Today's Reading:

Isaiah 18
Isaiah 19
Isaiah 20
Isaiah 21
Isaiah 22

Isaiah gave the woe to Cush, which was ancient Ethiopia. In the Bible, “Ethiopia” is usually the translation for Cush. This referred to the ancient Kingdom of Cush/Nubia, located south of Egypt along the Nile River (modern Sudan) and the southern edge of Egypt (not the modern country of Ethiopia, which is farther south in the Horn of Africa).

Cush was the son of Ham and grandson of Noah. His descendants became known as the Cushites. Nimrod was one of his sons, famous for building cities in Mesopotamia. The original early settlements started near Arabia, including the cities Seba, Raamah, and Sheba (modern Yemen area). They moved west/southwest to areas around the Red Sea towards the eastern coast of Africa (Horn of Africa) and inland up the Nile to the Nubian region (just south of Egypt). These moves happened over the years after the Flood and the destruction of Babel. Some Cushite groups stayed in Arabia (2 Chronicles 21:16). The Bible’s “river of Cush” in Isaiah 18:1 likely refers to the Nile that divided the land and where the papyrus boats moved along the river.

Scripture also recorded the Cushites in a positive note. The Ethiopian eunuch in Acts 8 is a descendant of this line, and one of the earliest recorded Gentile converts. God’s plan includes every people group, from the “ends of the earth.” Long before Christianity took root across most of Europe, the ancient kingdom of Cush (Biblical Ethiopia) had heard the good news through the Ethiopian eunuch, and they became one of the earliest Christian nations with Scripture translated into their own language. This was a fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy that Cush would one day bring gifts to the Lord on Mount Zion. While the exact canon varies among Christian groups (Protestant, Catholic, Ethiopian), the core message of salvation through Jesus remains the same.

From the papyrus boats of Cush in Isaiah 18 to the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts 8, God was drawing the nations to Himself long ago. Did you know biblical Ethiopia (Cush) received the Gospel earlier than most of Europe? How does this encourage your faith today?

Continuing with the prophecies against the neighboring nations, Isaiah prophesied that one day Cush would bring tributes to Yahweh and acknowledge His supreme authority. The people of Cush were feared, aggressive, and had a strange language. God would stay quiet in the background and watch until the trumpet sounded. He is in control of pruning (judgment). The Cushites would fly up and down the river on boats made of reed like buzzing insects (whirring wings).

Isaiah continued with prophecies against Egypt in chapter 19. Remember, the Egyptians enslaved the Israelites for approximately 400 years. They only let them go when God brought the plagues and then finally the death of the firstborn. Isaiah said they would fight each other like a civil war and consult all the idols, mediums, and sorcerers. But God would hand them over to the king of Assyria, and there would be complete devastation to the land where the drought would allow nothing to survive. As the rivers dried up and fields were parched, all of those who worked for a paycheck would grieve. The Nile River was their lifeline.

The leaders in Egypt and the “wise” counselors were fools. They would stagger in their own vomit as if drunk (19:14), a metaphor for their national policy. God would send a spirit of confusion into the nation, and the leaders would be disoriented and helpless. No one in Egypt, from the highest leader to the lowest worker, could accomplish or do anything useful. The Egyptians, who built the pyramids, had famous wisdom, magicians, and a strong government, which would crumble and be humbled by the Lord.

Hope comes “In that day,” when five Egyptian cities would swear allegiance to the Lord, build an altar and pillar to Him, and turn to Him for healing when He strikes them with plagues. The highway would unite those hostile nations together in joint worship. God would then bless them: “Egypt my people, Assyria the work of My hands, and Israel My inheritance.” Christ would bring former enemies together, which was partially fulfilled in the church.

Chapter 20 combined both Cush and Egypt as the proof that tied the two earlier chapters together. They will both share the same humiliating fate under Assyria. This was a strong warning to Judah as they were tempted to make military alliances with Egypt and Cush against the Assyrian threat. Isaiah’s three years of marching barefoot and “naked” (only wearing a loincloth) was a sign telling them not to trust the superpowers of Cush and Egypt, as they too would be put to shame. Trusting foreign powers over God leads to exposure and shame.

Chapter 21 was the prophecy against Babylon. This was a preview of 539 BC when Persia conquered Babylon. Isaiah felt anguish over the vision. Babylon would be destroyed by a violent desert storm, and the people were not preparing for the battle. Instead, they were casually setting up a “party,” like a feast table that was set with food and drinks but was interrupted with the bad news that Babylon had fallen.

Edom, a neighboring country, asked the prophet (watchman) anxiously how much longer until night would be over? The answer was relief (morning) would be coming, but darkness (night) would return too. Meaning you can keep asking if you want, but come back later. The silence or stillness was a play on words. Edom (Esau’s descendants) was Israel’s rival, and received a warning called “Dumah” (meaning silence), which hinted at the death, where silence was coming. The watchmen’s job was to be on the walls of cities, and he would call out the time or if danger was coming. Edom asked how much longer the current troubles would be; the answer was there would be temporary relief but not for long. This was not very encouraging.

Arabia was known for their trade caravans. Instead of safe travels, they would be forced to camp in thorny bushes as they ran from invaders. Tema, the Arabian oasis, was told to help the refugees. Kedar, an Ishmaelite tribe (Genesis 25:13), was famous for their warriors, flocks, and wealth. Their glory would be wiped away quickly. This was most likely fulfilled with Assyria under Sennacherib in Isaiah’s time.

Chapter 22 turned to Jerusalem, God’s own people. Instead of mourning, they went to the rooftops to party while the leaders fled or were captured. Judah was unfaithful during the crisis, like the modern saying, “Keep calm and carry on,” having a barbecue on the roof. The Lord wanted their true repentance, but they were partying; therefore, the sin would not be atoned for. There was no hope for atonement in their lifetime.

God asked Shebna, who was carving out his own impressive tomb, why he was acting like he belonged in Jerusalem and who the royal tomb was being made for. He was showing off his status and arrogance during the threat of Jerusalem by Assyria. Beware, God would hurl you away. (The deluxe tomb was cute, but you are evicted!) God would call His servant Eliakim to take over. This is what a good leader should look like. All the glory of his family and every responsibility will hang on him. But even good leaders and

Today's Discussion question:

From the papyrus boats of Cush in Isaiah 18 to the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts 8, God was drawing the nations to Himself long ago. Did you know biblical Ethiopia (Cush) received the Gospel earlier than most of Europe? How does this encourage your faith today?

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