Isaiah 17 - 20
Judgments Against the Nations
Which nation or city is next to hear their fate? It’s Damascus. Chapter 17, verse 1, “See, Damascus will no longer be a city but will become a heap of ruin.” Well, I guess that says it all. How about a little more background on Damascus. We know that it is one of the oldest cities in the world and is today the capital of Syria. It is located about 130 miles from Jerusalem and would take about a week to get there by foot. It sits along a river and the crossroads of two major highways, so it was a transportation hub.
Why would God be angry with Damascus? Over the years it has been at war with Israel off and on. Remember Gen. 12, part of the covenant God made with Abraham? It says that God will bless those who bless his people and curse those who curse them. Damascus chose to do the latter. In 732 B.C. the Assyrians took over Damascus, deported many of the inhabitants of Kir and put King Rezin to death (2 Kings 16:7-9).
Isaiah shifts the narrative to Israel. Can’t you just imagine the Israelites cringing as Isaiah turns to them and pauses before speaking? Isaiah’s prophecy for Israel begins in verse 4, “in that day” which, again, refers to the time of the tribulation, far in the future rather than a prophecy for the near future. “In that day the glory of Jacob will fade; the fat of his body will waste away.” Yeah, that sounds like something from the tribulation period.
The tribulation period is the means to an end. The goal is to encourage the Israelites to turn from their idols to the one true God. Verse 7, “In that day, men will look to their Maker and turn their eyes to the Holy One of Israel.” Well it’s about time. The passages go on to say that they not only professe their faith in God, they discarded all of their idols and other religious paraphernalia. Verse 8, “they will not look to the altars, the work of their hands, and they will have no regard for the Asherah poles and the incense altars their fingers have made.” Recycling bins and landfills will be filled with the idols, statues, trinkets, jewelry, plaques, etc. associated with the worship of these false gods. Souvenir shops located near the temples will be boarded up with FOR LEASE signs in their windows. Even amazon.com won’t have any of these idols and trinkets for sale anymore.
This description of Israel’s repentance is also described in Zech. 12:9-10, “On that day I will set out to destroy all the nations that attack Jerusalem. And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son.”
Their reaction will be quite different from the first time they met Jesus. When Jesus came the first time, he was rejected. Their rejection is in Luke 19:14, “But his subjects hated him and sent a delegation after him to say, ‘We don’t want this man to be our king.’” In John 19:14-15 we see Pilate and Jesus standing before the people. Pilate says, “Here is your king” But they shouted, “Take him away! Take him Away! Crucify him!” “Shall I crucify your king?” Pilate asked. “We have no king but Caesar.” the chief priests answered.”
Chapter 18 focuses on the future of Cush. Where is that? Scholars think it’s in northeast Africa, the area of Northern Sudan and southern Egypt. Even when ancient documents identify a nation by the same name that is used today, it may not cover the same area. The boundaries of nations change over time. The United States was once a group of thirteen states mostly along the coast of the Atlantic Ocean before it expanded westward to the Pacific. Years ago, I was in Western Belarus near the Polish border. At one time that area was part of eastern Poland. And the western part of Poland was once part of eastern Germany. National boundaries change (usually after a war) and their names change, also.
Many cities mentioned in the Bible are difficult or impossible to identify. One commentary said, with regards to Moabite towns, “None of the place names in these verses can be identified with certainty.” Some have disappeared altogether and are lost to history. Some English translations of the Bible substitute Ethiopia for Cush. The evangelist Philip gave the gospel to an Ethiopian eunuch, who was the first Ethiopian convert to Christianity (Acts 8:26–39). During the millennial reign of Christ, Jesus will receive honor from Cush/Ethiopia: “From beyond the rivers of Cush my worshipers, my scattered people, will bring me offerings” (Zeph.3:10).
The Cushites were related to the Egyptians (Gen. 10:6). In Isaiah, God denounces the Israelites who trusted in Cush or Egypt to save them from the Assyrians (Isa. 20:5). God’s judgment against Cush is also seen in Ezekiel’s prophecies, which mentions how its’ wealth and power would be taken away (Ezek. 30:4–5, 9).
These chapters remind me that God has always known what was going on among the nations, even today. Just because He is silent, doesn’t mean that He is blind, death or indifferent. We’ll see this in the prophetic book of Habakkuk.
Verse 2 of Chapter 18 shows envoys from Ethiopia going to Judah to seek an alliance against Assyria. The message they receive from God is that the population of Ethiopia would be destroyed. Verses 5-6, “ . . . before the harvest, when he blossom is gone and the flower becomes a ripening grape, he will cut off the shoots with pruning knives. . . they will be left to the mountain birds of prey and to the wild animals.” This doesn’t sound like good news, but in time, there will be a happy ending. Verse 7 says, “At that time gifts will be brought to the Lord Almighty.” This sounds like bad news for the near future, but good news for the distant future message. Unlike the Edomites, the Ethiopians will not be completely destroyed. There will be a remnant who will turn to the one true God.
As Isaiah directs his prophecies to one nation after another, I am reminded of the United Nations when the Ambassadors from all the member nations meet in the General Assembly. Imagine if Isaiah or Jeremiah showed up to give the general assembly a message, one nation after another. What would they say about our country
Hussein’s palace overlooking the ruins of Babylon
They might begin their message by reminding them of God’s promise to Abraham and his descendants from Gen. 12:3, “I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” Then the camera scans the faces of some of the ambassadors. Some look relaxed, knowing that they have been supportive of the modern State of Israel. Other have a grim look of concern on their faces.
What nation is next for Isaiah to prophecy for or against? He now moves onto Egypt. Chapter 19:2. “I will stir up Egyptian against Egyptian-brother will fight against brother. Neighbor against neighbor, city against city, kingdom against kingdom.”
This sounds like civil war which leads other nations to take advantage of them and invade. The people of Egypt will be so desperate they will consult their idols and the spirits of the dead, the mediums and the spiritists (verse 3).
Praying to those who have died or to spirits of any sort is strictly forbidden in Scripture. There is no biblical evidence that any created being in heaven can pray or intercede for us. Moses can’t. David can’t. Mary can’t. Paul can’t.
Is there anyone who can intercede for us? Yes. Jesus can intercede for us (Rom. 8:34; Heb. 7:25 and 1 Tim. 2:5). The Holy Spirit can intercede for us (Rom. 8:26). And we can pray directly to God the Father (Luke 11:13). We don’t need a human go-between, such as priests as in the Old Testament. Today, all believers have access to the throne of God, we are all priests.
Prior to the work of Christ on the cross, God’s people were represented before God by priests, but today all believers are priests and we have direct access to God (1 Peter 2:9; Rev. 1:6).
Is there a passage in the New Testament that tells us to pray to God via another human being in heaven? Is there any indication that those in heaven would have any influence on our prayers?
The living are told to intercede for other living people (Eph. 6:18).
The only dead person in Scripture who made any plea for the living on earth was the rich man who pled that a gospel witness be sent to his family on earth. We note that he made his “intercession” for his brothers while he was in hell and that his petition was denied (Luke 16:27-31).
Isa. 8:19 condemns the communicating with the dead. “When men tell you to consult mediums and spirits, who whisper and mutter, should not a people inquire of their God? Why consult the dead on behalf of the living?”
Christ has given us many blessings, one of which is the ability to pray to God directly. “Because of Christ and our faith in him, we can now come boldly and confidently into God’s presence” (Eph. 3;12). With Christ, we need no others to go on our behalf, even those who live in heaven.
Now let’s get back to Isaiah, chapter 19:5. “The water of the river will dry up” When the Nile dries up, there is a domino effect throughout the Egyptian economy. Verse 6, where the reeds and rushes will wither. Reeds are tall, slender grasses that grow in wetlands, while rushes are similar but identifiable by their solid, round stems. These wetland grasses are used to make papyrus for writing as well as boats, mats, rope, sandals, and baskets.
Verse 6, and the fishermen will groan (verse 8). Verse 7, “every sown field along the Nile will become parched, will blow away, and be no more.” Verse 8, “The fishermen will groan and lament.” Verse 9, “Those who work with combed flax will despair, the weavers of fine linen will lose hope.” Textiles made from flax are known in English as linen and are traditionally used for bed sheets, underclothes, and table linen. Verse 10, “The workers in cloth will be dejected.”
What about the leaders of the nation? Verse 11 says, “The officials of Zoan are nothing but fools; the wise counselors of Pharaoh give senseless advice.” Gee, does this sound like some of our government officials? What happened to these “wise men”? Verse 14, “The Lord has poured into them a spirit of dizziness, they make Egypt stagger in all that she does.” It sounds like He spiked their drinks.
Verse 16 we see the term, “In that day” which speaks of the end times. Here he gives four announcements. Egypt will shake with fear (verse 16); five cities will swear allegiance to the Lord (verse 18); Egyptians will build an altar and offer sacrifices to the Lord (verse 19-22); and Egypt, Assyria and Israel will be united in their economies, religion and blessings (verses 23-25). So sometime during the tribulation period, Egypt will turn to God. During the millennium there will not be hostility between these nations, but peace and commerce. And there will be a highway extending from Egypt, through Israel up to Assyria. Such a highway is not new, but hostilities between these nations have sometimes limited access to it. This highway was called the Via Maris or the Way of the Sea. Today in Israel it is known as the International Coaster Highway.
Ezekiel chapters 29-32 has much to say about the future of Egypt. Briefly, it says that because of the tribulation, Egypt will undergo a national conversion. But for the first forty years, the population will be dispersed and will be regathered for the remaining 960 years of the Millennium. Why is that, I don’t know.
In chapter 20 Isaiah continues with Egypt as well as Cush. The King of Assyria sent his general to capture the city of Ashdod, a Philistine city where the Ark of the Covenant was taken to and placed in the temple of Dagon many years earlier. This town was a trading hub between Assyria and Egypt. Capturing this town was important for an invasion of Egypt and Ethiopia, their main goal.
This is when Isaiah is told to perform another symbolic act. I’m sure this act got the attention of the public. In verse 2 God tells Isaiah to “Take off the sackcloth from your body and the sandals from your feet. And he did so, going around stripped and barefoot.” He walked around this way for three years. Now, I don’t know if it was continuous, come rain or shine, hot or cold, etc. but he did it for three years. Did he do it continuously? I would rather doubt it. Was he bare naked? I don’t think so. He was trying to get their attention, not get himself arrested. It was a conversation starter. When people asked what the meaning of this was, he would explain that Egypt and Ethiopia would be stripped naked by the Assyrians. What impact would this have on the people of Judah? It meant that any hope that King Hezekiah might have had of getting military assistance from these two nations were dashed. But why was this symbolic act used? Well, back in the day, when prisoners of war were marched into captivity, the victorious military liked to tear open the seat of the enemy’s pants, as a means of humiliating them.
In chapters 13-14 there are prophecies concerning Babylon in the near future. This chapter deals with Babylon in the far distant future, during the time of the Tribulation. And just to make things a bit more confusing, there are more details in chapters 43-48. Pieces of prophecy puzzles are to be found in several locations, oftentimes in more than one book. What might appear to be contradictory prophecies are really prophecies for two different time periods.
In one passage Jesus is hailed by the people, and in another they cried out “Crucify him.” Was he loved or was he hated? He was both.
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Answers to Common Bible Questions
Lent is a six week period of spiritual devotion starting on Ash Wednesday and ending at Easter. Those who observe Lent usually give up something for Lent. Some might give up coffee, or soda pop, or alcohol, or chocolate. May I suggest that you give up something that will really impress God and make this season of Lent one of the most memorable and meaningful seasons of your life? May I suggest that if you are giving up something, why not give up some of the acts of our sinful nature mentioned in Gal. 5:19? Why don’t we give up lying about others? Do you think you can give up the hate you feel towards others? How about envy, can we work on putting envy aside this year? How about giving up on the naïve idea that all pastors are mature Christian leaders whose word should always be accepted, rather than wolfs in sheep’s clothing (Matt 7:15). How about giving up the idea that everyone in church is a real Christian (Matt 7:21-23). How about giving up your desire to seek revenge on those who have hurt you (Matt 18:21-22)? If you are insecure and feel threatened when you see the success of others in ministry, how about giving up efforts to hinder others who have been called to minister (Rom 12:4-8)? Of course it is easier to give up something like chocolate, etc. and make yourself feel like you are doing something that is pleasing to God. If you are not willing to give up unchristian behavior, might I suggest something that will really please God this Lent? Give up all evidence of your profession of Christian faith, such as books, pictures and jewelry. Don’t talk about God, Jesus or the Church. I think God would appreciate it if you would stop giving HIM a bad name by the way you live. Let’s give up what hinders our witness and become a better ambassador for Christ (2 Cor 5:20) this Lenten season.
In Matthew 2:1-2 is says that the magi saw "His star in the east." What was this star that guided these men to Jesus? Some have suggested that it could have been a comet, an asteroid, or perhaps a meteor or an especially bright star. The problem with these suggestions is that these physical things either quickly move across the sky and then disappear or are too far away to provide directions with any precision. It would be hard to get directions from such objects. The "star" had to move constantly or intermittently at the same pace as the magi. Then it says that it hovered over the house where Mary and Joseph had moved to with Jesus. It hardly sounds like a comet or meteor or a star as we know them. Can you think of another time that people in the Bible were guided by some form of light? How about the time when Moses was leading the Israelites out of Egypt? He didn't have a global positioning system with him. He did have a pillar of fire that led him at night (Ex 13:21-22). We see this light in Solomon's Temple (2 Chron 7:1-3) and when the Jews were about to go into Babylonian captivity, we see it leaving the Temple (Ezek 9-11). In the New Testament we see it at the birth of Jesus (Luke 2:9) at His transfiguration (Matt 17:5) and His ascension (Acts 1:9). What exactly was this guiding light? The word "star" can also be translated as "radiance." It appears that it was this "radiance" that guided Moses and the magi. The Jews call this the "Shekinah", a physical manifestation of the glory of God in the form of a supernatural radiance. This, I believe, is what the Star of Bethlehem was.
Imagine that you are the pastor of a church. A young married couple is having some difficulties in their relationship and they seek counsel from you. On Monday the wife comes in to give her assessment of their marriage. What do you think she will say? She might say that she is a hardworking, caring and supportive wife and that it is her husband who is the neglectful, insensitive brute and the source of all problems in the marriage. You feel so sorry for this wife and when you see her husband in the hallway, you think to yourself, "What a jerk." On Friday the husband comes in and gives his assessment of the marriage. He tells you that he is hard working and very generous and that she is the major problem in the relationship. As the pastor, you are wondering if they both are talking about the same marriage. Each person tells you what makes them look best and their spouse the worst. Where is the truth? The truth is probably somewhere in between Proverbs 18:17 says, "The first to present his case seems right, til another comes forward and questions him." There are conflicts in all relationships, between spouses, parents and children, employees and employers. When you hear one side of a story, don’t assume that what you hear is the complete truth. And don’t pass on to someone else what you have heard. Probably, at least some of what you heard is untrue to gain your support in a conflict.