The story of God’s relationship with Israel in Isaiah could be the story of his relationship with the whole world, throughout time. Israel was obstinate and willful; there were only a small number of people who heard what the prophets said and agreed with it. If there had been more people willing to comply with God’s will for their lives, they might have saved their nation from destruction.

God fought hard to prevent Judah from falling, but it was the individuals that made up the nation who failed to respond when God spoke. The same is true now; our nation is made up of individuals who choose everyday how they will respond to God. Their choices determine the direction of our nation.

Don’t Rely On Egypt

The Israelites wanted to form military alliances with other nations. It made sense because their mutual enemy was Assyria; they thought they would be stronger if they banded together, but God didn’t want his people to rely on anyone but him.

“‘Woe to the obstinate children,’ declares the Lord, ‘to those who carry out plans that are not mine, forming an alliance, but not by my Spirit, heaping sin on sin; who go down to Egypt without consulting me; who look for help to Pharaoh’s protection, to Egypt’s shade for refuge.’” Isaiah 30:1-2

God knew Egypt better than Judah did; he called Egypt “Rahab the Do-Nothing.” (Isaiah 30:7) But it was difficult for Judah to choose the invisible God over a visible power like Egypt. Israel had to remember what God had said and done in the past to bolster their faith. Assyria was sending a formidable force in their direction and the Israelites had to believe that the invisible God was greater than the greatest army on earth in order to trust him.

Their faith relied on two things: First, the word of his prophets and, second, the history they had with God. Scripture and experience, those are the same things we still rely upon in order to trust God today.

Rebellious Judah

God made sure that Judah had plenty of information to help them remember what he said.

“Go now, write it on a tablet for them, inscribe it on a scroll, that for the days to come it may be an everlasting witness.” Isaiah 30:8

God’s words witnessed to his truth, but the Judeans were not willing to listen.

“They say to the seers, ‘See no more visions!’ and to the prophets, ‘Give us no more visions of what is right! Tell us pleasant things, prophesy illusions. Leave this way, get off this path, and stop confronting us with the Holy One of Israel!’” Isaiah 30:10-11

God told the Israelites that their sin of rejecting his word was going to be their downfall and their carefully constructed walls of deceit and rebellion against him were going to collapse.

“This sin will become for you like a high wall, cracked and bulging, that collapses suddenly, in an instant.” Isaiah 30:13

God Offers Peace

Yet, God still offered them the opportunity to make peace with him. They could repent of their sin of rebellion and enter into his rest.

“This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says, ‘In repentance and rest is your salvation; in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it.’” Isaiah 30:15

The obstacle to repentance is almost always stubborn pride. We hate to admit we have been wrong so we let our sins burden us, but God says that repentance brings rest to our souls.

We become strong in the aftermath of confessing and forsaking our sins. When we are at peace with God, drawing from his grace and compassion, our quiet trust in him grows and we are blessed.

“Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; therefore he will rise up to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him!” Isaiah 30:18

God’s Standing Offer 

One of the most incredible things about God is that despite his anger against Israel’s sin, he still longed to bless them. He called out and begged them to return to him so he could show his love.

“People of Zion, who live in Jerusalem, you will weep no more. How gracious he will be when you cry for help! As soon as he hears, he will answer you.” Isaiah 30:19

God had teachers standing by, ready to instruct his people in righteousness if they would listen. He wanted his people to find direction, so he sent help.

“Although the Lord gives you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, your teachers will be hidden no more; with your own eyes you will see them. Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you saying, ‘This is the way; walk in it.’” Isaiah 30:20-21

The whole world would light up when God’s people were reconciled to him. The land would become quiet and peaceful.

“The moon will shine like the sun, and the sunlight will be seven times brighter, like the light of seven full days, when the Lord binds up the bruises of his people and heals the wounds he inflicted.” Isaiah 30:26

“The fruit of righteousness will be peace; its effect will be quietness and confidence forever. My people will live in peaceful dwelling places, in secure homes, in undisturbed places of rest.” Isaiah 32:7-8

Prophecy Against Assyria

God used Assyria to punish the nations who rebelled against him, but he wasn’t going to let Assyria’s sin go unpunished. They didn’t acknowledge him, and they were brutal in their aggression, so God was going to stop them in their tracks.

“The voice of the Lord will shatter Assyria; with his rod he will strike them down. Every stroke the Lord lays on them with his punishing club will be to the music of timbrels and harps, as he fights them in battle with the blows of his arm.” Isaiah 30:31-32

“ ‘Assyria will fall not by 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 labor. 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.” Isaiah 31:8-9

All of this came to pass in the coming years. God personally dealt with Assyria when they tried to capture Jerusalem, and he dealt with them again some years later when Babylon unexpectedly overthrew the capitol city of Nineveh and led the Assyrian people away captive. The mighty Assyrian Empire that had terrorized the world disappeared almost overnight. It never rose again.

God Will Be Exalted

People can rebel against God. They can refuse to listen to his words and they can act as if he doesn’t matter, but they cannot stop him when he decides to act.

“‘Now I will arise,’ says the Lord. ‘Now will I be exalted; now will I be lifted up . . . You who are far away, hear what I have done; you who are near acknowledge my power! The sinners in Zion are terrified; trembling grips the godless; ‘Who of us can dwell with the consuming fire? Who of us can dwell with the everlasting burning?’” Isaiah 33:10, 13-14

But God always makes a place for those who choose righteousness. He creates a refuge for them where they are safe from his wrath.

“Those who walk righteously and speak what is right, who reject gain from extortion and keep their hands from accepting bribes, who stop their ears against plots of murder and shut their eyes against contemplating evil – they are the ones who will dwell on the heights, whose refuge will be the mountain fortress. Their bread will be supplied and water will not fail them.” Isaiah 33:15-16

Some Things Never Change

Sometimes reading the Scriptures feels repetitive: God is good, sin is deadly, people need to repent, and God will punish sinners but rescue the righteous. But we need to know these things! These are the immutable, eternal truths that govern our spiritual destiny.

Do you get tired of the law of gravity? It’s always there, and you know you can’t defy it without harming yourself. You might wish you could leave the ground and become weightless sometimes, but anyone who denies that gravity exists is a fool.

The Laws of God are the same. People who pretend they don’t exist only harm themselves. It’s better to know God’s laws and obey them. That’s really the only way to live.