In the first three verses of Isaiah 31, the prophet showed reasons why Judah should trust God and not Egypt in the face of Assyria’s threat. Unlike God, the Egyptians were mere men, and the horses were mere animals. Whereas their covenant God, being supernatural, had the final power and authority that none could withstand. So in verse 4, Isaiah revealed to the people of Judah what God showed him He would do and what would be the outcome.
The Almighty would be waging war on Mount Zion. Using the image of a lion or a young that growls over its prey, Isaiah showed that God would be as determined to guard over Jerusalem. Nothing could deter Him from what He was about to do. He would not be perturbed by noises coming from the shepherds that would try to deter Him. Then in verse 5, using the image of a mother bird, God was seen caring for His children. Like the mother bird which loves her young, God’s love for the people would be seen in His resolve to protect and deliver them from dangers. He would not allow them to be destroyed.
In the light of what God would do
for His people, Isaiah then called for them to repent and return to God in
verse 6. That would mean that they had to renounce their idolatry. God asserted
that in His dealings with them, all idols would be discarded anyway. Thus repentance
and discarding the idols would be a clear indication that they had chosen to trust
in God and His promises.
In the closing two verses of this
chapter, Isaiah showed how the Assyrians would fall by God’s sword. This was an
indication that their defeat would be the work of God. Isaiah even saw the whole
of Assyria in panic. The “rock” could mean the king, the strength of the army,
or even the idols the Assyrian trusted. They would all be in panic mode when God
dealt with them. Verse 9 tells us that on Zion and Jerusalem the enemy was
scheduled for destruction. They would meet their doom where God’s wrath would
be dished out to them.
Using the metaphor of a lion, God
is depicted here as strong and powerful and determined to protect His people. He
would come to their rescue in times of danger. Then in the image of a mother
bird, we see that God is not only loving but also caring. How privileged are His
children! God wants to protect us because He loves and cares for us. He does
expect us to repent if we have not trusted in Him fully. And if we truly trust
Him, we must abandon ourselves totally to Him and no longer rely on our own devices.
Trusting God is a transforming experience. Abandon all to Him and let Him deal
with your fear and hesitation. He is our refuge and strength and a very present
help in times of trouble!
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