The Safety of Pharoah Will Be Your Shame

The Word of the LORD continued to speak warnings to Jerusalem through Isaiah. With Assyria overwhelming the nations around Judah, dominating and exiling Israel, crushing city after city, King Hezekiah even made an agreement with them for a short time. But he would rebel against Sennacherib after an attempted alliance with Egypt. The historical narrative of 2 King and this prophecy of Isaiah illustrate the constant refusal of the children of Israel to solely trust the LORD for deliverance. They were then and are even now seeking to make alliances for their own protection, covenants with death instead of with God Himself.

Ambassadors from Judah had gone out to Egypt to seek a different balance of power. God spoke Woe against them. They were attempting to execute a plan that God did not approve of. They went without consulting God to take refuge in the safety of Pharaoh. A political alliance with Egypt would make sense, as the enemy of their enemy Assyria seemed to be their only hope for survival. Seemed to be, but not truly. So God declared that Pharaoh was not a safe refuge, that he would be their humiliation and would never be able to help Judah. The only thing gained from that failed envoy would be shame and reproach. And Egypt would fall because of it.

Isaiah saw the ambassadors taking their gifts to Egypt through the wilderness of the Negev. The donkeys and camels carrying riches would go toe Egypt and find no help. Because of the actions of Hezekiah, God had personally marked Egypt for destruction. God told Isaiah to write it down on a tablet and a scroll. Egypt would surely fall as a witness forever. Why? Because Judah should have relied on God alone and not attempted such a foolish alliance. So God would remove the ones Israel attempted to trust in.

Let that stand as a warning to those who get involved in Israel even today. Nations who attempt to be the protector of Israel mark themselves for destruction, as only God alone is their shield and helper. He removes everyone else who even tries. And Egypt would surely fall. Judah would learn that their only hope was YHWH, the God who delivered them from Egypt to begin with. 

God knew who He chose when He chose Israel. Rebellious people, false sons, sons who refuse to listen to the instruction of the LORD. He knew they would not listen to the prophets He would send. They would silence them and ask for pleasant words to be spoken instead. ‘You must not prophesy to us what is right, speak to us pleasant words. Prophesy illusions. Get out of the way, turn aside from the path, let us hear no more about the Holy One of Israel.’ This would be there mindset up to the point where they would literally kill the prophets God would send them. 

So because Israel and Judah had rejected the Word of the LORD,  and had tried to place their trust in oppression and guile instead, they would fail. Their collapse would be instant, like a wall collapsing under its own weight. For thus says the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel, ‘In repentance and rest you will be saved. In quietness and trust is your strength.’ If Israel would quit being rebellious and trust in their God alone, they would be delivered. 

But they were unwilling. They would rather flee on horses away from their enemies. And God said they would indeed flee. One enemy would put one thousand of them to flight. Their enemies would be swift to pursue them and crush them until a small remnant remained, like a flag on a hilltop waving in the wind reminding everyone of what happened there. God wants to be gracious to them, but they refuse His help.