Isaiah 19:1, 14-25

 

19:1 A prophecy against Egypt:

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.

 

14 The Lord has poured into them
    a spirit of dizziness;
they make Egypt stagger in all that she does,
    as a drunkard staggers around in his vomit.
15 There is nothing Egypt can do—
    head or tail, palm branch or reed.

16 In that day the Egyptians will become weaklings. They will shudder with fear at the uplifted hand that the Lord Almighty raises against them. 17 And the land of Judah will bring terror to the Egyptians; everyone to whom Judah is mentioned will be terrified, because of what the Lord Almighty is planning against them.

18 In that day five cities in Egypt will speak the language of Canaan and swear allegiance to the Lord Almighty. One of them will be called the City of the Sun. 19 In that day there will be an altar to the Lord in the heart of Egypt, and a monument to the Lord at its border. 20 It will be a sign and witness to the Lord Almighty in the land of Egypt. When they cry out to the Lord because of their oppressors, he will send them a savior and defender, and he will rescue them. 21 So the Lord will make himself known to the Egyptians, and in that day they will acknowledge the Lord. They will worship with sacrifices and grain offerings; they will make vows to the Lord and keep them. 22 The Lord will strike Egypt with a plague; he will strike them and heal them. They will turn to the Lord, and he will respond to their pleas and heal them.

23 In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria. The Assyrians will go to Egypt and the Egyptians to Assyria. The Egyptians and Assyrians will worship together. 24 In that day Israel will be the third, along with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing on the earth. 25 The Lord Almighty will bless them, saying, “Blessed be Egypt my people, Assyria my handiwork, and Israel my inheritance.”

 

New International Version (NIV)

“Those who say something cannot be done, should not get in the way of those who are already doing it,” said U. S. Gold Medalist Michael Johnson after he broke another world record. Take Israel and Egypt, for example. In Isaiah’s day, the people of Egypt may have assumed that Judah and Judah’s God were no concern to them. As little Judah struggled, Egypt rose in prominence. In the ancient world, if people in an area prospered, they often attributed it to their deity. Each deity had an area of hegemony or control. If the people did well, they thought their god was stronger.

              

As Isaiah preached prophecies against the surrounding nations, he did not spare Egypt. Let the record reflect that Israel was undefeated against Egypt after Moses’ led the people out. Now as David’s descendants declined and decimated his legacy, Egypt still followed their idols and consulted the dead through mediums and spiritists. Who is stronger: the god of death or the Lord of life? Isaiah said the Lord would confuse the counselors to the Pharaoh. People in Egypt would worship the Lord Almighty. 

              

Even as people crossed the border from Judah into Egypt they would find people who worshiped their Lord and spoke their language. Isaiah envisioned a revival in which the Egyptians would worship the Lord and the Assyrians would follow their example. God would love Egypt and Assyria as he loved Israel. 

              

Serious question: When did that happen? Not yet. When will that happen? Revelation 7 promises when Christ returns and the earth is made new, people from every tribe, tongue, and nation will worship the one, true God. The nations will all bless the Lord. The Lord who created the earth will draw people from every nation to himself. All will worship the Lord with one voice and one heart. What a day that will be! 

 

Pray with me: 

Father, we thank you that your grace includes people from every nation who trust in Jesus. Help us to proclaim his truth to the nations until all people know you and worship you in Spirit and in truth. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

Our Monday through Friday devotionals are in the book of Isaiah. Join us for these devotionals as we learn together about our God and his Kingdom in the world.  

We also invite you to join us as we read through the Bible. Copies of the reading plan are available at Tallowood Baptist Church, or download your copy here:

 

2026 Bible Reading Plan

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