Judah and Tyre. It had been a very good relationship. We read in I Kings 5 how Solomon had struck an alliance between Judah and Tyre, through its king, Hiram. "...Hiram had always been a friend of David," it says in verse 1. Solomon arranged for his servants to work with Hiram's servants in constructing the Temple. There was also the marriage of the Phoenician Jezebel to Judah's King Ahab. Not that this was a good idea, nor was Ahab a righteous king in the eyes of God. But, this kept the alliance between the nations intact--the prophet, Amos, going so far as to call it "the covenant of brotherhood."

"We seldom find it [Tyre] a dangerous enemy to Israel, but sometimes their faithful ally, as in the reigns of David and Solomon; for trading cities maintain their grandeur, not by the conquest of their neighbours, but by commerce with them."

--Matthew Henry (addition mine)

Yet, the burden, the oracle, has come from Isaiah to Tyre. Let's look at the nations mentioned in today's text and their response to this news:

Tarshish: "Wail, O ships of Tarshish...." (vs. 1) As mentioned, Tarshish was believed to be a city in Spain, located at the southernmost tip, right on the Mediterranean--a logical westernmost point for trading ships headed east or around the peninsula and up to the north. You will recall that Tarshish was the intended destination of a runaway prophet named Jonah. With Tyre destroyed, a major trading post would, literally, be taken off the map. "...Without house or harbor" implies that not only would the traders of the city be unavailable to work commerce, but there would be no rest stop at which the sailors could enjoy a furlough.

Cyprus: From the text, sailors coming from Tarshish, who had stopped at Cyprus as part of their journey, would hear the news about Tyre. Compared to other stops on their journey, Cyprus to Tyre was one of the shorter legs of the trip. I would imagine emotions ranging from disappointment, as in, "I was hoping to enjoy a delicious meal and get off the water for awhile," to fear, as in, "It's been destroyed?! Why are we going to Tyre? Who's going to be there to greet {{gulp}} us?...."

Sidon: God's word for the older, established trade city of Phoenicia was, "Be silent...," and, "Be ashamed...." The Amplified Bible begins verse 4 this way: "Be ashamed, O Sidon [mother-city of Tyre, now a widow bereaved of her children], for the sea has spoken...." Sidon is left speechless, as her "daughter" will not be in the same position of spawning another successful trade city, much less any kind of city. Verse 4 is a lament of things that will never be known. The dreams of one with more to offer, snatched. Of course, there is another side to this story, which we'll unravel as we continue in Isaiah 23. But, for Sidon, the word of the loss is coupled with weightier thoughts: "What now? Is this a time to step in? Is this a time to run?" God says "Be silent. Be ashamed." There is worry, here.

Egypt: "...They will be in anguish...." Recall some of our earlier reading in Isaiah concerning the prophecy against Egypt. (Chapters 19 and 20) Egypt was certainly a key player on the world's trade front. Talk about location! Perfect conditions for growing and perfect avenues by which to export their products. See verse 3: "The grain of the Nile, and harvest of the River was her [Tyre's] revenue...." We learn that Egypt was not the sole exporter of her own crops. For all the wealth and sublime conditions for commerce that Egypt sported, Tyre still held some critical reins in the worldwide marketplace that would be advantageous for Egypt's status.

"Egypt indeed was a much larger and more considerable kingdom than Tyre was; and yet Tyre had so large a correspondence, upon the account of trade, that all the nations about shall be as much in pain, upon the report of the ruin of that one city, as they would have been, and not long after were, upon the report of the ruin of all Egypt...."

--Matthew Henry

 

Given all of this, why Tyre, Isaiah? 

"Who has planned this against Tyre?" (vs. 8) You can probably guess. ....'Til next time!

Photo: www.newworldencyclopedia.org

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Next time:  Isaiah 23: 6-10
 
Note: I read from the New American Standard Bible translation,
specifically, The MacArthur Study Bible (NASB).
I will quote other sources if used in a post.
I also use Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible
(with notes from the King James Version).

Isaiah 20

Prophecy about Egypt and Ethiopia

¹ In the year that the commander came to Ashdod, 

when Sargon the king of Assyria sent him 

and he fought against Ashdod and captured it,  

² at that time the Lord spoke through Isaiah the son of Amoz, saying, 

“Go and loosen the sackcloth from your hips and take your shoes off your feet.” 

And he did so, going naked and barefoot.  

³ And the Lord said, “Even as My servant Isaiah has gone naked 

and barefoot three years as a sign and token against Egypt and Cush, 

⁴ so the king of Assyria will lead away the captives of Egypt 

and the exiles of Cush, young and old, 

naked and barefoot with buttocks uncovered, to the shame of Egypt.

⁵ Then they will be dismayed and ashamed 

because of Cush their hope and Egypt their boast. 

⁶ So the inhabitants of this coastland will say in that day, 

‘Behold, such is our hope, where we fled for help to be delivered 

from the king of Assyria; and we, how shall we escape?’”

In this short Chapter 20, and very clear (and fulfilled!) prophecy, we also see the unquestioned devotion that Isaiah the prophet had in serving God. There is a time-shift in this prophecy between the first two verses and the rest of the chapter. Isaiah has forthtold the word for three years, and, then, God explains the why of what Isaiah was doing in that time. The details of the prophecies that we have already read about Ethiopia and Egypt are not as defined, so this is a treat, of sorts.

Although this is a prophecy about Egypt and Ethiopia, or Cush, we need to remember that Isaiah was always a prophet to Judah. This message is for Judah as much as it is about those other nations. With verse 1, a timeframe is established, and we need some definitions as we move forward.

The city mentioned, Ashdod, is one of the largest Philistine cities. Philistia was a region located to the southwest of Judah, toward Egypt and Ethiopia. This verse contains the only mention by name of Sargon, the king of Assyria. There is some question among commentators as to which Sargon this refers (there were two) or if 'Sargon' doesn't in fact refer more generically to a king of Assyria. (Meaning, Sennacherib, the king we have mentioned often in posts here, might be the king referred to as Sargon in this passage.) Reading on in verse 1, Ashdod is taken by Assyria. History tells us that this indeed did happen in 711 B.C.

Recall that we have already looked at the reaction of Judah in response to the Assyrian presence. King Hezekiah's staff received a threatening visit from Assyrian commanders prior to their taking down Ashdod.

"Now behold, you rely on the staff of this crushed reed, even on Egypt; on which if a man leans, it will go into his hand and pierce it. So is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who rely on him."

--II Kings 18:21

The Assyrian commanders seemed to be presenting Godly counsel here in that Judah and Egypt were in an alliance. But the Assyrians did not have Godly intent in their hearts. We have come back to this passage in II Kings 18 quite often over the course of looking at these prophecies. Assyria wants to take Judah--however possible--but uses lies and taunts against Egypt and Ethiopia instead.

It is when Assyria moves into Ashdod that God moves in calling Isaiah to a new task. "Go...," He says to Isaiah, in verse 2, and, basically, change your outfit. God tells Isaiah to remove his sackcloth, which is a garment worn by mourners, but may indicate, simply, the uniform of a prophet. This is coming off along with any additional outer garments worn by Isaiah (though he likely would have kept on a basic inner garment, or loin cloth) and his shoes. He was now considered "naked and barefoot." God not only hands Isaiah the tough word about the impending trouble for Egypt and Ethiopia, but He tells Isaiah to live out the news through his wardrobe.

Wearing sackcloth in mourning and out of compassion was already not an easy task. Releasing the outer garments and removing sandals from feet already prone to too much dirt does not land one on the pages of Cosmopolitan Prophet. God wanted Isaiah to fully and completely demonstrate for Judah--as a physical, visible sign--the degree of humiliation and disgrace Egypt and Ethiopia would be brought at the hands of the Assyrians. The Reformation Study Bible suggests that his clothing was to resemble that of the captive going into exile. This is a picture of shame and devastation, for the "young and old." (vs. 4) Egypt, Ethiopia...to go down in defeat? Exiled to Assyria? It wasn't an option in the minds of those nations (nor in Judah's). But could you ignore the sign? [Sadly, yes. We know the outcome here, too....]

 

"Three years as a sign and token," God says of Isaiah's getup and ministry. There is also question of interpretation here. Was Isaiah "naked and barefoot" for all three years? That is one interpretation. Another might be that although he did dress that way for a time that it wasn't until three years following this period that people recognized to what the sign referred. Regardless, to me, it meant Isaiah really went the distance for God in trying to get His message to His people. What's the equivalent of being "naked and barefoot" today? If God called you to that, would you go? That's what we have to ask ourselves in the midst of this.

 

"This was a great hardship upon the prophet; it was a blemish to his reputation, and would expose him to contempt and ridicule; the boys in the streets would hoot at him, and those who sought occasion against him would say, The prophet is indeed a fool, and the spiritual man is mad, Hos. 9:7. It might likewise be a prejudice to his health; he was in danger of catching a cold, which might throw him into a fever, and cost him his life; but God bade him do it, that he might give a proof of his obedience to God in a most difficult command, and so shame the disobedience of his people to the most easy and reasonable precepts."

--Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible

"...'Behold, such is our hope....'" says the "inhabitants of this coastland," or Judah, in verse 5. Her strong, trusted allies are to be hauled off into captivity. The Amplified Bible puts verse 5 this way: "And they shall be dismayed and confounded because of Ethiopia their hope and expectation and Egypt their glory and boast." It is here that we see Judah's fatal error in her alliance with foreign nations. What looks good on paper doesn't always measure up, much less hold a candle, to having a plan from and relationship with Almighty God.

"Thus says the Lord, 'Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches; but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things,' declares the Lord."

--Jeremiah 9: 23 and 24

Judah had not understood. Indeed, Esarhaddon, who became king of Assyria after Sargon II and Sennacherib, fulfilled this prophecy in 671, taking captives from Egypt and Ethiopia. "...How shall we escape?" Judah asks, in verse 6. Perhaps if Judah had had the revelation the church of Ephesus had received: "But I have this against you, that you have left your first love." (Revelation 2:4) Judah needed an alliance with and an allegiance to God.

"For this reason we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away from it. For if the word spoken through angels proved unalterable, and every transgression and disobedience received a just penalty, how will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? After it was at the first spoken through the Lord, it was confirmed to us by those who heard, God also testifying with them, both by signs and wonders and by various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit according to His own will."

--Hebrews 2: 1-4 (emphasis mine)

God had testified to His people--through signs and wonders--that His love for them was real and true, and that He was the strong One who would lead His people to salvation. But His people would remain wanting....

Stand up, stand up for Jesus, 
Stand in his strength alone;
The arm of flesh will fail you, 
Ye dare not trust your own.
Put on the gospel armor, 
Each piece put on with prayer;
Where duty calls or danger, 
Be never wanting there.

--"Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus," lyrics by George Duffield, Jr.   

 

God has more words for Babylon. Chapter 21 begins next week.  ...'Til next Wednesday!

Photo: www.apa.org 

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Next week:  Isaiah 21: 1-5
 
Note: I read from the New American Standard Bible translation,
specifically, The MacArthur Study Bible (NASB).
I will quote other sources if used in a post.
I also use Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible
(with notes from the King James Version).

Isaiah 19: 23-25

²³ In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria, 
and the Assyrians will come into Egypt and the Egyptians into Assyria, 
and the Egyptians will worship with the Assyrians.
²⁴ In that day Israel will be the third party with Egypt and Assyria, 
a blessing in the midst of the earth,  
²⁵ whom the Lord of hosts has blessed, saying, 
“Blessed is Egypt My people, and Assyria the work of My hands, 
and Israel My inheritance.”

Hello! Happy New Year!

I think I have finally come to the full understanding that scheduling this blog to run through the Advent season is CRAZY! The opportunities I have for worship, service and fellowship are so numerous in December, because of the uniqueness of the season (and me, being a seasonal musician). It leaves very little time for quality study or writing. If you catch me scheduling blog posts for mid- to late-December in 2014, call me on it. It's not going to happen! Celebrating Jesus' coming (again and again) is always going to take precedence. Thanks for your patience as I get back to it....

It is too bad that I didn't finish off Isaiah Chapter 19 before Christmas, though. It would have made starting Chapter 20 in the New Year more appropriate. Alas to that, yet this is a wonderfully hope-filled passage with which to ring in 2014.

Take a look back on the posts from Chapter 19. Recall that we are talking about Egypt. God has outlined a period of great difficulty in His discipline of the nation. As we reach these last verses, we see the tremendously encouraging news that there is a new hope promised for Egypt--"in that day." (vs. 1) When Christ comes to reign, the world is going to be a very different place--the hope to carry all of us through this year ahead.

Isaiah 11:16 carries a similar promise for Egypt as Isaiah 19:23 carries for Assyria:

"And there will be a highway from Assyria
For the remnant of His people who will be left,
Just as there was for Israel
In the day that they came up out of the land of Egypt."

--Isaiah 11:16 

That highway from Assyria is going to provide passage all the way to Egypt, with Israel in the middle as "rest stop" of sorts, to play out the metaphor. Back in the day when Isaiah shared this, I'm sure the response would have been something like "Blasphemy!" Two powerhouse nations--nations, at various points in history, aligned with Israel--will now be joined together with Israel as "the third party." (vs. 24) Surely, that seemed a ludicrous proposition. It's times like this when you get a glimpse at the burden these prophets had to bear--both in the news itself and in being the messenger. "Don't be a hater," Isaiah might have said. (Though Isaiah had too much compassion in his heart to have given that a thought much less an utterance.)

In his commentary for this passage, Matthew Henry mentions one of my oft-quoted verses of Scripture: Ecclesiastes 4:13--"A cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart." Thus will be the case in seeing these three nations standing together as one. The verse before this one is equally significant in looking at the history of these parties: "And if one can overpower him who is alone, two can resist him." (Ecclesiastes 4:12) We have seen the wisdom of Israel's kings (not so much) in the alliances formed between the country and each of these nations. The alliances did not always last. They were alliances of convenience, formed out of a lack of complete trust in God. The wisdom of Solomon makes sense, but the choice of an unbelieving nation for an ally rather than God the Father Almighty suggests that the kings didn't really get what their predecessor was trying to say.

But all of history will truly be bygone in the time of the ultimate fulfillment of this prophecy. Israel will finally be the "blessing in the midst of the earth" (vs. 24) that God intended her to be:

"And I will bless those who bless you,
And the one who curses you I will curse.
And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.”

--Genesis 12:3

In verse 25, Isaiah uses some incredible phrases to describe Egypt and Assyria-- "My people" and "the work of My hands." Phrases reserved for His "inheritance"--Israel--are now being applied to the enemies of Israel. Remember, too, that these were Pagan, Gentile nations. But what seems an impossibility is, of course, not such a thing in the face of Jesus. That's why He came! And we cannot look at those who are not yet Christians as those who will never be Christians. Christ was the promised Messiah--for the Jews and the Gentiles. All who believe in Him become part of His inheritance. When He comes to reign, Israel becomes the nation that draws all others to Him--even Egypt. Even Assyria. Even....

"I am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me, even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice; and they will become one flock with one shepherd."

--John 10: 14-16 (Jesus speaking; emphasis mine)

"For nothing will be impossible with God." (Luke 1:37) As Israel has received opportunities for forgiveness in not following her God, out of that same grace, Egypt will also receive. The status quo is not the status quo forever, as God's plans are not our own.

As we enter a new year, do we wish the status quo to still be the status quo? Even if we do, do we consider that some of the things that we haven't been able to change in the past could be changed? Do we believe that God's impact in and through our lives could be, indeed, life-changing for us or others? If Egypt and Assyria will know these things, how much more might we, today, trust in the Lord to provide His grace in our relationships and in our doings?

"It becomes those who have communion with the same God, through the same Mediator, to keep up an amicable correspondence with one another. The consideration of our meeting at the same throne of grace, and our serving with each other in the same business of religion, should put an end to all heats and animosities, and knit our hearts to each other in holy love."

--Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible

 

 

Words for Egypt and Ethiopia, as we open (and close!) the short Chapter 20.  ...'Til next Wednesday!

Photo: frjamescoles.wordpress.com

* * *

Next week:  Isaiah 20
 
Note: I read from the New American Standard Bible translation,
specifically, The MacArthur Study Bible (NASB).
I will quote other sources if used in a post.
I also use Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible
(with notes from the King James Version).

Isaiah 19: 18-22

¹⁸ In that day five cities in the land of Egypt 
will be speaking the language of Canaan and 
swearing allegiance to the Lord of hosts; 
one will be called the City of Destruction.
¹⁹ In that day there will be an altar to the Lord 
in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a pillar to the Lord near its border.
²⁰ It will become a sign and a witness to the Lord of hosts in the land of Egypt; 
for they will cry to the Lord because of oppressors, 
and He will send them a Savior and a Champion, and He will deliver them.

²¹ Thus the Lord will make Himself known to Egypt, 
and the Egyptians will know the Lord in that day. They will even worship with 
sacrifice and offering, and will make a vow to the Lord and perform it. 
²² The Lord will strike Egypt, striking but healing; so they will return to the Lord, 
and He will respond to them and will heal them.

We are coming to the close of another chapter in Isaiah, and you can sense it with our passage today. There is a change in tone. It resonates with me, in the midst of my celebrating this Advent season, as a passage that rings out with hope.

"In that day," says Isaiah, the first of three appearances of this phrase in our passage. We have already encountered one before this, which continues to suggest that this is a time yet to come. "Five cities" in Egypt will speak the "language of Canaan," (vs. 18) which is what is spoken in Judah. There are not five cities actually named in this verse, but it is more the notion that any city in Egypt might speak what is spoken in Judah. It is a strong statement to say that all speak the same language. I was reminded, in looking at a cross-reference verse, that after "the Lord confused the language of the whole earth," (from Genesis 11:9), that people used interpreters. Obviously, we still do. But, "in that day," there will be those in Egypt who will speak as in Judah. Nothing lost in translation.

Not just speak, either, mind you, but "swearing allegiance to the Lord of hosts." Care to top that off, God? Why, yes! Because now we have a hint that one of those God-speaking cities might by Heliopolis, the "City of the Sun," also called Beth-shemesh in Hebrew, "the house of the sun-god." But that's not what it says in verse 19. Interesting footnote in the Reformation Study Bible: "Jewish scribes parodied the name by changing the Hebrew word for 'sun' to the almost identical Hebrew word for 'destruction.'" The prophet Jeremiah also points to a time in which Heliopolis actually will face destruction.

"He will also shatter the obelisks [stone pillars] of Heliopolis, which is in the land of Egypt; and the temples of the gods of Egypt he will burn with fire."

--Jeremiah 43:13 (brackets mine)

"In that day," again, says Isaiah in verse 20, there will be "an altar to the Lord" and "a pillar to the Lord" in Egypt. For all their gods and all their colossal structures, Egypt has not had anything dedicated to God Almighty. I highlighted the explanatory reference to stone pillars in the Jeremiah passage above (and put in a picture, as well), because Egypt was not short on its monuments. If someone needed honoring, there was some physical structure created in recognition.

That the Egyptians would build an altar and a pillar to the Lord of hosts would align them even more with the Israelites--not just in language, but in their worship. Abraham, Jacob, Moses, Joshua--it was commonplace for the Israelites of old to remember their encounters with God, His instructions to them, His demonstration of faithfulness to them by creating a marker (a collection of stones, an altar). The Egyptians will set up altars "to be a sign and witness" of God and for "sacrifice and offering" in worship of God. Egypt "will know the Lord in that day." (vs. 21)

"In that day...." when Egypt cries out to God because of their oppressors. (vs. 20) Back in the day of this prophecy, even a threat like Assyria did not become such an oppressor as to make Egypt cry out to God for deliverance. It seems most plausible that we are speaking of the Day still to come:

 

"Many prophecies of this book point to the days of the Messiah; and why not this? It is no unusual thing to speak of gospel graces and ordinances in the language of the Old-Testament institutions. And, in these prophecies, those words, in that day, perhaps have not always a reference to what goes immediately before, but have a peculiar significancy pointing at that day which had been so long fixed, and so often spoken of, when the day-spring from on high should visit this dark world."

--Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible

"He will send them a Savior and a Champion, and He will deliver them." (vs. 20) That would be some serious hope right there! Savior and a Champion, or, more literally a "Mighty One." As Egypt begins to look more like Judah in its speaking and mannerisms, reflecting the Lord in their heart and worship, God treats those believers as a brother nation.

"And all flesh will know that I, the Lord, am your Savior
And your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob."

--Isaiah 49: 26

Egypt doesn't know this hope by its own wisdom. Let's not forget where we started with this chapter. One of the nation's biggest issues is its reliance on its own thinking. I might go so far to say that none of us can know true hope in merely humanly thinking about it. Hope comes through faith, and a journey of progression. One of my favorite Bible verses of all time:

"Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God. And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us."

--Romans 5:1-5

As verse 22 says, "The Lord will strike Egypt, striking but healing." There is no question that the Lord will bring both. And in this, Egypt will, again, know what Judah and all of Israel proper have experienced in their faith journey with the Lord. With this life come choices. With poor choices comes discipline. With forgiveness and repentance come new life and the opportunity to make right choices. All of this, presuming that there is a "return to the Lord."

"Come, let us return to the Lord.
For He has torn us, but He will heal us;
He has wounded us, but He will bandage us."

--Hosea 6:1 (Israel's response to God's discipline)

"All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness."

--Hebrews 12:11

Chapter 19 concludes. ...'Til next Wednesday!

Photo: amstutzfamily.blogspot.com

* * *

Next week:  Isaiah 19: 23-25
 
Note: I read from the New American Standard Bible translation,
specifically, The MacArthur Study Bible (NASB).
I will quote other sources if used in a post.
I also use Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible
(with notes from the King James Version).

Isaiah 19: 14-17

¹⁴ The Lord has mixed within her a spirit of distortion;

They have led Egypt astray in all that it does,
As a drunken man staggers in his vomit.
¹⁵ There will be no work for Egypt

Which its head or tail, its palm branch or bulrush, may do.

¹⁶ In that day the Egyptians will become like women, 
and they will tremble and be in dread 
because of the waving of the hand of the Lord of hosts, 
which He is going to wave over them. 
¹⁷ The land of Judah will become a terror to Egypt; 
everyone to whom it is mentioned will be in dread of it, 
because of the purpose of the Lord of hosts 
which He is purposing against them.

God--a mixologist? Good thing they weren't driving cars in Egypt back in the day, because counting the DUIs might make an officer run out of room on his papyrus ticket scroll!

Isaiah's poetics this week provide us a clear and unpleasant description of what Egypt looks like, at the Lord's doing. In verse 14, the prophet presents a cocktail of sorts, in which God uses a "spirit of distortion," that leads to a state of drunkenness. The Amplified Bible lists three ingredients: "The Lord has mingled a spirit of perverseness, error, and confusion within her." For a country that had been filled with such wisdom and ingenuity, this drink is truly toxic.

"One party shall be for a thing for no other reason than because the other is against it; that is a perverse spirit, which, if it mingle with the public counsels, tends directly to the ruin of the public interests."

--Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible

I fear we only need look at recent election years in the United States to see Henry's commentary in action. It's one thing when there's trouble in your own house, but when that trouble starts to involve others, or gets shared with others (like that "Oops!" of a Facebook post), the size of the snowball of controversy grows astronomically. Egypt has gone "astray" at the highest levels of its authority, and a video of its staggering around in its own vomit has 158,000 likes on YouTube. Not pretty!

"See what reason we have to pray for our privy-counsellors and ministers of state, who are the great supports and blessings of the state if God give them a spirit of wisdom, but quite the contrary if he hide their heart from understanding."

--Matthew Henry

Verse 15 reminds us of the economic situation in which Egypt has found itself. There is no work for anyone, whether a "palm branch or bulrush." The crops won't be there (because God has dried up the Nile), so those who harvest those crops, and make items from the crops, and sell the manufactured goods, and buy and wear the goods--none will be employed. We can see how "vicious circle" received its name. So confounded is the wisdom of Egypt that it will not know its "head" from its "tail."

With verse 16, note the critical phrase, "In that day," which would denote a specific time at which certain events will occur. This may refer to a near-fulfillment of prophecy, in which Judah will actually be seen by Egypt as a "terror" (vs. 17) or, more literally, a cause of shame. Recall, though, that Judah is far from being mighty in and of itself. The Assyrians would soon come in and destroy most of the nation, with Jerusalem spared at the hand of God and the praying hands of Hezekiah. With the Assyrians poised to head south into Egypt--to break up the Egypt-Judah alliance and to show who's really boss--that would put the willies into Egypt.

[I realize that there are some readers who will want to take someone to task over the phrase "the Egyptians will become like women." It's one of those passages--like the "wives submit to your husbands" and "weaker vessel" passages of the Apostle Paul--that requires a cultural interpretation. Women in the day did not have rank and privilege in society, nor respect or value. They were considered defenseless and helpless. It really does make sense in this context, whether you like the read or not.]

There is also the possibility of a dual fulfillment of this prophecy, in that the day when Egypt acknowledges the "waving of the hand of the Lord" (vs. 16) in all of these doings is still to come--but will come at the Day of the Lord. It may not be unlike Pharaoh's servants at the time of the plague of locusts, begging their leader to release the Israelites that the nation might be freed of its ills.

"Pharaoh’s servants said to him, 'How long will this man [Moses] be a snare to us? Let the men go, that they may serve the Lord their God. Do you not realize that Egypt is destroyed?'"

--Exodus 10:7 (clarification mine)

Pharaoh had opportunity upon opportunity to make a change, to save his people from the "dread" of Almighty God. Yet God had hardened his heart, and even his closest advisers could not sway him from his dogged determination to come out on top. God, of course, did so that He would prevail--and He will continue to prevail, even as "every knee will bow" and "every tongue will confess." (from Philippians 2:10 and 11)

And for those of us whose hearts are not hardened, may we have opportunity to see the will and way of God before us, understanding that His purposes will be accomplished, with or without us.

"How well it becomes us to fear before God when he does but shake his hand over us, and to humble ourselves under his mighty hand when it does but threaten us, especially when we see his counsel determined against us; for who can change his counsel?"

--Matthew Henry

More changes for Egypt. ...'Til next Wednesday!

Photo: itsthequestionthatdrivesus.net 

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Next week:  Isaiah 19: 18-22
 
Note: I read from the New American Standard Bible translation,
specifically, The MacArthur Study Bible (NASB).
I will quote other sources if used in a post.
I also use Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible
(with notes from the King James Version).