ISAIAH 17-202007 Teaching by Jerry B Simmons

Teaching Transcript: Isaiah 17-20

You are listening to FerventWord, an online Bible study ministry with teachings and tools to help you grow deeper in your relationship with God. The following message was taught by Jerry Simmons in 2007. Give thanks to the Lord and hear about all the things that he's been doing. But now as we continue on, back in the book of Isaiah, I want to just take a few moments to recap and give us a sense of where we are in the book of Isaiah and what is going on.

We are in the second portion, really, of the book of Isaiah. Chapters 13 through 23 all deal with prophecies of judgment upon the nations surrounding the nation of Judah. We've looked a little bit at Babylon and

Moab and Philistia. We'll continue on today looking at Egypt and Ethiopia, Syria, Israel, and then in the coming weeks we'll look at Edom and Tyre, the different nations surrounding Israel, surrounding Judah that were in rebellion to God, and God is pronouncing and promising that justice will be done, that there will be judgment that will be brought upon all of these nations.

Now, again, sometimes when we're looking through all of these chapters of judgment, we can lose perspective. And so that's why it's good on Sunday mornings that we are going through a series on grace right now. And we have the balance, the God of grace. And yet he is a just and holy God. And he will bring justice to the nations and to every situation.

We need to understand as we look at these things that if we do not understand God's judgment, then we do not understand the extent of man's rebellion. We tend to kind of minimize our actions and man's responsibility and man's rebellion. And so we forget that God's judgment is just.

But these nations that God is speaking to in these chapters we'll be studying tonight, they are in rebellion to God. And so God is going to bring judgment upon them for that rebellion. And the instrument that he will use to bring that rebellion is another nation by the name of Assyria. If you could show the map on the screen there, Richard, for the... Rosalind was supposed to do it, but...

She didn't teach Richard how to do it. All right, there you go. Okay, here's the Assyrian Empire. Now, this dark area here is the Assyrian Empire kind of early in the nation's history. And so they had conquered some territory, but not very much. But the light areas, all right here and right here and then all down here, all

As we look at the book of Isaiah, the book of Isaiah, the book of Isaiah,

we find ourselves looking forward to this expansion time. In fact, the nations that God is going to deal with this evening are the nations of Syria as well as Israel. Syria is in this area here and then Israel is there just above this brown section here. That would be Israel. That's

Assyria coming in and Assyria is going to wipe them out just as God promises here in the chapters we'll study tonight. We'll also be looking at Egypt and the area of Ethiopia and that's all this area here. That's also areas that were overcome and conquered by the nation of Assyria. And so this, what we see on the screen is the fulfillment of what God is saying and promising in the book of Isaiah chapter 17, 18, 19, and 20. And so we're going to look at

we're going to be seeing God's judgment pronounced upon these nations. Now, you'll notice this little pocket here of unconquered territory. That is the nation of Judah.

It's the southern part of the nation of Israel after Israel split into two nations, two kingdoms. And the kingdom of Judah is where Jerusalem was. It's where King Hezekiah was, and we'll look at him later on in the book of Isaiah. And so they had these kings, and God had promised the nation of Judah that Assyria would not conquer them.

Now, we can see on the map that that was fulfilled. Everywhere around Judah was conquered. Every nation around, including the northern part of Israel, was conquered. But the part that God said would be preserved was indeed preserved. God's word was proven true. But apart from Judah, everywhere else around them was completely wiped out. God used the nation of Assyria to deal with

with those nations and their rebellion against God. Maybe some of you could relate to how these nations were feeling in the chapters we'll look at this evening. If you've ever played Risk, you guys ever played the game Risk? Never?

Now, you know in risk that you're trying to conquer these territories and continents, and you know you're in trouble when the person, you know, neighboring you, the person occupying the countries and nations around you, begin to build up right there on the borders. And, you know, you begin to see the mounds of characters, the mounds of armies that they build up and they amass these armies. And you know, hey, they're going to try to come down and wipe me out.

And so what you begin to do then is you begin to build up your defense. You begin to put your resources there to try to protect yourself from this onslaught that is coming.

Well, that is what's taking place here. Assyria is gearing up. They're moving all their armies to the front lines, really. They started from the north and so they're coming down towards the south and they're moving all their military equipment there. They're moving, you know, they didn't have cannons, but they're moving all their spears and all their arrows and swords and they're moving all those things and their armies are amassing. And the people down south, here in Syria and Israel, Ethiopia and Egypt, they recognize, hey,

Syria is getting ready for something. They're coming down. We need to prepare ourselves because we're going to get wiped out by this nation that is conquering everything around them. And so they begin to be anxious, trying to prepare for this invasion. They knew the attack was coming. And so they're trying to make arrangements and do what they can to prepare. This evening, as we look at these chapters,

I believe the central theme that God wants to speak to us about is to trust in the Lord.

Not to trust in our own preparation as we see things mounting in our own lives, as we see things stacking up against us and problems and things facing us. It's not up to us to try to solve those problems and prepare those things. But really, we need to put our trust in the Lord and let Him do the work that He wants to do. So let's start here in chapter 17 and look at verses 1 through 3.

Verse 1 of Isaiah chapter 17 says, The burden against Damascus...

Behold, Damascus will cease from being a city, and it will be a ruinous heap. The cities of Or are forsaken. They will be for flocks which lie down, and no one will make them afraid. The fortress also will cease from Ephraim, the kingdom from Damascus, and the remnant of Syria. They will be as the glory of the children of Israel, says the Lord of hosts."

Here in verses 1 through 3, oh, you guys can take the map off the screen now. Thanks, Richard. In verses 1 through 3, we find, first of all, God is directing his attention towards Syria and Israel, the two kingdoms north of the nation of Judah. He refers to the city of Damascus at first. He says the burden against Damascus is,

Damascus was the capital city of the nation of Syria. And so Damascus, because they're north of Israel, as Assyria is coming down from the north towards the south, Syria is first on the list. They're going to be first among those that are conquered. And so God is telling them, you are going to be destroyed.

He also is there dealing with the nation of Israel, though, the northern kingdom that had split from the southern part of the nation of Israel, which became known as Judah. And so he's dealing with them together. Well, these two nations, Israel and Judah,

Israel and Syria have banded together in the past and for some time to try to conquer Judah. And they have been unsuccessful. God has kept that from happening. But as they have banded together, now God groups them together saying, now my judgment is going to come upon the both of you.

Damascus, he says, will cease to be a city. Their cities will be forsaken. They're going to be abandoned ghost towns. The fortress of Ephraim, Ephraim being the capital of Israel, the northern kingdom. And so the fortress of Ephraim will cease. There will be no stronghold there any longer.

Just as last week we looked at Moab and that was going to be destroyed, Syria and Israel are going to be wiped out as well. The Assyrian army is going to be God's agent who comes in and just completely takes them off the map. They're completely wiped out. There's no longer a nation. They're not just weak. They're not just, you know, there, but there's only a few of them. They're really going to be carried off, taken away and wiped out.

Going on, verses 4-6, it says, "...in that day it shall come to pass that the glory of Jacob will wane, and the fatness of his flesh will grow lean."

It shall be as when the harvester gathers the grain and reaps the heads with his arm. It shall be as he who gathers heads of grain in the valley of Repha. Yet gleaning grapes will be left in it like the shaking of an olive tree, two or three olives at the top of the uttermost bow, four or five in its most fruitful branches, says the Lord God of Israel. So God compares the judgment upon Syria and Israel to the gathering of crop.

Just as there might be one here or two there, a couple there left on the trees, there would be a couple people left. There would be a couple pockets, but those are the pockets that Assyria will carry off and displace. That was their method of destruction of a nation. They would take the people from their home,

put them into another region, another area, so that they wouldn't be identified as a people anymore, that they would not be able to rebel against their rule. And so this is how the nation would be. They're going to be wiped out. There's going to be a few pockets left, and they're going to be displaced and moved to another area in the empire of Assyria. Going on, verses 7 and 8.

He says, This is an important point here in what God is saying. In that day, when this happens, they're not going to look to their false gods.

Israel, the northern kingdom, from the very beginning when it split away, was involved in idolatry. Because Jerusalem was part of the southern kingdom and they didn't want to have anything to do with them, they automatically set up their own gods and began to worship these idols and false gods instead of the true and living God. Well, the surrounding nations were doing that as well. And it's part of the reason that God is bringing judgment upon these nations.

But when judgment comes, and we know that from our own lives, and perhaps you've experienced this, you know, you've known the truth, but you don't want to walk with God. But as soon as trouble hits, as soon as something bad happens, you know where to run. You run to the Lord. And that's what happens here to the nation of Israel and Syria. They know the truth, but they are just not walking in it. They're not receiving what God has said. But when trouble hits, in that day, they will look...

Now the phrase, in that day, is used several times in the portions we will study this evening. It's an interesting phrase and it often alludes to the dual fulfillment that we have often talked about. Meaning that there was going to be fulfillment of these things,

just as God said that Assyria would come down and wipe out these nations, but also that there will be a future fulfillment of these things as we look forward towards the end times with the tribulational period and the millennial kingdom. And so we'll see that a couple more times this evening in our study. When the judgment of Assyria comes, though, they will turn to God.

And again, that's how we are. We insist on our own way. We leave God out of the picture until trouble comes, until there's destruction. Then we look to our Maker. But you know, it does not have to be that way. You don't have to be like Israel and Syria. You don't have to learn the hard way. Why wait till destruction hits to turn to God? I would challenge you to humble yourself now. Surrender to the Lord. His ways truly are the best.

that you'll ever find. In that day, you won't look to a false god. In that day, when trouble hits, you'll look to the maker. Better to look now, to serve him now, and allow him to do the work he wants to do now, than wait till then and experience the destruction that will come for your rebellion. God says in that day, Israel, Syria, they'll have respect for the Holy One of Israel. They'll reverence God. They'll fear God.

Again, better to do that now than later. Verse 9 says, In that day his strong cities will be as a forsaken bow, and an uppermost branch which they left because of the children of Israel, and there will be desolation. Verse 10, Because you have forgotten the God of your salvation, and have not been mindful of the rock of your stronghold,

Therefore, you will plant pleasant plants and set out foreign seedlings. And that day or in the day you will make your plant to grow. And in the morning you will make your seed to flourish. But the harvest will be a heap of ruins and the day of grief and desperate sorrow. Here's another indication of why this judgment is coming upon these nations. First of all, in verse 9, God says there's going to be great desolation. The strongest cities, they're going to be left empty forever.

Because of this judgment. Why? He tells us in verse 10, because you have forgotten the God of your salvation. Here's God's complaint against this nation. You have forgotten me. I saved you. I delivered you. I redeemed you. For you and I today, God would be able to say the same thing. I died on the cross for you. I paid the price for you.

But you have forgotten the God of your salvation. You've not been mindful of the rock of your stronghold. And because they forgot God, what was the result going to be? He says, you're going to plant, you're going to sow, you're going to work hard, you're going to expect a bountiful harvest, but it will not happen. The harvest will be a heap of ruins and the day of grief and desperate sorrow.

You're going to work hard, he says. You're going to plant all these things and think that you're going to reap all these things. But in the end, it's just going to be a heap of ruins. It's just going to be worthless because you have forgotten the God of your salvation. So important for us to fear the Lord, to trust in the Lord, not to forget the God of our salvation, but to live in relationship with him.

Know that still today, if you do not honor him as God, there will be destruction and devastation in your life. You can try to disregard the Lord, but it will not be successful. And it may look successful. You may have those pleasant plants. But when harvest comes, you'll find that it's just a heap of ruins.

Hey, you can try anyways to have a good life without the Lord. You can work hard. You can plan. You can save. You can have your 401k. You can have all things figured out. And the harvest will still be a heap of ruins. God is God. He will not be mocked. You cannot rebel against Him and succeed. You cannot forget about Him and prosper. You will reap what you sow. Do not forget about God.

Instead, let's walk in relationship with him. Finishing off the chapter, verses 12 through 14, he says, "...woe to the multitude of many people who make a noise like the roar of the seas, and to the rushing of nations that make a rushing like the rushing of mighty waters. The nations will rush like the rushing of many waters, but God will rebuke them and they will flee far away."

And be chased like the chaff of the mountains before the wind, like a rolling thing before the whirlwind. Then behold that eventide trouble. And before the morning he is no more. This is the portion of those who plunder us and the lot of those who rob us. Here in verses 12 through 14, it seems that God is changing direction. Instead of now talking about Syria and Israel, he's referring to the nation of Judah.

Talking about those who will come against the nation of Judah. The Assyrian army coming against them. If you remember the story, there's the guy named Sennacherib and he comes against Judah and he has all these blasphemous things.

All these other nations, their God couldn't save them. What makes you think your God can save you? My God's bigger than your God. And, you know, that should be a bumper sticker, right? My God beat your God up or something. That's basically what Sennacherib was saying, challenging God. But God defeats him. And you can read about that if you want in Isaiah chapter 37.

As God delivers the death blow, 186,000 of the Assyrian army is wiped out in a single night by the hand of the Lord. And so they are blown away as chaff, like Isaiah says here in chapter 17, verse 13. They go away wounded and that nation actually is conquered soon after that by the nation of Babylon. This also could possibly be referring to something yet future.

And again, it might be one of those dual fulfillments that it's already taken place and been fulfilled as the Assyrian Empire came against Israel, but God whipped them and they went home. Or it could also be Ezekiel chapter 38. When the nations led by Gog come against the nation of Israel, something yet future that has not happened yet, but will take place, there will be a...

of nations that come against Israel and God will fight for them. He will rebuke them. The nations will rush like the rushing of many waters, but God will rebuke them and they will flee far away. He's going to wipe them out. God's faithful to His people. He's going to protect them and take care of them. Again, more reason for us to trust in the Lord and not our own devices or strengths or resources. Let's go on in chapter 18.

Verses 1 and 2, it says,

Now, just to warn you before we get into chapter 18, chapter 18 is described by some commentators as the most difficult chapter in Isaiah to interpret and understand. So there's some things that are difficult to really understand in this chapter and really pinpoint exactly what is going on and what is being talked about. But let's just look at some of the basics that we know from this chapter. First of all,

God is speaking to the area of Ethiopia. Now, we've just been dealing with Syria, with the nation of Israel. Now, God is directing his attention to another nation down south of Egypt. And this nation, Ethiopia, like the other nations, they know that Assyria is making its way south.

And so what we find here in verses 1 and 2 is the nation of Ethiopia attempting to make alliances and treaties with the surrounding nations to ensure their survival. Basically, they're saying, look, we know this guy's coming down, Assyria, he's really strong. We can't take him on our own. You can't take him on your own. Let's get together, unite our strengths, and hopefully we can stand against this onslaught.

And so they're sending out ambassadors. They're sending out messengers by the rivers, by the different streams that are down there in the area of Egypt and Ethiopia. And they're sending them out to try to accomplish this alliance. Who are they sending these messengers to?

Well, it depends on who you read and who you listen to. Some say, well, they're sending the messengers to the nation of Judah, trying to make an alliance with Jerusalem that they would be able to stand against Assyria. That's quite possible. Others say, well, no, it's an alliance with Egypt or perhaps one of the other nations surrounding. The description given here in verse 2 is somewhat cryptic, and that's why there's the varying opinions here.

There's several different ways to translate these things, but it says they're sent to a nation that's tall and smooth of skin.

a people terrible from their beginning onward. And so terrible from their beginning onward. It's thought to be Israel perhaps because of the way that they came into the land. Remember how they were brought out of Egypt and the word spread and all of the areas of Canaan were fearful of the nation of Israel because of what God did and the plagues there in Egypt and then in Jericho, just walking around, marching around and

and how God went before them, and so perhaps it is Israel, the terrible nation from their beginning onward, as God brought them into the land that they possessed.

He goes on to say a nation powerful and treading down whose land the rivers divide. And so there could be a reference here to the nation of Israel. Personally, I'm more inclined to say that it's not because that same description is used in verse 7, which we'll read in just a moment. And it's clearly not Israel that's being referred to. It's another nation. And so we'll get to that in just a second. But here's the point. Regardless of who it is that they're sending messengers to you,

What are they trying to do? They're trying to make alliances to escape the judgment of God. God has made it clear from the very beginning. Assyria is my instrument. This is my work. I'm sending this nation and I am using them to accomplish my purposes there in the land. And it doesn't matter who you are.

Or who you team up with. Or how strong you are. Or how much you plan. You cannot thwart the plans and purposes of God. They will come to pass. He is God. We aren't. And we cannot escape what He has promised will take place. Going on, verses 3 and following, it says...

All inhabitants of the world and dwellers on the earth, when he lifts up a banner on the mountains, you see it. And when he blows a trumpet, you hear it. For so the Lord said to me, I will take my rest and I will look from my dwelling place like clear heat in sunshine, like a cloud of dew in the heat of harvest.

Verse 7.

In that time, a present will be brought to the Lord of hosts from a people, notice the description, tall and smooth of skin, and from a people terrible from their beginning onward, a nation powerful and treading down, whose land the rivers divide, to the place of the name of the Lord of hosts, to Mount Zion. So what's happening here in verses 3 through 7? Verse 3, Isaiah essentially says this, Hey, listen up everyone.

When God wants to deal with Assyria, you will know. He's rebuking Ethiopia. You're trying to make these alliances. You're trying to accomplish these things, but they will not come to pass. Listen, when God wants to deal with Assyria, when God wants to defeat Assyria, you will know. Your alliances won't help you because this is not the work of God. Remember Psalm 127, verse 1?

It tells us, unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it. Unless the Lord guards the city, the watchman stays awake in vain. Hey, if it's not the Lord building, if it's not God protecting, well, then there's nothing you can do to establish that house or protect that city. God's purposes will be accomplished. And so he says in verse 3, hey, when he lifts up a banner on the mountains, you see it.

The banner was a reference to war. That's the way that they identified the armies and the ranks within the armies. And so when he lifts up a banner, when he says, okay, mount up, it's time for war, you'll see it, you'll know. But now is not that time. You can try alliances, you can try these things, but they will fail. God says, look, it's not time right now. Verse 4, he says, I will take my rest. I will look for my dwelling place.

I'm going to kick back for a while. I'm going to hang out here. It's not time yet to deal with Assyria. Because again, they are accomplishing His purposes in the land. But when the time is right, verse 5 says, when the bud is perfect, when the time is right for me to deal with Assyria, then I will take care of them. I'll wipe them out. Now you may have noticed that God does things in His own timing with little regard for our timing.

With little regard for what we say, although it might not be when we want to happen, afterwards we can look back and see that it was in God's perfect time. Because God is on the throne. He is sovereign and in control. And you cannot change that with alliances, with negotiation. His purposes will be accomplished. When He deals with Assyria, it will be severe negotiations.

Because he says in verse 6, they will be left together for the mountain birds of prey. That means they're just going to be laid out on the field and the birds are going to eat their carcasses, which we find happen in Isaiah chapter 37, verses 36 through 38. And so God is going to wipe them out when they gather around the nation of Judah and try to conquer Judah, which God told them they would not conquer. But they try in defiance to God to conquer anyways. God deals with them and wipes them out.

And then in verse 7, he describes the same people bringing a present to God after this great victory. Bringing a present to God in the nation, in the area, the region of Judah. And that's why I say that it's probably not the nation of Judah, but more likely Egypt or one of the other surrounding nations.

It may be referring to something that already took place when God did that work and wiped out the Assyrian army. There might have been this exchange. We don't have a historical record of it. But more likely, it's referring to something that will take place during the millennial kingdom when all the nations will gather together in Judah to worship the Lord, to bring gifts to honor Him. And so it's something we yet look forward to. Going on in chapter 19, let's look at verse 1.

So God's looked at Syria. He's looked at the nation of Israel. He's looked at the area of Ethiopia. And now with the nation of Egypt, he directs his attention. He's going to bring his judgment against Egypt.

and really against their false gods and idols that will not be able to help them. Egypt will be included in this judgment as Assyria is brought down to conquer these lands. Look at verses 2 through 4. God describes some of his judgment. He says,

Verse 1.

And the Egyptians I will give into the hand of a cruel master, and a fierce king will rule over them, says the Lord, the Lord of hosts. Part of the judgment of God that's going to be inflicted upon the nation of Egypt is civil war. The land is going to be torn apart from the inside and then conquered from without. Civil war is going to ravage the land.

Brother against brother, city against city, kingdom against kingdom, the nation will turn in upon itself. Now, Egypt in that day was a powerful nation. Egypt for many was the one hope of peace.

Conquering Assyria or defending against Assyria as they came down. They were the one nation that possibly could contend. In fact, Assyria and Egypt continually battled and were never completely conquered by Assyria in the sense of completely obliterated, but just militarily defeated with great victories.

It wasn't until later when the nation of Babylon came that Egypt was completely subjugated and completely defeated by the Babylonian Empire. But Egypt was this strong nation that

Israel was hoping would be able to defend them. That Judah was hoping would be able to defend them. That Ethiopia was hoping would be able to defend them. Egypt was this nation that they looked to that, hey, if anybody can stop this coming army, it would be the nation of Egypt. But God says, I'm going to bring civil war. They're going to be weakened from the inside, torn apart as they turn against each other. Not only that, he says their own counsel will fail.

And so their counsel will fail and so they're going to turn to their idols. But those will fail as well because they're false gods. So they'll turn to the sorcerers and the medians. But those will fail as well. In verse 4 he says, Perhaps the king of Assyria. Perhaps the king of Babylon.

Not exactly sure who God is alluding to here, but it's going to happen, God is saying. It's going to take place. You're going to be wiped out, weakened from the inside as you turn on one another and then conquered from without. But that's not the end of it. Their economy is going to be impacted as well. Look at verses 5 through 10.

He says,

The fishermen also will mourn. All those who lament who cast hooks into the river and they will languish who spread nets on the waters. Moreover, those who work in fine flax and those who weave fine fabric will be ashamed and its foundations will be broken. All who make wages will be troubled of soul. All who make wages, the whole economy of Egypt will

The business, the commerce there that was taking place is going to be messed up, wiped out, ruined. Egypt was a thriving nation. And one of the main reasons that they thrived was the Nile River that flowed right through the middle of their land. And so the land, because of the Nile River, was very fertile. Every year, the Nile would overflow its banks.

Now, usually that's not a good thing. But in the case of Egypt, as the Nile would overflow its banks, it would flood the area and it would leave minerals and deposits upon the land that made the land around it very fertile. And so they would expect it. They knew it would happen every year that it would flood the area.

Much produce and plants were grown in the region of Egypt. Here he makes reference to the papyrus, which we know is what they used to make paper and other things like that. He refers to flax, which was used to make linen. Also, he refers to the fishing industry. And Larry got excited for just a moment until they all went away. Everyone who casts a hook into the water will lament. And that's why I don't go fishing. Because I cast my hook into the water and I lament. I never get anything.

What's interesting about this prophecy is that we really don't know if it was fulfilled or not at that time, but it's possible that, well, it's interesting because some things have been happening in the last 50 years that might be the fulfillment of what God is talking about here. Now, it's just a possibility. It might be something that God has already done, or it might be something yet future. But in about 1960, the nation of Egypt began to build a

a dam on the Nile River from the Mediterranean Sea that feeds into the Nile River. They built a dam, completed it in 1970. It's called the Aswan Dam.

What God says here in verse 5 is that the waters will fail from the sea or the waters will be stopped up from the sea. Kind of similar to this dam that they have built. And as a result of them building this dam there on the Nile River, many of these things are happening. There's no longer floods happening.

From the Nile River. It doesn't overflow its banks because they control it now. They're at the mouth when the Mediterranean feeds into the Nile. So as a result, the land is not as fertile as it was because the water is not overflowing. Those mineral deposits are not being made. And so the land is not productive like it once was. Also, as a result of this, the fish population is way down.

And so it's interesting. It's a possibility. It might be something that's being fulfilled even as we speak today. Something that God spoke many years ago through the prophet Isaiah. So, there'll be civil war. Their nation is going to crumble. Their economy is going to be impacted. Not only that, but their wisdom is going to be done away with. Look at verses 11 through 15. He says, Surely the princes of Zon are fools. Pharaoh's wise counselors give foolish counsel.

Verse 1.

The princes of Zon have become fools. The princes of Noph are deceived. They have also deluded Egypt and those who are the mainstay of its tribes. The Lord has mingled a perverse spirit in her midst, and they have caused Egypt to err in all her work as a drunken man staggers in his vomit. Neither will there be any work for Egypt, which the head or tail, palm branch or bulrush may do."

Their wisdom is going to be done away with. Their wise men are going to become fools. Now, this is a big deal because Egypt was known for its wisdom. It's an ancient population. There was great wisdom there.

In fact, so much so, the wisdom of Solomon is compared to the wisdom of Egypt. In 1 Kings 4, verse 30, it tells us that Solomon's wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the men of the east and all the wisdom of Egypt. Specifically naming Egypt because, well, they were known for their wisdom. They were known for their intellect, for their understanding of life and nature and different things.

But that's going to be done away with. God's going to defeat their wisdom and their counsel. They're going to become fools. And see, the point is, now Israel and Syria were joined together. They had forgotten God. And as a result, this judgment was coming upon them. Ethiopia, they were relying upon the surrounding nations, relying upon Egypt, relying upon Judah, relying upon those around them.

They will save me. They'll protect me. But they were defeated. Egypt didn't need to look elsewhere. Egypt had its own resources. It had a powerful army until the civil war. It had a thriving economy until that was taken away. It had great wisdom until God defeated that as well. The point is, you can't trust in others. You can't trust in yourself. You can't trust in your own resources. We need to trust in God.

Not forgetting God, not forgetting to worship Him, not forgetting about the rock of our salvation, but serving Him, fearing Him, trusting Him, walking in relationship with Him, because He is the only one that can protect us and defend us. And His purposes will be accomplished. So we see Egypt relying upon themselves, but that is all going to fail. As we go on in the next following verses...

Isaiah will again begin to use the phrase, in that day. Most of these probably refer to the millennial kingdom. And I would encourage you to spend some time in Zechariah 14.

It gives a little bit more insight into this time that is yet to come, the thousand year reign of Christ, when all of the nations will come and gather year by year to worship God there in the area of Judah, in the city of Jerusalem. They mention specifically the nation of Egypt in Zechariah chapter 14, that if Egypt does not come,

that there will be penalties, plagues as a result if they don't come to worship God. And so that's what he's talking about in verses 16 and 17. He says, In that day...

Egypt will be like women and will be afraid and fear because of the waving of the hand of the Lord of hosts, which he waves over it. And the land of Judah will be a terror to Egypt. Everyone who makes mention of it will be afraid in himself because of the counsel of the Lord of hosts and how he is determined against it. Things are going to flip-flop. Egypt was the powerhouse. But God says in that day...

Egypt will not be. Judah instead will be. God's people will be the ones who are feared because God is in their midst and they will go year by year to worship the Lord. And going on verses 18 and following, he says, "...in that day five cities in the land of Egypt will speak the language of Canaan and swear by the Lord of hosts. One will be called the city of destruction."

In that day, verse 19, there will be an altar to the Lord in the midst of the land of Egypt and a pillar to the Lord at its border. And it will be for a sign and for a witness to the Lord of hosts in the land of Egypt, for they will cry to the Lord because of the oppressors and he will send them a savior and a mighty one and he will deliver them.

Verse 21, then the Lord will be known to Egypt and the Egyptians will know the Lord in that day and will make sacrifice and offering. Yes, they will make a vow to the Lord and perform it. Verse 22, and the Lord will strike Egypt. He will strike and heal it. They will return to the Lord.

and he will be entreated by them and heal them. Verse 23, In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria, and the Assyrian will come into Egypt and the Egyptian into Assyria, and the Egyptians will serve with the Assyrians. So God now focusing on something yet future. That millennial kingdom when he will establish the thousand year reign of Christ. Egypt is actually going to worship God.

Verse 18 says that they will swear by the Lord of hosts. Verse 19 says that they will have an altar to the Lord. This is something incredible. This is something that would not have been anticipated or expected. That Egypt would turn to God. Verse 21 says the Lord will be known to Egypt.

The Egyptians will know the Lord in that day. They will make sacrifices. They'll make vows to the Lord and perform it. They're going to serve God and have a relationship with God in that day yet to come. It's going to be incredible. There's going to be great peace. There's going to be a highway from Egypt to Assyria. There's not going to be the borders and boundaries. There's not going to be the walls and the wars. There's going to be peace.

He goes on in verse 24 and 25. He says, As Isaiah is saying this, I'm sure in his mind he says, How could this be?

How could it be that Assyria and Egypt and Israel would worship the Lord together and serve God together and dwell together and be at peace among one another? It seems impossible. But God can do it and He will accomplish it. Just like we've seen many other prophecies fulfilled already, this one too will be accomplished when God establishes His kingdom here in the nation of Israel.

Let's finish it off. Chapter 20. It's only six verses long. We can finish it up. It says, verse 1, Verse 3,

Then the Lord said,

Then they shall be afraid and ashamed of Ethiopia their expectation and Egypt their glory. And the inhabitant of this territory will say in that day, Surely such is our expectation. Wherever we flee for help to be delivered from the king of Assyria, how shall we escape?

Here's what's going on here. It's really God has ceased from the proclamations of what is to come and now gives us a short narrative of something that's taking place in Isaiah's day. In fact, through Isaiah himself. God often used his prophets as signs, not just delivering the verbal message, but a visual illustration.

I'm glad I'm not that visual illustration in the same way. I'll keep my clothes on, thank you very much. But here's what was going on. The people of Judah wanted to rely upon Egypt to save them from Assyria. You can tell that looking at verse 6. They're going to see what happens to Egypt and Ethiopia and they're going to say, surely that's going to happen to us. That's our expectation. Wherever we flee to help, wherever we go...

to try to be delivered from the king of Assyria, how will we escape? This nation is so powerful and so strong, we cannot go anywhere to escape the destruction that's coming. Because those that we relied upon were taken away captive. And God put Isaiah in the midst of them. A very clear, unmistakable sign to them. Now, it probably is not that he was completely naked like we might assume.

David, it talks about him taking off his outer garment in 2 Samuel chapter 6. And so what he would have on when he took off his outer garment would be his undergarments. And that is most likely what Isaiah was walking around with. But it's debatable, so take it whichever way you want. Why would God have Isaiah walk around in this condition?

To remind the people. A visual reminder, unmistakable. It's very clear, hey, this is how Egypt and Ethiopia are going to be carried away by the nation of Assyria. The point, if we rely upon them, we will fall with them. Isaiah chapter 31 makes this clear. Dealing specifically with the nation of Egypt. Because Judah's biggest hope was that Egypt would save them.

They thought for sure Egypt would be able to keep them from the destruction of Assyria. But God says, here's Isaiah. Here's why you should not trust in Egypt. Here's why you should not trust. Egypt in the scriptures is often a picture of the world, our flesh. Here's why you should not trust in the flesh or in the things of this world. Because they will fail.

Instead, we need to put our trust in God. Syria and Israel, they forgot God. They forgot about Him. They didn't worship Him. They didn't recognize Him and honor Him as God. Ethiopia, it wasn't so much that they forgot God, but they weren't trusting God. They were trusting in others. They were looking to other nations to provide for them in the same way that Judah was looking to Egypt. And Egypt was trusting in itself, trusting in its own false gods.

This evening, like I said, I believe the main thing that God wants to speak to our hearts is that we need to trust in the Lord. Not in the nations, not the false gods, not the housing market, not the economy, not our jobs. We shouldn't be freaked out by the things that are going on around us or global warming or all the other threats and things that we can be freaked out about. Instead, not forgetting God.

Not trusting in others. Not trusting in our own selves. Let's put our trust in the Lord. Believe Him at His word. I would challenge you to read on your own time this evening, Psalm chapter 2. Psalm chapter 2 ends with the exhortation, Let's serve the Lord with fear. Let us kiss the Son. Let's worship Jesus. And let us put our trust in Him. It's what we need, guys. He's the only one who could save us. He's the only one who could deliver us. Judah looked with desperation.

Hey, they're carried away captive. How will we survive? And the answer is very simply, hey, God has already promised you victory. God had already promised Judah that Syria would not conquer them. In the same way, we have victory through Jesus Christ. He will accomplish His purposes. We don't need to fear the creditors or the bullies or the divorces. We don't need to fear the things that are mounting up against us. But when those things mount up against us,

Don't forget God. Don't trust in others. Don't trust in yourself. Put your trust completely in God. Fear Him and worship Him. Amen? Let's pray. We pray you have been blessed by this Bible teaching. The power of God to change a life is found in the daily reading of His Word. Visit ferventword.com to find more teachings and Bible study resources.