What You Are Searching for In Egypt. . .

Ah, stubborn children," declares the LORD, "who carry out a plan, but not mine, and who make an alliance, but not of my Spirit, that they may add sin to sin; who set out to go down to Egypt, without asking for my direction, to take refuge in the protection of Pharaoh and to seek shelter in the shadow of Egypt! (Isaiah 30.1-2)

With the threat of an Assyrian invasion looming larger every day, the leaders of Judah abandoned dependence upon God and chose rather to form an alliance with Egypt. They had rejected God and placed their trust in human plans. God called them
“mockers” (Isa 28.14) because they arrogantly believed that their way was the right way. Because of their failure to depend upon God, Judah would face His judgment (see, 27.1-13, 28.1-22). The Assyrian army was God’s tool for judgment on Judah. Like a flood, Assyria would sweep Judah away (28.18).

The leaders of Judah thought their wall of protection was high and impenetrable. But there was a crack in their wall – and it was spreading. Gradually, little by little, the small crack became a spreading breach. Ultimately, the wall would “bulge” and collapse (30.13). The breach in the wall had spread subtly and without notice, but the collapse of the wall would come suddenly and for all to see. And the devastation would be total! Like a “potter’s jar crushed to pieces,” Judah would be left with nothing; not even the smallest fragment of self-sufficiency on which they could depend (30.14; see also, Matt 7.24-27). Even to try and escape on the fastest horses in the land would prove futile, for the enemies’ horses would be faster (30.16). All that would be left was a lonely reminder of where Judah used to exist (30.17).

God said in Isa 30.13 that Judah’s “iniquity” was the cause of this destruction. What was their sin? Their sin was failure to depend upon God. To place one’s trust in anything or anyone at any time other than God is sin (Heb 11.6). So what is the answer? What must Judah do to be delivered? The answer is in Isaiah 30.15; “You will be delivered by returning and resting; your strength will lie in quiet confidence. But you were unwilling.”

Right now, you and God know the areas of your life where you are trusting in something or someone instead of Him – areas where you have made unholy alliances. Even though that thing or that person might make you feel secure for a time, it is a false refuge. You think you have built a strong wall between yourself and the outside forces you cannot control, but your wall has a crack in it; a breach that will ultimately lead to the collapse of your self-made fortress leaving you unprotected and defeated.

You say, “I don’t know how I got here. It happened so gradually, I didn’t even realize it. But I know I don’t want to face life this way. How can I be delivered from myself? How can I know peace and contentment? How can I be happy again? I would offer four suggestions.

Through Returning (30.15). You cannot return to where you were until you turn away from where you are. You have to make a decision to return. The very first thing you need to do is to call this what it is. It is sin. To trust in any thing or any one at any time other than God is sin. Are you willing to confess it as sin today?

Through Resting (30.15). Let me ask you a question. As you have attempted to construct this wall of security around yourself through other people and things, have you had a restful spirit? Have you been at peace and content? If you’re honest, I suspect the answer is no. The reason is because you can never build the wall high enough or thick enough. No matter what you’ve done, you still don’t feel safe. You still don’t know the rest of peace and contentment. That comes only from God (see, Phil 4.7; Matt 11.28).

Through Reflecting (30.15). Let me ask you another question. As you have attempted to construct this wall of security around yourself through other people and things,has it produced a renewed strength in you? Again, I suspect the answer is no. The truth is that you don’t feel strong and courageous at all; you feel tired and afraid. That’s because such an approach to life affords no time for rest and quiet reflection. There is neither time nor energy left to reflect on who God is, on who we are as His children, or on the truths we find in His Word. The truth is that what you are searching for in Egypt is found in God. Renewed strength comes through quiet trust in Him (see Isa 40.31).

Through a Reassuring truth (30.18). And what is that truth? That “mercy” and “compassion” await those who return to God. Even though we may face God’s discipline (as Judah did) through the consequences of our prior lack of faith, there is hope beyond the discipline.

Perhaps things are not going as you would like in your life right now, but the worst thing you can do is to try to “make” them happen on your own. Even though it may seem harder and take longer to do things God’s way, the result will be what your heart is longing for. Happiness doesn’t come to those who rely on themselves or others to accomplish what they think they need. “But happy are all who wait patiently for Him.”

An Honor to Obey Him

“So you also, when you have done all that you were commanded, say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty'” (Luke 17.10; 1-9).

We generally want to receive something for our efforts. We want to be paid for putting in a hard day’s work. We want a parent to say, “I’m proud of you,” when our grades improve. We love to hear the fans cheer when we hit the winning shot. We want our boss to say, “You’re doing a great job.” We want our spouse to say, “Thank you for what you do.” There is in each of us a desire to be acknowledged, to be affirmed, and to be appreciated.

In and of themselves, these are not illegitimate desires. However, what the Lord might be getting at in this passage is the real motivation behind what we do. A friend of mine once told me that he often did things around the house in hopes that his wife might repay him with sex. Though he did not want this to continue to be his motivation, he admitted that it had been true of him in the past. And it is often true of us in one form or another. Sometimes we do what we do just to get something we want.

Jesus had given his disciples some pretty tough instructions; among them, how they were to forgive someone who had sinned against them if he repented – even if it happened seven times in the same day! And Jesus left no room for bargaining. He said, “You must forgive him.” Why must they, and what would be their reward for doing such a difficult thing? What would they get for their efforts? The little parable in this passage makes clear the “why” behind obedience to this command and all other commandments from our Lord. They would not do this to get something. No, they would do it because they were servants and Jesus was their Master. This was their duty.

In John 14.15, Jesus said, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” The motivation behind our obedience to Christ is not the promise of reward or recognition. We are servants, Jesus is our Master, and, therefore, obedience is our duty. We seek no honor for obeying him; we seek only the honor to obey him, and thus show that we love him.

“Lord Jesus, thank You for reminding me that I am your servant, You are my Master, and that obedience is not only my duty, but is also the way I show that I love You. Amen.”