Isaiah 31:1 – Wrong Trust
Trust in the right thing is good. But foolish trust in something that will not hold you up leads to problems. The people of Judah, the people who claimed to be the people of God, were trusting in others who could not hold them up. In verse 1 we see they trusted in natural power and wisdom. Egypt did have military strength. They were, at the time that this was written, one of the two great superpowers in that part of the world -they and Assyria. They had a lot of military power. They were renowned for wonderful horses. But not only was Egypt known for its military power, it was also known for worldly wisdom and cleverness. They looked like ones you would naturally trust. They looked like ones you would naturally defer to for strength and wisdom. Judah thought maybe they could learn some things from them, maybe they could get some things from them, maybe they could benefit by being like them. They were rejecting their God in order to turn to others.
That is what the church of Jesus Christ thinks even today. They see that the world is thinking one way, and they want to get in tune with the world. They think, “How shall we win the world if we do not think in their categories, if we do not relate to them?” To accommodate the Word of God, to accommodate the gospel to a pagan culture, is no good.
God had flat-out forbidden the people to return to Egypt, and particularly to be getting horses, lest they be seduced back (Deuteronomy 17:16). Here is the problem: Too much trust in what looks like power in the world. Too much trust in what looks like the wisdom of the world. Instead of looking to the holy one of Israel, instead of seeking Jehovah.
Questions
- What were the people trusting in?
- Why was this wrong?
Prayer Points
- Pray that we would trust in the Word of God.
- Use prayer points from your congregation.
- Pray for family matters.