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Isaiah 18 - Nothing Says Confidence Like a Papyrus Canoe - 358 · Marriage Life and More and Bible Study

• 0:07
  Daniel Moore: So when powerful nations start sending messengers everywhere, is Israel's first instinct always, great, somebody besides God can finally fix this?
• 0:16
  Daniel Moore: And did anybody think to ask Isaiah what God was doing before everybody started updating their international alliances?
• 0:24
  Daniel Moore: Well Isaiah 18 is one of those chapters where you start reading and almost immediately think, okay, buzzing wings, rivers, swift messengers, tall people, smooth-skinned people.
• 0:35
  Daniel Moore: Isaiah, where exactly are we going with this?
• 0:38
  Daniel Moore: But behind all of the unusual imagery is a powerful reminder about who is actually running the world.
• 0:44
  Daniel Moore: Nations are moving, messengers are traveling, political powers are flexing, and everybody seems to have a plan.
• 0:51
  Daniel Moore: Meanwhile, God says in effect, I'll remain quiet and look on for my dwelling place.
• 0:57
  Daniel Moore: That's either incredibly comforting or mildly terrifying, depending on which side of God's purposes you happen to be standing on.
• 1:05
  Daniel Moore: And that may be the big lesson of Isaiah 18.
• 1:08
  Daniel Moore: God's silence should never be mistaken for God's absence.
• 1:11
  Daniel Moore: While human beings are scrambling, strategizing, negotiating, and probably holding the ancient equivalent of emergency cabinet meetings, God isn't pacing the floor of heaven wondering how this is all going to turn out.
• 1:23
  Daniel Moore: He knows exactly when to act.
• 1:25
  Daniel Moore: And when he does, the nations quickly discover that they were never the ones controlling history in the first place.
• 1:32
  Daniel Moore: So this week, we're heading into Isaiah 18, a short, strange, fascinating chapter that reminds us that when the world looks chaotic, heaven is not.
• 1:42
  Daniel Moore: Let's get to it.
• 1:48
  Daniel Moore: Welcome to Connecting the Gap.
• 1:50
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  Daniel Moore: I'm Datamore host.
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  Daniel Moore: Well, this week we're going to be kicking off a brand new chapter as we're going to be into chapter 18 as we continue our verse-by-verse study through the book of Isaiah.
• 2:30
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• 3:09
  Daniel Moore: Well, this week, as I said, we're going to go ahead and jump into this.
• 3:12
  Daniel Moore: It's a short chapter, but it's packed with lots of pretty cool good things.
• 3:16
  Daniel Moore: We're going to go ahead and get into it.
• 3:18
  Daniel Moore: So grab your Bibles, your paper pen, and maybe a cup of coffee, and let's go ahead and start digging into Isaiah chapter 18.
• 3:54
  Daniel Moore: Addressed to a distant land beyond the rivers of Cush, this oracle speaks of messengers, swift boats, and a nation feared far and wide.
• 4:03
  Daniel Moore: The chapter's vivid, poetic imagery to convey God's perspective on world affairs, showing that while nations may act with urgency and ambition, it is ultimately God who observes and determines the course of history.
• 4:18
  Daniel Moore: Isaiah's message serves as a reminder that divine judgment and salvation operate on a timeline beyond human control, and that all nations, no matter how powerful or distant, are within God's sovereign reach.
• 4:32
  Daniel Moore: So to get started this week, let's go ahead and read our text that we're going to be covering.
• 4:37
  Daniel Moore: And we're going to read Isaiah chapter 18 from the ESV version of the Bible.
• 4:43
  Daniel Moore: 18 verse 1.
• 4:45
  Daniel Moore: Ah, land of whirring wings that is beyond the rivers of Cush, which sends ambassadors by the sea in vessels of papyrus on the waters.
• 4:55
  Daniel Moore: Go you swift messengers to a nation tall and smooth, to a people feared near and far, a nation mighty and conquering, whose land the rivers divide.
• 5:07
  Daniel Moore: All you inhabitants of the world, you who dwell in the earth when a signal is raised on the mountain, look.
• 5:12
  Daniel Moore: When a trumpet is blown, hear.
• 5:15
  Daniel Moore: For thus the Lord said to me, I will quietly look for my dwelling, like clear heat and sunshine, like a cloud of dew in the heat of harvest.
• 5:25
  Daniel Moore: For before the harvest when the blossom is over and the flower becomes a ripening grape, he cuts off the shoots with pruning hooks, and the spreading branches he lops off and clears away.
• 5:37
  Daniel Moore: They shall all of them be left to the birds of prey of the mountains and to the beast of the earth.
• 5:42
  Daniel Moore: And the birds of prey will summer on them, and all the beasts of the earth will winter on them.
• 5:49
  Daniel Moore: Verse 7 At that time tribute will be brought to the Lord of hosts, from a people tall and smooth, from a people feared near and far, a nation mighty and conquering, whose land the rivers divide, to Mount Zion, the place of the name of the Lord of hosts.
• 6:06
  Daniel Moore: That's chapter 18 in Isaiah from the ESV version of the Bible.
• 6:14
  Daniel Moore: So as we get started this week, we're going to begin with what we're going to call the Lord's message to Cush.
• 6:21
  Daniel Moore: 18 verse 1.
• 6:28
  Daniel Moore: Well, as we open up here, you've seen this word before.
• 6:31
  Daniel Moore: The opening word aw, which is Hebrew hoy, can be rendered as an expression of lament, woe, or attention.
• 6:40
  Daniel Moore: Isaiah begins by addressing a distant land described as being beyond the rivers of Cush.
• 6:46
  Daniel Moore: Cush typically refers to the region south of Egypt, commonly associated with ancient Nubia or modern-day Sedan in Ethiopia.
• 6:55
  Daniel Moore: The phrase wearing wings may refer to the sound of insects like locust, or possibly the abundance of wildlife, particularly insects prevalent near rivers and wetlands, or even as a metaphor for the bustling activity and urgency of that land's emissaries.
• 7:14
  Daniel Moore: Some commentaries, including the Jewish historian Josephus and many modern scholars, identify the land of whirring wings as a poetic description of Cush or Ethiopia, suggesting a vibrant and expansive land far from Judah, known for its active diplomatic movements.
• 7:32
  Daniel Moore: John Calvin interprets the phrase to reflect the busy and meddlesome nature of the nation being described.
• 7:41
  Daniel Moore: Verse 2, which sends ambassadors by the sea and vessels of papyrus on the waters.
• 7:47
  Daniel Moore: Go, you swift messengers, to a nation tall and smooth, to a people near and far, a nation mighty and conquering, whose land the rivers divide.
• 7:58
  Daniel Moore: This verse speaks of a diplomatic delegation sent from Cush, described as travelling by the sea, or more accurately, via the Nile, and as tributaries and vessels of Papyrus.
• 8:10
  Daniel Moore: Papyrus boats were typical of Egypt and surrounding regions.
• 8:14
  Daniel Moore: The Cushites are depicted as proactive and seeking alliances, possibly trying to court Judah to form an alliance against the rising Assyrian power.
• 8:24
  Daniel Moore: The people are described as tall and smooth, references that relate to the physical appearance often attributed to Ethiopians by ancient writers.
• 8:33
  Daniel Moore: Herodotus, among others, referred to Ethiopians or Cushites as tall and handsome.
• 8:40
  Daniel Moore: Feared near and far, and mighty in conquering, emphasized their historical strength and prestige in the region.
• 8:47
  Daniel Moore: This description might refer to the 25th dynasty of Egypt, which was of Cushite origin.
• 8:54
  Daniel Moore: King Pianchi and other Nubian rulers had conquered parts of Egypt and were seeking to expand or secure their dominion, possibly through their involvement with kingdoms like Judah against the Assyrian threat.
• 9:07
  Daniel Moore: As we move on to verse three in chapter 18, all of you inhabitants of the world, you who dwell on the earth, when a signal is raised on the mountains, look.
• 9:16
  Daniel Moore: When a trumpet is blown, hear.
• 9:20
  Daniel Moore: So now Isaiah, he turns from addressing Cush to all people, a universal audience.
• 9:26
  Daniel Moore: This verse reads like a divine proclamation.
• 9:29
  Daniel Moore: The signal raised on the mountains, and the trumpet symbolize God's intervention or the beginning of significant events orchestrated by him.
• 9:39
  Daniel Moore: In prophetic literature, such imagery often indicates a call to witness God's actions in history.
• 9:46
  Daniel Moore: Many scholars understand this as an encouragement for all nations to pay attention to what God is about to do.
• 9:53
  Daniel Moore: The possible military backdrop, a trumpet often signals war divine judgment, underscores the seriousness of the events to come.
• 10:02
  Daniel Moore: The implication is that rather than trusting in their political maneuvers, nations should watch how God fulfills his purposes.
• 10:09
  Daniel Moore: In verse 4, for thus the Lord said to me, I will quietly look for my dwelling like clear heat and sunshine, like a cloud of dew in the heat of harvest.
• 10:20
  Daniel Moore: So God responds with a striking image of call and restraint.
• 10:24
  Daniel Moore: I will quietly look for my dwelling, reflects that the Lord is not hurried or panicked by the political schemes of nations.
• 10:32
  Daniel Moore: Though the Cushites are busy and active, God is steady and watchful.
• 10:36
  Daniel Moore: The metaphors of heat and dew reflect the idea of hidden energy or quiet judgment.
• 10:42
  Daniel Moore: Clear heat and sunshine suggests something unnoticed but powerful.
• 10:46
  Daniel Moore: While dew in the heat of harvest indicates gentle but effective nourishment at a critical time.
• 10:53
  Daniel Moore: This verse stands in contrast to the bustling diplomatic activity of verses one and two.
• 10:59
  Daniel Moore: While human powers rush to form alliances and deploy emissaries, God waits patiently, stating that his action will come neither early nor late, but at the proper time according to his divine plan.
• 11:12
  Daniel Moore: Matthew Henry notes that God's judgment is not always immediate, but is always just and perfectly timed.
• 11:20
  Daniel Moore: So as we summarize the first four verses here of chapter 18, they offer a prophetic glimpse into God's sovereign dealing with nations, especially Cush or Ethiopia, during a time of geopolitical tension involving Assyria.
• 11:33
  Daniel Moore: The Cushites are portrayed as active and influential, sending messengers to smaller states like Judah.
• 11:40
  Daniel Moore: But God calls all people to look not at schemes or power, but at his quiet, sovereign oversight.
• 11:46
  Daniel Moore: He reminds the people that divine intervention does not occur in human timing, but follows the rhythm of divine wisdom.
• 11:54
  Daniel Moore: As you move on to the final verses here, verse 5 For before the harvest, when the blossom is over and the flower becomes a ripening grape, he cuts off the shoots with pruning hooks, and the spreading branches he lops off and clears away.
• 12:10
  Daniel Moore: This verse uses agricultural imagery, as we've seen several times before in Isaiah, to convey impending divine judgment.
• 12:17
  Daniel Moore: The timing described before the harvest, and at the moment when the blossoms become ripening grapes, reveals that God intervenes at the critical moment when plans seem nearly fulfilled.
• 12:29
  Daniel Moore: Just as a farmer might prune a vine to regulate future growth or cut away unnecessary branches, God will disrupt the preparations and ambitions of nations prematurely.
• 12:40
  Daniel Moore: Historically, this could point to the military ambitions of Cush or Ethiopia and other regional powers potentially forming coalitions to resist Assyria.
• 12:50
  Daniel Moore: Their efforts, however, will be cut off suddenly by divine judgment.
• 12:54
  Daniel Moore: Many scholars, including those from Kiln DeLich commentary, emphasize the idea here is not punishment in a vindictive sense, but the nullifying of human plans that operate independently of God's will.
• 13:07
  Daniel Moore: Alec Mother notes that this intervention is precise and deliberate, showing that God watches over world affairs and acts, not randomly, but with purpose, when it fits his larger redemptive plan.
• 13:21
  Daniel Moore: As we move to verse six, they shall all of them be left to the birds of prey of the mountains and to the beast of the earth, and the birds of prey will summer on them, and all the beasts of the earth will winter on them.
• 13:34
  Daniel Moore: This verse describes the aftermath of divine action, a devastating judgment leaving enemies decimated.
• 13:42
  Daniel Moore: The imagery evokes a battlefield so full of corpses that scavengers, both birds and beasts, feast for an extended duration through summer and winter.
• 13:52
  Daniel Moore: The kind of scene would be familiar in the ancient Near East following large-scale military defeats.
• 13:58
  Daniel Moore: The comprehensive seasonal description implies the thoroughness of the destruction.
• 14:03
  Daniel Moore: Historically, some connect this with the Assyrian campaigns in the region, particularly the failed attempt of Sennacherib against Jerusalem in Isaiah 37, where the angel of the Lord struck down 185,000 Assyrian soldiers.
• 14:17
  Daniel Moore: Though the events in Isaiah 18 are more general and poetic, the text clearly depicts a large-scale downfall of a proud people or coalition, possibly Cush or any group aligned against God's purposes.
• 14:30
  Daniel Moore: The Geneva Study Bible comments that this is a typical example of how God allows the proud to be consumed by their undoing, while he uses even their downfall to display his justice and power.
• 14:44
  Daniel Moore: And the final verse here in chapter 18, verse 7 At that time tribute will be brought to the Lord of hosts from a people tall and smooth, from a group feared near and far, a nation mighty and conquering, whose land the rivers divide, to Mount Zion, the place of the name of the Lord of hosts.
• 15:04
  Daniel Moore: So the chapter here concludes with a significant shift.
• 15:08
  Daniel Moore: After the judgment, those same people described earlier, tall and smooth, feared and mighty, clearly referring to the people of Cush, will humbly bring tribute to the Lord to Mount Zion.
• 15:20
  Daniel Moore: This can be seen as a symbolic gesture of submission, a recognition of God's sovereignty.
• 15:26
  Daniel Moore: Rather than continuing in pride, the nation turns in homage to the true God.
• 15:31
  Daniel Moore: This kind of eschatological vision is common in Isaiah.
• 15:35
  Daniel Moore: It anticipates a future day when even formerly proud or hostile nations will come to acknowledge the Lord's greatness.
• 15:42
  Daniel Moore: Passages such as Isaiah 2, verses 2 through 4 and Isaiah 60 carry similar themes where the nations come streaming to Zion with offerings.
• 15:52
  Daniel Moore: Historically, this may refer to the aftermath of Assyria's failure and the growing reverence for the God of Israel among neighboring nations, such as described in 2 Chronicles 32, 23, where many brought gifts to the Lord and to Hezekiah after the Assyrian defeat.
• 16:09
  Daniel Moore: Alec Mother sees this as an example of mission through judgment, where God's work in history draws the nations to himself.
• 16:17
  Daniel Moore: Matthew Henry also notes that God's power leads not only to fear, but to conversion.
• 16:23
  Daniel Moore: Enemies become worshipers.
• 16:26
  Daniel Moore: To summarize these final three verses, God describes God's timely and decisive intervention in the affairs of nations.
• 16:34
  Daniel Moore: In verse 5, he is portrayed as cutting down a vine just before harvest, symbolizing the sudden end of the proud nation's plans before they come to fruition.
• 16:43
  Daniel Moore: In verse 6, the destruction is so thorough that the dead are left for food and for birds and wild animals throughout the seasons, emphasizing the completeness of God's judgment.
• 16:54
  Daniel Moore: However, verse 7 ends with hope, as the once mighty nation humbly brings tribute to the Lord at Mount Zion, showing that God's ultimate purpose is not only judgment, but also redemption and acknowledgement of his sovereignty by all nations.
• 17:41
  Daniel Moore: So to come to the conclusion of chapter 18 for this week's study here on our verse-by-verse study in Isaiah, don't forget to visit our website at connectingthegap.net.
• 17:49
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• 18:02
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• 18:24
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• 19:25
  Daniel Moore: Well, we'll go ahead and wrap up this week and finish up chapter 18.
• 19:30
  Daniel Moore: Isaiah 18 is a brief but powerful prophetic message centered around the nation of Cush, often associated with ancient Ethiopia or Nubia.
• 19:39
  Daniel Moore: The chapter opens by describing the land as distant, full of movement and activity, sending out swift messengers and engaging in diplomatic efforts during a time of political instability in the ancient Near East.
• 19:52
  Daniel Moore: As this powerful nation seeks alliances, possibly to resist the growing threat of the Assyrian Empire, God issues a word of judgment and revelation through Isaiah.
• 20:03
  Daniel Moore: The message of the chapter is that while nations and leaders may act urgently in fear or ambition, trying to secure their future through political and military alliances, God purposes remain sovereign over all human plans.
• 20:16
  Daniel Moore: He is neither hurried nor threatened by world events.
• 20:20
  Daniel Moore: Instead, he watches from his heavenly throne, intervening at precisely the right time.
• 20:25
  Daniel Moore: He disrupts human schemes at the peak of their development, symbolized by the cutting down of the vine just before the harvest.
• 20:34
  Daniel Moore: This imagery reminds us that God is in control, even when it seems like nations or individuals are building towards success apart from him.
• 20:43
  Daniel Moore: And after judgment, there is hope.
• 20:45
  Daniel Moore: The chapter ends by describing the once proud nation bringing tribute to the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem.
• 20:52
  Daniel Moore: This indicates a future time when even distant and mighty peoples will acknowledge the glory of the God of Israel.
• 20:59
  Daniel Moore: It suggests that God's goal is not just judgment, but redemption, turning the hearts of the nations toward Himself.
• 21:07
  Daniel Moore: And as always, how can we apply this to our life today?
• 21:10
  Daniel Moore: We're gonna go ahead and take a look at that.
• 21:12
  Daniel Moore: First of all, God is sovereign over all nations.
• 21:16
  Daniel Moore: No matter how powerful a country is or how active its leaders may be in shaping world events, God remains the ultimate authority.
• 21:24
  Daniel Moore: He oversees the rise and fall of nations.
• 21:27
  Daniel Moore: Secondly, human plans cannot override God's purposes.
• 21:32
  Daniel Moore: Like the Kushites, who attempt alliances for safety and power, modern individuals and governments can be tempted to rely on their own wisdom, resources, or strategies.
• 21:43
  Daniel Moore: This chapter reminds us that security, peace, and success ultimately come from trusting in God's timing and direction.
• 21:51
  Daniel Moore: Thirdly, God sees and waits patiently to act.
• 21:55
  Daniel Moore: His timing is often different than ours.
• 21:58
  Daniel Moore: He allows events to unfold to their appointed time, intervening not too early or not too late, but precisely when it serves his greater plan.
• 22:09
  Daniel Moore: Verse 4, God's judgment is purposeful and restorative.
• 22:13
  Daniel Moore: Even when he confronts nations and people with consequences, his end goal is not destruction, but invitation, to draw people into worship, submission, and relationship with Him.
• 22:26
  Daniel Moore: And the fifth thing we can take from chapter 18, salvation is for all nations.
• 22:32
  Daniel Moore: Isaiah 18 ends with the unexpected.
• 22:35
  Daniel Moore: Those who seem distant and even opposed to God's people eventually come to bring tribute and worship.
• 22:41
  Daniel Moore: This aligns with the biblical theme that God desires people from every nation and culture to know Him.
• 22:48
  Daniel Moore: So for us today, whether we hold leadership roles, face personal uncertainties, or observe global unrest, Isaiah 18 challenges us to avoid panic or self-reliance.
• 23:00
  Daniel Moore: Instead, we are called to trust in God's quiet sovereignty and his plan for redemption.
• 23:06
  Daniel Moore: He is at work behind the scenes, and in the end, all nations will know that he alone is God.
• 23:16
  Daniel Moore: Well, that's going to do it for this week.
• 23:18
  Daniel Moore: And don't forget that you can visit our website, connectingthegap.net.
• 23:21
  Daniel Moore: Please reach out to us with the form.
• 23:23
  Daniel Moore: We'd love to hear from you guys and see how you're enjoying this study here as we go through Isaiah verse by verse.
• 23:30
  Daniel Moore: Well, as we go, we believe that God's word never fails us.
• 23:34
  Daniel Moore: God's word has stood the test of time, and through Jesus' death on the cross, he has connected the gap.
• 23:39
  Daniel Moore: This episode was recorded in the upper room at our Connecting the Gap Studios.
• 23:43
  Daniel Moore: This is an extension of Connecting the Gap Ministries, and we pray that you have a blessed week.