Isaiah 31:1-9 Man Can’t
Isaiah is giving a warning for when (not if) Judah turns to Egypt for help. Egypt is merely man and man CAN’T change what God says is to be.
King Ahaz had made an alliance with Assyria when Syria and Israel were planning to attack Judah. This made Judah a ‘puppet’ to Assyria and Assyria was ready to take out Judah too. Israel fell to Assyria but Assyria stopped short of going after Jerusalem. Hezekiah was king of Judah at that time.
Fast forward ten years and we have King Hezekiah tired of paying tribute to Assyria to NOT attack them. He makes an alliance with Egypt instead. The very alliance Isaiah is warning about entering into at our point in study. God KNEW this was going to happen.
God also knew that the alliance between Judah and Egypt was NOT going to be a productive one or last for any length of time. HE wouldn’t allow it to prosper. Man was NOT the Rescuer of His people! God would be.
We will encounter the actual story not too far in the future. The thing to keep in mind are the words Isaiah spoke LONG before it happened. “The Lord of hosts will protect Jerusalem; He will protect and deliver it; He will spare and rescue it” (verse 5b). Not by the hand of man. Not by the strength of numbers. Not by superior military strategy. But by God alone will Jerusalem be saved.
SO grateful for Judah that King Hezekiah had replaced King Ahaz before this event occurred. Ahaz would have surrendered to Assyria at the first inkling of trouble. Hezekiah sought the Lord. He turned the people of Judah away from their idols. Which is another portion of Isaiah’s prophecy. “For in that day everyone shall cast away his idols of silver and his idols of gold, which your hands have sinfully made for you” (verse 7). The return came before the deliverance.
I wonder why Hezekiah made an alliance with Egypt to begin with. He must have known the words of Isaiah’s prophecy concerning this. In 2 Kings 18 we are told that Hezekiah was faithful to the Lord like David was. David made a semi alliance with the Philistines. Was Hezekiah’s trust in Egypt similar to David’s trust in the king of Gath? God watched over both men and those with them. HE delivered them and fought for them.
Once again, Father, I see plainly that YOU know all that there is to be in this world. I also see that I can’t mess up Your plan, no matter how hard I try. YOU have EVERYTHING in control. These promises strengthen my faith in the ones still to come. THANK YOU FATHER for giving me something to hold onto in the times of trouble. My ‘messes’ are no surprise to You! And they don’t diminish Your love for me in the least!!! I’m looking forward to reading the story again from Isaiah’s point in it.
