Isaiah 19-20

Last study: Judgment/destruction Syria and Ethiopia. With so many ungodly nations why? Gen 12:3. Both involved in corrupting Israel; Syria-Israel and Ethiopia encouraging Judah not trust God. Isa faithfully proclaiming consistent message (even to point of utter shame) only security, found in Lord. Syria? Gone! Ethiopia? Who will survive world war and international calamitY? Judah, because Hezek believed Isa.

19:1 One point Egypt one of > powers ancient world. Tucked against Israel, continual trouble. Sometimes their enemy, sometimes their false security. Egypt always a temptation not trust Lord. Everytime fear or famine…So, can replace “Egypt” with worldly security…Gen 26:2 Do not go down to Egypt (to the world); live in the land of which I shall tell you. Dwell in this land, and I will be with you and bless you. Nm 14:3..wilderness, Isa 31:1 Woe to those who go down to Egypt (the world) for help, And rely on horses, Who trust in chariots because they are many, and in horsemen because they are very strong, But who do not look to the Holy One of Israel, Nor seek the LORD!, Jer 42:14-16 But if you say, 'We will not dwell in this land,' disobeying the voice of the LORD your God, saying, 'No, but we will go to the land of Egypt where we shall see no war, nor hear the sound of the trumpet, nor be hungry for bread, and there we will dwell' Then hear now the word of the LORD, O remnant of Judah! Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: 'If you wholly set your faces to enter Egypt, and go to dwell there, then it shall be that the sword which you feared shall overtake you there in the land of Egypt; the famine of which you were afraid shall follow close after you there in Egypt; and there you shall die. 'So shall it be with all the men who set their faces to go to Egypt to dwell there… God is absolutely clear. Proven “idols” worthless Ex 12:12. Each plague specific. Nile gods Khnum and Hapi. Heqt the frog goddess of fertility. Hathor the cow goddess, Imhotep the medicinal god, Nut the goddess of sky, Seth the crop protector, Ra the sun god and Osiris the life giving god.

19:3 Here wisdom of Egypt. Consult the dead! "Psychics", "channel" spirits. Bible absolutely forbids any relationship w/. Dt 18:10-12 They going to create own suffering through ungodly counsel and leadership. Much of our suffering reflects our counselors are. Ps 1, Pr 21:30 There is no wisdom or understanding or counsel against the LORD.…Remember Rehaboam? 2 Chr 10:8 He rejected the advice which the elders had given him, and consulted the young men who had grown up with him. During national crisis, many have plans and strategies, but how many based upon counsel of Lord? Pr 19:20-21 Listen to counsel and receive instruction, that you may be wise in your latter days. There are many plans (cunning intentions) in a man's heart, nevertheless the LORD'S counsel-that will stand. How many our own plans are “cunning intentions” and how many are based upon Lord’s counsel?

19:11 Going give us extreme example worldly wisdom. Nile river shall dry up from counsel of fools. Around 1K AD Egyptian ruler wanted stop flooding, so hired Iranian “engineer” build Aswan dam. When realized impossible, feared “Caliph’s anger”, pretended insanity until Caliph died. Next fool? British then Russian. Began 1898, lots of very intelligent men designed and then 5 years later redesigned because too much water, then 20 yrs later redesigned, then 20 years after that decided two dams…Wisdom?! Result? Read Isa 19…Around 70’s US Congress report cited three ecological problems world. Smog of LA, DDT and Aswan Dam. "The Aswan Dam has slowed down the Nile. Six hundred miles downriver the sandbars have stopped building up on the delta. The Mediterranean is flooding the delta and one million fertile acres have disappeared under saltwater. Below the dam, snails carry the blood flukes of schistosomiasis (2^nd only to Malaria in >impact world health). And thousands of men and women and children are going to die of this painful, cruel disease. The Nile no longer carries its nutrient-rich sediments out to sea, and the fish are disappearing and the fishing families are moving to the slums of Cairo and Alexandria. That source of food is disappearing.” Behind the dam is Lake Nassar (largest man-made lake in world) turning salty from erosion and fertilizers and silt deposit. They planned on routing canals for irrigation to more land, but discovered that through saltwater intrusion have lost >2X the acreage gained. ISAIAH 19:5-7 Fishing industry decimated, to point doesn’t hardly exist. The tremendous schools of fish used to supply Egypt with > source protein. The salinization actually increased salt content Mediterranean and Atlantic. Pulse of salt be traced out hundreds of miles in Atlantic. Good idea, huh?

19:19 In time of Maccabees, high priest Onias IV fled to Egypt, and built a temple similar to Jerusalem. Some commentators relate to this since built in province of Heliopolis (one translation 19:18).

19:21 Widespread knowledge of Lord did come to Egypt. In days Jesus, >1 Mill Jews in Egypt. JC came out of Egypt to fulfill prophecy. In early church strong presence > 600 yrs in Egypt until Ottoman invasion of Muslims. 4^th Century Athanasius believed that this Scripture been fulfilled. “The thing is happening before our very eyes, here in Egypt; and thereby another prophecy is fulfilled, for at no other time have the Egyptians ceased from their false worship save when the Lord of all, riding as on a cloud, came down here in the body and brought the error of idols to nothing and won over everybody to Himself and through Himself to the Father.” The Islamic invasion 640 AD changed everything, everyone switched Arabic except the “copts” (Egyptian Christians). Coptic Church…Today illegal evangelize.

19:22 Smitten by antichrist as takes forces to conquer Africa (Dn 11:42-45) But invasion not complete, as soon as taken, head North to Megiddo.

19:23 Isa 11:16 talks about drying up Euphrates to make highway for His people out of Assyria. Here, says Egyptian and Assyrian both serve Lord in Israel. The Islamic countries will fulfill Zech 14:16 And it shall come to pass that everyone who is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles.

20:4 Prophets not “easy” life. God often used their obedience to give living parables. Hosea—marry prostitute. Eze—lay on side for year and cook with dung. Isa had look like fool and be utterly ashamed. Not a “freak”; well respected advisor to king. However, some vying for Judah to ally w/ Ethiopia/Egypt. Isa willing be humiliated for sake His beloved God and countrymen. Are we? 1 Cor 4:10-14 Paul willingly chose not to find security in “world” that people might know message real. Keep in mind, Somebody else willing suffer great humiliation for you. Heb 12:2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame

20:5 If willing to suffer shame of Christ now or as Hb 13:13 says, go(ing) forth to Him, outside the camp, bearing His reproach. Living our lives in way clearly reflects that world offers no security we shall not be ashamed at coming. But, if our glory and security come from world then we will be ashamed at His coming. Rv 16:15 after 15 chp w/out red letters and 6 after w/out…Lk 9:24-26 For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost? For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, of him the Son of Man will be ashamed when He comes in His own glory, and in His Father's, and of the holy angels.

20:6 This shall be the response as world falls apart. If powerful Egypt overcome by Assyrians, what chance Judah? Decades later, Hez clings to God and not worldly allies and his little town successfully defends conquerors of mighty Egypt.