Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Adult Sunday School Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/bb/bb20030921.htm

ISAIAH: GOD'S DIRECTIVES TO THOSE TROUBLED AT GOVERNMENTAL APOSTASY
Part XI: God's Salvation From The Middle East's Problems
(Isaiah 14:24-19:25)
  1. Introduction
    1. The Middle East is full of tension and trouble today: in Iran, Pakistan, Iraq, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt or Israel, terrorism fueled by extremist beliefs and centuries of distrust plague Arabs and Jews and affect the economies of the industrialized nations that depend on the flow of Middle Eastern oil.
    2. There is a Biblical solution to this problem, and Isaiah 14:24-19:25 reveals it as follows:
  2. God's Salvation From The Middle East's Problems, Isaiah 14:24-19:25.
    1. God announced in Isaiah's era that He would defeat Assyria (for its sin), Isaiah 14:24-27 (with 37:21-38).
    2. God announced in Isaiah's era that He would destroy the Philistines for their wickedness, Isa. 14:28-32:
      1. Isaiah reported how the Philistines gloated with pride over Israel's invasion by Assyria, Isa. 14:28-29a.
      2. For this sin, God promised through Isaiah to destroy Philistia permanently, Isa. 14:29b-32.
    3. God announced in Isaiah's era that He would topple the Moabites for their wickedness, Isaiah 15:1-16:14:
      1. When invaders entered Moab, its refugees fled to nearby Edom for protection, Isaiah 15:1-8, 9.
      2. Yet, they should have sought asylum in Judah by humbly sending offerings of lambs to Jerusalem, for Isaiah had predicted Jerusalem would be spared invasion by Assyria, Isa. 16:1-5; B.K.C., O.T., p. 1063.
      3. However, since these Moabites were proud, they refused to seek asylum in Jerusalem, so God would arrange for them to be totally wiped out by Assyria, Isaiah 16:6-14; Ibid., p. 1063-1064.
    4. God announced in Isaiah's era that He would ruin Syria and Israel, the Northern Kingdom for their faithless alliance to offset Assyria's invasion, Isa. 17:1-14 (cf. Ryrie Study Bible, KJV, ftn. to Isa. 17:1-6).
    5. God announced in Isaiah's era that He would correct Ethiopia for its errant trust in man's armies, 18:1-6:
      1. The Ethiopians in Isaiah's era sought an unbiblical alliance with Israel against Assyria, Isa. 18:1-2.
      2. God said He would let Assyria go only so far, and then fall, making the Ethiopians revere God, 18:3-7.
    6. God announced in Isaiah's era that He would discipline Egypt for its idolatry, Isaiah 19:1-15:
      1. The Egyptians sought strength in idolatry and order and refuge in their established wise men, 19:1, 11b.
      2. For this false hope, God announced through Isaiah He would let Egypt experience civil war (19:2-3), domination by cruel leaders (19:4), agricultural ruin (19:5-10) and administrative failure (19:11-15).
    7. However, in the Messianic Kingdom to come, God announced in Isaiah's day that the Middle East in general would enjoy peace due to the application of His righteousness, Isaiah 19:16-25:
      1. In the Messianic Kingdom, Egypt will respect [Christ], and worship Him alone, Isa. 19:16-18, 19-22:
        1. In the coming Kingdom, the Egyptians will respect [Christ] and respect the land of Judah, 19:16-17.
        2. Hence, the Egyptians will swear total allegiance to [Christ], Isaiah 19:18.
        3. The Egyptians will build an altar to [Christ] in their land as a witness of allegiance to Him (like the 2 transjordan tribes did in Joshua 22:10, 26-28), and [Christ] will rescue the Egyptians from oppressors by way of a deliverer when it cries to Him [like Israel was rescued by God's sending Moses when she cried unto Him in her former Egyptian bondage, Ex. 2:23-3:10!], cf. Isa. 19:19-22.
      2. Finally, [Christ] will make Israel a blessing in the Middle East: there will exist a highway running from Egypt up through Israel and on into Assyria, uniting Egypt and Assyria with Israel, and the nation Israel will be a blessing in the midst of these two former competing Middle Eastern powers, Isaiah 19:23-25.
Lesson: As the CAUSE of the Middle East's problems in ISAIAH'S era was pride and idolatry, and as these nations will enjoy peace only when they look to God in reverence and faith after divine judgment, so it is today: only after repentance in the coming Great Tribulation will the Middle East be at full rest.

Application: (1) As J. Samuel Hofman put it in "Missionaries Check Their Weapons," Missionary Monthly, June-July 1981, " . . . the greatest contribution that . . . (one) can make to political well-being of his . . . country is to share the good news of Jesus Christ . . . That alone will open the door for peace to enter . . . The only way we will have justice and righteousness in our nations is if the political leaders are men who have been remade by God and belong to Him. When their lives and decisions are directed by God, then truth and honesty and freedom and justice and equality will thrive." (2) As (a) we await God's final INTERNATIONAL solution, (b) may we now disciple one person at a time for Christ!