Chapter 31 continues the outlining of the six “woes”. Chapter 29 saw the “woe” of Jerusalem (“Ariel”) and Chapter 30 saw the “woe” to Judah’s “rebellious children”. Chapter 31 outlines the  folly of those who trust in horses and chariots. What made Judah’s turning to Egypt despicable was her accompanying turning away from the Lord. 

Chapter 31 covers much of the same ground as chapter 30, but verses 4 and 5 are more specific concerning Adonai’s rescue of Jerusalem. 

 Verses 1 – 3. Adonai speaks against those who go to Egypt to seek help. The folly of not trusting in the Lord. 

Verses 4 – 5. Adonai will save Jerusalem. 

Verses 6 – 7. A call to return to the Lord. 

Verses 8 – 9. Assyria will be punished by the direct intervention of the Lord. 

Verse 1. 

“Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, and rely on horses, who trust in chariots because they are many, and in horsemen because they are very strong, but do not look to the Holy One of Israel, nor seek the Lord!” 

Impending disaster is pronounced on those who tried to hide their plans form Adonai and make a defensive alliance with Egypt. Egypt’s horses and chariots were numerous. Its flat topography was well suited to the use of chariots which could have been effective against the Assyrian cavalry. 

But their strength was insignificant compared to the power of Adonai which foolishly the leaders of Judah had rejected. Indeed, they had offended the Lord by not seeking His counsel and defying His command. 

Isaiah 30: 1,2. 

“Woe to the rebellious children”, says the Lord, “who take counsel, but not of Me, and who devise plans but not of My Spirit, that they may add sin to sin; who walk down to Egypt, and have not asked My advice, to strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh, and to trust in the shadow of Egypt!” 

They may well, of course, been aware of the attitude of Adonai. 

Deuteronomy 17: 16. 

“But he (the king) shall not multiply horses for himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt to multiply horses, for the Lord has said, “You shall not return that way again.” 

Verse 2. 

“Yet He also is wise and will bring disaster, and will not call back His words, but will arise against the house of evildoers and against the help of those who work iniquity.” 

There is a note of sarcasm from Isaiah; of course, Adonai is “wise” beyond any human ability. These rebel counsellors who had advised dependence on Egypt were anything but “wise”. Adonai who is truly wise will bring disaster upon them (“the house of evildoers”) and upon Egypt (“the help”). Adonai will not go back on His word without the people’s repentance. 

“God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will not do? Or has He spoken, and will not make it good?”  

Jeremiah 44: 29. 

“And this shall be a sign to you”, says the Lord, “that I will punish you in this place, that you may know that My words will surely stand against you in adversity.” 

Verse 3. 

“Now the Egyptians are men, and not God; and their horses are flesh, and not spirit. When the Lord stretches out His hand, both He who helps will fail, and he who is helped will fall down; they all will perish together.” 

Faced with the opposition of Adonai, both Egypt and Judah will fail. 

Isaiah 20: 6. 

“And the inhabitant of this territory will say in that day, “Surely such is our expectation, wherever we flee for help to be delivered from the king of Assyria; and how shall we escape?” 

Wisely, King Hezekah, chose to rely on Adonai and not on the flesh. 

2 Chronicles 32: 8. 

“With him (the king of Assyria) is an arm of flesh; but with us is the Lord our God, to help us and fight our battles.” And the people were strengthened by the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.” 

Verses 4 and 5. Adonai will rescue Jerusalem. 

Verse 4. 

“For thus the Lord has spoken to me: “As the lion roars, and a young lion over its prey (when a multitude of shepherds is summonsed against him, he will not be afraid of their voice nor be disturbed by their noise), so the Lord of hosts will come down to fight for Mount Zion and for its hill.” 

The “young lion” is Adonai. He is also described as a lion in Hosea and Amos. The “multitude of shepherds” are the Assyrians.  

The people need not be afraid. In the defence of Jerusalem, Adonai will be like a strong and determined lion; unafraid of the many shepherds trying to frighten it off. 

Verse 5. 

“Like birds flying about, so will the Lord of hosts defend Jerusalem. Defending, He will deliver it; passing over, He will preserve it.” 

We see here the Lord’s passionate commitment to defend Jerusalem. He is likened to a mother bird with a strong attachment to her little ones, willing to do whatever is necessary for their safety. He is likened to a bird floating over the city ready to defend and rescue it. 

The idea of “passing over”, is reminiscent of the Angel of Death passing over the home of the Israelites at Pesach (Exodus 12). 

Deuteronomy 32: 11, 12. A similar image to verse 5. 

“As an eagle stirs up its nest, hovers over its young, spreading out its wings, taking them up, carrying them on its wings, so the Lord alone led him (Israel)…” 

Psalm 91: 4. Another bird analogy. 

“He shall cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you shall take refuge …” 

Verses 6 and 7. A call to return to the Lord. 

“Return to Him against whom the children of Israel have deeply revolted. For in that day every man shall throw away his idols of silver and his idols of gold – sin, which your own hands have made for yourselves.” 

They had revolted by devising plans behind Adonai’s back and ignoring His word. But He had graciously rescued Jerusalem as described in verses 4 and 5. The prophet therefore calls on rebellious Israel to repent. 

Isaiah 30: 18,19. 

“Therefore the Lord will wait, that He may be gracious to you; and therefore, He will be exalted, that He may have mercy on you; for the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for Him. For the people shall dwell in Zion at Jerusalem; you shall weep no more. He shall be very gracious to you at the sound of your cry; when He hears it, He will answer you.” 

The evidence of this returning to the Lord will be the discarding of silver and gold idols which the people made to worship pagan gods. When they see how Adonai alone could save them, then uselessness of these idols will be obvious. 

Isaiah 30: 22. 

“You will also defile the covering of your images of silver, and the ornament of your moulded images of gold, you will throw them away as an unclean thing; you will say to them, “Get away!” 

Isaiah 2: 20. 

“In that day a man will cast away his idols of silver and his idols of gold, which they made, each for himself to worship, to the moles and bats …” 

Verses 8 and 9. Adonai will punish Assyria. 

Verse 8. 

“Then Assyria shall fall by a sword not of man, and a sword not of mankind shall devour him. But he shall flee from the sword, and his young men shall become forced labour.” 

The defeat of Assyrian shall not be by human hands. We have previously seen the destruction of Sennacherib’s army at Jerusalem, and later Adonai would use the Babylonians to overcome them. 

Verse 9. 

“He shall cross over to his stronghold for fear, and his princes will be afraid of the banner,” says the Lord, whose fire is in Zion and whose furnace is in Jerusalem.” 

The “banner” was the rallying point for an army in battle. However, the Assyrian offices don’t want to know, so dispirited are they.  

Both in Jerusalem’s near future and in its distant future, Jerusalem will be Adonai’s headquarters for bringing judgment on foreign nations which attack it. Adonai is the “devouring fire” waiting for all His enemies to attack Jerusalem. 

Isaiah 10: 17. 

“So the Light of Israel will be for a fire, and his Holy One for a flame; it will burn and devour his (Assyria’s) thorns and briers in one day.”