S) "3 Now the Egyptians are men and not God,
And their horses are flesh and not spirit;
So the LORD will stretch out His hand,
And he who helps will stumble
And he who is helped will fall,
And all of them will come to an end together."
Isaiah 31:3 (NASB)
O) In the middle of laying out prophecy against Israel, Isaiah sort of paused to cut off a notion that would, no doubt, occur to his listeners. During the Exodus, there were a great many people who wanted to return to Egypt. Because following the LORD was proving difficult, they preferred to return to slavery. As the years went on, God's people would make a habit of seeking the aid of Egypt, or looking for refuge there. This was like the earliest form of Stockholm Syndrome, but on a massive scale. And so, while Isaiah is recording this prophecy against God's people, the LORD addresses what will surely come to the surface of their hearts: that Egypt is their solution, if not their salvation. Not only had the LORD already proven His supremacy over Egypt during the flight of His people, He repeatedly showed His willingness to fight physical fights on their behalf, against myriad armies and individuals alike. God had shown them time and time again, that the spiritual was more important, more powerful, than the physical.
A) There are a lot of verses, especially in the Old Testament, that warn against trusting in the help of man, or the power of man. There are many reminders to seek the LORD for aid, and to seek His perspective on the circumstances we face. With the verse above, though, I think things were drawn into a different focus: the end game. See, if I am looking to get help from men (i.e., not from God, not through Christians working for and through God), then what I'm really doing, is aligning myself with the world. I am, in a very real sense, making an alliance with people, apart from God. So, how could I expect my end to be any different from theirs? That is to say, if I am seeking worldly help, then I am actually seeking help from people who are against God, for all intents and purposes. In that light, I should expect that it does not please my Father God, that I am siding with His enemy, because I am (basically) failing to trust my Lord.
P) Father, You deserve all of my devotion. You deserve all of my trust. You have always been faithful, and I can read all about Your faithfulness throughout the Bible. But I don't even have to crack it open. I can plainly see Your faithfulness all over my own history. In light of all Your goodness, I should seek You alone in my time of need. Yet, I confess that my fears have been real, and I have failed to fully trust You. So, if not from the memory and certainty of Your faithfulness, let me place my hope in You alone, because in the end game, I know what happens to anyone who was not faithful to You. Discipline me, Lord. I know that can seem like a scary invitation. But I also know You bring about they best good when Your will is done, even if it hurts in the meantime. I trust You. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen.
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