God's command to "GO"

Isaiah Chapter 18

The land of Cush is south of Egypt on the upper part of the Nile River, it is where modern Ethiopia is located.  It seems to be a land noted for it bugs, and if you’re not into bugs it should not be on your bucket list.  I am not a bug person, so Ethiopia is not my next vacation spot.  The reed vessels were common in both Egypt and Cush as they went down the Nile to Judah.  The people of Cush are described as a nation of tall people with smooth-skin and they were to be feared far and near, as a powerful nation.  If they learned to live with bugs they should be feared, and so the nation of Judah sent envoys, not because of the bugs, but in obedience to the command to go swiftly to the nation of Cush.

In verse 3, it seemed that no matter how hard the diplomats worked, war was going to happen.  When you see a banner it is often talking about a rallying point for the armies and the trumpet sounding is the start of war.  As you look into the content of verse 4 it becomes clear that they as well as you and I often look to diplomacy and not to God, but verse four is very clear about who is in charge.

The United States Marines have a policy of no man left behind, but as you look into verses 5-6, it is clear that like a vineyard with new clusters of grapes which are not ready to be harvested, so will be the fate of those in battle, they fall in battle and are left for the wild animals.  The HCSB on page 1156 has this to say about verse 7; “The Ethiopians (Cushites), described as a tall and smooth-skinned people (v. 2), are pictured as bringing tribute.  This is a sign of their submission to God’s temple on Zion after the judgment.”

What I took away from chapter 18 is God’s command to “Go” and a detailed description of who is to go to a nation of tall and smooth-skinned people, who are feared far and wide, speak a strange language, and whose land is divided by rivers.  How often we forget the important, and look to what we can do, instead of the truth that God is totally in control.  And after the battle, after the destruction, a wise person will be humbled, and give praise and worship to our Creator this is what the people of Cush did.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice