September 26, Isaiah 19
And the LORD will strike Egypt, striking and
healing, and they will return to the LORD, and
he will listen to their pleas for mercy and heal
them. - Isaiah 19:22
God's prophets spoke and wrote about a variety
of subjects. Sometimes they were sent with
words of encouragement; at other times the
message was a warning. There was good news
and bad news in the prophets' “woes.” Some
things they revealed were for the present time
and circumstances. Others were about the
remote future. Some oracles were addressed to
Israelites, and about Israel and Judah. Others
were about neighboring nations and enemies.
Those messages about others usually carried
an implication for Israel. Chapters 19 and 20
give an example of how God foretold the fate of
another nation. But there was, within that
revelation about the other nation, a needed
point to Israel and Judah.
In Chapter 19, God gave Isaiah a forecast of
Egypt’s future. That oracle contained two main
points: 1) Egypt would be totally ruined, and 2)
there would be future hope for Egypt's healing
in the times of Messiah.
Egypt had been a powerful nation at other times
in their history. But God said they would be
conquered by cruel enemies who would rule
over them. Egypt had a reputation for learning
and wisdom. But God told Isaiah that a time
was coming soon when “they would be
confused.” Their polytheistic religion would be
useless when their idols could not help them.
Internal rivalry between the worshipers of the
different gods would divide and further weaken
their civilization. The Nile was the heartbeat of
Egypt's economy and life. When their gods
could not save them from God’s power to cut off
their mighty river's flow, their economy would
collapse.
This dark forecast not only revealed Egypt's
future. It also begged the question, "Why would
you forsake God to follow such doomed and
helpless people? What possible profit or benefit
could come to God's people from making an
alliance with Egypt?"
But there was also a hopeful prospect for
benighted Egypt's future. Egypt's hope for the
future was tied to a five-fold repetition of the
Messianic phrase, "In that day...." In the times of
Messiah, Egyptians would have the opportunity
to be blessed by God and counted among his
people. What Isaiah said about Assyria, Egypt
and Israel being reconciled and all counted
among the people of God was simply
unimaginable is the days of Isaiah. But God
said it would happen. And today in the body of
Christ and the kingdom of God, people of any
and every nation are invited to come to God
through Christ and be blessed.
Egypt had played its part in God's plan, serving
as host to Jacob's family to sustain them during
a famine, and then an incubator in which that
family grew to be a great nation. God allowed
the Egyptians to become cruel masters of the
enslaved Israelites, and then delivered Israel
from Egypt's bondage. Now God promised that
the Egyptians would be ruined. But the Lord
extended hope for Egypt to be reconciled to him “in that day," in the day of Messiah and the
gospel invitation and the true kingdom of God
on earth.
As modern readers, let's hear the message of
this chapter. We are, as Paul said in
Colossians, complete in Christ. Our hope is
grounded in him and him alone. Why would we
rely on ourselves or any possession? Why do
we trust anyone but God? We have more and
better light from God than these people did.
There's no excuse for a child of God in Christ to
turn from the Lord for anything or anyone else.
Copyright © 2023 by Michael B. McElroy. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Today in God's Word—September 2023
East Tallassee Church of Christ
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