Bible Commentaries
Isaiah 18

Verses 1-7

1. ETHIOPIA! (18)
   1. (1,2) Ethiopia(ancient Cush) - present day southern Egypt, Sudan, & northern Ethiopia.
   2. They sent ambassadors to Israel, hoping to form a strong alliance against Assyria, but the venture was doomed to fail.
      1. God wasn’t in it. All of man’s clever ideas are worthless if they run contrary to the will of God.
      2. 1 Cor.3:19,20 “For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, "He catches the wise in their own craftiness"; and again, "The LORD knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile."
      3. 1^st find His will. Then do it!
   3. Nile River – about 4000 miles long.
      1. It was the lifeblood of Egypt.
      2. It was worshiped as the Egyptian deity “Hapi”.
      3. In ancient Egypt the Nile overflowed its banks (June-Oct.)
      4. Jan-arch the fields would dry & bear bumper crops.
   4. (3,4) L.B. says, “God will watch quietly from his Temple in Jerusalem—serene as on a pleasant summer day or a lovely autumn morning during harvesttime”
      1. What a great picture of God remaining quiet & watching.
         1. This is the stillness of God!
      2. Q: If you had to draw a picture of this what would it look like?
         1. (reclining on the floor of heaven; sitting on heavens porch)
      3. Q: Can you think of other bible stories where this same picture is painted? (God waiting & watching & not responding?)
      4. How about when Jesus watched His disciples straining at the oars through the stormy night?
      5. How about the time Jesus waited when his best friend was dying, & in his last stages of terminal illness? He let him succumb to death & even be buried in a rocky tomb.
      6. Q: Is the Lord being quiet with you?
         1. Nevertheless, He is attentive! - He still sees everything.
         2. His finger is on your pulse & is extremely sensitive to the slightest change.
         3. He will come to save you when the perfect moment has arrived.
         4. However slow He may appear He is never a confused or fearful Savior.
      7. O troubled soul, beneath the rod, Your Father speaks, be still, be still; Learn to be silent unto God, And let Him mold you to His will.
         O praying soul, be still, be still, He cannot break His promised Word; Sink down into His blessed will, And wait in patience on the Lord.
         O waiting soul, be still, be strong, And though He tarry, trust & wait; Doubt not, He will not wait too long, Fear not, He will not come too late. (L.B.Cowman; Streams I the desert; pg.276,277)
   5. (5) At the right time he would reap the harvest!
   6. (6) He would leave the corpses to the scavengers.
   7. (7) They should have come to Jerusalem with a gift to the Lord.
      1. They should have been humble worshipers & not haughty negotiators(www).
      2. They should have trusted the Almighty & not their armies.
      3. Ps.20:7 “Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; But we will remember the name of the LORD our God.”
   8. A present will be brought to the Lord of hosts - & one was!
      1. It was brought by an Ethiopian eunuch in Acts 8:27, & 37.
      2. It was the gift of worship(27) & the gift of his heart(37).
      3. Baptism class – room 107 (not upstairs)