The Oracle Concerning Egypt
Isaiah 19
July 23, 2023
Tonight we come to yet another of Isaiah’s oracles.
And this one is with A NATION that we are all too FAMILIAR with, especially as they relate to the history of Israel.
Egypt first represents SLAVERY to the nation of Israel.
• You know all about their bondage
• You know all about the Exodus
But no sooner did God deliver Israel out of Egypt then did Egypt take on a NEW ROLE for Israel.
• They became Israel’s hope and boast.
• How many times even in the wilderness wanderings do we see Israel wanting to go back to Egypt?
• And certainly during times of trial and distress you always find Israel wanting to run to Egypt for safety and deliverance?
• This occurred in Isaiah’s day, it will occur again in Jeremiah’s day.
So Egypt holds a unique role in the history of Israel.
They went from slave owner to savior in the eyes of Israel.
The next chapter in Isaiah (as we saw this morning) will give you all the information you need to know in understanding how Israel viewed both Egypt and Ethiopia.
Isaiah 20:5-6 “Then they will be dismayed and ashamed because of Cush their hope and Egypt their boast. “So the inhabitants of this coastland will say in that day, ‘Behold, such is our hope, where we fled for help to be delivered from the king of Assyria; and we, how shall we escape?’”
THAT PRETTY MUCH EXPLAINS IT.
• Assyria was the villain.
• Israel saw Cush and Egypt as the saviors.
Well we dealt with Cush this morning
• And saw how Isaiah told the messengers to go to Cush and remind them that God was going to save them both.
Now we have Isaiah giving a prophetic message
Regarding THE FATE OF EGYPT.
The chapter for us, as is all Scripture,
Is full of relevant information even for our very lives.
We are all prone to trust in faulty saviors.
We are all prone to rest in faulty deliverers.
So much of the time when people think of idols
They think of little graven images or molded statues that people worship.
And truly those are idols, but they aren’t the only kind.
You can make an idol out of anything.
ANYTHING YOU LOVE MORE THAN GOD IS AN IDOL.
That can be money, that can be time, that can be a person, that can be a relationship, that can be a hobby, that can be a toy.
An idol is anything you find your pleasure in…
An idol is anything you find your satisfaction in…
It is those things you love more than God.
• Idols consume our resources…
• Idols consume our time…
• Idols take priority over the things of God…
They may not be a graven image at all.
But that’s still not the only kind of idol.
IDOLS CAN ALSO BE ANYTHING YOU TRUST IN INSTEAD OF GOD.
Idols can be anything through which you find your security.
• That can be a job…
• That can be a 401K…
• That can be a surplus of stuff…
• That can be the government…
• That can be your own plan or ingenuity…
What is that thing that makes you feel secure for the future?
What is that thing that makes you feel safe amidst the world’s dangers?
What is your safety net?
If it’s anything other than God then you have identified an idol.
And if you have trouble identifying them
All you have to do is be threatened with losing them and see how you react.
For example:
Matthew 19:21-22 “Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” But when the young man heard this statement, he went away grieving; for he was one who owned much property.”
And just like that we found the man’s idol.
• His wealth, specifically his property, was his source of security
• And maybe even his source of enjoyment and satisfaction.
• He loved it, he depended on it,
• And when asked to give it up for Christ, He would not.
It’s not hard to spot an idol
Even though we are short on the graven image kind,
We have them even in our lives and in our day.
Well one of Israel’s biggest idols was the nation of Egypt.
Namely because Egypt represented for them security.
• Egypt was the breadbasket of the world and Egypt meant food.
• Egypt was a mighty and powerful nation so Egypt meant security.
• Egypt had endured for centuries with wise men and prophets so Egypt meant
wisdom.
In short, Egypt was always the safety net.
If everything falls apart, we can always go to Egypt.
That is an idol and tonight Isaiah is going to address this idol of Israel.
And the way we’re going to look at the text tonight
Is to draw out some logical conclusions.
• Tonight we’re going to look at portions of the text
• Then I’m going to present you with a logical question to each one.
• In all there are 4 questions tonight that will help us evaluate the wisdom behind trusting in anything more than God.
So let’s start working through the text.
(READ 1-4)
Obviously here we get an announcement of judgment on Egypt.
And it’s pretty straightforward.
Verse 1 tells us about the COMING TERROR
(1) “The oracle concerning Egypt. Behold, the LORD is riding on a swift cloud and is about to come to Egypt; The idols of Egypt will tremble at His presence, And the heart of the Egyptians will melt within them.”
Very simply there is coming a day
• When God is going to do such a work that He will make the Egyptians terrified.
• He is coming on a cloud, and “the idols of Egypt will tremble”
We remember what a laughingstock God made
Of all those idols back during the 10 plagues in Egypt.
This time He’ll come and terrify those false gods (demons).
“And the heart of the Egyptians will melt within them.”
• It is simple terror.
• What God is about to do will make them melt.
Verse 2 tells us about the COMING CHAOS
(2) “So I will incite Egyptians against Egyptians; And they will each fight against his brother and each against his neighbor, City against city and kingdom against kingdom.”
The Egyptians won’t know how to respond to what God will do.
And they’ll turn on each other.
• “Egyptians against Egyptians”
• “brother against…neighbor”
• “City against city”
• “kingdom against kingdom”
God will strike them with such terror that they’ll be skeptical of everyone.
• Everyone will become the enemy.
• Chaos will rule the streets.
It’s like martial law.
It’s people out devouring one another.
You can’t trust anyone.
That is what people overcome with fear will do.
Verse 3 tells us about the COMING HOPELESSNESS
(3) “Then the spirit of the Egyptians will be demoralized within them; And I will confound their strategy, So that they will resort to idols and ghosts of the dead And to mediums and spiritists.”
They’ll have a plan for defying God,
But God will “confound their strategy”
Their best hope will be to go to the cemetery
And see if anyone there has a plan.
They will just be demoralized and disillusioned.
All hope will be gone.
Verse 4 tells us of the COMING BONDAGE
(4) “Moreover, I will deliver the Egyptians into the hand of a cruel master, And a mighty king will rule over them,” declares the Lord GOD of hosts.”
That “cruel master” will be the Assyrians whom God will bring in to devour Egypt.
• They will be subdued,
• They will be conquered,
• And they will become slaves.
It is a horrible thought and a horrible picture.
Egypt, totally terrified, chaotic, hopeless, led away in bondage.
And THIS is who Israel is counting on to save them.
So here is our first question.
#1 WHY SEEK A DELIVERER WHO CAN’T DELIVER THEMSELVES?
Isaiah 19:1-4
And yet we see it all the time.
We remember those prophets of Baal leaping on the altar and cutting themselves repeatedly crying out, “O Baal answer us”
Isaiah 45:20 “Gather yourselves and come; Draw near together, you fugitives of the nations; They have no knowledge, Who carry about their wooden idol And pray to a god who cannot save.”
Where is the logic in that?
We remember when the Philistines stole the Ark of the Covenant and put it in the temple of their god Dagon.
1 Samuel 5:3-4 “When the Ashdodites arose early the next morning, behold, Dagon had fallen on his face to the ground before the ark of the LORD. So they took Dagon and set him in his place again. But when they arose early the next morning, behold, Dagon had fallen on his face to the ground before the ark of the LORD. And the head of Dagon and both the palms of his hands were cut off on the threshold; only the trunk of Dagon was left to him.”
• Then the Philistines made the brilliant decision to get rid of the Ark.
• They should’ve gotten rid of Dagon and changed Gods!
Or we remember when Paul went to Ephesus and offended the idol makers.
Acts 19:26-27 “You see and hear that not only in Ephesus, but in almost all of Asia, this Paul has persuaded and turned away a considerable number of people, saying that gods made with hands are no gods at all. “Not only is there danger that this trade of ours fall into disrepute, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis be regarded as worthless and that she whom all of Asia and the world worship will even be dethroned from her magnificence.”
• It isn’t much of a god if a traveling missionary can totally dethrone it.
WHY SEEK A DELIVERER WHO CAN’T DELIVER THEMSELVES?
It’s dumb.
So why would you seek deliverance from a conquered nation being led away in bondage?
• Do prisoners look to other prisoners for release?
I WOULD THINK IF YOU WERE LOOKING FOR A DELIVERER
You would look for one who is powerful and mighty and victorious
And one who no one could stop or thwart.
Isaiah 63:1-2a “Who is this who comes from Edom, With garments of glowing colors from Bozrah, This One who is majestic in His apparel, Marching in the greatness of His strength? “It is I who speak in righteousness, mighty to save.”
Perhaps One who can
• Cast out demons
• Or heal paralytics
• Or cleanse lepers
• Or forgive sinners
• Or raise the dead or calm storms…
Why seek a deliverer that can’t deliver themselves?
Find one mighty in strength and power and trust Him,
But don’t run to some helpless prisoner for your salvation.
Well, let’s move on…
(READ 5-10)
Here we see yet another judgment which will be applied to Egypt.
THIS IS AN ECONOMIC JUDGMENT.
Egypt was considered the breadbasket of the world.
They were the world’s great supplier of food.
WHY?
THEY HAD THE NILE.
And the deposits left after the flooding of the Nile
Made Egypt the food producer of the world.
So it was natural that a nation might want to run to Egypt in their crisis because Egypt could provide.
• We actually remember Jacob doing that during the famine of his life.
Sounds like a good idea.
Except for one problem…
GOD IS GOING TO DRY UP THE NILE.
There goes the FARMING INDUSTRY
(5-7) “The waters from the sea will dry up, And the river will be parched and dry. The canals will emit a stench, The streams of Egypt will thin out and dry up; The reeds and rushes will rot away. The bulrushes by the Nile, by the edge of the Nile And all the sown fields by the Nile Will become dry, be driven away, and be no more.”
Everything that is planted just dries up and blows away.
• No crop this year.
• No bread this year.
God will dry up the entire source of water for their crops
And Egypt will be no different than any other patch of desert.
But it’s not just the farming industry.
There goes the FISHING INDUSTRY (8)
(8) “And the fishermen will lament, And all those who cast a line into the Nile will mourn, And those who spread nets on the waters will pine away.”
• No Nile also means no fish.
• No bread, no meat.
Famine just got really real in Egypt.
And that’s still not all.
There goes the FLAX INDUSTRY
(9) “Moreover, the manufacturers of linen made from combed flax And the weavers of white cloth will be utterly dejected.”
• No more Egyptian cotton sheets.
• Their manufacturing and textile industry just vanished.
Isaiah sort of sums it up in verse 10, “And the pillars of Egypt will be crushed; All the hired laborers will be grieved in soul.”
“the pillars of Egypt” were
Their wheat, fish, and textiles and God just crushed them all.
Jesus told us not to trust in earthly treasures.
• We know that grain rusts…
• We know that garments get moth eaten…
• We know that gold gets stolen…
Things that seem so secure aren’t as secure as we thought.
And so here comes question #2
#2 WHY SEEK A BENEFACTOR WHO IS ABOUT TO LOSE EVERYTHING?
Isaiah 19:5-10
Why would you run to Egypt for food if Egypt won’t have any food when you get there?
• If they can’t feed themselves do you suppose they’ll feed you?
BUT PEOPLE DO.
We’ve got thousands of people in our own country
Who depend on the government for their livelihood.
Do they not realize that as of today the U.S. government is 31.4 trillion dollars in debt?
Why would you trust a benefactor who is about to lose everything?
It seems to be that if you were seeking a Benefactor
YOU’D WANT A RICH ONE.
• You’d want one that owns the cattle on a thousand hills.
• You’d want one who faithfully feeds the birds.
• You’d want one who has glorious riches and promises to supply your needs.
Philippians 4:19 “And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”
• Perhaps you’d want one who can take 5 loaves and 2 fish and feed a multitude.
It seems only logical that if you’re looking for a Benefactor
You’d look for a wealthy one,
But you certainly wouldn’t trust in a benefactor
Who is about to lose everything.
That just wouldn’t make sense.
Well, let’s keep going…
(READ 11-15)
The first 10 verses of this chapter spoke of the coming judgment on Egypt, now we start looking at their inability to do anything about it.
When a nation faces a crisis, often the people look to the leaders to fix it.
• If it’s inflation…
• It it’s some sort of war…
• If it’s a pandemic…
• If it’s a national disaster…
It is typical of a people, even a nation like ours,
To look to the government or the leaders
For some sort of solution out of the crisis.
Well, God has rained judgment upon Egypt.
• Not only are they facing destruction and bondage,
• They are also facing terrible economic loss since God has dried up the Nile.
• Their farming, fishing, and flax industry is collapsing.
And the people are looking to their leaders for answers.
But here we find that there are NO ANSWERS to be found.
We see that they have NO WISDOM
(11) “The princes of Zoan are mere fools; The advice of Pharaoh’s wisest advisers has become stupid. How can you men say to Pharaoh, “I am a son of the wise, a son of ancient kings”?
They are facing invasion and they are facing famine and all “of Pharaoh’s wisest advisers” are clueless.
He’s got no “experts” to turn to.
• No one has a solution.
• No one has an answer.
The people are crying, “What are we doing to do?”
And all Pharaoh’s advisers can do is shrug their shoulders.
There are no answers.
Beyond that, there has been NO WARNING
(12) “Well then, where are your wise men? Please let them tell you, And let them understand what the LORD of hosts Has purposed against Egypt.”
The question is: Did no one see this coming?
• Where are the intelligence agencies?
• Where are the people who watch the internet and monitor chatter on the hotlines?
• Where are the prophets who are supposed to be in tune with the plans of God?
I mean, where is Joseph when you need him?
No one in Egypt had a clue this was coming.
• No one saw it…
• No one prepared for it…
• No one was ready…
And now it has come and no one has an solution for it.
And since no one saw it coming and since no one knows what to do, we also learn that there is NO WAY (PLAN)
(13-14) “The princes of Zoan have acted foolishly, The princes of Memphis are deluded; Those who are the cornerstone of her tribes Have led Egypt astray. The LORD has mixed within her a spirit of distortion; They have led Egypt astray in all that it does, As a drunken man staggers in his vomit.”
All of a sudden reality is sinking in.
Our leaders don’t know what they are doing.
• They didn’t anticipate this.
• They can’t explain this.
• They have no plan to fix this.
• They have doomed us all.
(We can get that sort of feeling with our government today.)
All that is really left is finger-pointing.
• The princes are fools, they are deluded.
• They lead men astray.
• They have distorted logic.
Following them is like following a drunk man
Who eventually vomits and then trips and falls in it.
There is no help.
And there is NO WORK
(15) “There will be no work for Egypt Which its head or tail, its palm branch or bulrush, may do.”
That is to say that there is nothing that can be done
By human ingenuity to fix this.
There will be NO grass-roots movement to save the nation.
There will be NO blue-collar effort to fix everything.
There is nothing that man in his limited power can do to fix this.
Egypt is ruined.
So here is the 3rd question.
#3 WHY SEEK A GUIDE WHO DOESN’T KNOW WHERE THEY ARE HEADED?
Isaiah 19:11-15
IT’S KIND OF IMPORTANT
If you are going to look to someone for guidance through a trial
That you pick someone who has experience navigating such things.
Judah is facing the Assyrian threat.
• Things like war and famine are very real possibilities if Assyria invades.
• The thought process is to go to Egypt and let them guide you through the storm.
• But as you can see Egypt has no answer themselves.
It is like Jesus said about the Pharisees.
Matthew 15:14 “Let them alone; they are blind guides of the blind. And if a blind man guides a blind man, both will fall into a pit.”
And again:
Matthew 23:13, 15 “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you shut off the kingdom of heaven from people; for you do not enter in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in…“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you travel around on sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.”
Do you really want to follow a guy who is headed to hell and judgment?
If you’re going to follow a leader
Then there needs to be some sort of indication
That the person knows what they are doing.
This is why Paul required that overseers be good managers of their families.
1 Timothy 3:5 “(but if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of the church of God?),”
I mean if a man can’t lead his own kids
You sure don’t want to entrust him with yours.
You don’t follow people who are lost.
If you’re going to follow someone then it needs to be someone who has wisdom.
• It needs to be someone who can see what is coming.
• It needs to be someone with a plan.
• It needs to be someone who can work and fix things.
SOMEONE LIKE JESUS.
When He said, “Follow Me!” it was good advice.
For
• He is filled with wisdom.
• He outsmarted all of His opponents.
• He is also well acquainted with His Father’s plan.
• He has a plan for saving the world.
• His work will endure.
You want someone to trust and follow, then follow Him.
Romans 11:33-36 “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! For WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, OR WHO BECAME HIS COUNSELOR? Or WHO HAS FIRST GIVEN TO HIM THAT IT MIGHT BE PAID BACK TO HIM AGAIN? For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.”
But why would you follow someone
Who doesn’t know where they are headed?
Why follow someone without wisdom?
Why follow someone without a plan?
That is a foolish decision.
But there’s more.
(READ 16-25)
Here we see the GLORIOUS FUTURE of Egypt,
And it is actually good news.
You see 5 of those “In that day” statements.
There is coming a day when Egypt will be SHAMED (16-17)
(16-17) “In that day the Egyptians will become like women, and they will tremble and be in dread because of the waving of the hand of the LORD of hosts, which He is going to wave over them. The land of Judah will become a terror to Egypt; everyone to whom it is mentioned will be in dread of it, because of the purpose of the LORD of hosts which He is purposing against them.”
In other words
• They will no longer be the power in the region.
• They will fall down the pecking order.
There is coming a day when Israel will be the power in the land
And Egypt will be looking to them, not the other way around.
Egypt will come face to face
With their own weakness and wretchedness and shame.
It will also be a day of SURRENDER
(18) “In that day five cities in the land of Egypt will be speaking the language of Canaan and swearing allegiance to the LORD of hosts; one will be called the City of Destruction.”
“Speaking the language of Canaan”
Means that they will be speaking Israel’s language.
“and swearing allegiance to the LORD of hosts”
There is coming a day when Egypt
Is going to adapt their lives to seek out Israel’s God.
“City of Destruction” can also be rendered “City of the sun” which would be the major city of Heliopolis.
But you’re going to see Egypt come to the end of themselves
And surrender themselves to Israel’s God.
And then it will be a day of SALVATION
(19-22) “In that day there will be an altar to the LORD in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a pillar to the LORD near its border. It will become a sign and a witness to the LORD of hosts in the land of Egypt; for they will cry to the LORD because of oppressors, and He will send them a Savior and a Champion, and He will deliver them. Thus the LORD will make Himself known to Egypt, and the Egyptians will know the LORD in that day. They will even worship with sacrifice and offering, and will make a vow to the LORD and perform it. The LORD will strike Egypt, striking but healing; so they will return to the LORD, and He will respond to them and will heal them.”
There is coming a day when Egypt will cry out to God and “He will send them a Savior and a Champion, and He will deliver them.”
Who do you suppose that is?
It is Jesus Christ.
This promise has a millennial fulfillment.
There is coming a day when the Egyptians will look to Jesus for salvation.
And it’s not just Egypt.
This will also be a day of SYNCRETISM
(23) “In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria, and the Assyrians will come into Egypt and the Egyptians into Assyria, and the Egyptians will worship with the Assyrians.”
It’s not just the Egyptians that Jesus will save,
But in the end, He’ll save Assyrian’s too.
One is your ENEMY, one is your HOPE,
And they have both been saved by Jesus and are worshiping together.
And thus it will also be a day of SOLIDARITY
(24-25) “In that day Israel will be the third party with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing in the midst of the earth, whom the LORD of hosts has blessed, saying, “Blessed is Egypt My people, and Assyria the work of My hands, and Israel My inheritance.”
You’re just going to have total unity.
Everyone worshiping Christ together.
This is coming during Christ’s millennial reign.
Now, all of that is certainly good news!
All of that is certainly a beautiful picture of salvation.
But it does bring up our final question:
#4 WHY SEEK A SAVIOR WHO WILL NEED SAVING?
Isaiah 19:16-25
Egypt themselves will have to be saved by Christ.
• So why would you look to them to save you?
• They aren’t saviors, they need to be saved themselves.
What is that politician’s name that doesn’t need to be saved?
They don’t exist.
THERE IS ONLY ONE SAVIOR.
Jesus Christ is the One who saves others,
And yet He is also the One who never needed saving.
Oh Peter, thought He was going to save Jesus in the garden,
• But everything in the garden was going exactly according to plan.
Pilate had thoughts of saving Jesus by giving up Barabbas,
• But the crucifixion of Jesus was ordained by God.
Jesus didn’t need saving, He was doing the saving.
He is the Savior.
And you come now to your understanding of Isaiah 19.
Judah was afraid of the Assyrian threat
And their plan was to run to Ethiopia or Egypt for salvation.
Egypt was their hope.
Egypt was their idol.
By the way, Assyria knew this too.
2 Kings 18:19-21 “Then Rabshakeh said to them, “Say now to Hezekiah, ‘Thus says the great king, the king of Assyria, “What is this confidence that you have? “You say (but they are only empty words), ‘I have counsel and strength for the war.’ Now on whom do you rely, that you have rebelled against me? “Now behold, you rely on the staff of this crushed reed, even on Egypt; on which if a man leans, it will go into his hand and pierce it. So is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who rely on him.”
And in that sense Rabshakeh was right.
• Why would you rely on a crushed reed?
• Why would you rely on a deliverer who can’t deliver themselves?
• Why would you seek a benefactor who will lose everything?
• Why would you follow a guide who doesn’t know where they are headed?
• Why would you trust a savior who needs saving themselves?
Isaiah’s point is clear.
Don’t trust in Egypt, trust in God.
And what an encouragement to the church.
Many things today promise us salvation, but they can never deliver.
Only Jesus Christ ever saved anyone.
Trust Him for salvation
Trust Him for provision
Trust Him for protection
Trust Him for satisfaction
Trust Him for deliverance
Paul nailed it:
1 Timothy 4:9-10 “It is a trustworthy statement deserving full acceptance. For it is for this we labor and strive, because we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of believers.”
So did David:
Psalms 20:6-7 “Now I know that the LORD saves His anointed; He will answer him from His holy heaven With the saving strength of His right hand. Some boast in chariots and some in horses, But we will boast in the name of the LORD, our God.”
