THROUGH THE BIBLE IN THREE YEARS
This program of daily devotions is designed to take you through the Bible in three years. It is our desire to help you gain a better general understanding of God's Word.
Please understand that in a study this brief, we will be concerned with only the major emphases and context of the Scriptures.
Each day a devotion for one or two chapters is posted, beginning with chapter one of Genesis and going through chapter twenty-two of Revelation. You are free to print each page as it appears. If you miss a day, you may contact us and request that devotion. Please send your request, along with $.50 (p&handling) for each page to:
Bruce McGee,Pastor
205 Adams
Columbia, LA 71418
We have a great friend in Gary Godard. He has set up an archive page. To view ALL the prior devotions by Scripture, just clik
Bro. Bruce's commentaries for
the books of Genesis through 2Kings are
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COMMENTARY ON (BOOK NAME) to the address above.
Isaiah
CHAPTER 18
1 Woe to the land shadowing with wings, which is beyond the rivers of Ethiopia: 2 That sendeth ambassadors by the sea, even in vessels of bulrushes upon the waters, saying, Go, ye swift messengers, to a nation scattered and peeled, to a people terrible from their beginning hitherto; a nation meted out and trodden down, whose land the rivers have spoiled! 3 All ye inhabitants of the world, and dwellers on the earth, see ye, when he lifteth up an ensign on the mountains; and when he bloweth a trumpet, hear ye. 4 For so the LORD said unto me, I will take my rest, and I will consider in my dwelling place like a clear heat upon herbs, and like a cloud of dew in the heat of harvest. 5 For afore the harvest, when the bud is perfect, and the sour grape is ripening in the flower, he shall both cut off the sprigs with pruning hooks, and take away and cut down the branches. 6 They shall be left together unto the fowls of the mountains, and to the beasts of the earth: and the fowls shall summer upon them, and all the beasts of the earth shall winter upon them. 7 In that time shall the present be brought unto the LORD of hosts of a people scattered and peeled, and from a people terrible from their beginning hitherto; a nation meted out and trodden under foot, whose land the rivers have spoiled, to the place of the name of the LORD of hosts, the mount Zion.
This chapter has been debated as to whom the prophecy applied. Did it apply to Assyria which the prophet has been speaking of before? Did it apply to Arabia, which is called Ethiopia? For that name has appeared in history to the land East of The Persian Gulf, and SE of the Dead Sea, as well as to a land south of Egypt.
The term "shadowing with wings" implies that Assyria is still the subject (see Isaiah 8:8).
However, the prophecy is of the Lord protecting Israel even when they are "scattered and peeled" (verse 2). Even though the nation of Judah is "meted out and trodden down," the Lord Himself will lift "up an ensign" for their protection. God WILL SAVE a remnant from which Messiah will come!
God's promise (in verse 7) is to return that remnant to "Zion." Like a master vineyard keeper, God is trimming the branches of the vine of Israel. But the vine will sprout new branches and produce fruit again (verse 6). And they will be a "present" to the Lord Himself (verse 7).
My friends, God may allow His church to be "pruned," but He never allows it to be totally dissipated.
CHAPTER 19
1 The burden of Egypt. Behold, the LORD rideth upon a swift cloud, and shall come into Egypt: and the idols of Egypt shall be moved at his presence, and the heart of Egypt shall melt in the midst of it. 2 And I will set the Egyptians against the Egyptians: and they shall fight every one against his brother, and every one against his neighbour; city against city, and kingdom against kingdom. 3 And the spirit of Egypt shall fail in the midst thereof; and I will destroy the counsel thereof: and they shall seek to the idols, and to the charmers, and to them that have familiar spirits, and to the wizards.
God has given prophecy pronouncing the doom of Babylon, Assyria, Philistia and Syria. And now He pronounces the defeat of Egypt.
Isaiah begins with "The BURDEN of Egypt." It is a "burden" because it is a saddening prophecy of turmoil and defeat.
The Lord Himself will descend upon Egypt riding upon a "swift cloud" (verse 1). God is truly above and beyond the reach of man. And God can and will do whatever He chooses with nations.
Isaiah prophecies there will be civil war in Egypt (verse 2).
The Egyptians will experience no help from their fake idols (verse 1), and they will resort to soothsayers and palm readers. But it will do them no good! God has determined their failure because of their continued idolatry.
Let us be warned! When a nation turns away from the Living God to idolatrous man-made fakery for worship, it will not long endure!
4 And the Egyptians will I give over into the hand of a cruel lord; and a fierce king shall rule over them, saith the Lord, the LORD of hosts. 5 And the waters shall fail from the sea, and the river shall be wasted and dried up. 6 And they shall turn the rivers far away; and the brooks of defence shall be emptied and dried up: the reeds and flags shall wither. 7 The paper reeds by the brooks, by the mouth of the brooks, and every thing sown by the brooks, shall wither, be driven away, and be no more. 8 The fishers also shall mourn, and all they that cast angle into the brooks shall lament, and they that spread nets upon the waters shall languish. 9 Moreover they that work in fine flax, and they that weave networks, shall be confounded. 10 And they shall be broken in the purposes thereof, all that make sluices and ponds for fish. 11 Surely the princes of Zoan are fools, the counsel of the wise counsellers of Pharaoh is become brutish: how say ye unto Pharaoh, I am the son of the wise, the son of ancient kings? 12 Where are they? where are thy wise men? and let them tell thee now, and let them know what the LORD of hosts hath purposed upon Egypt. 13 The princes of Zoan are become fools, the princes of Noph are deceived; they have also seduced Egypt, even they that are the stay of the tribes thereof. 14 The LORD hath mingled a perverse spirit in the midst thereof: and they have caused Egypt to err in every work thereof, as a drunken man staggereth in his vomit. 15 Neither shall there be any work for Egypt, which the head or tail, branch or rush, may do. 16 In that day shall Egypt be like unto women: and it shall be afraid and fear because of the shaking of the hand of the LORD of hosts, which he shaketh over it. 17 And the land of Judah shall be a terror unto Egypt, every one that maketh mention thereof shall be afraid in himself, because of the counsel of the LORD of hosts, which he hath determined against it.
Assyria, with its evil king Esarhaddon (verse 4), conquered Egypt in 671BC. A severe drought brought economic disaster to Egypt (verses 5-8). Hired labor could find no work (verses 9-10).
In verses 11-15, the wise men did not know what to do because they faced war, civil war and drought all at the same time! They could give no advice.
Friends, when God visits a land for destruction, there is NO DEFENSE!
I believe the words "In that day" in verse 16 refers to the destruction prophesied by Isaiah, which came at the hands of Assyria and the drought.
The whole nation became as "women" shaking in fear and terror (verses 15-16). Even Judah, which had been reduced in power was a fearful enemy (verse 17).
Because of Isaiah's prophecy, Egypt KNEW that it was God Himself causing their problems. And they began to fear him with genuine reverence.
18 In that day shall five cities in the land of Egypt speak the language of Canaan, and swear to the LORD of hosts; one shall be called, The city of destruction. 19 In that day shall there be an altar to the LORD in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a pillar at the border thereof to the LORD. 20 And it shall be for a sign and for a witness unto the LORD of hosts in the land of Egypt: for they shall cry unto the LORD because of the oppressors, and he shall send them a saviour, and a great one, and he shall deliver them. 21 And the LORD shall be known to Egypt, and the Egyptians shall know the LORD in that day, and shall do sacrifice and oblation; yea, they shall vow a vow unto the LORD, and perform it. 22 And the LORD shall smite Egypt: he shall smite and heal it: and they shall return even to the LORD, and he shall be intreated of them, and shall heal them. 23 In that day shall there be a highway out of Egypt to Assyria, and the Assyrian shall come into Egypt, and the Egyptian into Assyria, and the Egyptians shall serve with the Assyrians. 24 In that day shall Israel be the third with Egypt and with Assyria, even a blessing in the midst of the land: 25 Whom the LORD of hosts shall bless, saying, Blessed be Egypt my people, and Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel mine inheritance.
I believe the term "In that day" in verse 18 begins a section of prophecy about Egypt in the day when Jesus returns to the earth. It is obvious that the prophecy refers immediately to an altar which was erected in Heliopolis "city of destruction" during the reign of Ptolemy VI. It is also obvious that the "saviour" God sent for that particular time was Alexander the Great. However, the prophecy also refers to a FUTURE time!
There will be some in Egypt in "that day" that worship the Lord God through Jesus Christ (verse 18). And the Saviour Whom God sent for ALL the world, will become THEIR Saviour (verses 19-20).
There are many Christian churches in Egypt even today. There are also Christian churches in Assyria today.
When our Lord returns, there will be a "highway" which will connect Assyria and Egypt. Israel, Egypt and Assyria will all be "blessed" of the Lord in "that day" (verses 24-25).
All nations will be blessed when Christ appears to begin the milennial kingdom.
CHAPTER 20
1 In the year that Tartan came unto Ashdod, (when Sargon the king of Assyria sent him,) and fought against Ashdod, and took it; 2 At the same time spake the LORD by Isaiah the son of Amoz, saying, Go and loose the sackcloth from off thy loins, and put off thy shoe from thy foot. And he did so, walking naked and barefoot. 3 And the LORD said, Like as my servant Isaiah hath walked naked and barefoot three years for a sign and wonder upon Egypt and upon Ethiopia; 4 So shall the king of Assyria lead away the Egyptians prisoners, and the Ethiopians captives, young and old, naked and barefoot, even with their buttocks uncovered, to the shame of Egypt. 5 And they shall be afraid and ashamed of Ethiopia their expectation, and of Egypt their glory. 6 And the inhabitant of this isle shall say in that day, Behold, such is our expectation, whither we flee for help to be delivered from the king of Assyria: and how shall we escape?
Now here, I want to expound a moment on the difference between future blessings and present-day consequences of sin.
The nation of Egypt (and of Assyria) will indeed one day be blessed of the Lord in the milennial kingdom. However, in the day that Isaiah was giving his prophecy, they were an IDOLATROUS nation, refusing God.
And the consequences of that refusal was going to COST them! Friend, God has promised eternal glory. But that doesn't mean that TODAY we can be rebellious and escape the consequences of our sins!
Isaiah spoke this prophecy when Tartan (General of the Assyrian forces) attacked Ashdod and then came to Jerusalem (2Kings 18:17). That was probably about 711BC.
Isaiah was instructed by the Lord to dress as a prisoner of war ("naked and barefoot" - verse 2). He was to dress that way for three years. And this was a sign that the Egyptians would be led away captive by Assyrian forces.
The Egyptians were shamefully treated by the Assyrians when they were beaten and captured.
Friends, if people place "expectations" (verses 5-6) upon worldly things and people for help, then they will be SHAMED when God comes in JUDGMENT!
Who indeed shall escape the Almighty Arm of God? Only those who SURRENDER to Him BEFORE Judgment Day!
PLEASE CONTINUE IN BIBLE STUDY WITH US TOMORROW.