“Woe to them that go down to Egypt for help; and stay on horses, and trust in chariots, because they are many; and in horsemen, because they are very strong; but they look not unto the Holy One of Israel, neither seek the Lord!”-Isaiah 31:1
Woe to them that go down to Egypt for help. The “help” of this world can be sought and found in a variety of ways. It can be friends, knowledge, experience, money, intuition, technology, etc. It can be back dealing and rule bending. A “it’s not what you know or who you know” scenario. However, worldly help is forever limited by worldly understanding. God’s help is superior and sure.
Egypt was an example of worldly help. Egypt’s power was manpower. The institution of every carnal means to obtain and gain power. Chariots, horses, soldiers; all a product of this titan that was the nation of Egypt. When king of Judah, Hezekiah, was faced with a seemingly unbeatable foe (the Assyrian army), his forces were outmatched in every way. Hezekiah could be tempted to look to Egypt for help. To seek an alliance with this behemoth to assist in his struggle with the Assyrian army. That Assyrian force, so overwhelming and powerful, it would be logical to ally with the Egyptians. How is it possible to defeat them without help? Why would they risk conquest and not send emissaries to Egypt? Yet the word of the Lord through the prophet Isaiah says, “woe to them that go down to Egypt for help.” In other words, don’t take this route or trust in this kind of help. Rather, seek the lord and ask of him! Hezekiah heeded the word of the Lord and trusted in God against all odds. He and his people were delivered of the Assyrian army in a mighty way. The Lord sent an angel to kill them all. Hezekiah trusted in the Lord to deliver him. Where do you go for help? Egypt or God? The forces of Egypt may seem many and mighty, but they will fail you in the end. The 401(k) cannot heal a sin sick soul. All the education in the world cannot cure unrighteousness. Your friends cannot lift you out of addiction or stop the violence warring in your guilty conscience. These are tangible means, but they bring no victory against Satan’s forces and no glory to God in heaven. Furthermore, they will lead us away from the walk of faith.
So many today are looking for Egypt to help. Even in the church we fall into this snare. Saying if we just had more funding, more staff, more technology, better organization, better experience, etc. What happened to the old paths? What of prayer? Of travail? Of obeying God, and tarrying by faith? Is the Holy Spirit not enough? Has the power of God been reserved only for those in the Bible? While the glint of chariots, and tremors of battalions may strengthen, they will never deliver. Only God and His Christ can deliver against the forces we face today. The forces of sin and evil. You cannot go to the world to find deliverance from the world. You cannot look to the world to save the world. Therefore, the message still rings out today from the prophet: “woe to them that go down to Egypt for help.”
