Isaiah Lesson 29

Egypt’s Oracle: God Humiliates Idols, Wisdom, and Power

Can you pray for us?

Yes. All right.

Oh, yes, I will pray for us.

Lord, protect us.

Now, Father, we thank you so much for your sovereignty over all things, and we trust you and your plan. We ask, God, that you would be with us as we study and open your word, that the scripture would leap off the page into our hearts and change us from the inside out, that we would be transformed by your word.

Lord, even as we look at passages that are more obscure in the Christian world, that often we don't take time, Lord, it's to our own loss if we don't. So, Lord, as we open these words, we pray that you would help us to see things and behold your glory in all of your word.

In Jesus' name, we pray.

Amen. Amen.

As we were going into chapter 19 last week, we pursued the reality that Egypt, as a nation, had been around for a long time, and they were very, very powerful. We do know that when it comes to having to stand up against God, they don't have a chance.

Let my people go, the plagues, the Red Sea, we do know all of that. That being said, Egypt still had a reputation, and they still were a powerful nation. And so last week in the beginning of chapter 19, we pursued the oracle.

And so, Jeff, I'm going to ask if you would read verse 1 out of chapter 19.

An oracle concerning Egypt. Behold, the Lord is riding on a swift cloud and comes to Egypt. And the idols of Egypt will tremble at his presence, and the heart of the Egyptians will melt within them.

So Egypt had a strong sense of protective pride, if you would, who they were. We actually looked last week about one of their gods who was the body of a mighty warrior and the head of a crocodile. And they paid homage to these gods and to these idols.

But in this oracle, it starts out by saying, everything that you have that you think is so strong. And in fact, we talked about this one city where the temple was. If a person were to die because of a crocodile attack, they were considered deified because these crocodiles were so amazing.

But we looked at this. And even the idols, even the idols within Egypt.

Tremble.

Verse 4, please.

Of 19?

Yes.

And I will give over the Egyptians into the hand of a hard master. And a fierce king will rule over them, declares the Lord God of hosts.

Egypt was self-assured. Egypt was self-strong. Egypt would be a hard taskmaster for those under their authority. And the oracle says, your time's coming. Your time's coming. And I'm going to give you Egypt over to the hands of a taskmaster, 11 and 12.

The princes of Zohan 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?

Egypt was also known for their wisdom, for their writings, and for their wise counselors. And over here, basically, they're called foolish and stupid. And this is in comparison to the sovereign God. They really don't have it.

Verse 14, please.

The Lord has mingled within her a spirit of confusion, and they will make Egypt stagger in all its deeds as a drunken man staggers in his vomit.

So we'd looked last week about the oracle and the proclamation of what is going to come down upon Egypt. And basically, everything that they thought they had, whether it was their idols, or whether it was their wisdom, or whether it was their might, it all was going to come crumbling down to the point that they'll now be confused.

And it'll be like drunks staggering around in their own vomit. Not a pretty picture for them. No, not a pretty picture. Now, oh, by the way, there then is this section between 16 and 24 where God is going to give a future prophecy.

And this now gets to the end of time, the eschaton. And it's fulfillment of the words that God spoke even to Abram. In you, all nations will be blessed. And we see how God's using the nation of Israel as the nation of priests and as a light.

They don't necessarily fulfill that. And so now we have the church go into all nations, preaching in the name of the God. After the Holy Spirit comes upon you, you will have power, as my witness is. And eventually, as we get down to the end of it, it says, in that day, and I'm in verse 24 in chapter 19, in that day, mark this now, 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, mine inheritance.

And you can't possibly explain this away by any kind of means of geopolitical involvement,.

Whatever.

You can't explain this away except that it's God's sovereignty and how the plan that he had even before the creation of the world would come to be. Adam and Eve, made in the image and likeness of God, it is good, it is very good, in direct fellowship with God the Father, walking with him in the cool of the day, and then sin.

But his restoration plan is going to call not only Israel, but all nations. And he highlights here the two most despicable examples, Egypt and Assyria. So his plan is to bring them back together again.

Rejecting Alliances With Egypt and Trusting God Alone

And so now we get into chapter 20 and the beginning of 21. And we see some warnings bringing us back to the reality of the day. OK, now remember, the realities of the day. We have Assyria. But then we had this guy, Meredith Baladan, one of the princes of the tribes of the Chaldeans.

He defeats Babylon. And this perception, is there a way out of this? How is this all? Is Assyria no longer going to be the threat? Should we be turning to Egypt to help us through all this stuff? And so there are warnings against making alliances outside of reliance on God.

And then there are some dangers that are going to be talked about in chapter 21. And eventually, we are called to be prepared, be prepared for battle. And the application for this is so relevant to us today now because of the things that are on around us and perhaps our willingness to compromise so that we can get by.

And the applications are going to be amazing. So Sandy, nice and loud, if you would, if you would read chapter 20 of Isaiah for us, please. And while we're doing that, Kimberly, if you get 1 Samuel 17, there's two different verses, and Psalm 70, Bob, if you would get those ready, I'd appreciate it.

Go ahead.

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. Then they will be dismayed and ashamed because of Cush, their pope, and Egypt, their boast.

So the inhabitants of this coastland will say in that day, behold, such is our hope. When we flee, we fled for help to be delivered from the king of Assyria, and we, how shall we escape?

All right, so there's a picture right now of what's going on around the nation of Israel. It starts out talking about Sargon, the king of Assyria, as opposed to Saruman, who was in the town. Anyway, Sargon, the king of Assyria, who defeats Ashdod, this impenetrable city.

And so in and around Judah, in and around Jerusalem, the fear of attack from this mighty nation of Assyria, which seemingly had been somewhat lessened by this dude, Marduk Baladin, who actually conquered the city of Babylon.

Maybe there's a chink in the armor. Maybe there's not so much of a threat through this nation of Assyria, except that what it says is in the year that Sargon, the king of Assyria, came to Ashdod and captured it.

The threat is back, and the threat now appears to be stronger and imminent. Again, if you think geographically, Assyria off to the east, Babylon way off to the east. Yes, Laurie? Oh, no, no, I was just, hold on, I'm trying to picture.

All right, so Assyria off to the east, if you would, but growing, and Philistia up to the north, and Ashdod, which is really close. I think it might actually be on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, a strong, it's getting close, the attacks are getting close.

So in that year, Ashdod falls to Sargon II. Isaiah gets a word from God, and he says, listen to me, listen to me. You think that Egypt might be your deliverer? You think that having an alliance with Egypt might be the way to get out of this?

Listen to me, and he gives such a strong word to the prophet Isaiah that he loses sackcloth, take the sandals from his feet. It depends on which commentary you're looking at, how literally we take this next phrase, walking around naked and barefoot.

Some back off on that a little bit. They're just saying he takes off his outer robe. Whatever, he does this for three years, and the intensity of his anguish over what could be is amplified by the sign that this is gonna take place for three years, and then in verse four, he warns the prophet that if you, Jerusalem, if you, Judah, think that your protection against this nation of Syria is Egypt, I've got news for you.

What's gonna happen to Egypt, according to this passage? They're gonna fall, and so people in the coast land, and it's considered now, we're looking now, again, in the promised land, if you would, what has happened to Egypt is gonna be the, well, I've got news for you.

It's God, and any thoughts that you had of getting protection should be realized by two things. One, Ashdod fell, and two, God has just proclaimed Egypt also is gonna fall. He took care of.

Egypt's 700 years old, they tried to cross it.

So what you're saying, little Ricky, is that perhaps the Jews don't remember their history all that well.

Yeah, 700 years.

I'm sorry.

I said 700 years, I meant.

It seems like forever ago.

America.

It seems like forever ago. What is interesting, as you bring that up, if we look at the book of Joshua, as the nation finally goes into the promised land, and they initially send two spies into Jericho, and they end up in the home of Rahab, what testimony does Rahab provide?

How are the people of the land responding to the near presence of the Jews?

Their hearts are melting.

Their hearts are melting, why? They've heard all the stories about what you did at the Red Sea. They've heard all of these stories. So the reality and the eminence of God, the supremacy of God, it should be there.

Probably Hezekiah, I believe. I believe it's Hezekiah. The problem with the nation right now, as they're perceived, well, what is the problem with the nation right now as they're considering what Assyria means to them?

What's their problem? What's the problem within the heart of the people in Jerusalem and Judah? Go ahead.

In themselves.

Thank you. They're depending on themselves. So the answer has to come within. The answer has to be definable by who I am. They're trusting in themselves, and now they're turning to Israel and to Cush, but this prophecy says they're not worth your trust because they too are under the judgment of God.

We've read the oracle in the beginning of chapter 19, all those passages that Jeff read, their idols, their wisdom, their strength, and everything else to the point where they're going to look like drunk men staggering around in their own vomit.

The oracles against Egypt are pretty significant. Putting your trust in there, probably not a good idea. First Samuel 17, Kimberly. The ability of all of the mighty men of the nation of Israel, when confronted by the challenge of this very large Philistine, all of the mighty men of Israel cowered back in fear, and this young, ruddy complexion, shepherd, says, I got it.

I got it. And his profession was, God protected me from the lion, from the bear. He's got this. This is not a problem. The next pass, the next verse. The profession of perceiving a threat, but then being able to understand the extent of that threat and the reality of that threat, and then being able to marry that against the real power, and that's Yahweh, and that's what he had.

You come against me with sword and spear, I come against you in the name of the Lord. Who wins? You know, who wins in that? Psalm 20?

Yes, Psalm 20.

And then verse seven. You know, David's words, that's not 700 years ago. And here's a nation surrounded by Assyria, and they're nasty people, and they're powerful people. And well, maybe there's a chink in the armor, maybe Babylon, but then Ashdod falls, and now the fear, we need help.

We need help. Well, that's a good profession. We need help. But let's go to Egypt, and let's go to Cush. And what he's saying to them is don't go there, don't go there, it's not going to go good for you.

The Sudden Danger of Assyria and the Call to Watchfulness

All right, let's see now. I wanna go somebody closer up to this microphone. Bob, I don't know if your Bible, if you've got the regular Bible or the Jewish Bible again. Can you find, can you find Isaiah 21?

I can.

All right, you're gonna be my Isaiah 21 person. Give me verses one through five for starters. And Neva, you've got Ephesians 6, and Barbara, you've got Hebrews 3, if you would have those ready. Go ahead.

Okay, we'll stop, we're gonna stop right there, because that picks up the next piece of it. There's danger coming. And it starts out in the first couple of verses describing how this danger appears and how it comes about.

And some of the descriptions are that it's sudden. What we're talking about, the wilderness of the sea, we're talking about the wilderness, the desert areas, if you would, the whirlwinds of the Negev.

These whirlwinds in the desert, they come almost unexpectedly, they just come. I've had the blessing and the opportunity a couple of times to be in the Grand Canyon on the river, and just with almost seemingly no warning, these fierce winds and sand blowing, they just come, and then they're gone.

And the picture here is, as in the wilderness, where these winds come up with ferocity, they just come unexpectedly, and they come like a whirlwind. The picture here, as a traitor betrays, there's no warnings, there's expected peace, there's expected solitude, but just totally unexpectedly, and like a traitor, it just comes down.

And the picture here is laying siege and bringing to an end the destruction and the siege. Basically, what happens is that it goes from strength to defeat. It goes from self-assurance to sudden attack.

From being confident in yourself to being totally overcome. The danger that's going to come is gonna come quickly, and the invasion comes quickly. And then in verses three and four, the prophet is given an insight.

Now, again, we're talking about the nation of Judah, we're talking about the city of Jerusalem, we're talking about the Assyrians around them, we're talking about the constant threat that's out there, but we're also talking about Meredith Baladan having defeated Babylon.

And so we're talking about almost maybe a false sense of, maybe they're not so bad, but we're still also talking about maybe we're gonna get our protection from Egypt, maybe things aren't as bad as they appear, but he's told that this is gonna come on to you very suddenly like a whirlwind in the wilderness.

And then he says, as a result, and the prophet gets insight, my loins are filled with anguish and pangs have seized me like the pains of a woman in labor. There is this picture of, oh, all right, so confession's good for the soul, right?

Sandian and I enjoyed this show called Castle. It's, don't judge me, bro.

I don't know what it is, so I can't.

Yeah, Nathan Fillion, you know, it's one of these police detective type things. And every now and then you'll have somebody at night walking through Central Park. It's like, who does that? All by themselves.

And then the music gets, you know, that type of thing, and a shadowy figure. And the person is just totally overcome with fear. And the realization that the situation's come, this prophet is totally overcome with fear.

And the only reason that you could give that is that God has given him an insight of what is really surrounding him. Because the thought that maybe Assyria's got a problem, maybe Egypt, no, it's gonna come, it's gonna come suddenly, and the prophet is given insight.

And it says that his heart staggers and he has pangs of fear. Like a woman in labor, how intense, intense it is. Marry that against the first part of verse five. Bob, read that again for me, the first part of verse five.

They set the table, right?

Okay, you gotta emphasize the pronouns. As Jeff says, follow the pronouns, right?

Right.

They prepare the table. They spread the rugs and eat and drink. Who is they? And that just all of a sudden pops up. It's the rest of the people in Jerusalem. That's who they is in that verse. They have not gotten this insight from God that imminent danger is more imminent than you think it's gonna come quick.

And so the prophet is filled with fear while the rest of Jerusalem is having a feast. In seemingly ambivalence to everything that's going on around them, they are totally unaware. And if they are totally unaware for battle, what's gonna happen when the battle comes?

They're gonna get crushed. Now, on the surface, this is what's going on, but I wanna take this a little bit below the surface. And Ephesians six, did I hand that out?

Okay, go ahead, please.

And then Hebrews three, if you've got that, Barbara. There's a danger facing the people of Jerusalem, of Judah right now. And that right now is the danger of self-assurance and ambivalence and denial that there is danger around.

The prophet has been given an insight and he's been told that it's gonna come quickly and it's gonna come unexpectedly. And he's also given an insight to the extent that he totally is feared and his heart staggers because of how it's been.

And in the meantime, they are having a party. That time, they are having a party. What I want us to do is to take this and to apply this right now. The reality is the church is eminently, if not already, under attack.

And it's just getting bigger and bigger and bigger. And if you as a child of God are made aware and are aware of it, where do you need to place your trust? And God, where is the temptation to put your trust?

Self, it's no big deal. They're easily, we're easily defended against them. They're not gonna overrun us. Or so what if they do? I want you to be aware and use this little passage here if you would, as an exhortation to understand that we have an enemy.

And it says he prowls, seeking who he might devour. And it may come subtly, but it's going to come. And if you have the ability to perceive it, there should be fear and trepidation within you to the extent that it overwhelms you like the pains of a woman in labor.

And you have to turn only one place and that's to God. Don't turn to Egypt. Don't turn to Cush. Don't believe in yourself. Don't think that the enemy is weak. Stay, stay concerned. Don't be, don't be ambivalent.

Yes, sir.

The most off-sited command of God is fear not or be not afraid.

Absolutely. No, absolutely. The promise that I am with you is the force and the power behind, behind fear not. Which then takes us a good segue. Bob, give me the rest of five and through verse 10. Well, starting at the rest of verse five, after they eat and drink.

All right, is that in verse five? Start again. I don't want to lose that. Start again.

Okay, get going. I stand in the watchtower all day long. I stay at my post all night. Then as they appeared, the cavalry, horsemen and bears, he spoke these words. She has fallen. She has fallen, Babel.

All the carved images of their gods lie shattered on the ground. My people who have been threshed, grainy trident down on my threshing floor. I am telling you what I have heard from the Lord the host, the God of Israel.

Arise, I love the way that yours version says it. I think if I wrote it down, get going. Get going, O princes. The one that I have here, it almost sounds to like arise. The word here is that those of you who are the watchmen, who are the strength, who are those who are gonna fight the battle, get going.

Well, right now they're having a feast. Right now they're having a feast. So there's a wake up call, get going. And they're told, what are they told to do? Get going and anoint the shield. Take up the shield.

Get ready for battle. These are all the right things. Be prepared because there is a battle that is coming to you. So get up, wake up, and take up the shield. Well, what shield do we take up?

The shield of faith.

The shield of faith. We take up the whole armor of God. When are you supposed to put this armor on?

Yes. Yes. Yes.

Before the battle starts. We are in the battle. We are in the battle. And so put it on every morning. When you get out into the world, there will be. And once the battle starts, it's awkward to put on the full armor of God.

Yes, there's no protection in your backside. Yeah, and God's our rear guard, yeah. We do have one offensive battle, and that's the word of God, the word of the Spirit. Yeah, we do have that. Get up. The princes apparently aren't doing it.

So he says, get going, get up, take on the shield. And then in verses six and seven, he's telling them to set the watch. You know, putting on the armor and being prepared is the first step, but then going out into the world and having your eyes open and having your spiritual perception ready, watch for what's coming so that you see when it's coming.

He talks about riders and horsemen and donkeys. What we're talking about is be on guard, that danger is coming, and get ready and see it. Don't ignore it, and don't pretend that it's not gonna be there.

It's not like, if I'm not really watching, then it's not really, well, it is real, you know, whether you're watching or not. Verses eight and nine respond to that danger. You know, when that danger does come, and it's going to come, it doesn't do a whole lot of good to say, hey, there's danger, okay, what are we supposed to do when there is danger?

Blow the horn.

Blow the horn, what else? Get ready.

Stand firm.

Stand firm, all of these are true.

Contend for your faith.

Contend. For your faith, all of this is true. I'm gonna give you another one that you can do. In the name of Jesus Christ, go away. Rebuke him.

Like Michael did.

Stand with the Lord, resist the devil, and he will flee from you. He who is within you is greater than he who is in the world. So the first thing is to get ready, take up the shield. The second one is have your eyes ready so that that danger doesn't take you totally by surprise.

And then the third is when it comes, respond. Responding in faith. See the danger and respond. At the end of this, it's a proclamation. What I have heard from the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, this I proclaim to you.

This whole story, this whole scenario is not just a what if, this is an assurity because God has told us it's going to happen. This, oh, by the way, is the sovereign God who there's a lot of oracles. You go into Zechariah, there's a lot of teaching.

This is our sovereign God. And he says, what I have heard from the Lord God of hosts of Israel, this I announced to you. Pastor Jeff, I'm gonna ask you, we have a couple of minutes. I'm gonna ask you to read Psalm 91.

The whole Psalm, please.

All right. The Soldier's Psalm. He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, my refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I trust. For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence.

He will cover you with his pinions and under his wings you will find refuge. His faithfulness is a shield and buckler. You will not fear the terror of the night nor the arrow that flies by day nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness nor the destruction that wastes at noonday.

A thousand may fall at your side, 10 ,000 at your right hand, but it will not come near you. You will only look with your eyes and see the recompense of the wicked. Because you have made the Lord your dwelling place, the Most High, who is my refuge, no evil shall be allowed to befall you.

No plague come near your tent for he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. On their hands they will bear you up lest you strike your foot against a stone. You will tread on the lion and the adder, the young lion and the serpent you will trample underfoot.

Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him. I will protect him because he knows my name. When he calls to me, I will answer him. I will be with him in trouble. I will rescue him and honor him.

With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.

I wanna highlight a couple of these statements. He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. There is no safer place. There's no safer place to be. I will say to the Lord, my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.

Cannot be anything else, and it specifically can't be you, but it can't be Egypt and it can't be Cush. You will not fear the terror of the night. And then there's listings of things like arrows flying and pestilence and thousands falling.

And in verse nine, because you have made the Lord your dwelling place, the Most High, who is my refuge, no evil shall fall upon you. The confidence that we have in our God, for he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.

The reality is that there is a war going on that we don't see, and it's between God and his angels that have remained true to him. Two thirds stayed there. And one third who followed Lucifer. And the battle is intense.

And if you don't believe that, go into Daniel, where the messenger trying to come to Daniel was withheld for a long time by a demon until Michael came and fought the battle and got him away. There is battle.

Now, I'm sorry?

Two angels to every demon.

Two angels to every demon. There's gotta be a lot of angels. Now, verse 14 through 16, you need to follow the pronouns here because there's a switch of perspective. Because you hold fast. It says, because he holds fast.

Because this is God now looking down on humanity. And he says, because he holds fast. But it's because you hold fast to me, to God. Because you hold fast to God, God will deliver you. Absolutely. God will protect you because you know his name.

When you call on God, God will answer. God will be with you in trouble. God will rescue you and honor you. With long life, God will satisfy you and show you God's salvation. The nation of Israel had gotten in trouble because they lost their focus, because they lost the reality of Psalm 91.

And we're looking for ways to either minimize the threat, consider the threat not there, or find strength in Egypt and Cush. And he tears that all down. Tears that all down. In God. Some trust in horses and chariots.

We trust. Thank you, little Ricky went into song with that one. Thank you very much.

I want to sing Psalm 91 too.

I bet you do, but we're gonna close in prayer. And let that one go. And Pastor Jeff, close us in prayer.

All right, so Father, thank you so much for your protection. You are a shield and a fortress to us and we run into you and we are safe. God, we do look at the world and we are not like those with their heads in the sand.

We see Grace Life Church in Canada, their pastor imprisoned, and then now the church itself locked down with rows of fences. But Lord, we know that your church is not in retreat. They are meeting in a secret place.

And Lord, we thank you for that. We thank you for the pastor there who, when under attack, did not worry about defending and fighting in an earthly way, but just preached the gospel to the reporters. And I pray that when this kind of trial comes to us, Lord, that we would have the gospel ready on our lips, our feet fitted with the gospel of peace, that we are ready for this and not taken by surprise, that we would be those who are found faithful in the day of trial.

And you are faithful, God, so we can trust you through it. We look to you in faith, in Jesus' name, amen.

Amen.