Isaiah 18-23 Who Can You Really Depend On?
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Isaiah 18-23 Who Can You Really Depend On? Introduction Poor Judah. As a nation, it must have felt rather insignificant in the midst of all the turmoil surrounding it. As a small nation, it might be logical to think that it either needed to give into the bully, Assyria, or seek help from other nations to resist Assyria. Who could it to turn to for help? After completing a central message about God’s sovereignty over all conquering nations, Isaiah now attempts to show Judah why none of those options would work, and instead to show them the amazing position that they were really in as the home of the “place of the name of the LORD of hosts.” As an aid to the following sections, the map below shows the various nations that are now addressed in chapters 18-23. The Ends of the Earth – Vs. 18:1-7 Chapter 17 ends with a section of woe “to the many nations that rage” (vs. 12), and a message to Judah that “the nations roar like the roaring of many waters” (vs. 13) will be rebuked by the “God of your salvation.” Chapter 18 also begins with the word, “woe”, linking it to the previous section as does the continuation of the global theme with its call to the “people of the world” in vs. 3. After the word of “woe,” it moves to a description of a land of “whirring wings.” This could be a reference to insects, but with the reference to swift messengers and quick, papyrus boats in vs. 2, more likely is a metaphor for light ships1 from the “land beyond the rivers of Cush” that whizzed up and down the Nile. It should be noted that the “woe” in this section does not apply to this land (ancient Ethiopia), but is the message to be sent by their ambassadors. The occasion for this section of prophecy could have been inspired by the presence of Ethiopian ambassadors in Jerusalem. In the 8th century, Egypt was ruled by a Nubian or Cushite dynasty, and ambassadors may have been sent to Jerusalem to incite rebellion against Assyria. 1 Oswalt, John N. – The Book of Isaiah. Grand Rapids, MI: William B Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1986, pp. 359-360 – 1 – Isaiah 18-23 Who Can You Really Depend On? These ambassadors are now sent, not home, but to another land of people “tall and smooth”. The Hebrew words are literally “drawn out” and “bare” or “polished”. And while this could be a description of the Cushites, the next set of details of a feared nation “mighty and conquering” (ESV) does not apply well to Ethiopia. The description of a “land the rivers divide” would have sounded like Assyria to Isaiah’s hearers. At the same time, it is interesting that Assyria is not specifically mentioned. With the global context of this section, this could well be a generic description of all conquering nations (including Assyria). Verse 3 indicates that this is a message to “all you inhabitants of the world, you who dwell on the earth.” As Cush might have seemed like the “ends of the earth” to the residents of Judah, so now those ambassadors are sent to the ends of the earth. Everyone is called to pay attention to the clear signs given (See the banner! Hear the horn!) that indicate that something is going to happen, specifically, that God is going to act. Then, seemingly in contrast to this sudden call to attention is the picture in verse 4 of God quietly looking on. What were they called to see? Seems anti-climactic. And yet, God’s presence can be felt like building heat on a hot summer day or mist flowing in from the coast. And He will act when it is the right time (vs. 5). Not soon, before the fruit can be seen, but also not quite at the harvest. Then he prunes the branches that do not bear fruit to preserve and help the ones that do! It is an image that judgment may not come when expected, but it will come. And woe to those cleared away and left to the birds of prey and beasts, a more gruesome image of corpses left over from war, too many to bury, vs. 6. And yet that is not the final picture. Verse 7 concludes the topic of the “ends of the earth” while at the same time introducing a theme that will be repeated in the following chapters 19-23. That is a theme that these enemies of God under His judgment will end up bringing tribute to the “place of His name” (a reference to deuteronomic theology – Deut. 12:5), Mount Zion in tiny Judah! Egypt – Vs. 19:1-20:6 From this central middle message for the whole earth as indicated by the 2 “woes” (17:12, 18:1), the book moves back to specific “oracles” for neighboring nations to Judah. Chapters 19 and 20 are addressed to Egypt in three sections: vs.19:1-15, 19:16-25, 20:1-6. It opens with a now familiar title, “The oracle concerning Egypt” (ESV/NASB) or “A prophecy against Egypt.” The word translated as “oracle” or “prophecy” used in the titles for many of these sections (13:1, 15:1, 17:1, 19:1, 21:1,11,13; 22:1, 25; 23:1; 30:6) is literally “burden” or “the act of carrying or bearing” in Hebrew. These are weighty, somber messages that Isaiah must bring to these peoples. And while these messages are primarily for and about other nations, they serve as a warning and guide for Judah for why they cannot depend on these nations to save them. For in the end, all are in the hands of God, and all must turn to Him. Egypt’s Weaknesses Exposed – vs. 19:1-15 Verses 1-15 is made up of three sections that expose Egypt’s vast religion, dependence on the Nile, and her vaunted wisdom. Even as Yahweh demonstrated his superiority over the gods of Egypt in Exodus as He brought out His people, so here, again, in verses 1-4, He comes in a “swift cloud” over Egypt, and its idols tremble and the heart of the people melt. This leads to internal strife, with city-states fighting each other (perhaps with each claiming its god is superior), spiritual despondency, and a turning to spiritism as a result. A hard ruler then emerges to quell the internal divisions. Oswalt2 describes how Egypt had a number of periods such as this throughout its history. Vs. 5-10 illustrate Egypt’s complete dependency on the Nile which in turn is in the hands of God also as demonstrated in Exodus. If it were to dry up, Egypt’s wheat crops (supplied to much of the rest 2 Ibid. pp 367-8 – 2 – Isaiah 18-23 Who Can You Really Depend On? of the world) would be “dried,” “blown”, “nothing” (three rhyming Hebrew words). Of course, the marine life would be affected, and finally the linen trade (made from flax) would fail. Essentially, the entire industrial power of Egypt would fail. In vs. 11-15, the prophet’s message centers the foolishness of Egypt’s supposed wise men (who were also humiliated in Exodus). The “princes of Zoan” were the wise men of Tanis, the chief city in northern Egypt in the delta and at one time its capitol. Isaiah asserts that these wisest of Egypt’s counselors are giving Pharaoh stupid advice. Isaiah appeals to Pharaoh himself in vs. 12 – asking him to find out from those wise men what God has purposed. But not only can they not know what God has purposed, God is able to frustrate their own plans. The imagery is that these wise men (also from the other wisdom center of Memphis) have the effect of alcohol on the land, making it stagger as if drunk and confused. The leaders, great and small (using the same poetic metaphors of head, tail, palm branch, and reed from chapter 5), can do nothing! Redemption? Even for Egypt? – Vs. 19:16-25 Vs. 16 seems to continue the thoughts of the first part of the chapter as it begins with a picture of the Egyptians in terror and dread at the hand of the LORD, but is actually a transition verse to a surprising new message. It begins a reference to “In that day” (a phrase which means at some future time) which is repeated 5 times in sections that progress from fear (dread/awe) to blessing. In the first surprising turn of this section, Judah has become a land of terror to the Egyptians because of what the LORD has purposed against them. Vs. 18 gives a hyperbolic image that an unimaginable 5 cities of Egypt (since seems unlikely even one might do this) will become cities of Yahweh (He becomes their God) as evidenced by their language (Hebrew) and allegiance. And one of these will be the City of the Sun (most likely the best translation rather than Destruction in ESV or NASB)! Imagine that! The city of Egypt’s most powerful God, the Sun god, will turn to Yahweh. In verses 19-22, we have an image that is like Israel in its infancy they would set up altars of remembrance to God, and in the days when it would need to be chastised by God, but would cry out to Him for help, and He would hear their cries and save them.