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“My adversaries taunt me, while they say to me continually, ‘Where is your God?‘” (Psalm 42:10)

It’s not a bad question, actually. From the adversaries’ point of view, that is. Where is God as darkened ideologies gather momentum, sweeping away the ancient landmarks of morality and civility? As Christians are increasingly targeted for arrest and nations posture on the edge of conflict?

In the answer to that question, we find hope and joy because it leads us to the inexhaustible grace of God.

God Speaks

Isaiah also lived in troubled times. Beyond his own morally declining nation, the two major world powers were Egypt and Assyria. They would soon be followed by the Babylonian empire. They each cast the shadow of bloodshed over his tiny Judean world, threatening to wipe out centuries of cultural and religious history. For the godly, it was a period of great perplexity.

In the midst of the of the fear and uncertainty, Yahweh raised His voice. In Isaiah chapter 19, His focus turned to Egypt. Section by section, the chapter reveals what awaited that global power at the hand of Yahweh.

There would be a total breakdown of social cohesion. (Isaiah 19:1-4) Division at every level.

“‘I will stir up Egyptian against Egyptian, brother will fight against brother, neighbour against neighbour, city against city, kingdom against kingdom… I will bring their plans to nothing.”

Next (verses 5-10), God outlines the complete collapse of Egypt’s economy. The Nile River, Egypt’s major natural resource, would fail. Everyone would be affected, whether fishermen or farmers, weavers or wage earners. Yahweh declared,

“All the wage earners will be sick at heart.”

There would be appalling political stupidity. (Isaiah 19:11-15)

“The officials of Zoan are nothing but fools; the wise counsellors of Pharaoh give senseless advice… Yahweh has poured into them a spirit of dizziness.”

Their remedies for the social and economic crises would be like the senseless ranting of drunkards, ineffective against the rising tide of chaos.

This would generate a collapse of national confidence. (Isaiah 19:16-17)

“The Egyptians will become weaklings. They will shudder with fear.”

Perhaps it’s not difficult to imagine you are reading a description of modern-day Australia and the West — social division, economic downgrade, and political folly. But what is most disturbing is the cause of Egypt’s decline: God was at work! Behind the social collapse, tanking economy, and political folly was the active hand of Yahweh.

Inexhaustible Grace

But what on earth was God doing? Where was it all heading? The longed-for answer comes in the final section of Chapter 19.

“When they (Egypt) cry out to the Lord because of their oppressors, He will send them a saviour and defender, and He will rescue them. So, the Lord will make himself known to the Egyptians… The Lord will strike Egypt with a plague; he will strike them and heal them. They will turn to the Lord, and He will respond to their pleas and heal them.”
(Isaiah 19:19-22)

You can see the great reversal. In the time of Moses, Israel cried out, and God sent a deliverer. Now it is Egypt’s turn, brought to desperation by the hard and heavy hand of Yahweh, so that they, like Israel, might cry out and be delivered.

Egypt’s decay was an act of God’s grace. God was leading Egypt towards a saviour. And as if that’s not enough,

“In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria. The Assyrians will go to Egypt and the Egyptians to Assyria. The Egyptians and Assyrians will worship together. In that day Israel will be the third, along with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing on the earth. The Lord Almighty will bless them, saying, ‘Blessed be Egypt my people, Assyria My handiwork, and Israel My inheritance.’” (Isaiah 19:23-25)

Incredible!

Foundational Perspectives

As we watch Western society rushing towards chaos and absurdity, we ought also to pause to imagine the hand of God at work. As with Egypt, the wounding of our Western nations may be the necessary prelude to the outpouring of His grace. We cannot presume, but we can rely on the unchangeable character of Yahweh.

From this, several foundational perspectives emerge.

One is joyful confidence that this world’s history and chaos are not outside the sovereign intentions of Yahweh. This can shift our praying away from asking God to stop whatever impinges on our quiet and harmonious life, and to thank God for the chaos, knowing He can (and will?) use the encroaching despair to draw people to Himself.

While for us as believers, “Though the fig tree does not bud, and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails… yet I will rejoice in the Lord.” That poem of Habakkuk 3 can become our poem, because God is at work.

The second issue is our need to concentrate on being conduits of grace. Jesus told us, “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who ill-treat you.” Four verbs that must characterise our way of life. Blessing and doing good must outweigh any angry tweets, tirades and campaigns. Our better campaigns will be those that actively seek to do good to those who vilify, oppress, and even persecute us. Then, we will be in step with God.

If we, as the people of Jesus, don’t love our enemies and do good to them, who will? It’s a tough call, but it is the way of Christ.

And third, to rejoice in what has already been done. What is described in Isaiah 19 as ancient enemies are reconciled to God and to each other, can only happen in Christ. It is at the cross that all dividing walls of hostility are torn down. It is at the cross that “Egypt, Assyria and Israel” become one equal worshipping community. They are not the only ones. They are symbolic of enemies from across the globe being reconciled. Isaiah’s “highway” (verse 23) leads to and from the cross.

Rejoice! Under the heavy hand of Yahweh — at times revealed in wars and famines and moral chaos — men and women from every tribe and nation have cried out, and He has sent them a saviour. Not every man, woman, and child in every nation. But men, women, and children from every nation, every ideology and every religion.

A closing prayer from the lips of Habakkuk,

Lord, I have heard of Your fame; I stand in awe of Your deeds, Lord.
Repeat them in our day, in our time make them known; in wrath remember mercy.

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Image of the Prophet Isaiah courtesy of Adobe.