For those who may wish to ‘study’ this chapter, the following simple resources are provided for you. Each passage has a four-Part approach to help you take in and think further about what you have read.

Passage: Isaiah 31:1-9

1 Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help,
    who rely on horses,
who trust in the multitude of their chariots
    and in the great strength of their horsemen,
but do not look to the Holy One of Israel,
    or seek help from the Lord.
2 Yet he too is wise and can bring disaster;
    he does not take back his words.
He will rise up against that wicked nation,
    against those who help evildoers.
3 But the Egyptians are mere mortals and not God;
    their horses are flesh and not spirit.
When the Lord stretches out his hand,
    those who help will stumble,
    those who are helped will fall;
    all will perish together.

4 This is what the Lord says to me:

‘As a lion growls,
    a great lion over its prey –
and though a whole band of shepherds
    is called together against it,
it is not frightened by their shouts
    or disturbed by their clamour –
so the Lord Almighty will come down
    to do battle on Mount Zion and on its heights.
5 Like birds hovering overhead,
    the Lord Almighty will shield Jerusalem;
he will shield it and deliver it,
    he will “pass over” it and will rescue it.’

6 Return, you Israelites, to the One you have so greatly revolted against. 7 For in that day every one of you will reject the idols of silver and gold your sinful hands have made.

8 ‘Assyria will fall by no human sword;
    a sword, not of mortals, will devour them.
They will flee before the sword
    and their young men will be put to forced labour.
9 Their stronghold will fall because of terror;
    at the sight of the battle standard their commanders will panic,’
declares the Lord,
    whose fire is in Zion,
    whose furnace is in Jerusalem.

A. Find Out

1. What were the two sides of the wrong? v.1
2. How are God and the Egyptians contrasted? v.2,3
3. To what is the Lord compared? v.4,5
4. What are Israel counselled to do? v.6,7
5. What will happen to Assyria? v.8,9   

B. Think:

1. What, implied in this chapter, is the reason Israel turns to Egypt?
2. But what is the problem with that?
3. What will the Lord do?

C. Comment:

In the beginning of the previous chapter (30:1-7) the word of the Lord derided putting trust in Egypt. This present ‘Woe’ reiterates the folly of that reliance on the strength and power of Egypt (v.1) and not on the Lord.

It is only at the end of this short chapter where we see the reference to the Lord dealing with Assyria (v.8,9) that we realise that their indications of war against Israel are the cause for Israel to look around to see who could help them against this enemy.

This folly of ignoring the Lord comes from unbelief, a belief that God cannot do anything for them and so the prophet reminds them that God is powerful and can rise up against evil-doers (v.2) and deal with them. The Egyptians are merely human beings (v.3a) and are limited in what they can do, whereas the Lord can bring them and their help to nought (v.3b)

The Lord gives two startlingly clear pictures of Himself. First He is like a lion who is not put off by the sounds of hubbub and so is not afraid of the noises from Assyria (v.4). He is also like a bird of prey hovering over Israel to protect it and rescue it from this ‘predator’ (v.5).

The call to Israel is therefore to return to the Lord (v.6) and lose all their idols (v.7), for the Lord is going to come against Assyria and will destroy them (v.8,9) for His holy fire resides in Jerusalem and will consume any who come against Israel.

D. Application:

1. When in difficulty, the temptation is to reason our way out.
2. Reliance upon the Lord is far better.