Prophecy – Isaiah 29 – 33

Today, we continue to hear the prophecies of Isaiah against Judah.

In horror, we read first about the siege of Jerusalem.  The whole city is surrounded.  Fires will burn, blood will be shed.  Though the people profess God, their actions show otherwise and they are doomed.

Even worse… the people want to turn to Egypt for help.

Egypt… a land where they worked as slaves for many year.  A land where they lost their freedom – physically and spritually… and yet now became their source of hope against the oncoming enemies.

The Egyptians and their idols… not God.

Isaiah then rallied the people of by telling them not to trust in the Egyptians but in God.  Egypt’s help will prove to be worthless but in God, you will find that His faithfulness continues to sustain them ebven in the mdist of calamity.

The enemies will fall before God and there is a promise of peace, grace and security that comes from honouring the Lord.

Yes, it is a lot to read today but you just can’t help being swept away by the words of the prophet.  Read them and see for yourself…

Bible Passage:  Isaiah 29 – 33

Some things to think about…

Isaiah 30:1-5 and 31:1-3

It was necessary for the prophet to repeat 2 times the same message – “Don’t ask Egypt for help!”

To understand why Egypt was a prominent potential source of help we need to understand a bit about the background during those days.

Egypt was south of Judah while the Assyrians came from the north.

For years, Egypt has always supplied military help to Judah, Israel, Philistines and other neighbours to her north.  She did not do so because Egypt was a kind hearted country.  This was a self-preserving action because these countries serve as a buffer between them and the Assyrians.

Isaiah encouraged them to reject such an alliance because this will show a lack of faith in God.

When we read the Kings and Chronicles next time, we will realize that King Hezekiah heeded these words of Isaiah and God responded by delivering the city (2 Kings 18:13 – 19:37; 2 Chronicles 32:1-21).  But this contrasted greatly with King Hoshea of Israel.  He sought the help of Egypt and the Assyrians overran their city and took the people captive (2 Kings 17:1-18).

What about us today?

When we meet with troubles, who do we turn to?

It is easy to look for help around us… especially when they are readily available.

But the lesson I draw from today’s reading is that the only help that can give us true peace, grace and security comes from God.

What else do you gather from this passage?  Share with us.

Perhaps you are feeling like a guinea pig… running aimlessly on a threadmill, always focusing on a deadline, thinking what is going to happen next rather than what is happening now.

The people during Isaiah’s time were also like this.  They were worried about the Assyrians.  In fact this worry consumed them and they were busy preparing for this and that.

But God warned them that the key to overcoming the enemy is not in frenatic activity… but a calm and quiet trust in the Lord.

Are you willing to slow down and wait on God today?