Isaiah 31
Isaiah 31 is a chapter in which the prophet Isaiah proclaims God’s message regarding the attitude of the ancient people of Israel, who, amid a crisis, seek to rely on the military power of Egypt (Egypty). This chapter points out the foolishness of those who turn away from God and look for help from the outside, and ultimately declares that God Himself will protect and save Israel.
1verseWoe to those who go down to Egypt for help, and rely on horses, and trust in chariots because they are many, and in horsemen because they are very strong, but they don’t look to the Holy One of Israel, and they don’t seek the LORD!
2verseYet he also is wise, and will bring disaster, and will not call back his words, but will arise against the house of the evildoers, and against the help of those who work iniquity.
3verseNow the Egyptians are men, and not God; and their horses flesh, and not spirit. When the LORD stretches out his hand, both he who helps shall stumble, and he who is helped shall fall, and they all shall be consumed together.
4verseFor the LORD says to me, “As the lion and the young lion growling over his prey, if a multitude of shepherds is called together against him, will not be dismayed at their voice, nor abase himself for their noise, so the LORD of Armies will come down to fight on Mount Zion and on its heights.
5verseAs birds hovering, so the LORD of Armies will protect Jerusalem. He will protect and deliver it. He will pass over and preserve it.”
6verseReturn to him from whom you have deeply revolted, children of Israel.
7verseFor in that day everyone shall cast away his idols of silver and his idols of gold—sin which your own hands have made for you.
8verse“The Assyrian will fall by the sword, not of man; and the sword, not of mankind, shall devour him. He will flee from the sword, and his young men will become subject to forced labor.
9verseHis rock will pass away by reason of terror, and his princes will be afraid of the banner,” says the LORD, whose fire is in Zion, and his furnace in Jerusalem.
Structure and Flow
- Verses 1-3: A Warning – Rebukes Israel for seeking God without relying on God, while depending instead on Egypt’s warhorses and chariots. It shows that Egypt is, after all, a limited human power.
- Verses 4-5: God’s Protection – Through the images of a lion and its mother bird, it depicts how God Himself firmly guards and protects His people.
- Verses 6-7: An Urging to Repent – Tells them to return to God and advises them to abandon foreign idols.
- Verses 8-9: God’s Salvation – Promises that God will directly save Israel and defeat the enemy soldiers they had been afraid of.
Overall Meaning
Isaiah 31 shows that visible power—namely, human resources and the alliances of empires—has limits. On the other hand, it emphasizes that trust in God and turning back to Him are the true basis for salvation and safety. In the context that God’s sovereignty and protection are what take responsibility for the people’s safety, it reminds them that they should rely on God alone, not the attitude of seeking help from the outside.
Points to Ponder
- When my strength seems weak, where do I lean first?
- You need to consider whether you trust God’s protection or put more trust in something else.
- Reflect on the peace and assurance of salvation that God gives when you trust Him.
Apply It to Me
- In moments of crisis and fear, check whether you are depending only on human methods or worldly power for the problems in your life.
- Return to God, trust Him, and commit yourself to practicing an attitude of faith that entrusts the sovereignty of your life to God.
- Even in small things, you can begin a new life of seeking God’s guidance.
