Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help
And rely on horses,
And trust in chariots because they are many
And in horsemen because they are very strong,
But they do not look to the Holy One of Israel, nor seek the Lord! (31:1).

I am speechless. The Holy One of Israel, the Lord God waiting to have compassion, waiting to deliver His people, waiting for them to accept His offer of salvation; and yet His children persist in going down to Egypt, going so very far beneath the Almighty and looking to the visible things of the world for their help. How can it be? And perhaps I find myself speechless because I am so keenly aware of my own tendency to turn to what I can see, to find help that is tangible… tangible yet powerless.

And the children of Israel had exchanged the truth for a lie. Because they could see the strength and number of Egypt’s horses and chariots, they turned back to the very ones who had held them in bondage as the solution for deliverance. It is so unimaginable, and yet they turned back to a quick fix that is sure to end in ruins.

Yet He also is wise and will bring disaster
And does not retract His words,
But will arise against the house of evildoers
And against the help of the workers of iniquity. (31:2).

God, perfect in wisdom and power, will fulfill His Word. And while His children will endure discipline, God Himself has spoken; His covenant promise to protect, deliver and rescue will be kept by Him, Our Only Help.

For thus says the Lord to me, “As the lion or the young lion growls over his prey,
Against which a band of shepherds is called out,
And he will not be terrified at their voice nor disturbed at their noise,
So will the Lord of hosts come down to wage war on Mount Zion and on its hill.”
⁵ Like flying birds so the Lord of hosts will protect Jerusalem.
He will protect and deliver it;
He will pass over and rescue it. (31:4-5).

And although His own have rebelled against Him, had so completely turned and defected from Him and His promises, in that day, all will realize that He Alone Is Our Only Help.

Return to Him from whom you have deeply defected, O sons of Israel. ⁷ For in that day every man will cast away his silver idols and his gold idols, which your sinful hands have made for you as a sin, (31:6).

In that day, Only His Strength will be evident, for the hope and strength of His enemies will pass away by the sword of God Who will put them to flight in fear and panic at the sight of the blazing fire of Him, Our Only Help.

“His rock will pass away because of panic,
And his princes will be terrified at the standard,”
Declares the Lord, whose fire is in Zion and whose furnace is in Jerusalem, (31:9).

In this short chapter of only nine verses, Isaiah declares the utter futility in looking to anyone or anything for help other than to Him, Our Only Help. And it is more than worth the time to consider every verse, for in each one we will be exhorted to see and consider Jesus.

Consider Him Our Only Help

• He Is Our Only Help; He Alone Is our Strength.
  • Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help
    And rely on horses,
    And trust in chariots because they are many
    And in horsemen because they are very strong,
    But they do not look to the Holy One of Israel, nor seek the Lord! (31:1).

that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, ¹⁷ so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith… (Ephesians 3:16-17).

• He Is Our Only Help; He Alone Is our Wisdom.
  • Yet He also is wise and will bring disaster
    And does not retract His words,
    But will arise against the house of evildoers
    And against the help of the workers of iniquity, (31:2).

But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, (1 Corinthians 1:30).

• He Is Our Only Help; He Alone Is our Victory.
  • Now the Egyptians are men and not God,
    And their horses are flesh and not spirit;
    So the Lord will stretch out His hand,
    And he who helps will stumble
    And he who is helped will fall,
    And all of them will come to an end together.
    ⁴ For thus says the Lord to me,
    “As the lion or the young lion growls over his prey,
    Against which a band of shepherds is called out,
    And he will not be terrified at their voice nor disturbed at their noise,
    So will the Lord of hosts come down to wage war on Mount Zion and on its hill,” (31:3-4).

The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; ⁵⁷ but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ, (1 Corinthians 1:56-57).

• He Is Our Only Help; He Alone Is our Salvation.
  • Like flying birds so the Lord of hosts will protect Jerusalem.
    He will protect and deliver it;
    He will pass over and rescue it, (31:5).

And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved,” (Acts 4:12).

• He Is Our Only Help; He Alone Is Exalted.
  • Return to Him from whom you have deeply defected, O sons of Israel. ⁷ For in that day every man will cast away his silver idols and his gold idols, which your sinful hands have made for you as a sin, (31:6-7).

This Jesus God raised up again, to which we are all witnesses. ³³ Therefore having been exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured forth this which you both see and hear. ³⁴ For it was not David who ascended into heaven, but he himself says: ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand, ³⁵ Until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.” ³⁶ Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ—this Jesus whom you crucified,” (Acts 2:32-36).

• He Is Our Only Help; He Alone Is our Freedom.
  • And the Assyrian will fall by a sword not of man,
    And a sword not of man will devour him.
    So he will not escape the sword,
    And his young men will become forced laborers, (31:8).

“So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed,” (John 8:36).

• He Is Our Only Help; He Alone Is our Rock.
  • “His rock will pass away because of panic,
    And his princes will be terrified at the standard,”
    Declares the Lord, whose fire is in Zion and whose furnace is in Jerusalem, (31:9).

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. ²⁵ And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock,” (Matthew 7:24-25).

How do we respond to Him, Our Only Help?

Do you find it almost unbelievable how very much He does so that we can be in fellowship with Him? Oh, how desperate we are for the Help that only He can give; and oh, His amazing Word, written that we would know Him, that we would seek Him as Our Only Help.

But the enemy is relentless in his schemes to move us away from Him in our desires for the quick fix. Let us pray, and ask the Lord to show us if we are succumbing to enticements to go down to Egypt for help; to go back down to the ideas, strategies and corrupting ways the world offers as sources for help; that we would seek Him as Our Only Help to lay aside the old self.

that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, ²³ and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, ²⁴ and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth, (Ephesians 4:22-24).

Do we see His Help as something only meant to alleviate our suffering and trials, or are we trusting Him as Our Only Help in the midst of every affliction to grow us in His image?

And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. ²⁹ For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren, (Romans 8:28-29).

When Paul penned the memorable words of Philippians 4:13, it was within the very context of difficulties and suffering. And through dependence on Christ as his Only Help, Paul knew he could be content in whatever circumstance of life that God allowed.

Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. ¹² I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. ¹³ I can do all things through Him who strengthens me, (Philippians 4:12-13).

And because we live in the world of “now,” waiting can challenge the flesh like few other obstacles can. But He sent the Helper, the Holy Spirit, and He gave us His Holy Scriptures. If we will seek Him in His Word, and trust the Helper we have received through faith in Christ, He will faithfully lead us to Himself as Our Only Strength; and in that place He will enable us to live in contentment and peace in Him, Our Only Help.

“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you. ²⁷ Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful,” (John 14:26-27).

Oh, Holy Spirit of God, Our Only Helper, teach us through Your Word of Truth to look to You in all things, that we would grow in our understanding of the eternal value You are producing in our afflictions in this life. We know the day is coming when all will see You Alone as Our Only Help. Until that day, please Lord, may the lost see You in us, that they too might come to understand and know You as their Only Hope for this life and eternity.

Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. ¹⁷ For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, ¹⁸ while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal, (2 Corinthians 4:16-18).

Let’s Grow Together!