Isaiah 30

Isaiah 28–33 is a section made up of a series of warnings that begin with "Woe." Following the warning to Jerusalem in the previous chapter, this chapter addresses Judah's attempt to form an alliance with Egypt in the face of the Assyrian threat. It is usually dated to the reign of Hezekiah.

Outline

• Verses 1–5 A woe is pronounced on the "rebellious children" who seek refuge in the shadow of Egypt without asking counsel of God. Their princes reach Zoan and their envoys come to Hanes, but Egypt brings them only shame.
• Verses 6–7 An oracle concerning the beasts of the south. The envoys load their treasures on young asses and camels and pass through a land of lions and vipers to a people that cannot profit them. God calls Egypt "Rahab who sits still."
• Verses 8–14 God commands that this word be written on a tablet and in a book. The people demand of the seers, "Speak unto us smooth things." Their iniquity becomes like a high wall that bulges out and suddenly collapses, and like a potter's vessel that is broken in pieces.
• Verses 15–17 By returning and quietly trusting, the people would be saved. But they declare that they will flee on horses. In the end, a thousand flee at the rebuke of one, and those who remain are left like a beacon on the top of a mountain.
• Verses 18–26 The LORD waits to be gracious. The people of Zion will weep no more, and they will hear a voice saying, "This is the way, walk ye in it." They will cast away their idols, the land will be fruitful, and the light of the sun will be sevenfold.
• Verses 27–33 The name of the LORD comes from afar in burning anger. The people sing as in the night of a holy festival, while Assyria is struck with the rod and beaten down. Tophet has been prepared of old for the king.

Key Verses

• Isaiah 30:15 "In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength." This expresses the central message of the chapter: trust God rather than human alliances.
• Isaiah 30:18 "And therefore will the LORD wait, that he may be gracious unto you." This is the turning point at which the pronouncement of judgment gives way to the promise of restoration.
• Isaiah 30:21 "This is the way, walk ye in it." This is the promise that God will guide His people in the right path.

People and Places

• Pharaoh and Egypt: the power on which Judah sought to rely.
• Zoan: an Egyptian city in the northeastern Nile Delta.
• Hanes: an Egyptian city whose exact location is debated.
• Zion and Jerusalem: the place that receives the promise of restoration.
• Assyria: the nation that threatens Judah and is then judged.
• Tophet: a place of burning in the Valley of Hinnom south of Jerusalem.

Points for Reflection

• The "Rahab" of verse 7 is not Rahab, the harlot of Jericho. It is a poetic name used in the Psalms and Isaiah for Egypt or for a sea monster of chaos.
• The "teachers" of verse 20 are read by some as God Himself and by others as prophets or teachers. Because the Hebrew form is ambiguous, translations render it differently.
• The restoration of light in verse 26 is sometimes read alongside the description of the New Jerusalem in Revelation 21:23-24.
• The Valley of Hinnom forms the background of "Gehenna," the New Testament term for hell. For this reason, some interpreters connect the Tophet imagery of verse 33 with it.

In the Korean Church

Verses 15 and 18 are frequently used as sermon texts calling believers to trust God and wait on Him in times of uncertainty.