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Egypt Will Be Punished
1 This is a message about Egypt:
The Lord comes to Egypt,
riding swiftly on a cloud.
The people are weak from fear.
Their idols tremble
as he approaches and says,
2“I will punish Egypt
with civil war—
neighbors, cities, and kingdoms
will fight each other.
3“Egypt will be discouraged
when I confuse their plans.
They will try to get advice
from their idols,
from the spirits of the dead,
and from fortunetellers.
4I will put the Egyptians
under the power of a cruel,
heartless king.
I, the Lord All-Powerful,
have promised this.”
Trouble along the Nile
5The Nile River will dry up
and become parched land.
6Its streams will stink,
Egypt will have no water,
and the reeds and tall grass
will dry up.
7Fields along the Nile
will be completely barren;
every plant will disappear.
8Those who fish in the Nile
will be discouraged
and mourn.
9None of the cloth makers
will know what to do,
and they will turn pale.
10Weavers will be confused;
paid workers will cry and mourn.
Egypt's Helpless Leaders
11The king's officials in Zoan
are foolish themselves
and give stupid advice.
How can they say to him,
“We are very wise,
and our families go back
to kings of long ago?”
12Where are those wise men now?
If they can, let them say
what the Lord All-Powerful
intends for Egypt.
13The royal officials in Zoan
and in Memphis
are foolish and deceived.
The leaders in every state
have given bad advice
to the nation.
14The Lord has confused Egypt;
its leaders have made it stagger
and vomit like a drunkard.
15No one in Egypt can do a thing,
no matter who they are.
16When the Lord All-Powerful punishes Egypt with his mighty arm, the Egyptians will become terribly weak and will tremble with fear. 17They will be so terrified of Judah that they will be frightened by the very mention of its name. This will happen because of what the Lord All-Powerful is planning against Egypt.
The Lord Will Bless
18The time is coming when Hebrew will be spoken in five Egyptian cities, and their people will become followers of the Lord. One of these cities will be called City of the Sun.
19In the heart of Egypt an altar will be set up for the Lord; at its border a shrine will be built to honor him. 20These will remind the Egyptians that the Lord All-Powerful is with them. And when they are in trouble and ask for help, he will send someone to rescue them from their enemies. 21The Lord will show the Egyptians who he is, and they will know and worship the Lord. They will bring him sacrifices and offerings, and they will keep their promises to him. 22After the Lord has punished Egypt, the people will turn to him. Then he will answer their prayers, and the Egyptians will be healed.
23At that time a good road will run from Egypt to Assyria. The Egyptians and the Assyrians will travel back and forth from Egypt to Assyria, and they will worship together. 24Israel will join with these two countries. They will be a blessing to everyone on earth, 25then the Lord All-Powerful will bless them by saying,
“The Egyptians are my people.
I created the Assyrians
and chose the Israelites.”
Reflect
Although it was once their place of captivity, the people of Israel still looked often to Egypt for help and protection. Yet Isaiah tells us that swift judgment is coming to Egypt. The Lord himself will come “riding on a cloud” to punish them.
Just as Israel sought help from Egypt, the Egyptians will turn to various sources for wisdom and guidance. Isaiah tells us they will seek the counsel of their idols, psychics, fortune tellers, and their government leaders.
It’s only natural to seek advice when facing a decision or when we feel overwhelmed by circumstances. Today we have even more choices of counselors. Thinking about purchasing a new cell phone? Check out the online reviews. Considering a move to another city? Poll your friends on Facebook for their opinion.
For bigger life decisions, you may seek wisdom from a financial advisor, life coach, or psychologist. Many, like the Old Testament Egyptians, seek out psychics and fortune tellers to help them understand what their future holds.
Seeking advice in and of itself is not a bad thing. In fact, several verses in Proverbs recommend wise counsel (see, for example, Proverbs 11:14, 12:15 and 19:20). A problem arises when we are looking for help from the wrong source.
The Egyptians will eventually renounce their idols and fortune tellers for the Lord Almighty. Verses 20 and 21 state:
These will remind the Egyptians that the Lord All-Powerful is with them. And when they are in trouble and ask for help, he will send someone to rescue them from their enemies. The Lord will show the Egyptians who he is, and they will know and worship the Lord.
Similarly, we too can seek the Lord’s wisdom, guidance and help regardless of our life circumstances. And that’s advice you can count on!
Respond
All-knowing Father, life can be complicated and I often need advice on how to navigate it. Thank you for always being there when I shout “Help!” May I always remember to seek wise counsel from you. Amen.
Pam Caudill
Dr. Pamela Caudill, a Nebraska-based researcher and psychologist, writes and speaks about life transformation and spiritual growth. As the Center for Bible Engagement's Senior Researcher, Pam conducts studies on scripture engagement, church health, and life transformation. A frequent conference speaker, Pam is the author of Managing Your Family’s High Tech Habits and Better Relationships, Better Life, in addition to dozens of academic journal articles and white papers.