Isaiah 30:1-5: a reflection

1“Woe to the rebellious children”, says the LORD, “who take counsel, but not from me; and who make an alliance, but not with my Spirit, that they may add sin to sin; 2who set out to go down into Egypt without asking for my advice, to strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh, and to take refuge in the shadow of Egypt! 3Therefore the strength of Pharaoh will be your shame, and the refuge in the shadow of Egypt your confusion. 4For their princes are at Zoan, and their ambassadors have come to Hanes. 5They shall all be ashamed because of a people that can’t profit them, that are not a help nor profit, but a shame, and also a reproach.”

Isaiah pronounces woe on God's people for a particular failure: facing a threat, they went down to Egypt to seek help and make an alliance, trusting in Pharaoh's strength for protection, but, God says, they did so without asking my advice, without seeking counsel from me. They took refuge in the shadow of Egypt rather than in God, and God warns that Pharaoh's strength will become their shame, and Egypt's protection their disgrace. They sought security in the wrong place, and did not even consult God about it.

Notice the double failure. They turned to human strength, to Egypt, for the security that should have come from God, trusting the visible strength of Pharaoh over the God who had saved them. And they did it without asking God, making their plans and alliances without seeking his counsel, adding sin to sin. Their instinct in danger was to run to worldly strength, and to do so without even bringing the matter to God.

That is a searching example. When we face threats and troubles, our instinct is often to run first to human sources of security, to money, connections, worldly strength, the visible resources we can lean on, rather than to God. And often we do so without seriously seeking God's counsel, making our plans and then, perhaps, asking him to bless them. Isaiah's woe warns against both: against trusting worldly strength over God, and against acting without seeking his counsel. When you face trouble, do not run first to Egypt. Seek God's counsel before you make your plans, and put your trust in him rather than in the worldly strengths that will prove a shame. Ask God first, and trust him more than Pharaoh.

Lord, your people, facing a threat, ran down to Egypt for help, trusting Pharaoh's strength and taking refuge in Egypt's shadow rather than in you, and they did it without asking your counsel. Guard me from that double failure. When I face troubles, keep me from running first to human sources of security, to money, connections, worldly strength, the visible resources I can lean on, rather than to you. And keep me from making my plans and alliances without seeking your counsel, adding sin to sin. Teach me to ask you first, to seek your counsel before I act, and to put my trust in you rather than in the worldly strengths that will prove a shame. Let me run to you, not to Egypt, and trust you more than Pharaoh.