Isaiah - Lesson 11

Dr. John Oswalt

Isaiah

ot650-11

Do Not Trust in Egypt

Lesson Transcript

We continue our study of the. Alas, for those who will not wait, we've looked at chapters 28 and 29. We now look at Chapter 30. We've seen three woes thus far or three illnesses. The first was addressed to the blind drunken leaders of Ephraim and then transitioned into the leaders of Jerusalem. At the same time now, when Assyria has already destroyed the Northern Kingdom and is threatening Judah, then the alas for Ariel, the city of God, that is depending on its rituals to save it. And then for the. Those who hide their counsel from God. Now we're focusing yet more clearly in chapter 30. Alas, to the obstinate children, declares the Lord. To those who carry out plans that are not mine. The previous one, they tried to hide their plans. Now it specified the plans that they tried to hide are not God's forming an alliance. But not by my spirit. That's interesting, isn't it? Here in Isaiah, the idea that the Holy Spirit is at work, guiding people's thinking, guiding the direction of his holy people's direction and development, they formed an alliance, but not by my spirit, keeping Cinnabons and who go down to Egypt now it's becoming clean. What was this? Alliance with death is covenant with death. It was with Egypt who go down to Egypt without consulting me, Who looked for help. To Pharaoh's protection. To Egypt. Shade for refuge. There's a point there that is very significant. God uses us. God uses our ability. God uses our plans. But the question is, did we ask him? If you go back to Abraham and Hagar in that society. Abraham's relation with Hagar was not illegal. It was not immoral. It was what was apparently expected when the number one wife did not bear children.

What was wrong with it? They didn't ask God. God planned to give them a miracle child as a type of the miracle child that would be born thousands of years later for the salvation of the world. So the problem was they didn't ask God the same way here. They. It's not inconceivable that God might have in another circumstance, wanted them to make an alliance with Egypt. But the problem is they didn't ask. They just didn't wait. They saw. Sailed ahead with their own plans. And those plans were wrong. But Pharaoh's protection will be to your shame. Egypt's shade will bring you disgrace. Do you remember what I said earlier about shame and disgrace? They're the result in the Old Testament of failed trust. You trust Egypt. You will be ashamed. Egypt will fail you. Then we have a graphic illustration in verses six and seven. A picture of a caravan toiling through the Sinai Desert on its way to Egypt. They can't go down the coast road. The Assyrian army is already on the coast road, so they're going to have to go around through the desert to take all their money to Egypt for this alliance. And it's a graphic picture of that caravan struggling through the desert with snakes and ladders, all to an unprofitable nation to Egypt whose help is utterly useless. Therefore, I call her Rahab, do nothing. Rahab is another name for the Chaos Monster. So is Egypt a great, powerful chaos monster? No, it's a dead old dragon laying around, unable to help anybody or anything. So he says, verse eight. Go now. Write it on a tablet for them. Inscribe it on a scroll that for days to come. It may be an everlasting witness. These are rebellious people, deceitful children, children unwilling to listen to the Lord's instruction.

Do remember chapter one, verse three. I believe it is. I reared children, but they have rebelled against me. Here it is again. So they say to the seers, See no more visions and to the prophets. Give us no more visions of what's right. Tell us pleasant things, prophesy, illusions. Leave this path. Get off this way. Stop confronting us with the Holy one of Israel. Isn't that great? Oh, come on, you guys. You are so. Narrow. You are so unpleasant. You keep saying these things we don't want to hear. Saying nice things to us. Tell us things that maybe aren't true, but are pleasant. And for pity's sake, stop talking to us about the holy one of Israel. Look at the next verse. Therefore, this is what the Holy one of Israel says. You told me to shut up about the Holy one of Israel. While I have something to say to you from the Holy one of Israel. You have rejected this message. Trusted in oppression depended on deceit. It will be for you. A high wall. A high wall. That has been undercut. By the rain and the wall is tipping. When comes the moment when it passes the point of no return and falls. That's how I see you, my people. Versus the 15. And this next section is one of the great passages in the book. This is what the sovereign Lord, the Holy one of Israel, says in repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength. But you would have none of it. You wouldn't wait for me. You wouldn't wait for how I want to solve your problem. You said, no, we'll flee on horses. Therefore, you will flee. What was that caravan going through the desert with money.

What was that all about? It was about buying horses. About buying chariots. Therefore, you willfully, you said, will ride off on swift horses. Therefore, your pursuers will be swifter. A thousand will flee at the threat of one. At the threat of five, you will all flee away till you're left like a flagstaff on a mountaintop. Like a banner on a hill. Yet. The Lord waits to be gracious to you. Here's our word. The Navy here says Longs. That's not a mistranslation, but it doesn't carry all the flavor that it ought to in terms of. He's just going to have to wait. He wants to be gracious to you, but you will not turn to him. So he is just going to have to wait. Therefore, he will rise up to show you compassion for the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait. The same word. The same word. All who wait for him. Mm hmm. If you won't wait for the Lord, the Lord is going to have to wait for you. If you won't trust him, if you won't depend on him, then you're going to have to go through the results of that. But the Lord is waiting on the other side to be gracious to you. They wouldn't wait. So the world is going to have to wait. To do what he wants for them. Again, I'm tempted to spend a lot of time here that we don't have in the wonderful picture. Again, we're getting more and more about the Lord, about what he wants to do, what he wants to accomplish. And you have the wonderful line in verse 21 of chapter 30. Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you saying, This is the way.

Walk in it. That's God's preferred way of leadership. He wants to simply whisper in our ear that way. And we go. I'm not a horseman, but I have heard that the well-trained horse. All you have to do is lay the rain on that side of the horse's neck. And he goes. You don't have to pull in the bit. All you have to do is lay there in there. Oh, to be like that. Oh, to be like that. All he has to do is say that way. That way. And I go. So on through chapter 30, the picture of God in his work. Verse 27, See, the name of the Lord comes from afar with burning anger and dense clouds of smoke. His lips are full of wrath. Oh, my goodness. Don't trust Pharaoh. What can Pharaoh do for you? But God. God has all the power of the universe at his hand. Trust him. Trust him. Verse 29. You will sing as on the night you celebrate a holy festival. Your hearts will rejoice as when people playing pipes go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the rock of Israel. Yes, Joy gladness, because we've trusted you. And so verse 31, you have again, a very specific promise. The voice of the Lord will shatter Assyria with his rod. He will strike them down. Every stroke the Lord lays on them with his punishing club will be to the music of gimbals and Harps as he fights them in battle with the blows of his arm. Yes. You don't have to make expensive deals with Egypt. God has this thing already in train in his plans for how to deal with it. Then in 31. The focus becomes sharper still. Alas, for those who go down to Egypt for help, who rely on horses, who trust in the multitude of their chariots in the great strength of their horsemen, but do not wait for the holy one of Israel.

Or seek help from the Lord. Yet he too is wise and can bring disaster. He does not take back his words. He will rise up against that wicked nation, against those who help evildoers. But the Egyptians are mere mortals and not God. Their horses are flesh and not spirit. When the Lord stretches out His hand, those who help will stumble. And those who are helped will fall. And they will all perish together. So again, that picture of what is going to happen, notice in 31 eight again, the promise. A Syria will fall by no human sword. Hmm. God is going to destroy Assyria on the mountains of Judah. It's going to be like a party when he smashes them. But it won't be a by a human sword. Hmm. I can imagine Isaiah saying, What did I just say? A sword not of mortals will devour them. They'll flee before the sword and their young men will be put to forced labor. So these promises coming through, you don't have to worry about Assyria. The Lord is going to take care of us. Syria in his way, in his time. Wait for him. Waiting is hard. Chapter 32 does not begin with a whoa. And if you notice. Chapter 31 is pretty short. Is just nine verses. I think that 31 and 32 really go together. And what's happening now, again is this shift in focus. Who is this Yahweh? What are his plans? See, this is 32 one. A king will reign in righteousness. And rulers will rule with justice. You have a picture in verses one through eight of the coming kingdom, not the foolish, blind, drunken, mocking rulers that we've had, but another kind of king. No longer verse five Will the fool be called noble or the scoundrel? Be highly respected.

No, no. Verse eight The nobles make noble plans, and by noble deeds they stand. So here's a new kingdom, a different kind of kingship, a different kind of rule. What comes next is a bit shocking, though. Verse nine You women who are so complacent rise up and listen to me. You daughters who feel secure. Hear what I have to say. Wait a minute. We had this picture of the. Coming kingdom, the true king who will rule not with fools and scoundrels, but with nobles, people who are. Who are. Who are noble. What's happening? I think what's happening is what I've mentioned to you before. Oh, good, good. God has this wonderful kingdom planned. He has the promises. Everything's going to be fine. I don't need to address my own condition. I don't need to address what is present reality. And once again, Isaiah, I think, is bringing us with a jolt back from the blessed future promise to the present. You who are complacent now, who are secure in yourselves. I want to tell you. In little more than a year. Yoo hoo! And the translation is feel secure. The word is trust. You trust will tremble. Verse 11, you daughters who trust. What are you trusting in your trusting in? A good harvest You're trusting in. Fine. Close verse 11. Beat your breasts For the pleasant fields. For the fruitful vines. For the land of my people. You are not concerned about the desolate land. And we're not talking about the physical land. We're talking about the people. You aren't concerned about the sinfulness of your people. You aren't concerned about their failure to serve God to love him. You're not dealing with the issues. And this is reminiscent of chapter 22, where God.

Has harsh words for someone. I think it's Hezekiah who is looking to the defenses of Jerusalem but are not concerned about. The people. So I think this again. Yes. Yes. God has glorious plans for the coming kingdom. But don't thereby think that you don't today need to address the condition of your land and the condition of your people. It is desolate. It is abandoned. It is in ruins. Verse 15. Until the spirit is poured on us from on high and the desert becomes a fertile field. And the fertile field seems like a forest. The Lords justice will dwell in the desert. His righteousness live in the fertile field. The fruit of that righteousness will be peace. The effect will be quietness and confidence forever. My people will live in a peace, in peaceful dwelling places, in trustful homes, and I as secure homes. In undisturbed places of rest. Mm hmm. What a picture. The spirit of God will be poured out on this desolate land. The Spirit of God will be poured out on this abandoned palace. And what will be the result? The result will be. Justice. Remember what I've said about justice and its breadth? And righteousness. And shalom. Hmm. That's God's plan. That's God's plan for his people. And I see the New Testament here. The coming of the king is followed by the outpouring of the spirit. That's just what we see in the New Testament, isn't it? And the outpouring of the spirit results in the character of God being reproduced among his people. What a wonderful thought. So I think chapters 31 and 32 go together in essentially a single message. If you go down to Egypt for help, you're not going to get any help. That king is just a man.

Those horses are just flesh. But I have in view another kingdom and a kingdom that will result in. The transformation of my people and their character. That brings us then to the final low in chapter three. Woe to you, Destroyer, who have not been destroyed. Well, do you betrayer who you have not been betrayed. When you stop destroying, you will be destroyed. When you stop betraying, you'll be betrayed. As I said in the previous lecture. Possibly this is a reference to Egypt. We've had this focus on Egypt all the way through here, and maybe that's it. But I think not. I think in the light of what he said about as said about the fall of a Syria, I think he's talking about a Syria and and in effect saying all this stuff. You've been doing all the deals. You've been trying to make, all the money you've spent. It was unnecessary. I already had this situation in hand. I had already pronounced the doom of a Syria that you're so terrified of. It was unnecessary. The rest of the chapter is essentially given over to promises about Yahweh. The the whoa is basically restricted diverse one. Lord, be gracious to us. We wait for you. And again, the Navy has we long for you. It's okay. But wait. Has all of these overtones of trust. We're depending on you. We're hoping for you. We're longing for you. Yes, but it's more than that. Again, this is the problem of translators. If you say we wait for you, then many people are going to think, oh, we sit on our hands. But and this is why Hebrew teachers are needed. Be gracious to us. We wait for you. Be our strength every morning. Our salvation.

In the time of stress. Oh, my. Yes. At the uproar of your army. The people flee. When you rise up the nation scatter, your plunder on nation is harvested as by young locusts, like a swarm of locusts. People pounce on it. Yahweh is exalted, for he dwells on high. He will fill Zion with his justice and righteousness. He will be the sure foundation for our times and so forth. And we go through this chapter with these wonderful promises of. The kingship of Yahweh. As we come to the end of the chapter, verse 17, your eyes will see the King in his beauty and view a land that stretches afar. In your thoughts, you will ponder the former terror. Where is that Chief Officer? Where is the one who took the revenue? Where is the officer in charge of the towers? You'll see those arrogant people. No more people whose speeches obscure, whose language is strange and incomprehensible. Look on Zion, the city of our festivals. Remember Ariel? Yeah. Keep doing your festivals now. The festivals are not a way of manipulating God. Now the festivals are rejoicing in who God is and what He's done. There's 22. For Yahweh is our judge and remember. Think about the Book of Judges. It's not. Yahweh is the one who sits in judgment. It's always the deliverer, always the one who restores his order to our nation after we had succumbed to too many other things. The Lord is our judge. The Lord is our Torah giver, our instructor. The Lord is our King. It is He who will save us. I think that's an appropriate wind up to these woes. We began with these blind, drunken, scoffing leaders, and we end with Yahweh. Alas, for those who will not wait, those who will not wait for Yahweh, why would you not wait? He is our judge.

He is our law giver. He is our king. It is he who will save us. Yes, yes, Yes. So that's the third section of this subdivision. Lessons in trust. Don't trust the nations. Yahweh is the sovereign actor on the stage of history. Alas, for those who will not wait, we come now to the fourth section. It is chapters 34 and 35. Here is the wind up, if you will. The conclusion to these lessons on trust. Chapter 34. Come near you nations and listen. Pay attention, you peoples. Let the earth hear and all that is in it. The world and all that comes out of it. The Lord is angry with all nations. His wrath is on all their armies. He will totally destroy them. He will give them over to slaughter. Their slain will be thrown out. Their bodies will stink. The mountains will be soaked with their blood. All the stars in the sky will be dissolved. The heavens rolled up like a scroll. All the starry host will fall like withered leaves from the vine like shriveled figs from the fig tree. Do you think he's trying to make a point? Yes. Yes, he's making a point that really, as I say, sums up everything that's been said. Why would you trust the nations? Why would you trust humanity? The Lord has it all in his hand, and He is the judge of it all. Very broad, very general, very sweeping. Now we're suddenly going to focus down on the particular. Throughout the Old Testament. Edam is the symbol of the world's hatred for the people of God. It's very interesting. Item, of course, is. Seen as the descendants of Esau. Here's the conflict. Now, there's no indication that the Lord hated Esau.

In fact, he's treated rather well, especially in. Genesis Chapter 32 and 33. But his descendants are seen as the, if you will, counterpoint to Jacob Jacob's descendants. So here. There was no oracle against the nation, against Edam in the Oracles, against the Nations. But here comes one. My sword has drunk its fill in the heavens. See? It descends in judgment on Edam. The people I have totally destroyed. And you remember that This is the thing that is said in Malachi. You want to know how I love you? You have returned from exile. Edam is never going to return. And they didn't. Items. Land was taken over by the NAB battalion's Arab tribes out of the desert. The sword of the Lord is bathed in blood, it is covered with fat. And so He goes on to talk about Edam as symbolic of the world. Are you going to trust the world? The world is your enemy. The world is under judgment. It will fall. So, he says. Verse ten, the middle. From generation to generation, it will lie desolate. No one will ever pass through it again. The desert Owl and the screech owl will possess it. The great owl and the raven will nest there. Unclean birds. God will stretch out over item the measuring line of chaos, the plumb line of desolation. Her nobles will have nothing there to be called a kingdom. All her princes will vanish away. So forth. Again, very, very graphic illustration of the point God is making. The world is under judgment. Here's Edam as symbolic of the hostility of the world to God's ways. So it's all going to end up as a desert. None of these will be missing. Choose the world. Trust the world. This is what you're going to get a desert.

A desert. But that's not what God wants. That's not what God intends. Verse one of chapter 35. The desert and the parched land will be glad. The wilderness will rejoice and blossom. As I said earlier, it's not a question of the desert or the garden. It's a question of the desert being turned into a garden. Because the truth is, all of us have chosen the desert. All of us have chosen to trust humanity. Our own. Most of all, all of us have said, No, I will not give my life to you, God. My life is mine to be used for my sake and my purposes. I will trust me, not you. And God says, Then you've chosen the desert. You've chosen the thorns and the nettles and the brambles. You've chosen the jackals and the owls. But when you've done that. If you will, dare to turn around, if you will dare to admit you have made a terrible mistake. The desert and the parched land will be glad. The wilderness will rejoice and blossom. Oh. Oh, good news. Good news. He doesn't condemn us to stay there. Well, you made a bad choice. And that's that. And I hope you enjoy it. No, no. Come. Come. Turn around. Stop going that way. Go this way. Like the crocus. It will burst into bloom. It will rejoice greatly and shout for joy. The glory of Lebanon will be given to it. The splendor of Carmel and Sharon. They will see the glory of the Lord, the splendor of our God. Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way, say to those with fearful hearts. Be strong. Don't fear your God will come. He'll come with vengeance and divine retribution on those enemies that eat you up.

Deservedly. He'll come to save you. Then the eyes of the blind will be opened the ears of the deaf and stopped. Then will the lamb leap like a deer? The mute tongues sing for joy. Water will gush forth in the wilderness. And streams in the desert, the burning sand of your life will become a pool, the thirsty ground bubbling springs in the heart where jackals lay. That's a direct quote from chapter 34, verse 13. You made your life a haunt for jackals in the hunt, where jackals once lay grass and reeds and papyrus will grow. Here he comes and the highway will be there. We've seen highways all the way through a highway. We'll be there. It'll be called the way of holiness. It'll be for those who walk on that way. Sharing his character, that justice, that righteousness, that peace that the spirit gives. The unclean will journey on it. Wicked fools will not go about on it. No lion will be there, nor any ravenous beast. They won't be found there because only the redeemed will walk there. And those the Lord has rescued will return. They will enter Zion with singing. Everlasting joy will crown their heads gladness and joy will overtake them. I like that. Remember some 23. Surely goodness and mercy will pursue me. They will chase me down. Gladness and joy will overtake them. And sorrow and sighing will fly away. Why would you trust the nations? Why would you trust humanity? Why would you trust yourself? When this is his plan. This is his goal. When he can take the desert you've made of your life and turn it into a garden. What a glorious God. What a glorious promise. What a glorious hope. Chapter 32, verse 15 answer the question I think that I've been having through quite a few of your talks, and that is the spirit.

And almost all translations capitalize Spirit or Spirit of the Lord of the Nasty is the only one that seems to consistently leave it. Lowercase Yeah. So the spirit. Spirit of the Lord. What would I say? I have understood by it. What should we understand by. Well, it's it's what I think I said I said earlier, I don't think we have to demand that the prophet has a full understanding of what he's saying. On the other hand, and this is the old census playing year thing. On the other hand, if we do believe in inspiration, then we're entirely justified in believing there is a continuity between what is said there and its ultimate development in the end. Now. I think Isaiah's use of the Spirit is he's talking about. Who God is in his essence, and how he wants to communicate that essence to us. He does through so through his spirit. Later on, he's going to say it was the spirit that led the people out of Egypt. I think that's very interesting. So he's envisioning a day when God is going to communicate his life to his people in such a way that they're able to keep Torah. Now, does he understand Pentecost? Does he understand the direct link between the sacrifice of Jesus and the giving of the Spirit? I don't know. I don't know. Again, I think he might have here. I really I really think there is a linkage in his thinking between the coming of the king and the giving of the spirit. So you're comfortable seeing. A continuity where spirit in the Old Testament. May not necessarily been understood as a third member of the community, but it certainly is a continuity with the Holy Spirit. Yes, yes, yes.

The way in which God expresses his life to his people. I think I think that's you know, you go all the way back all the way back to Joseph. And the pharaoh saying. Is there anybody in my kingdom in whom the spirit of the Holy God is like this fellow? He's saying there's a divine energy here that makes this guy act differently. And it is very interesting to me that said to almost exactly the same words Nebuchadnezzar says of Daniel when. And then. Then when you look. Okay. What is Bezalel? First guy who's said to be filled with the spirit. There's a different energy at work in him. There's a different understanding at work in him. There's a different level of ability in him. Where does that come from? It comes from the Divine spirit. So yeah, I'm very comfortable in saying there's a continuity and I'm troubled by those who say, Well, what happens at Pentecost is of a different genre than what happened to people in the Old Testament. I don't think so. You know, the Old Testament really does lay the foundation for people to understand. Exactly. And probably at Pentecost ago, or at least when they were done with Pentecost, you go, Oh, that's what was going on in Isaiah. And that's exactly what Peter said. Yeah. We're not drunk. This is the promise of God. What promise? Not just Joel. Certainly, Joel. But. But it's more than that. Yeah. Yeah. And that that is always fascinating to me. Here's this guy who is an unlettered fisherman. And he says, Oh, oh, yeah, yeah. That's what they were talking about. This is what they were talking about. That. That gives me chills.