30:1 “The rebellious children are as good as dead,” says the Lord, “those who make plans without consulting me, who form alliances without consulting my Spirit, and thereby compound their sin.
King Hezekiah was trusting in his political advisors and foreign alliances instead of Jehovah. There were some rebellious leaders in his political party who were going to be killed, because they sinned by trusting in foreign alliances rather than in God.
30:2 They travel down to Egypt without seeking my will, seeking Pharaoh’s protection, and looking for safety in Egypt’s protective shade.
Instead of trusting in Jehovah, these political leaders wanted to make a military alliance with Egypt against Assyria.
30:3 But Pharaoh’s protection will bring you nothing but shame, and the safety of Egypt’s protective shade nothing but humiliation.
Egypt was a waning world power. Trusting in Egypt would not help Judah. In fact, it would humiliate them. It would make their Jewish leaders look foolish.
30:4 Though his officials are in Zoan and his messengers arrive at Hanes,
The ambassadors from Judah traveled to the Egyptian cities of Zoan and Hanes in order to make an alliance with Egypt.
30:5 all will be put to shame because of a nation that cannot help them, who cannot give them aid or help, but only shame and disgrace.”
Egypt could not give Judah help, but she could give them shame and disgrace.
30:6 This is a message about the animals in the Negev: Through a land of distress and danger, inhabited by lionesses and roaring lions, by snakes and darting adders, they transport their wealth on the backs of donkeys, their riches on the humps of camels, to a nation that cannot help them.
The ambassadors from Judah took expensive gifts to Egypt on the backs of donkeys and camels. They had to pass through the Negev. The Negev was a desolate and dangerous area with many wild animals. All of this expense would be for nothing.
30:7 Egypt is totally incapable of helping.For this reason I call her, ’Proud one who is silenced.’ ”
The Hebrew for “proud one who is silenced” is הֶ֥בֶל וָרִ֖יק (habel wa-rik), meaning a hippopotamus, a big mouth, or a do-nothing. Egypt was good for nothing. All she could do was open her big mouth like a hippopotamus and do nothing. She could talk a big talk, but she would not be able to stop the Assyrian invasion.
30:8 Now go, write it down on a tablet in their presence, inscribe it on a scroll, so that it might be preserved for a future time as an enduring witness.
The people did not want to hear Isaiah’s message about the coming Assyrian destruction. Therefore, Jehovah told Isaiah to write down the message so that the people could not claim that they did not hear it. It was written down for future generations to see the foolishness of this covenant with Egypt. This prophecy would also authenticate Isaiah as a true prophet of God.
30:9 For these are rebellious people— they are lying children, children unwilling to obey the Lord’s law.
There were a lot of stubborn people in Judah who did not want to hear God’s word.
30:10 They say to the visionaries, “See no more visions!” and to the seers, “Don’t relate messages to us about what is right! Tell us nice things, relate deceptive messages.
Judah wanted the prophets to change their message and tell them nice things. This is similar to the seeker churches today who only give positive feel-good messages.
30:11 Turn aside from the way, stray off the path. Remove from our presence the Holy One of Israel.”
The people of Judah did not want to be confronted with the truth from God, the Holy One of Israel.
30:12 For this reason this is what the Holy One of Israel says: “You have rejected this message; you trust instead in your ability to oppress and trick, and rely on that kind of behavior.
Judah trusted more in her human trickery than she did in Jehovah.
30:13 So this sin will become your downfall. You will be like a high wall that bulges and cracks and is ready to collapse; it crumbles suddenly, in a flash.
The punishment would come upon Judah like a suddenly-cracked wall falling on its victim.
30:14 It shatters in pieces like a clay jar, so shattered to bits that none of it can be salvaged. Among its fragments one cannot find a shard large enough to scoop a hot coal from a fire or to skim off water from a cistern.”
Judah would be shattered like pottery. The broken pieces would be unusable.
30:15 For this is what the master, the Lord, the Holy One of Israel says: “If you repented and patiently waited for me, you would be delivered; if you calmly trusted in me you would find strength, but you are unwilling.
If Judah would have trusted in Jehovah instead of Egypt, then she would have been delivered from Assyria. King Ahaz refused help from Jehovah. The next generation would make the same mistake as King Ahaz.
30:16 You say, ‘No, we will flee on horses,’ so you will indeed flee. You say, ‘We will ride on fast horses,’ so your pursuers will be fast.
Instead of trusting in Jehovah, Judah would trust in her fast horses. However, the Assyrian horses would be faster. This was a reverse of the Mosaic blessing.
30:17 One thousand will scurry at the battle cry of one enemy soldier; at the battle cry of five enemy soldiers you will all run away, until the remaining few are as isolated as a flagpole on a mountaintop or a signal flag on a hill.”
One Assyrian soldier would chase away 1,000 Judaean soldiers. Five Assyrian soldiers would shout out a battle cry and the entire army of Judah would run away. Judah would stand alone like a banner on a hill as a warning to others not to count on military strength. Judah would be depopulated.
30:18 For this reason the Lord is ready to show you mercy; he sits on his throne, ready to have compassion on you. Indeed, the Lord is a just God; all who wait for him in faith will be blessed.
Jehovah wanted to show Judah mercy, because He made a promise to her through the covenants. If Judah would trust Jehovah, then He would save her. Jehovah is a God of justice, so He must discipline Judah before He restores her.
30:19 For people will live in Zion; in Jerusalem you will weep no more. When he hears your cry of despair, he will indeed show you mercy; when he hears it, he will respond to you.
Judah’s only chance was to flee to Jerusalem. Jehovah promised to save Jerusalem once He heard her cry. King Hezekiah would make this cry.
30:20 The sovereign master will give you distress to eat and suffering to drink; but your teachers will no longer be hidden; your eyes will see them.
Israel would experience stress and famine, but God would keep His covenantal promises and save her. During the Millennial Kingdom, Israel would listen to the teachers in which God would send them.
30:21 You will hear a word spoken behind you, saying, “This is the correct way, walk in it,” whether you are heading to the right or the left.
During the Millennial Kingdom, teachers would guide Israel into eternal truth.
30:22 You will desecrate your silver-plated idols and your gold-plated images. You will throw them away as if they were a menstrual rag, saying to them, “Get out!”
During the Millennial Kingdom, Israel would recognize the immoral filthiness of her past idols.
30:23 He will water the seed you plant in the ground, and the ground will produce crops in abundance. At that time your cattle will graze in wide pastures.
During the Millennial Kingdom, Israel’s livestock and agriculture would blossom.
30:24 The oxen and donkeys used in plowing will eat seasoned feed winnowed with a shovel and pitchfork.
During the Millennial Kingdom, even the beasts of burden would enjoy good food.
30:25 On every high mountain and every high hill there will be streams flowing with water, at the time of great slaughter when the fortified towers collapse.
During the Millennial Kingdom, there would be no drought in Israel. The time of the "great slaughter" may refer to Armageddon. After Armageddon, there will be no more fortified cities. Tax dollars will not be spent upon weapons of mass destruction.
30:26 The light of the full moon will be like the sun’s glare and the sun’s glare will be seven times brighter, like the light of seven days, when the Lord binds up his people’s fractured bones and heals their severe wound.
During the Millennial Kingdom, light upon the earth will increase. The moon's light will be like the sun. The sun will shine seven times brighter. Jehovah will injure Israel, but then He will bind up her wounds.
30:27 Look, the name of the Lord comes from a distant place in raging anger and awesome splendor. He speaks angrily and his word is like destructive fire.
During the Millennial Kingdom, King Messiah will arrive at His second coming in the form of the Shechinah Glory.
30:28 His battle cry overwhelms like a flooding river that reaches one’s neck. He shakes the nations in a sieve that isolates the chaff; he puts a bit into the mouth of the nations and leads them to destruction.
During the Millennial Kingdom, King Messiah will destroy the nations who come against Israel.
30:29 You will sing as you do in the evening when you are celebrating a festival. You will be happy like one who plays a flute as he goes to the mountain of the Lord, the Rock who shelters Israel.
During the Millennial Kingdom, Israel will sing a new Passover song.
30:30 The Lord will give a mighty shout and intervene in power, with furious anger and flaming, destructive fire, with a driving rainstorm and hailstones.
In verses 30-33, Jehovah will do to Assyria what King Messiah will do to the nations at His second coming. Jehovah will destroy the Assyrians supernaturally with destructive fire.
30:31 Indeed, the Lord’s shout will shatter Assyria; he will beat them with a club.
The Assyrians will be beaten by Jehovah’s hammer.
30:32 Every blow from his punishing cudgel, with which the Lord will beat them, will be accompanied by music from the tambourine and harp, and he will attack them with his weapons.
After Jehovah destroys the Assyrian soldiers, then the Jews will celebrate with tambourines and harps.
30:33 For the burial place is already prepared; it has been made deep and wide for the king. The firewood is piled high on it. The Lord’s breath, like a stream flowing with brimstone, will ignite it.
Jehovah has already prepared the burial place for the Assyrian soldiers. They will be buried in Tophet. Tophet was a place originally where garbage was burned. Later, human sacrifices were burnt by idolatrous Jews. The valley had the appearance of a lake of fire. It was later called Gehenna. It became the name for the future hell, as used in the New Testament. Therefore, this prophecy looks forward to the ultimate judgment of the lost in the eternal Lake of Fire.