Isaiah 19:5-15 – God is ever near and ready to help

Egypt’s disaster was not just confined to what was described in Isaiah 19:1-4. It was further described in verses 5-19. Isaiah continued to tell them the depth of what would come upon them. He already told them that their gods would be judged. He then continues to tell them that their economy would be severely affected in the judgment too. The Nile, the main source of income for fishermen, would dry up. Apart from the fishermen,  people whose livelihood depended on water from the Nile would be greatly disturbed too. The water of the Nile could no longer irrigate their fields. Their dependence on the water would affect the supply of flax to weave their linens. Hence the manufacturer of cloth would be in great despair. Their economy would be greatly impacted by the situation in the Nile. Here the implication is obvious. God controls the Nile. The gods that claimed to have authority over it could not do a thing about it.  

Verses 11-15 then went on to describe how Egypt was duped and misled by their own princes and supposed wise men. Zoan was once the capital of Egypt where their princes surrounded by their sages resided. Mockingly, Isaiah told the leaders and wise men,  pointing out their stupidity. How could they be wise when they could not even detect or understand the purpose God had for Egypt. Both the leadership whether from Zoan or Memphis were foolish and clueless on what God was doing. They were touted to be the pillars of Egypt but were leading the country astray. They were creating great confusion for the nation. And there was nothing they could do about it because unlike God, they were not in control.  

 

Though these words were not written about us, they were written for us. Isaiah 19:1-15 described the judgment of God coming to Egypt in three directions. Firstly in verses 1-4, he said that the gods of Egypt would be judged. Secondly, in verses 5-9, he showed how their economy would be judged; and finally, in verses 10-15, he described how their leadership would be judged. God was telling them that just as Assyria was of no help to them, neither would Egypt. How could Egypt help them when they themselves were subjected to God’s judgments? How could they when their own gods could not, and their economy and leadership were all subjected to God’s judgment? The only trustworthy person they could turn to, yet they would not. Isn’t it much like us? Here’s a lesson for us. Don’t waste time seeking solutions to your life’s problem anywhere else but God. He is ever near and ready to see us through any crisis.