Isa 30:8-12 | KingComments | STEP | After the prophet condemned their reliance on Egypt, he now speaks about the cause. It is in their mind. For they have not put their trust in the LORD. This is now being uncovered by the LORD. Prophecy has two forms: the spoken form and the written form. Spoken prophecy is meant for those who are present at that moment and can hear it. Written prophecy reaches many more people, not only at that moment, but also in future generations. Isaiah is commanded to write down his words “before them” i.e. in their presence ( ). It is in the first place an important warning for them. He has to write down his message “on a tablet” and inscribe it “on a scroll”. A ‘tablet’ means a clay tablet or stone tablet and a ‘scroll’ means papyrus rolls. Writing down his message emphasizes that this warning not to go to Egypt for help is not only meant for God’s people in the days of Isaiah. It is also meant for God’s people in all times and especially the people of Israel in the near future. God’s Word is for all times. In the future, Israel should not place its trust in the military power of the restored Roman Empire, but in the LORD ( ). We have no other yardstick. Trust in God is based on the written Word of God ( ). Seeking help from Egypt – for us: from the world – can only end in disaster. Recording the warning is necessary because the people are “a rebellious people” ( ). The peoples of the world also record their victories and outstanding qualities. But those peoples do not usually write negative things about themselves. The Word of God also records the negative attributes of the people of God, for the Word of God is the truth. The people are made up of “false sons”, who do not want to listen to the teaching of the LORD. ‘False’ here does not mean in the first place that they ‘lie’, but that they ‘disappoint’. Their reluctant resistance to hear comes back again and again. It is the root cause of their apostasy. The prophet should not come to them with the truth ( ; ). They do not like it. The truth brings them into the light of the Holy One of Israel. They do not want that. If they are willing to hear something, then it must be a message adapted to their wishes ( ; ). They want prophets like Isaiah and his contemporary Micah to change direction. “The Holy One of Israel” must not be brought before them and therefore He must disappear from their sight ( ). They use that Name because Isaiah often uses it in his preaching to them. They say, as it were: ‘Now stop your whining about that Holy One of Israel.’ They do not want to be reminded of that Name or to be confronted with it. This is a dramatic rejection of the LORD. Freely translated, they say to the prophet and to LORD: ‘Out of the way! Step aside!’ Thus will be the spiritual state of the great mass in Israel during the great tribulation. Their guilt is great. They will accept the antichrist after they have rejected Christ ( ). For this they are warned by God’s Word in the next section.

‏ Isaiah 30:8-12

Rejection of the Word

After the prophet condemned their reliance on Egypt, he now speaks about the cause. It is in their mind. For they have not put their trust in the LORD. This is now being uncovered by the LORD.

Prophecy has two forms: the spoken form and the written form. Spoken prophecy is meant for those who are present at that moment and can hear it. Written prophecy reaches many more people, not only at that moment, but also in future generations.

Isaiah is commanded to write down his words “before them” i.e. in their presence (Isa 30:8). It is in the first place an important warning for them. He has to write down his message “on a tablet” and inscribe it “on a scroll”. A ‘tablet’ means a clay tablet or stone tablet and a ‘scroll’ means papyrus rolls. Writing down his message emphasizes that this warning not to go to Egypt for help is not only meant for God’s people in the days of Isaiah. It is also meant for God’s people in all times and especially the people of Israel in the near future.

God’s Word is for all times. In the future, Israel should not place its trust in the military power of the restored Roman Empire, but in the LORD (Psa 121:1-2). We have no other yardstick. Trust in God is based on the written Word of God (Lk 6:47-49).

Seeking help from Egypt – for us: from the world – can only end in disaster. Recording the warning is necessary because the people are “a rebellious people” (Isa 30:9). The peoples of the world also record their victories and outstanding qualities. But those peoples do not usually write negative things about themselves. The Word of God also records the negative attributes of the people of God, for the Word of God is the truth.

The people are made up of “false sons”, who do not want to listen to the teaching of the LORD. ‘False’ here does not mean in the first place that they ‘lie’, but that they ‘disappoint’. Their reluctant resistance to hear comes back again and again. It is the root cause of their apostasy. The prophet should not come to them with the truth (Isa 30:10; Amos 2:12b). They do not like it. The truth brings them into the light of the Holy One of Israel. They do not want that. If they are willing to hear something, then it must be a message adapted to their wishes (2Tim 4:3-4; Mic 2:11).

They want prophets like Isaiah and his contemporary Micah to change direction. “The Holy One of Israel” must not be brought before them and therefore He must disappear from their sight (Isa 30:11). They use that Name because Isaiah often uses it in his preaching to them. They say, as it were: ‘Now stop your whining about that Holy One of Israel.’ They do not want to be reminded of that Name or to be confronted with it. This is a dramatic rejection of the LORD.

Freely translated, they say to the prophet and to LORD: ‘Out of the way! Step aside!’ Thus will be the spiritual state of the great mass in Israel during the great tribulation. Their guilt is great. They will accept the antichrist after they have rejected Christ (Jn 5:43). For this they are warned by God’s Word in the next section.

If the Word Is Rejected

Then they hear from the mouth of “the Holy One of Israel”, Whom they wanted to keep far away from them, the judgment on all their rebellion, on their wicked will to live without Him (Isa 30:12). They reject “this word”, that is, the instruction of the LORD. At the same time they rely on “oppression and guile”, i.e. the way in which they try to secure the friendship of Egypt. With this way of acting, they work their own downfall. This is how it was before that time, when they put their trust in Assyria, and this is how it will be in the future, when they will put their trust in the restored Roman Empire, Europe (Isa 28:15).

They believe they have the protection of a wall, but the wall is about to fall and they will be buried under its fall (Isa 30:13). The collapse will not only come “suddenly in an instant”, but will be also total. Israel will so ruthlessly be shattered like pottery that not even a sherd will remain for its most mundane use (Isa 30:14). The terrorist attack on the ‘Twin Towers’ in New York Sept. 11, 2001,and its consequences may be a good illustration of these verses.

This is due to their refusal to obtain salvation through “repentance and rest” (Isa 30:15). “Repentance and rest” mean that they return from their own chosen path and turn to God (= repentance) and stop trusting in, or resting on, their own strength. Then their strength is in “quietness and trust” and they do not walk the way in their own strength. This gives the LORD the opportunity to show His strength, for God’s power is perfected in – our – weakness (2Cor 12:9). “Trust” means that they no longer put their trust in Egypt, but go to the LORD and trust in Him.

Isaiah reproaches them: “But you have not willed” (cf. Mt 23:37). They have shown their unwillingness. Then all effort is in vain and the LORD must confront them with the consequences of their evil will and judge them. His judgment is that they get their way. Their plan will turn against them. Do they think they can flee quickly? They will, but their enemies will be faster (Isa 30:16; 2Kgs 25:4-5).

Horses are ‘modern’ in those days, they are the means to victory. Nowadays we would say: ‘They rely on their ‘Iron Dome’ and nuclear weapons, instead of on the LORD.’ But then the LORD speaks: ‘Will they put an end to the Holy One of Israel (Isa 30:11)? The Holy One of Israel will put an end to them (Isa 30:14)’!

They will be bitterly disappointed. The fear will be so deep that seeing a single hostile soldier makes a thousand of them flee (Isa 30:17; cf. Deu 32:30; Jos 23:10). And if the enemies come in five, the whole people will run away. If they had been obedient, the reverse would have been the case (Lev 26:8). Now in the depopulated land there will be only a few left here and there. It is the paragon of desolation. It is also a warning for us not to rely on people.