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Scripture Reference: Isaiah 19:1-18
Isaiah 19 is a prophecy against Egypt and it is a sad reminder of what happens when men have become so big in their own eyes that they think their wisdom is superior to the wisdom of God. It is reminder for us that no earthly power can withstand the power of the living God.
There are many life lessons found in this portion of Isaiah and I hope it will encourage us to always remain humble no matter what we achieve in this life.
Life Lessons from Isaiah 19:
- God makes His sun to shine on the righteous and the unrighteous; on the grateful and the ungrateful. When ungodly people escape danger they are inclined to think that they are now secure, but evil has a way of overtaking those who delight in it and they will be overpowered by the very evil they clung to, except of course if they repent of their deeds and turn to the Lord. All the wisdom of man is insufficient to keep away the evil they have delighted in doing.
- God has a way of making wicked people afraid of the very people they despised and oppressed. “The land of Judah will bring terror to the Egyptians…” He also turns them upon each other, so that they are not only afraid of the ones they looked down upon but also they become terrified of each other. “I will stir up Egyptian against Egyptian— brother will fight against brother, neighbor against neighbor, city against city, kingdom against kingdom…”
- When grace touches the heart of a person, his language changes, for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. Many who may previously have spoken words of animosity towards God and His people, will start speaking just the opposite (consider Saul of Tarsus after his conversion on the road to Damascus). “In that day five cities in Egypt will speak the language of Canaan and swear allegiance to the LORD Almighty…”
- God deals with the enemy of His people and He deals with His enemies swiftly and thoroughly. May this encourage those who suffer to keep their hope in Christ, because He will change their pain and agony into songs of praise.
- When we are one in the Lord Jesus Christ, nationality, race and geographical location should no longer matter.
- Never be impressed by your own wisdom. Don’t depend on it and don’t depend on the wisdom of the so-called wise people around you, because the One that gives men understanding can take it away when He it pleases Him. The Egyptians were known as a wise people, but now the Lord asks of them,”Where are your wise men now? Let them show you and make known what the LORD Almighty has planned against Egypt…“
- Sadly, when people try to protect themselves according to the wisdom and power of man, leaning on the arm of flesh, they are in fact securing destruction and not safety. By trusting in man, they are blinding themselves to the wisdom of God. “The officials of Zoan are nothing but fools; the wise counselors of Pharaoh give senseless advice…“
- God has the power to make a country fail in the very commodity it prides itself on; their economic stability is nothing before Him. “Those who work with combed flax will despair, the weavers of fine linen will lose hope. The workers in cloth will be dejected, and all the wage earners will be sick at heart.“
- Those who are appointed to serve the people but have instead reverted to serving only themselves and their own interests, will find that their satisfaction was an illusion and that they will be destroyed. “The officials of Zoan have become fools, the leaders of Memphis are deceived; the cornerstones of her peoples have led Egypt astray.“
- The prosperity of a nation depends on how well all people work together for the common good. But when the leaders are idle and expect their subordinates to be working, while they reap all the benefits thereof, poverty will come to that nation. “The fishermen will groan and lament, all who cast hooks into the Nile; those who throw nets on the water will pine away.“
- God can swiftly and speedily become a terror to those who mocked at Him and His ways and all their loud-mouthed boasting can be shut up in a second. “See, the LORD rides on a swift cloud and is coming to Egypt. The idols of Egypt tremble before him, and the hearts of the Egyptians melt with fear.“
I pray that we will always keep in mind that God gives grace to the humble, but that same God resists the proud.
Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight.Do not be wise in your own eyes;
fear the LORD and shun evil.
This will bring health to your body
and nourishment to your bones.
Proverbs 3:5-8
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- Life Lessons from Place Names in Isaiah (jesuscarriesme.wordpress.com)
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Hi and thanks for your page. I love the end of this chapter–Egypt, Iraq and Israel will become a blessing in the midst of the earth. Some think that this will happen in the millennium. But during the millennium, won’t the entire earth be a blessing? Britain once blessed the earth with the gospel. Then the U.S. became the torch-bearer. Perhaps the future and perhaps final primary torch bearers of the gospel before the end of the age will be Egypt, Iraq and Israel. May they turn to the Lord and may He heal and bless them.
Hi Paul, thanks for reading. Yes, I am also fascinated by the end of this chapter. I spent quite some time mulling over the words. I share your thoughts and prayer for these nations. Thanks for the comment
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