Isaiah 30
Summary for Isa 30:1-33: 30:1-33 a After threatening Judah with judgment because of their stubbornness and their reliance on Egypt (30:1-17 b), God again committed himself to deal compassionately with his people and to break the power of their enemies.Summary for Isa 30:1-5: 30:1-5 c This prophecy was against Judah’s dependence on Egypt. It is the fourth of the six woes (see study note on 28:1–33:24). 30:1 d The wisdom of the people of Judah was not directed by God’s Spirit (cp. 11:2 e); instead, they had formed alliances that God did not approve of. Although the Assyrian attack on Jerusalem was overwhelming, making an alliance with Egypt demonstrated that the leaders of Judah depended on human resources for their protection rather than on God. Fortunately, Hezekiah later had a change of heart (see chs 36–37 f).
30:4 g Zoan: See 19:11 h. The location of Hanes is uncertain.
Summary for Isa 30:6-7: 30:6-7 i This taunt was against those who were busy trying to please the Egyptians in order to get Egypt’s military support. 30:6 j Caravans moved from Judah through the Negev and the Sinai Peninsula to Egypt to avoid the main coast road that was under Assyrian control. It was a dangerous region, filled with lions and poisonous snakes. People would risk their lives to make a worthless alliance.
• Being weighed down with riches might refer to money being sent to Egypt to buy that nation’s help.
30:7 k Harmless Dragon: In ancient mythology, Rahab was the enemy of the good gods and was depicted in fearsome terms, somewhat like a giant crocodile (see 27:1 l; 51:9 m; Job 41:1-34 n). By saying that Egypt was harmless, the prophet meant that it would be of no help to Judah.
Summary for Isa 30:8-11: 30:8-11 o God instructed the prophet to write down the vision for future generations. The present generation was rebellious; they rejected God’s word in favor of the false prophets’ fantasies (see 8:16-17 p).
30:11 q Stop telling us: The people of Judah did not want to be confronted about sin or judgment.
Summary for Isa 30:12-17: 30:12-17 r Judgment would suddenly overtake the people of Judah because they were content with their fantasy world, and they refused God’s path to rest and quietness. 30:12 s The whole society accepted oppression and lies. People reinforced each other’s delusions, so it was considered acceptable to trust that Egypt would protect them from Assyria, even though that was a lie. It was also considered legal and legitimate to oppress the poor by taking their land.
30:15 t The people of Judah needed to repent of their sinful ways (30:12-14 u), returning to the Lord, in order to be rescued.
• Trust in the Lord would bring quietness and confidence, unlike their frantic negotiations with Egypt.
30:16 v Judah’s reliance on Egypt to supply swift horses (see Ps 33:17 w) amounted to a rejection of God’s help and threatened to bring about its fall.
30:17 x One ... Five: This curse is the opposite of God’s blessing for obedience (Lev 26:8 y; Deut 32:30 z).
• The Assyrians had dominated the rest of the land of Judah, leaving Jerusalem isolated like a lonely flagpole on a hill.
Summary for Isa 30:18-33: 30:18-33 aa This prophecy of salvation includes promises that directed Israel’s attention away from their present adversity to the glorious future awaiting the children of God. 30:18 ab A faithful God would restore righteous order to the world by punishing the wicked and rescuing his people from them (see 1:27 ac; Ps 96:10-12 ad).
• God blesses those who wait; faithful people do not rush ahead of him to solve their own problems but instead rely on his power and goodness.
30:19 ae This was probably a challenge and promise to Hezekiah during the Assyrian siege of Jerusalem (see chs 36–37 af). If he would just trust in God, his people would weep no more.
• The Lord cares for the needs of his people; when they ask for something, he will surely respond.
30:20 ag adversity for food and suffering for drink: A city under enemy siege for a long time would eventually be overcome by starvation and disease. God did not intend that this disaster should destroy the people of Jerusalem, rather that it would be a tool to teach them.
30:21 ah The people’s own ears will hear and follow God’s instructions (see 6:9-10 ai; 29:18 aj; 35:5 ak).
30:22 al One aspect of Hezekiah’s reforms was to remove silver idols and other idolatry of Ahaz’s era and to call the people back to the worship of the God of Israel (2 Kgs 18:4-5 am; 2 Chr 29 an).
Summary for Isa 30:23-24: 30:23-24 ao The people of Judah would again enjoy covenant blessings rather than curses (see Lev 26:4 ap).
30:26 aq The Lord who struck his people would also heal them and cure the wounds he gave them.
Summary for Isa 30:27-33: 30:27-33 ar In this prophecy of judgment against the nations, Isaiah foretold that Assyria’s power would be broken by God’s strong arm, not by the Egyptians.
30:28 as like a flood up to the neck: Assyria’s destruction would be as devastating as their invasion of Judah (see 8:8 at).
30:30 au His mighty arm presents an image of strength that echoes God’s victory over the Egyptians in the Exodus (63:12 av; see Exod 15:6 aw).
• devouring flames ... huge hailstones: Such phenomena are associated with God’s appearance in a theophany (see study note on Isa 5:25).
30:31 ax royal scepter: The Lord, the true King, would be victorious over the threatening Assyrian king.
30:32 ay tambourines and harps: Instruments formerly silenced in judgment (24:8 az) would again be used by God’s people; this time, the people would celebrate the Lord’s goodness rather than becoming spiritually complacent (see 5:12 ba).
30:33 bb Topheth was a pagan altar in the valley of Ben-Hinnom outside Jerusalem where child sacrifices were offered to the Ammonite god Molech by burning (2 Kgs 23:9-10 bc).
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