The Chosen Key Word in this Chapter is “Kingdom” it comes from the Hebrew Word “mamlakah” which means “kingdom.”
Isaiah pronounces judgment on Egypt while remarkably promising its eventual inclusion among God’s people. Welcome to Bible Life Basics Chapter Reviews, I am Chris and this is Isaiah 19.
Isaiah delivers the burden of Egypt, describing the Lord riding upon a swift cloud, and coming into Egypt, the idols of Egypt being moved at His presence, and the heart of Egypt melting in its midst, describing how He will set the Egyptians against the Egyptians, everyone fighting against his brother, and everyone against his neighbor, city against city, and “kingdom,” “mamlakah” in Hebrew, against kingdom. Isaiah describes how the spirit of Egypt shall fail in the midst of it, and He will destroy its counsel, they shall seek to the idols, and to the charmers, and to those who have familiar spirits, and to the wizards, describing how He will give the Egyptians over into the hand of a cruel lord, and a fierce king shall rule over them, the waters of the sea failing, and the river being wasted and dried up, the fishers also mourning, the paper reeds by the brooks withering away, describing all the workmen becoming stricken in heart, the counsel of the wise counsellors of Pharaoh becoming brutish, asking how they can say to Pharaoh that they are the sons of the wise, the sons of ancient kings. Isaiah describes a remarkable turn, that in that day there shall be five cities in the land of Egypt that speak the language of Canaan, and swear to the Lord of hosts, in that day there shall be an altar to the Lord in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a pillar at its border to the Lord, and it shall be for a sign and for a witness to the Lord of hosts in the land of Egypt, describing how the Lord shall be known to Egypt, and the Egyptians shall know the Lord in that day, and shall do sacrifice and oblation, closing with a stunning declaration, “Blessed be Egypt my people, and Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel mine inheritance,” Egypt and Assyria, Israel’s two most historic enemies, remarkably included alongside Israel in this closing blessing.
This chapter’s stunning conclusion, blessing Egypt as my people and Assyria as the work of my hands alongside Israel my inheritance, offers one of the Old Testament’s most remarkable visions of God’s redemptive purposes extending genuinely beyond Israel’s own national boundaries to include historic enemies as equally beloved. This early, striking anticipation of Gentile inclusion foreshadows the New Testament gospel’s explicit welcome extended to all nations without distinction.
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