Isaiah 30:1-2

It is a very simple message today, and one that is reinforced many times throughout Isaiah so far (and more than likely in the rest of the book).

‘“Woe to the rebellious children,” says the LORD,
“Who take counsel, but not of Me,
And who devise plans, but not of My Spirit,
That they may add sin to sin;
Who walk to go down into Egypt,
To strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh,
And to trust in the shadow of Egypt!’ (Isaiah 30:1-2)

God is once again, through Isaiah, accusing Israel of relying on alliances with nations that did not follow Him. In particular, Egypt.

In the rest of the chapter it goes on to say that the Israelites are ‘Lying children’ (verse 9), rebellious, and that God will judge them for that. However, it also goes on to say that God will be gracious and that in a time to come they shall ‘weep no more’ (verse 19), and they shall live in Zion. Further on in the chapter also is a judgment against Assyria, where God is expressed as mighty and angry.

However, coming back to the first verses, we see God’s indignation at Israel’s refusal to look to God for advice or solutions. They look to Egypt for alliances, which shows that they trust human strength more than they trust the omnipotence of God! It sounds like a silly thing to do when stated like that, but it is often true of us.

Often Egypt is used as a symbol of the world in contemporary applications. When Israel escaped from Egypt in the Exodus to return to the promised land, it is like us, escaping from the world, and on our journey through this life to heaven. In this case, it is like us, looking to the world for solutions. Why look to God for answers, when science can tell you? Why trust in God for advice when you ask a psychologist? Why pray when you could be doing something about it yourself? Why ask God about which car to buy when He obviously isn’t interested in cars? You see how easy it is to forget God, and trust in the world’s devices and wisdom? We forget often how powerful and caring our God is.

Today, let us look to God in every single thing we do.