Isaiah 19 Devotional
by Pastor Mark Hudson

The relationship with Egypt and Israel is ancient, close, complicated, tense, and ongoing to this day.  People as far back as the Patriarchs go to Egypt and as significant as our Lord.  Egypt persecuted the people of Israel, yet God’s people often went there for protection.  What a fascinating relationship between these two peoples.  Here is an outline of chapter 19.

19:1-15     Egypt’s utter helplessness before God

19:16-25   Egypt will one day be a worshipper of God

We start with judgment.  The Lord is coming quickly (riding on a swift cloud v. 1) and the many gods or idols of Egypt will tremble, and the Egyptians will experience fear at His coming.  God will cause the people of Egypt to fight against one another.  V. 3 speaks to the supposed wisdom of Egypt.  Egypt was known for the philosophers and wise counselors.  But God says he will confound their counsel and yet they will not turn to God but inquire of their idols.  And so they will be judged.

In 5-10, the Nile is prominent in these verses.  The Nile would regularly overflow its bank with provided the soil with needed nutrients.  Yet here Isaiah says God will judge the waters of the Nile.  In fact, God’s judgment against peoples and nations are often directed to their gods since God Almighty knows these “gods” do not exist and do actual harm to people.  God is asking, “why seek Egypt’s help when they are dependent on God for the life they receive from the Nile?”  The Nile “will be dry and parched and its canals will become foul” vs. 5-6

This desiccation will inflict harm not only on the fishermen v. 8 but those who work in flax and cotton who need the irrigation from the Nile for their crops of flax and cotton.  We know the author knows about flax since he uses “combed flax” which is necessary to produce thread from the flax.  So both the great person (pillars of the land) and the “blue collar” or “all who work for pay” will experience this terrible judgment.

Often certain cities or cultures are known for wisdom.  Think of ancient Greece, the school of Alexandria in Egypt, and Egypt, as we mentioned, was known for wisdom, albeit a worldly wisdom.  “Moses was instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians. . .” Acts 7:22 claims.  Yet Isaiah says in v. 11, “the princes of Zoan are utterly foolish; the wisest counselors of Pharaoh give stupid counsel.  How can you say to Pharaoh, “I am a son of the wise, a son of ancient kings?”  Then in v. 12, “Where then are your wise men?”  which is reflected in Paul’s words in I Corinthians 1:20, “Where is the one who is wise?  Where is the scribe?” 

But let me add quickly that these questions can be easily misunderstood.  Believers do not despise knowledge and learning (although Luther did at times claim that reason is the devil’s whore!).  But Luther and the Scriptures in placing boundaries on reason are not diminishing the role of education, learning, study, etc.  Luther spent his life studying.  Paul was practically a genius as evidenced by his letters in the New Testament. Yet whenever reason opposes revelation, then pride and rebellion ensue.  That type of independence from God and rejection of God are roundly condemned in Scripture.  Knowledge, philosophy, reason are gifts of God yet when they turn against God’s revelation, they are castigated.

We must understand that we do not value ignorance over learning.  We do not promote being unreasonable or not using logical thinking.  Conversely, we respect those with knowledge and learn from them.  It is fitting and right to respect authors, professors, or teachers we may disagree with.   I say this briefly to remind us that we oppose anything or anyone (even our own hearts and minds) who assail God’s Word.  Yet we can oppose ideas respectfully.

But now one of my favorite sections of the Bible.  Isaiah foretells a time when the enemies of God will become His beloved.  Abraham Lincoln is reported to have asked, “Do I not destroy my enemies when I make them my friends?”  Oh, how we see this in Isaiah 19 with the inclusive grace of God breaking down barriers between the Hatfields and McCoys: the Egyptians and Israel.  In vs. 16-17, God’s presence makes the Egyptians tremble with fear, acting like women. Why such fear?  “. . . because of the purpose that the Lord of hosts has purposed against them” v. 17.  Then in v. 18, there will be five cities in Egypt that speak the language of Canaan which raises a few questions?  Why the number 5?  It could be very few (Lev. 26:8; I Corin 14:19). It could be simply a round number (Gen. 45:22; Ex. 22:1; Num 7:17, 23; I Sam.17:40; Matthew 25:20, etc.).  Others think this number refer to the major cities of Egypt.  Others think this is a large number since 5 is half of 10. 

Whatever the case with the number, the city of Destruction or the city of Sun, we notice the prophecy from vs. 16 to 25.  Notice where Egypt was always the oppressor, now they will be oppressed AND call to the Lord.  More than that, v. 20 “he will send them a savior and a defender, and deliver them.”  God will make Himself known and the Egyptians will “worship  with sacrifice and offering, and they will make vows to the Lord and perform them” v. 21.

Then in vs. 23-25, Egypt and Assyria travel back and forth between each other in peace and even worship together.  They are named ahead of Israel!  At the very end of this chapter, vs. 24, 25 says, In that day Israel will be the third with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing in the midst of the earth, whom the Lord of hosts has blessed, saying, “Blessed be Egypt my people, and Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel my inheritance.”

Father, I worship you for your desire is Ps 63, “Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples (peoples refers to non-Jewish people) praise you!.  Let the nations (all those other than Israel) be glad and sing for joy . . . Let all the ends of the earth fear him!”  You have always brought in others to the fold for our Lord said in John 10:16, “I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice.  So there will be one flock, one shepherd.”  Lord, use me as You bring Your Kingdom in power and extend Your grace to those You call.  In Christ’s Loving Name. Amen.