We continue Isaiah's prophecies regarding Egypt. He says that the princes are all fools, and that they have no wise men. The leaders have led the country astray, so that they stagger around like a "drunkard staggers around in his vomit." The Egyptians will tremble with fear of Judah. They will begin to pray to God because of their fear and He will send them a savior and defender and he will rescue them. Then the Egyptians will become the Lord's people and worship Him. They will worship the Lord along with the Assyrians and the Israelites.
When the Assyrian king Sargon told his army commanders to capture Ashdod, Isaiah heard the Lord tell him to take off his clothes and sandals and go around naked and barefoot for 3 years, so he did. Then the Lord explained that Isaiah was acting out the future of Egypt and Ethiopia, that they would be carried off naked and barefoot by the king of Assyria. Then the people living on the coast would know that there was no hope for them.
Isaiah prophesies about the fall of Babylonia, in the process he experiences physical pain and agony himself. He foretells of a watchtower being used to wait for news and is told, "Babylon has fallen!" There are also prophesies about Edom, Arabia and Kedar.
A prophecy about Jerusalem, concerning the Valley of Vision: Why are you celebrating? Drunks lie in your streets and your leaders ran away, but were brought back. Then Isaiah said for them to leave him alone to cry. The Lord had set up a time for the valley to be attacked by Elam and Kir and Judah was left defenseless. They trusted in the weapons they had made instead of trusting God. They fixed the broken wall of Jerusalem, but did not trust in the Lord. When this happened, Isaiah reminded them that the Lord told them to weep and mourn, but instead they partied saying, "Let's eat and drink! Tomorrow we may die." The Lord promised to not forgive them of this sin for as long as they lived. The Lord scolded a leader named Shebna for building a tomb where the royals are buried. Isaiah said, "He (the Lord) will roll you into a ball and throw you into a wide open country, where you will die and your chariots will be destroyed. You're a disgrace to those you serve." Then God told him he was going to have Eliakim take over his job. He will do the right things.
Isaiah prophesies about Tyre, that it will be destroyed and forgotten. (Tyre was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar in 572 B.C. Then it was rebuilt and captured by Alexander the Great in 332 B.C. Eventually true religion prevailed and Jesus visited there (Matthew 15:21) and so did Paul (Acts 21:3-6).)
We end today's passage with Isaiah's oracle about the devastation of the earth. The Lord is going to turn the earth into a desert and scatter those people who survive. Sooner or later everybody's bill comes due and God will collect! Because we the people break the everlasting covenant a curse will consume the earth, so the people are burned up and very few will be left. (Sweet dreams!)
Tomorrow read Isaiah 24:7-28:22
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