We Must Never Put Our Trust In Egypt - In Captivity and Oppression!

Isaiah 30 - Trust In the LORD, Not In Egypt

A. A rebuke to those in Judah who looked to Egypt for deliverance.

1. (1-2) GOD exposes the sin of those who put their trust in Egypt.

“Woe to the rebellious children,” says the LORD, “Who take counsel, but not of Me, and who devise plans, but not of My Spirit, that they may add sin to sin; who walk to go down to Egypt, and have not asked My advice, to strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh, and to trust in the shadow of Egypt!”

a. Who walk and go down to Egypt . . . To strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh: This prophecy was given at a time when the Assyrian army was attacking Israel and Judah. The northern kingdom of Israel would be conquered by Assyria, and the people of Israel would be taken into exile. The Assyrians would then come against the southern kingdom of Judah, and because of this threat the leaders of Judah looked to Egypt for protection against the Assyrian invasion.

b. In looking to Egypt, (looking to Captivity and Oppression) Judah forsook the LORD: Who take counsel, but not of Me, and who devise plans, but not of My Spirit. In one sense, it was wise and good for Judah to understand that they needed help and were willing to look outside of themselves for help. In the larger sense, it was foolish and evil of Judah to look to others - especially Egypt - for help, instead of looking to the LORD.

1. You take counsel - but is it of the LORD? You devise plans - but are they of GOD’s Spirit? It is one sin to reject the LORD, and another sin all together to trust in something else. (trusting in captivity and oppression) Therefore, to do what Judah did in this situation is to add sin to sin.

2. (3-5) The folly of trusting in Egypt.

Therefore the strength of Pharaoh shall be your shame, and trust in the shadow of Egypt shall be your humiliation. For his princes were at Zoan, and his ambassadors came to Hanes. They were all ashamed of a people who could not benefit them, or be help or benefit, but a shame and also a reproach.

a. Therefore the strength of Pharaoh shall be your shame, and trust in the shadow of Egypt shall be your humiliation: From the perspective of heaven, the strength of Pharaoh was nothing. As the LORD saw it, Egypt was no substance, just a shadow.

b. They were all ashamed of a people who could not benefit them: The ambassadors of Egypt came to Judah, and saw that Judah had nothing to “give” them. It was foolish for the leaders of Judah to trust in a nation that looked at them this way!

(12-14) The judgment to come upon Judah for their trust in Egypt

(Egypt = Captivity = Oppression) and for their rejection of His message.

Therefore thus says the Holy One of Israel: “Because you despise this word, and trust in oppression and perversity, and rely on them, therefore this iniquity shall be to you like a breach ready to fall, a bulge in a high wall, whose breaking comes suddenly, in an instant. And He shall break it like the breaking of the potter’s vessel, which is broken in pieces; He shall not spare. So there shall not be found among its fragments a shard to take fire from the hearth, or to take water from the cistern.”

a. Because you despise this word . . . Therefore this iniquity shall be to you like a breach ready to fall: GOD promises that because Judah trusted in Egypt instead of Him, everything will be broken and collapsed. Judah will be like a collapsed wall, whose breaking comes suddenly, in an instant. Judah will be like a shattered clay pot, which is broken in pieces.

4. (15-17) Judah brought low because of their self-reliance, and trusting in oppression and captivity [when they should have put their trust in GOD], and rejection of GOD’s message.

For thus says the LORD GOD, the Holy One of Israel: “In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and confidence shall be your strength.” But you would not, and you said, “No, for we will flee on horses”; therefore you shall flee! And, “We will ride on swift horses”; therefore those who pursue you shall be swift! One thousand shall flee at the threat of one, at the threat of five you shall flee, till you are left as a pole on top of a mountain and as a banner on a hill.

a. In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and confidence shall be your strength: GOD offered to Judah the promise of protection from Assyria. They didn’t need to look to Egypt to help at all. They could have trusted GOD for His promise.

1. Trusting GOD’s promise means Returning. If there is conspicuous disobedience in our lives, we must return to the LORD’s ways. Outright disobedience is never consistent with real trust in GOD’s promise. Returning also has the idea of drawing close to the LORD

2. Trusting GOD’s promise means rest. When we trust GOD, we don’t have to strive for ourselves. We don’t have to run all about trying to protect or guard ourselves. We have the best Protector, the best Guard in GOD. We can rest in Him, and when we do, it shows we are really trusting in GOD’s promise.

3. Trusting GOD’s promise means quietness. You don’t need to argue for your side when GOD is on your side. Be quiet before Him and before others. It shows that you really trust Him.

4. Trusting GOD’s promise means confidence. You aren’t given to despair or fear, because you trust GOD’s promise. You know He can and will come through, and you have a profound confidence in the GOD who loves you.

5. All of these things together mean a real trust in GOD’s promise, and it means that we shall be saved, and it means that we will find strength. There is no person walking this earth more powerful than a child of GOD boldly and properly trusting the promise of the living GOD!