Isaiah 19:1-25

God has a way of turning hurts into hopes.  The circumstances of this sin cursed world will often bring us to a point of hurting and pain but God is able to take those hurts and pains and turn them into blessings if we turn to the Lord in our times of need.  Isaiah speaks of a time of destruction and defeat for the nation of Egypt, but he follows that up with a prophecy of Egypt, Assyria and Israel all turning to the Lord and enjoying peace with one another and with God.  Sin brings painful consequences but if those consequences can be used to motivate us to turn to the Lord, the final result will be better than our original condition.

ISAIAH FORETELLS THE DESOLATION OF EGYPT: Sin will destroy a nation.  Not only does it bring pain and destruction to the individual sinner, it will bring a nation to its knees.  Isaiah prophesies of a day where the leadership of Egypt will be corrupt and ruthless, the result of which will cause a civil war in which the people will self-destruct.  If that were not bad enough, there will be a severe drought at this same time causing the Nile River, the life blood of the nation, to dry up so that the banks become useless and even the fish in the river will die.  All of the wise men and religious leaders will be confused and their advice will be worthless.  The nation will find itself in inner turmoil, poverty and without leadership.  That is a recipe for destruction and the nation will be left in desolation.  God will often work in our own lives to bring us to the point of desperation because when we are in this state we are most likely to turn to the Lord which is our only source of hope.


ISAIAH FORETELLS THE SALVATION OF EGYPT: God is at work in the nations and in the lives of men to turn them to Himself so that they can find hope and help in Him.  Egypt, Assyria and Israel are nations that have historically been at war with one another and lived in rebellion against God.  However, God’s judgment on these nations will cause them to humble themselves and turn to the Lord.  This repentance and trust in the Lord will bring these nations to the point of experiencing peace with one another and peace with God as well.  God has a way of taking sin and evil and working those things for His glory and for our eternal good.  It is God’s greatest desire to save the nations.  He will use any means necessary to gain their attention and convince them to turn to Him.  That which is true in the nations is also true in the lives of every individual.  God loves us and wants us to repent and turn to Him.  He will use judgment in our lives in order to convince us that we need Him.

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