Isaiah 31:1-32:8.  When I read this I thought, “Not another warning about Egypt.  How many times can someone be warned about not making an alliance with Egypt?”  But then I realized how many times I have made the same mistake with in my relationship with God.  And I’ve never been under attack from a foreign army.  I suppose I have been attacked spiritually or in other ways that tempted me to wander from God.  Verse 2 says that God is “wise and will bring disaster.”  That may seem odd but sometimes it takes trouble for us to see how much trouble we are in.  Sometimes we call that kind of trouble a “wake up call”.  It’s a little taste of what’s in store if we don’t start doing things God’s way.  Proverbs 23:29-35 gives an example of someone who likes to drink alcohol.   Solomon warns not to be fooled by the pretty red sparkling drink.  If you fall in love with alcohol in the end you will find out it is like being bitten by a viper.  Don’t know what that is like but I’m sure it’s not fun.  Or you will be like a person who falls asleep on heaving waves or in a crows nest on a mast.  It may sound fun but trust me it’s not, that part I do know about.  The dizzy feeling is very, very unpleasant and then you puke your guts up.  If that’s not a wake up call to stay away from alcohol I don’t know what is.  Some times it takes a little disaster to keep us from big trouble.  In that same verse the “evil doers” are the Israelites and so are the “workers of iniquity”.  Remember Isaiah started out this book by describing the people of Judah that way (Isaiah 1:13, 16-17).  The “helpers” are the Egyptians who Hezekiah, the king of Judah, paid and asked for help against Assyria.

In the following verse we see God compared to a lion that kills the prey and protects it.  We also see God compared to a bird hovering over something.  In Deuteronomy 32:11 there is a similar picture of God as an eagle protecting it’s young.  So in the verses in Isaiah we see God both punishing (to correct) and protecting the people of Jerusalem.

Isaiah encourages the people to return to God, to trust him rather than their own plans (v. 6).  There are two reasons to return to God.  First, a day is coming when everyone will realize that their idols are not really God.  So it makes sense to return to God now rather than to bow down to him on judgment day (Philippians 2:10; Pomans 14:10-11).  The second is that God will deal with Assyria directly.  The Assyrian place of security (the rock in v. 9) will disappear (maybe a reference to their strong king).  The other Assyrian leaders (princes) will be terrified by the standard of God when he attacks.  A standard was a flag carried by an army that identified the army, in this case the princes would realize they were being attacked by Yahweh (the LORD).  The fire and furnace probably refer to judgment and sacrifice to God.  In other words the Assyrian army will be a sacrifice to God at his place of worship in Jerusalem.  Again the people of Judah should be encouraged to return to God because he will deliver them.  He is the true place of security (2 Samuel 22:2; Psalms 18:2 and if anyone should know it was the warrior king of Israel, David).

In verse 7 “that day” probably has a double meaning.  It is talking about the day when the Assyrian army will be destroyed (that happened in 701 BC) and also is a reference to the final time of human history “the Day of the LORD” which we have talked about before (Maybe in the post on Isaiah 2:12).  Chapter 32 definitely is talking about that eventual end time kingdom of God.  In the end a king will rule on the “throne of David” (Isaiah 9:7 compare with the promise to David in 2 Samuel 7:8, 12, 16.  Although this had a partial fulfillment through Solomon, David’s son, there are parts of it that will only be fulfilled in a later descendant.).  this king will be assisted by fair helpers.  It will be a time of peace and security and goodness.  In contrast to the time of insecurity and siege which was coming.  The time of the new king would also be a time of rightness and fairness (as I mentioned above), a time in which people would hear and see the truth and also agree with it.  All of these changes contrast with the times in which Isaiah was living.  Times in which the people did not seem to see and hear God.  Times in which the king, Hezekiah, was advised by foolish noble men, and surrounded by the rich and famous who got that way by taking advantage of the poor (See Isaiah 1:21-23; 3:14-15).  The coming kingdom will not be that way.

In today’s reading we see more of the warning about not following God and more of the hope for following him.  God forgives repeatedly and in yet another warning against making a treaty with Egypt we see that.  It is awesome how relentless God is about getting our attention.  Sometimes people ask about people who have never heard about Jesus, how can God condemn them to Hell.  It is so clear from Isaiah so far that God hunts us down for the purpose of bringing us back to himself.  He never forces us to return but he does make sure we have a chance, chances.  Romans 1:18-23 makes it clear that every person who has ever lived has had a chance to admit God’s existence.  Like the people of Judah, though, we continue to go our own prideful way, but God keeps on calling to us.  Lord, help me listen to what you are saying.  Give me eyes to see and ears to hear what you want me to do today and every day.  Thank you for your persistence.  Thank you for your love.  Thank you for pursuing me.  Help me honor you and help me show you to others.