Latest / Tabernacle Talk - A Bible Study Podcast with Pastor Bryon Self / Isaiah 18-20 - God’s Judgment Against Egypt and a Pantsless Prophet

Transcript

Isaiah 18-20 - God’s Judgment Against Egypt and a Pantsless Prophet · Tabernacle Talk - A Bible Study Podcast with Pastor Bryon Self

0:00
Welcome to Tabernacle Talk. Tabernacle Talk is a Bible study
0:03
podcast brought from Tabernacle Baptist Church in Essex, MD.
0:07
I'm your host, Brian Self. We hope this podcast encourages
0:10
you to know Christ, grow in his word and show his love to
0:14
others. Let's dive right in.
0:15
Hey, welcome back to Tabernacle Talk.
0:17
Today we have a super interesting episode in the book
0:22
of Isaiah. We're going to be in chapters 18
0:25
through 20 and you might say, Oh, no, 3 chapters in the world.
0:30
Don't worry. Couple episodes ago I did like
0:33
an 11 minute episode. So I, I have it in me.
0:37
It just, if I, if I have less to say, then it's a shorter
0:41
episode, but really looking forward to this.
0:44
This is the reason that I'm doing chapters 18 to 20 is this
0:48
is all just one prophecy, one section of prophecy from the
0:53
prophet Isaiah against Egypt. Now Egypt was a powerhouse at
0:59
various times in the ancient Near East.
1:04
They at times got subdued by Syria, by Babylon, by Greece, I
1:12
think a little bit by Medo Persia.
1:15
But they were always kind of in the water.
1:17
And with their physical proximity to Israel, they were
1:22
often harassing, invading, engaging in trade at times with
1:28
the northern Kingdom of Israel and the southern Kingdom of
1:31
Judah. There was at times battles that
1:36
took place and Egypt even killed one of the kings of Judah during
1:42
one of those time periods. And one of those reigns King
1:45
Josiah. And so God has a message.
1:49
This is about hundred, 150 years before the southern Kingdom of
1:53
Judah would go into exile into Babylon.
1:57
And so God here has a message, has a prophecy against Egypt for
2:02
the way that Egypt treats its own citizens, for the way that
2:06
Egypt treats those nations around it.
2:09
And one of the older names for Egypt was the land of Cush.
2:14
And it has nothing to do with drug use or anything like that.
2:18
That was just kind of an older name that was used for it.
2:22
But let's begin reading. And Isaiah chapter 18 and verse
2:24
#1 Woe to the land of buzzing insect wings.
2:29
Beyond the rivers of Cush, which sends envoys by sea and Reed
2:34
vessels over the water, go swift messengers to a nation tall and
2:39
smooth skinned, to a people feared far and near, a powerful
2:44
nation with a strange language whose land is divided by rivers.
2:48
All you inhabitants of the world, and you who live on the
2:51
earth, when a banner is raised on the mountains, look.
2:55
When a ram's horn sounds, listen all right here there is invading
3:00
army speech is what is happening the ram's horn a people that is
3:06
feared far and near. Everyone needs to look at what
3:11
is coming, the woe, woe, the woe that is coming against Egypt.
3:18
Verse #4 For you always said to me, I will quietly look out from
3:21
my place like shimmering heat in sunshine, like a rain cloud, and
3:26
harvest heat. For before the harvest, when the
3:29
blossoming is over and the blossom becomes a ripening
3:32
grape, he will cut off the shoots with a pruning knife and
3:36
tear away and remove the branches.
3:39
They will all be left for the birds of the of prey on the
3:42
hills and for the wild animals of the land.
3:45
The birds of prey will spend the summer feeding on them and all
3:48
the wild animals the winter. At that time a gift will be
3:52
brought to the Yahweh of heaven's armies from a people
3:55
tall and smooth skinned, a people feared far and near, a
3:59
powerful nation with a strange language whose land is divided
4:02
by rivers to Mount Zion, the place of the name of Yahweh of
4:07
Heaven's armies. So Egypt is going to have this
4:09
invading force. It's going to come in a time
4:12
kind of pre. I don't know if it's speaking
4:15
here prophetically, as in here's the actual time span and it's
4:20
going to be before harvest is fully harvested, or if this is
4:25
poetically being stated, like, hey, just as everyone thinks, Oh
4:30
yeah, we're going to do great, we're going to be totally fine.
4:33
And then all the sudden, this devastation from a nearby nation
4:37
comes. This prophecy against Egypt
4:40
continues now in chapter 19 and verse #1A pronouncement
4:43
concerning Egypt. Look, Yahweh rides on a swift
4:47
cloud and is coming to Egypt, all right.
4:51
He himself is coming to Egypt. Part of me also knowing some of
4:57
the reading habits of some of the early, what's called the
5:00
Church Fathers. But it's like the pastors of the
5:03
first four or five centuries after Christ, if they did not
5:10
also think about Jesus and Mary and Joseph as they fled down to
5:16
Egypt. If they didn't also think of
5:18
this. Certainly Matthew as he reads
5:21
through I think it's Hosea 11 quotes that particular verse out
5:25
of Egypt. Have I called my son.
5:27
I bet that some theologians have also said, hey, as all Scripture
5:32
speaks to Jesus and the Holy Spirit, if you will, had Nuggets
5:38
of truth, truth hidden in all these different places, that
5:41
this could certainly be another one of those spots.
5:45
All right, so Yahweh himself is coming down to Egypt.
5:47
What's he going to do? Verse number, the second part of
5:51
verse one. Egypt's worthless idols will
5:53
tremble before him and Egypt will lose heart.
5:58
All right, what are we to make of this statement here?
6:00
Egypt's worthless idols will tremble before him.
6:05
I think I've talked about this a good bit on the podcast, but I I
6:09
just want to make sure in case I haven't.
6:12
When people talk about the gods of the nations, there is no
6:18
rival to Yahweh, God of Israel. There is no one like the one
6:24
true Triune, Godfather, Son and Spirit.
6:28
There's no one like Him. He alone is the Uncreated, the
6:33
Almighty, the All powerful, the One to whom everything else in
6:40
all of creation, seen and unseen, answers to only one true
6:46
God. There are other spiritual
6:49
beings. They are not what they would
6:52
purport themselves to be within mythology and various religions.
6:58
So we would believe from Scripture that at times both
7:03
angelic and demonic beings try to communicate with humanity.
7:11
Sometimes, you know, messages sent from God to humanity, like
7:16
the Angel Gabriel talking to Daniel or talking to Mary, the
7:23
mother of Jesus. Those are good messengers, good
7:28
angels. And there are times when demons
7:32
communicate with mankind in an attempt to get them to do wrong
7:38
and to sin and to be evil. There are spiritual beings all
7:46
over our world. We we are told that they are the
7:51
motivating impetus behind the nations of the world, so that
8:00
what is accomplished and carried out by human rulers also happens
8:04
to coincide with the will of demons, specifically moving
8:10
towards physical violence, sexual immorality, and financial
8:15
greed. Those are kind of the three big
8:18
things, and then idolatry is kind of wrapped up in all of
8:22
those things. Those are the main ways that
8:24
idolatry presents itself. Financial greed, physical
8:28
violence and sexual immorality. Not always all of them together.
8:33
At times in human history you do see all of those together.
8:36
It's uniquely like horrific and evil, especially with nations
8:40
back during this time. But that is what demons want.
8:46
It is against the law, nature and character of God himself.
8:52
And so they pursue anti God ways for the purpose of destroying
8:59
and damning humanity that they will have invited on themselves
9:04
the judgment of God. So here Egypt's worthless idols,
9:08
Egypt worshipped gods like Horus and Raw and Osiris and all of
9:15
those kinds of ones. There are not actual beings that
9:20
command, you know, death and you know, and I think it's Greek
9:26
mythology, the River Styx. And, you know, there's no
9:30
spiritual being raw that is commanding the sun or is on a
9:35
fiery chariot that pulls the the sun on its courses.
9:39
That part isn't real. There are genuine spiritual
9:43
beings that are that that would be moving and operating within
9:48
Egypt as there are in America and and every other nation on
9:53
earth. But when God comes to town, when
9:56
judgment time comes, judgment comes both for those spiritual
10:01
beings in those places that they are uprooted, that the rulers
10:06
that they are working with and operating with.
10:09
Again, as I've mentioned before, this is not a conscious thing.
10:12
It's not that someone has some sort of like seance or different
10:18
things to, to get specific instructions from demons.
10:22
It is, if you will, spiritual impressions and motivations.
10:26
It's huh. I feel like I should do this or
10:30
oh, man, yeah, I I just feel inspired.
10:32
Here is the bill that I should write or here is the action that
10:36
I should take. And while unbeknownst to the
10:39
person doing it, they just are operating based on, you know,
10:43
their own their own will. They're not hearing any voice or
10:48
seeing visions or something that tell them to do something.
10:51
They are accomplishing the the same goals that the demons have.
10:56
So when God comes in, the demons treble.
11:00
And so here, that's, that's what's in mind here.
11:03
Verse #2 God says I will provoke Egyptians against Egyptians.
11:08
Each will fight against his brother and each against his
11:11
friends, city against city, Kingdom against Kingdom.
11:15
Egypt's spirit will be disturbed within it and I will frustrate
11:18
its plans. Then they'll inquire of
11:21
worthless idols, ghosts, mediums, and spiritists.
11:26
Instead of turning to God. They will.
11:29
Even though Egypt has throughout the years seen God do some
11:32
awesome things, they're they're just looking to the occult.
11:36
They are looking to demonic beings instead of the one true
11:40
God. So verse four, I will hand over
11:42
Egypt to harsh masters and a strong king will rule it.
11:46
This is the declaration of Adonai Yahweh of Heaven's
11:51
armies. The water of the sea will be
11:54
dried up, and the river will be parched and dry.
11:57
The channels will stink, they'll dwindle, and Egypt's canals will
12:01
be parched. Reed and rush will wilt, the
12:05
reeds by the Nile by the mouth of the river, and all the
12:08
cultivated areas of the Nile will wither, blow away, and
12:12
vanish. Then the fishermen will mourn,
12:14
All those who cast hooks into the Nile will lament, and those
12:18
who spread Nets on the water will give up.
12:21
Those who work with flax will be dismayed.
12:24
Those combing it and weaving linen will turn pale.
12:27
Egypt's weavers will be dejected.
12:29
All her wage earners will be demoralized.
12:33
So here, God says I'm going to dry up the economy of Egypt.
12:39
This is not a this is not a literal statement.
12:43
This is a figurative statement that through the invading army
12:47
that would come against Egypt, there would be a drying up of
12:52
the economy of Egypt. Great demoralization that is
12:56
there as people find less and less work to be able to do less
13:01
and less things that they are catching being able to sell.
13:05
It is the divine judgment of God against a people that regularly
13:11
harmed and oppressed their own people and the peoples around
13:16
them that God cares how you treat those that are around you.
13:21
If God were to bring on you the ways that you have treated
13:27
others the way the ways that you are treating others even now, if
13:32
God treated you how you treat waitstaff, or if God treats you
13:37
the way that you treat your kid or your grandkid, would you be
13:42
happy with that turn of events? May we be careful.
13:45
We recognize from Galatians 6 whatever a person sews, that is
13:49
what they also will reap. Verse #11 of chapter 19.
13:54
The Princess of Zoan are complete fools.
13:58
Pharaoh's wisest advisors give stupid advice.
14:02
How can you say to Pharaoh I am one of the wise students of
14:07
Eastern kings? Where then are your wise men?
14:10
Let them tell you and reveal what Yahweh of Heaven's armies
14:14
has planned against Egypt. The Princess of Zohan have been
14:19
fools. The Princess of Memphis are
14:21
deceived. That's a town in Egypt that's
14:23
not in, sorry, one of the towns in Egypt that is not the town in
14:28
Tennessee. He says her tribal chieftains
14:30
have led Egypt astray. Yahweh is mixed within or a
14:34
spirit of confusion. The leaders have made Egypt
14:38
stagger in all she does as a drunkard staggers in his vomit.
14:42
No head or tail, poem or read will be able to do anything for
14:47
Egypt. There's going to be no like
14:50
counselors that are able to get Egypt out of the bind that God
14:54
himself is putting them into as a result of the judgment against
14:58
them. Verse 16.
14:59
On that day, Egypt will be like women again.
15:03
This is a different culture. The thought here is in a time of
15:09
warfare and battle invasion, you aren't sending out your women to
15:15
the front lines to fight against the invading horde.
15:17
So there is fear there. There's trepidation.
15:20
So on that day, Egypt will be like women.
15:22
They're they are trembling in fear because of the threatening
15:26
hand of Yahweh of Heaven's armies when he races it against
15:30
them. The land of Judah will terrify
15:32
Egypt. Whenever Judah is mentioned,
15:35
Egypt will tremble because of what Yahweh of Heaven's Armies
15:38
has planned against it. On that day, five cities in the
15:41
land of Egypt will speak the language of Canaan and swear
15:44
loyalty to Yahweh of Heaven's armies.
15:46
One of the cities will be called City of the Sun.
15:50
On that day there will be an altar to Yahweh in the center of
15:54
the land of Egypt and a pillar to Yahweh near her border.
15:58
It'll be a sign and witness to Yahweh of Heaven's armies in the
16:01
land of Egypt. When they cry out to Yahweh
16:03
because of their oppressors, He will send them a savior and
16:06
leader and He will rescue them. Yahweh will make himself known
16:11
to Egypt and Egypt will know Yahweh on that day.
16:14
They'll offer sacrifices and offerings.
16:16
They'll make vows to Yahweh and fulfill them.
16:19
Yahweh will strike Egypt, striking and healing.
16:22
Then they will turn to Yahweh and He will be receptive to
16:25
their prayers and heal them. On that day there will be a
16:28
highway from Egypt to Assyria. Assyria will go to Egypt, Egypt
16:32
to Assyria, and Egypt will worship with Assyria.
16:36
On that day, Israel will form a triple alliance with Egypt and
16:39
Assyria, a blessing within the land.
16:42
Yahweh of heaven's armies will bless them, saying Egypt my
16:45
people, Assyria my handiwork, and Israel my inheritance are
16:50
blessed. So here there was coming that
16:53
day in the millennial Kingdom with Christ on the throne, where
16:57
there was no longer the warfare between, you know, Egypt and
17:01
Assyria or kind of that area where there was also Babylon and
17:04
then later Persia. There's not going to be these
17:07
giant fights between superpowers.
17:11
Instead there is going to be unity there that is founded in
17:16
worship of the one true God and Jesus Yahweh sitting on the
17:21
throne will be the one that orchestrates this wonderful
17:24
highway like we read about in chapter 2 in that reign where
17:29
the worship of God is all around and where the nations are no
17:33
longer making war, but instead they are finding guidance and
17:36
wisdom and joy and help in God. What a cool thought that that
17:42
is. That God here says Egypt is my
17:45
people and Assyria is my handiwork.
17:49
That God is the God of all and the chosen people, if you will.
17:55
The chosen people of God are not just the Jewish people, but in
18:00
Christ. He is deserving of all the
18:03
nations of the world and we all belong ultimately to God and so
18:09
in that day, no matter what nation we are from, we belong to
18:14
God and we are his people, His ones that will inherit his
18:19
blessing. Verse sorry chapter 20 and verse
18:22
one. This only has 6 verses.
18:25
As we end this this portion of scripture now it's going into
18:31
history. So that was all prophecy that
18:34
Isaiah had and then now it enters into history in the year
18:38
that the chief commander sent by King Sargon of Assyria came to
18:43
Ashdod and attacked and captured it.
18:46
That's one of the cities that was a Philistine city in the
18:49
land of Israel and Judah during the time that Yahweh had spoken
18:53
through Isaiah, son of Amos saying go, take off your
18:57
sackcloth from your waist and remove the sandals from your
19:00
feet. And he did that going stripped
19:02
and barefoot. Yahweh said, as my servant
19:04
Isaiah has gone stripped and barefoot three years as a sign
19:09
and omen against Egypt and Kush. So the king of Assyria will lead
19:13
the captives of Egypt and the Exiles of Kush, young and old
19:17
alike, stripped and barefoot with bared buttocks to Egypt's
19:21
shame. Those who made Cush their hope
19:24
and Egypt their boast will be dismayed and ashamed.
19:27
And the inhabitants of this coastline will say on that day,
19:30
look, this is what has happened to those we relied on and fled
19:34
to for help to rescue us from the king of Assyria.
19:37
Now how will we escape? So this is part of the the
19:42
larger narrative of especially Israel and at times Judah
19:48
trusting in Egypt to rescue them and to keep them safe instead of
19:52
Yahweh. And so as a result of this, God
19:56
says Isaiah, I want you to take off your how does he phrase
20:04
this? He says take off the sackcloth
20:06
from your waist. So.
20:08
The thing that gives you privacy over your private parts?
20:14
Take that off. Take off the sandals from your
20:17
feet. You are going to go butt naked
20:20
and shoeless for three years as a sermon illustration to tell
20:28
Israel and to tell Judah. Do not trust in Judah.
20:33
Sorry. Do not trust in Egypt.
20:35
Do not make military alliances with Egypt.
20:39
Don't send Egypt money to protect you from Assyria.
20:42
God will protect you from Assyria.
20:45
Don't trust Egypt because the king of Egypt is going to be as
20:49
bare, butt naked and shoeless as I am right now and as I have
20:54
been for three years. This is a crazy illustration to
21:00
me. It would be vivid.
21:02
It'd be incredibly vivid. But I want to encourage you.
21:07
This is just so funny, guys. You know, especially at the end
21:10
of this episode, I forgot that that was there.
21:13
And so the reaction you're seeing or hearing is just my
21:17
true heartfelt laughter at the goofiness of this.
21:23
Put your trust in God. God is the one that will rescue.
21:27
God is the one that can restore. God is the one that can.
21:33
Anything that you would trust in someone or something else to
21:37
provide for you, look for it from God.
21:41
Now when God provides it through a person, through a program,
21:46
through a job, through an investment, wonderful, but like
21:50
recognize it as coming from the Lord.
21:55
Don't say, well, you know, I could pray about it or I could
21:58
do this. No, pray about it and then seek
22:01
for what the Lord would have you to do, relying on God's ability
22:07
to make a way where previously there was no way.
22:10
That does not mean that you go, OK, well, I have no money in the
22:13
bank. I'm just going to pray and I'm
22:14
going to ask God for it and I'm just going to assume that, you
22:18
know, $3000 is going to pop into my bank account.
22:21
That is not a wise way, but you can say, God, I'm going to be
22:26
searching for a job. I'm searching for work right
22:29
now, but I recognize that my efforts mean nothing without
22:34
you. So God, only have the people
22:36
call me back that you want me to be talking to as I'm putting in
22:40
these resumes. God, I'm relying on you to be
22:43
able to guide my steps and to open the doors that should be
22:47
walked through. Don't put your trust in Egypt if
22:50
you will nowadays. Don't put your ultimate trust in
22:56
America or America's military. Don't put your ultimate trust in
23:00
Israel's military or in NATO or in Russia or whatever else have
23:05
you. Don't put your trust in the
23:08
nation's. Put your trust in God.
23:11
He is the only one that will be consistent, that will be
23:14
faithful. He's the only one that can be
23:16
relied on. And if you don't believe me,
23:19
look at Isaiah's bare butt for three years tears and go.
23:24
I really think God is serious about us not putting trust in
23:29
anyone outside of Him. He will protect, He will take
23:33
care. And those that I currently think
23:36
are strong. God is saying every nation and
23:42
person in this world is nothing compared to Him.
23:47
So I should trust God, not man. That's why I'll Start Stop for
23:53
today. And I'm glad that God has not
23:55
asked me to give that particular sermon illustration.
23:59
What? What a day for what?
24:01
A three-year time period for Isaiah.
24:06
God bless and be thankful that Isaiah is not your prophet and
24:10
preacher today, or at the very least that God did not save any
24:15
pictures or videos from that time period.
24:18
God bless. Have a wonderful day.