Today we are in for a pleasant surprise. Egypt, the original ‘auld enemy’ of the Jewish people is next in line for Isaiah’s burdensome prophecy but the end of the matter is not at all what we might expect. True, the Lord’s servant does bring a series of dire warnings of what is about to happen in Egypt but then, unexpectedly, he concludes with a magnificent promise of widespread salvation and gospel blessing, not for Israel only but also for Egypt and Assyria. The God of all grace Let us never forget that the Lord delights to show mercy. It pleases God to be gracious to His covenant people and erstwhile enemies. Christ died for our sins while we were yet sinners. Egypt had long…

It is not certain which land Isaiah is referring to in these verses though it is generally assumed the African nations of Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan are intended. These nations occupied the land of Cush, named after Noah’s grandson. The reference to vessels of bulrushes likely supports this theory. Boats of this structure were used on the river Nile and perhaps along the Red Sea coast. The inclusion of these nations shows the broad scope of the prophet’s ‘burdens’ and ‘woes’. Scattered and peeled! Again, there is a question as to the identity of the people called ‘a nation scattered and peeled’. Some identify it as the Cushites, being descriptive of their tall height and shaved bodies. They have a ‘terrible’ reputation perhaps because they…