Tuesday in the Third Week of Advent

(If this day occurs after December 16, please refer to that date in the

list of devotions.)

Isaiah 31:1-9

Woe to Those Who Go Down to Egypt

Or we should say, “Woe to those who trust in Egypt, who trust in chariots and horses.”  Really, the “woe” is upon anyone who trusts in anything but the Lord God Almighty, who does not look to the Holy One of Israel.

Like yesterday, the enemy is Assyria – that fierce nation just northeast of Judah that was racking up nations like billiard balls.  They were one of the first major world powers, and they were knocking at Judah’s door.  (As I said yesterday, you can find the historical account in chapters 36-37.)  So, tiny Judah was looking for help.  They were no match for Assyria.  They were a long way from the glory days of Kings David and Solomon.  Because of their faithlessness to the Lord over the last two or more centuries, they had been reduced to an insignificant kingdom that lay on a very significant highway between Syria and Egypt.  So, they looked to their former slave-masters for help against mighty Assyria.

And this is what offended the Lord so much!  They looked to everyone to save them – except the One who could save them.  “The Egyptians are man, and not God, and their horses are flesh, and not spirit.”  And so the Lord will see to it that Judah’s helper will stumble and fall, as Egypt did before the Assyrians.  The Lord Himself would fight for Judah, and He did, and Judah won an amazing victory without even leaving their city walls.  And so the Lord would teach them in whom to trust, that they might put away their idols and turn to Him.

And here are we.  Time and again we falter on this very thing called “trust.”  It is so understandable to cower before a mighty enemy, one we know we can’t beat.  And it is so easy to run to worldly powers to equal the giant we are up against.  I’m not saying that we can’t ask godly friends for wisdom, and certainly the Church of Jesus Christ is a strong bulwark against any storm.  But, ultimately, our trust must be in the Lord our God.  It is only He who can promise victory over our enemies – fear, worry, doubt, lust, our various passions and cravings of the flesh, addictions of every sort – these are the enemies that the Lord wants to defeat in us and through us.  These are our idols, and as Christians, we rightfully hate them.  We want them out of our lives because we know that they do not belong in a body inhabited by the Holy Spirit.  And it is exactly at this point that we place ourselves upon His altar, allowing Him to crucify our flesh (the sinful nature), trusting in His abundant mercy to heal and forgive.  Only he who wounds us can heal us.

Author: The Reformed Baptist

My name is Stephen Taylor, ordained Baptist minister of eighteen years pastoral experience with a Ph.D. in Historical Theology from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas. Better than that, I am married to a godly woman, Karla, who has been very patient with me since 1989. I have two daughters, both of whom I homeschooled for extended periods of time, who became godly young women, and who ran off and married godly young men, all of which is very proper. The oldest daughter has even seen fit to bless me with a grandson and a granddaughter, and my youngest daughter with a grandson, all three of whom are bundles of exceeding joy. As you can see, I am quite blessed. This website is dedicated to helping people grow in the wisdom and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ through the gift of writing that the Lord has given to me. It is specifically about helping His people grow in godliness, the theme you see repeated above. I write devotions with this aim and hope that they might be of some help to God’s people. Full disclosure: I am of a Reformed bent, meaning that my understanding of Scripture is primarily informed by the Reformers and their successors of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. However, as a student of church history and theology, I strive to remain true to that teaching handed down once for all unto the saints through every age of the Church. I like to think of myself as a “catholic” Christian, as the Reformers thought of themselves. At any rate, feel free to read, pray, and contact me if you wish, or correct me if need be. As you can see, I tend to follow the church year. Of course, I make no special claims about these devotions. I know very well that others have written better and plumbed the depths of God’s word with greater insight. But if my musings help someone draw closer to the Lord, well then, I have my reward. Blessings to you and may the God and Father of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ speak to you that word which He knows you especially need to hear. Grace & peace, Stephen Taylor View all posts by The Reformed Baptist