Isaiah 19 - Printer Friendly

What does Isaiah 19 mean?

Chapter Commentary:

Chapter 19 and 20 contain Isaiah's oracles and prophecies about nations other than Israel. The point of these oracles from the Lord is to instruct the people of Judah. They should not put their trust and security in other nations. Nor should they rely on the false gods of those nations. The Lord wants His people to understand that they must put their hope and trust in Him alone.

The first part of chapter 19 contains the main oracle against Egypt in the form of a poem. Isaiah describes the Lord's coming judgment against Egypt in the three areas of her supposed great strength. These are the religious life of the people, the economic bounty produced by the Nile River, and her international reputation for great wisdom and insight (Isaiah 19:1–15).

First, Isaiah describes the Lord as riding into Egypt on a swift cloud. The Egyptians imagined their god Baal as riding on clouds, but Isaiah insists that it is the Lord, not Baal, who will arrive. He further drives home this point by saying that these false idols will know fear in the presence of the one true God. The people will share their terror, perhaps recalling what the God of the Israelites did to Egypt's ancestors (Exodus 3:19–20) during the time of Israel's exodus (Isaiah 19:1).

In response to the Lord's judgment, the Egyptian people will turn on each other. At every level of society, there will be infighting and violence. Great despair will fall on the people. They will turn for help to idols and those who claim to channel the dead. In this weakened condition, the nation will be conquered by a tyrant and ruled by a fierce king. God's rhetorical question is this: why would Judah try to rely on a people so easily defeated (Isaiah 19:2–4)?

Next, the Lord will judge Egypt by means of a drought. Egypt's economy was prosperous because of the rich resources provided by the predictable flooding of the Nile River. Unless there was drought, the river would flood and recede at the same time every year, creating temporary "seas" and depositing sediment. That sediment would become the fertile soil of the following years crops when the waters receded. Without the Nile, Egypt's economy will sink and many people will become destitute. This is one of the judgment God promises: to dry up the Nile and eliminate this source of resources (Isaiah 19:5–10).

Finally, Egypt was famous in the world for its great men of wisdom. That reputation came, in part, because of an emphasis on education. It's likely that Egypt's prosperity contributed to a view that its leaders were wise men. The final piece of the Lord's judgment will reveal Egypt's counselors to be fools. These supposed wise men will be unable to understand the plans of Israel's God, causing the nation to stumble around in confusion (Isaiah 19:11–15).

After describing these harsh judgments, the prophecy takes a sudden turn. Isaiah looks into Egypt's far future, likely during the reign of Messiah as king of Israel and the world. After a time of trembling in fear about the Lord's power over them, the people of Egypt will repent and swear allegiance to the Lord, worshiping Him with sacrifices, offering, and vows. The Lord will respond by making Himself known to the people of Egypt, even rescuing them from their enemies. He will discipline Egypt by striking it but will also listen to the people's pleas for mercy and heal them (Isaiah 19:16–22).

Finally, and shockingly to those reading these words during Isaiah's life, the Assyrians will join Egypt in worshiping the God of Israel. Egypt, Assyria, and Israel will stand together as a blessing to the world as they are blessed by God (Isaiah 19:23–25).

Isaiah 19:1–15 is an oracle against the nation of Egypt. Isaiah describes the Lord, not Egypt's imaginary god Baal, as arriving on a swift cloud to judge the nation. The hearts of the people will melt, and their spirits will be emptied out. They will turn on each other. Neither their gods nor their wise men will be able to save them. Even the Nile River will dry up. Yet, in the kingdom of the Messiah, Egypt will turn to the Lord and be blessed by Him.

Isaiah 19:16–25 presents a sudden change in tone. It follows an oracle of judgment against Egypt with a promise of future blessing from the Lord. This seems to take place during the kingdom of the Messiah on earth (Isaiah 2:1–5; Revelation 20:1–4). Egypt will fear the Lord and repent and worship Him alone. God will bless them, rescue them, and call them His people. Egypt will become peaceful allies with Assyria, and the Assyrians will worship the Lord, as well. Together, Egypt, Assyria, and Israel will bless the earth and be blessed by the Lord.

Chapter Summary:

Isaiah's oracle describes the Lord's coming judgment on Egypt. The idols will fear when God arrives, and the people will turn on each other. A fierce king will conquer them. The Nile River will dry up, leaving many destitute. The advisors serving Egypt's leaders will be revealed as confused fools. Far in the future, Egypt will recognize Israel's God and repent, turning to worship the Lord. Assyria will join in that worship, blessing the earth along with Egypt and Israel.

Chapter Context:

Isaiah 19 introduces the next oracle against the nations of the earth. The Lord has been showing His people not to put their trust and hope in the foreign nations or their gods. They are to trust in Him alone to save them. The Lord's arrival in Egypt reveals the worthlessness of idols and spiritists. The terrified people will turn on each other. They will become destitute when the Nile dries up and the wise are shown to be foolish. In the far future, Egypt will worship the Lord and be blessed by Him.

Isaiah is among the most important prophetic books in the entire Bible. The first segment details God's impending judgment against ancient peoples for sin and idolatry (Isaiah 1—35). The second part of Isaiah briefly explains a failed assault on Jerusalem during the rule of Hezekiah (Isaiah 36—39). The final chapters predict Israel's rescue from Babylonian captivity (Isaiah 40—48), the promised Messiah (Isaiah 49—57), and the final glory of Jerusalem and God's people (Isaiah 58—66).

Accessed 5/7/2024 10:27:22 PM