[Pictures on page 305]

In Moses’ day, the Israelites escaped from Egypt. In Isaiah’s day, Judah goes to Egypt for help

Folly and Fatality

3. What scheme is exposed by Jehovah?

³ For some time the leaders of Judah have been scheming in secret to find a way to avoid coming under the yoke of Assyria. However, Jehovah has been watching. Now he exposes their scheme: “‘Woe to the stubborn sons,’ is the utterance of Jehovah, ‘those disposed to carry out counsel, but not that from me; and to pour out a libation, but not with my spirit, in order to add sin to sin; those who are setting out to go down to Egypt.’”​—Isaiah 30:1, 2a.

4. How have God’s rebellious people put Egypt in the place of God?

⁴ What a shock for those scheming leaders to hear their plan revealed! Traveling to Egypt in order to make an alliance with her is more than hostile action against Assyria; it is rebellion against Jehovah God. In the time of King David, the nation looked to Jehovah as a stronghold and took refuge ‘in the shadow of his wings.’ (Psalm 27:1; 36:7) Now they “take shelter in the stronghold of Pharaoh” and “take refuge in the shadow of Egypt.” (Isaiah 30:2b) They have put Egypt in the place of God! What treason!​—Read Isaiah 30:3-5.

5, 6. (a) Why is the alliance with Egypt a fatal mistake? (b) What earlier journey made by God’s people highlights the foolishness of this trip to Egypt?

⁵ As if to answer any suggestion that the mission to Egypt is merely a casual visit, Isaiah gives more details. “The pronouncement against the beasts of the south: Through the land of distress and hard conditions, of the lion and the leopard growling, of the viper and the flying fiery snake, on the shoulders of full-grown asses they carry their resources, and on the humps of camels their supplies.” (Isaiah 30:6a) Clearly, the journey is well planned. Envoys organize a caravan of camels and asses, which they load with costly goods and lead down to Egypt through a barren wilderness infested with growling lions and venomous snakes. Finally, the envoys reach their destination and hand their treasures to the Egyptians. They have bought protection​—or so they think. However, Jehovah says: “In behalf of the people they will prove of no benefit. And the Egyptians are mere vanity, and they will help simply for nothing. Therefore I have called this one: ‘Rahab​—they are for sitting still.’” (Isaiah 30:6b, 7) “Rahab,” a “sea monster,” came to symbolize Egypt. (Isaiah 51:9, 10) She promises everything but does nothing. Judah’s alliance with her is a fatal mistake.

⁶ As Isaiah describes the journey of the envoys, his listeners may remember a similar journey made in the days of Moses. Their forefathers walked through that very same “fear-inspiring wilderness.” (Deuteronomy 8:14-16) In Moses’ day, however, the Israelites were traveling away from Egypt and out of bondage. This time the envoys travel to Egypt and, effectively, into subjection. What folly! May we never make such a bad decision and exchange our spiritual freedom for slavery!​—Compare Galatians 5:1.

Opposition to the Prophet’s Message

7. Why does Jehovah have Isaiah write down His warning to Judah?

⁷ Jehovah tells Isaiah to write down the message that he has just delivered so that “it may serve for a future day, for a witness to time indefinite.” (Isaiah 30:8) Jehovah’s disapproval of putting alliances with man above reliance on Him must be recorded for the benefit of future generations​—including our generation today. (2 Peter 3:1-4) But there is a more immediate need for a written record. “It is a rebellious people, untruthful sons, sons who have been unwilling to hear the law of Jehovah.” (Isaiah 30:9) The people have rejected God’s counsel. Hence, it must be written down so that later they cannot deny that they received a proper warning.​—Proverbs 28:9; Isaiah 8:1, 2.

8, 9. (a) In what way do the leaders of Judah try to corrupt Jehovah’s prophets? (b) How does Isaiah demonstrate that he will not be intimidated?

⁸ Isaiah now offers an example of the people’s rebellious attitude. They “have said to the ones seeing, ‘You must not see,’ and to the ones having visions, ‘You must not envision for us any straightforward things. Speak to us smooth things; envision deceptive things.’” (Isaiah 30:10) By ordering faithful prophets to stop speaking what is “straightforward,” or true, and to speak instead what is “smooth” and “deceptive,” or false, the leaders of Judah show that they want to have their ears tickled. They want to be praised, not condemned. In their opinion, any prophet not willing to prophesy according to their taste should “turn aside from the way; deviate from the path.” (Isaiah 30:11a) He should either speak ear-pleasing things or stop preaching altogether!

⁹ Isaiah’s opponents insist: “Cause the Holy One of Israel to cease just on account of us.” (Isaiah 30:11b) Let Isaiah stop speaking in the name of Jehovah, “the Holy One of Israel”! This very title irritates them because Jehovah’s exalted standards show up their contemptible condition. How does Isaiah react? He declares: “This is what the Holy One of Israel has said.” (Isaiah 30:12a) Without hesitation, Isaiah speaks the very words his opposers hate to hear. He will not be intimidated. What a fine example for us! When it comes to proclaiming God’s message, Christians must never compromise. (Acts 5:27-29) Like Isaiah, they keep on proclaiming: ‘This is what Jehovah has said’!

The Consequences of Rebellion

10, 11. What will be the consequences of Judah’s revolt?

¹⁰ Judah has rejected God’s word, trusted in a lie, and relied upon “what is devious.” (Isaiah 30:12b) What will be the consequences? Jehovah, instead of leaving the scene as the nation wishes, will cause the nation to cease to exist! This will happen suddenly and completely, as Isaiah stresses with an illustration. The rebelliousness of the nation is like “a broken section about to fall down, a swelling out in a highly raised wall, the breakdown of which may come suddenly, in an instant.” (Isaiah 30:13) Just as a growing bulge in a high wall will eventually cause the wall to collapse, so the increasing rebelliousness of Isaiah’s contemporaries will cause the collapse of the nation.

¹¹ With another illustration Isaiah shows the completeness of the coming destruction: “One will certainly break it as in the breaking of a large jar of the potters, crushed to pieces without one’s sparing it, so that there cannot be found among its crushed pieces a fragment of earthenware with which to rake the fire from the fireplace or to skim water from a marshy place.” (Isaiah 30:14) Judah’s destruction will be so complete that nothing of value will remain​—not even a potsherd big enough to scoop hot ashes from a fireplace or to skim water from a marsh. What a shameful end! The coming destruction of those who rebel against true worship today will be equally sudden and complete.​—Hebrews 6:4-8; 2 Peter 2:1.

Jehovah’s Offer Rejected

12. How can the people of Judah avoid destruction?

¹² For Isaiah’s listeners, though, destruction is not inevitable. There is a way out. The prophet explains: “This is what the Sovereign Lord Jehovah, the Holy One of Israel, has said: ‘By coming back and resting you people will be saved. Your mightiness will prove to be simply in keeping undisturbed and in trustfulness.’” (Isaiah 30:15a) Jehovah is ready to save his people​—if they show faith by “resting,” or refraining from trying to secure salvation through human alliances, and by “keeping undisturbed,” or demonstrating trust in God’s protective power by not giving way to fear. “But,” Isaiah tells the people, “you were not willing.”​—Isaiah 30:15b.

13. In what do the leaders of Judah put their confidence, and is such confidence justified?

¹³ Isaiah then elaborates: “And you proceeded to say: ‘No, but on horses we shall flee!’ That is why you will flee. ‘And on swift horses we shall ride!’ That is why those pursuing you will show themselves swift.” (Isaiah 30:16) The Judeans think that swift horses, rather than Jehovah, will mean their salvation. (Deuteronomy 17:16; Proverbs 21:31) However, counters the prophet, their trust will be an illusion because their enemies will overtake them. Even large numbers will not help them. “A thousand will tremble on account of the rebuke of one; on account of the rebuke of five you will flee.” (Isaiah 30:17a) The armies of Judah will panic and flee at the shout of just a handful of the enemy.a In the end, only a remnant will remain, left alone, “like a mast on the top of a mountain and like a signal on a hill.” (Isaiah 30:17b) True to the prophecy, when Jerusalem is destroyed in 607 B.C.E., only a remnant survive.​—Jeremiah 25:8-11.