Isaiah 18 & 19 - The Burden of Ethiopia and Egypt

 

Isaiah 18 – The Burden of Ethiopia

 

The people of Ethiopia sent ambassadors to Israel, hoping to form a strong alliance against Assyria, but the venture was doomed to fail. God was not in it, because it was not God’s will.

The Assyrian invasion was God’s plan, and He would not intervene until He accomplished His divine purposes. He would hover over the scene like summer heat or the morning dew. When the time was right, He would reap the harvest and leave the corpses to the scavengers. It is not a pretty scene, but that is the way civilization is moving today (Matt 24:28; Rev. 19:17-21).

Those ambassadors should have gone to Jerusalem with a gift for the Lord. They should have been humble worshipers, not haughty negotiators, and trusted the God of Israel, not their armies or treaties (Psalm 20:7).

Isaiah 19 – The Burden of Egypt

It was in the land of Egypt that Israel was born. 70 people from the family of Jacob journeyed there, and 400 years later they left Egypt with over a million people. Later on, the children of Israel returned to the promised land, and two kings, Ahaz and Hezekiah made an alliance with Egypt and found her unreliable. Between the period of the Old testament and the New testament, Israel suffered greatly at the hands of the Egyptians.

Idolatry has become the chief target of God’s condemnation. No country other than Babylon was given over to idolatry more than Egypt. They worshipped birds, four footed beasts, creeping things, the bull, the frogs, the bug, the fish. When God sent the plagues he fought against every idol of Egypt. Nowadays idolatry in Egypt has long since disappeared but the people dwell in ignorance and superstition of the Moslem religion. The city has lost their great industry and commerce. Poverty and wretchedness have overtaken the nation. There was a failure of false religion, of material resources, of spiritual power. This prophecy of Isaiah’s was fulfilled, and Egypt is now a base kingdom.

In the Great tribulation Egypt will be afraid like women. It states that Egypt will have a glorious future and will enter the kingdom with Israel. God will heal them and we know that Only God can do this. There will be a freeway for those going to Jerusalem to serve Christ the King.

 

 

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