Westhill Church - Auburn & Federal Way, WA

The WEekly Word

A Blog of Encouragement from our Pastors

weekly word – 7/23/2026

God’s Prophecy for Egypt and Cush - Isaiah 20

In the last two chapters (Isaiah 18-19), God brought devastation on Egypt and Cush. But He gave both nations the hope of future redemption: the Cushites will one day they bring “a gift of homage…to Yahweh of hosts” (18:7) and the Egyptians will “make a vow to Yahweh and pay it” (19:21). They will one day recognize and worship the true God, Yahweh.

So why do we have another chapter dealing with these two nations?

This final chapter gives a warning to Judah not to depend on them. Even though they will turn to Yahweh one day, in the meantime, Judah needs to know they will soon bear the wrath of Assyria.

As Isaiah writes verse 1, he describes the Assyrians, under king Sargon II, having just “fought against Ashdod and conquered it” (1). This Philistine city, along with others, had revolted against Sargon’s demand for tribute. So in 712/711 BC, he campaigned through the region and re-conquered these lands. We have inscription evidence on this website: https://biblearchaeologyreport.com/2024/02/22/sargon-ii-an-archaeological-biography/.

As Sargon defeated these cities, God warned the Judeans in verses 2-4: just as Ashdod was destroyed by Assyria, Egypt and Cush will also fall one day. They won't be a reliable ally to keep Judah safe.

To demonstrate this, God tells Isaiah to take off his outer garment of sackcloth (either due to mourning or poverty), and live for three years “naked and barefoot”. Three times God uses the phrase “naked and barefoot” because Isaiah was to imitate how Assyria would deport its victims, Cush and Egypt included.

In verse 5, Isaiah proclaims those who trust in Egypt will likewise be “dismayed and ashamed” by Assyria’s conquest. In verse 6, Philistia will regret turning to Egypt and Cush for help, saying, “Behold, such is our hope, where we fled for help to be delivered from the king of Assyria; and we, how shall we escape?” (6). God doesn’t want His people, the Kingdom of Judah, to make the same mistake.

Sure enough, from 667-656 BC, the Assyrian king Ashurbanipal waged a series of attacks that defeated Egypt and ended the 25th Dynasty.

When Judah was desperate for protection, it would have been tempting to ally with Egypt. But God didn’t want Judah trying to secure independence through alliance with powerful nations; He wanted them to depend on Him alone for protection.

Likewise today, the New Testament tells us God doesn’t want His people “unequally yoked” with the world (2 Corinthians 6:14). In the Old and New Testament periods, believers should trust God and know He will sovereignly care for us and guide us regardless of the dangers around us.

When Christians resist making covenants with the world, either in business, politics, or marriage, we put God at the center of our lives and we keep our lives and testimony pure.

Pastor David

7/16/2026 – Yahweh Destroys and Redeems Egypt, Part 2 (Isaiah 19)

7/9/2026 – Yahweh Destroys and Redeems Egypt, Part 1 (Isaiah 19)

7/2/2026 – God's Prophecy for Cush (Isaiah 18)

6/25/2026 – God's Destruction of Damascus (Isaiah 17)

6/11/2026 – God's Wrath and Sorrow for Moab (Isaiah 15-16)

6/04/2026 – Essentials of the Gospel – Bryan

5/28/2026 – Babylon, Assyria, and Philistia (Isaiah 14) – David

5/21/2026 – Christian Living – Bryan

5/14/2026 – The Destruction of Babylon (Isaiah 13) – David

5/07/2026 – The Lord is My Shepherd – Bryan

4/30/2026 – Introduction to Isaiah 13-35 – David