What will the future be like for Egypt? Part Two
As I begin with Isaiah 19:1-25, I think it is necessary to point out some key background things about this passage:
- The passage can be broken neatly into two major sections. The first 15 verses deal directly with judgment written in the style of poetry, the last 10 verses are in written in prose and deal mostly with the Lord’s future blessing of Egypt. The main character speaking and subject of this chapter is the Lord God.
- The passage ultimately has not been fulfilled yet. It will be totally fulfilled during the time the Bible refers to as the Millennial Kingdom. The Millennial Kingdom takes place when the Lord Jesus Christ comes back to earth a second time (Zechariah 14:1-9; Acts 1:11; Revelation 19: 11-21), establishes His kingdom in Jerusalem (Isaiah 2:1-4), and rules the entire world for 1000 years (Revelation 20: 1-6).
Isaiah 19:1-4 deals with the LORD God speaking about a period of time in Egypt where there will be civil war that will be provoked by the Lord (verse 2) that will cause all Egyptians to be against each other. This civil war will be so extensive that every relationship from family to political will be effected (verse 2). The Egyptians during this time will seek for help in various ways, but in the end, are unable to escape God’s judgment. The conclusion to the civil war is a a harsh ruler will reign over them (verse 4). Egypt, a nation far from the saving knowledge of God of the Bible, will reap the fruits of its ungodliness and idol worship. Edward Young, in his classic commentary on Isaiah (Vol. 3) says this about this civil war that the Lord starts on page 15:
“True unity, we may learn from this passage, comes from the Lord; and when He sets a nation against itself, there can be no unity”
This is a vital lesson for all to learn! Only God brings peace and only those who have faith in Christ possess peace! Egypt has and will continue to experience these periods of unrest (since Isaiah wrote this prophecy under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Egypt has experienced many periods of unrest throughout history) until the day when Egypt will know the Lord God of the Bible. The lesson is true for all nations (and its people!), including America: if nations place their trust in anything but the Lord God of the Bible, there will be judgment upon that nation and unrest will certainly come!
Obadiah 1:15 “For the day of the LORD is near upon all the nations. As you have done, it shall be done to you; your deeds shall return on your own head.”
The application so far from these first four verses is found in Isaiah 55:6-11:
"Seek the LORD while he may be found; call upon him while he is near; 7 let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. 8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. 10 "For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, 11 so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.
Pastor Steve
Psalm 119:89
