“Listen, Ethiopia—land of fluttering sails that lies at the headwaters of the Nile, that sends ambassadors in swift boats down the river. Go, swift messengers! Take a message to a tall, smooth-skinned people, who are feared far and wide for their conquests and destruction, and whose land is divided by rivers. All you people of the world, everyone who lives on the earth— when I raise my battle flag on the mountain, look! When I blow the ram’s horn, listen! For the Lord has told me this: “I will watch quietly from my dwelling place— as quietly as the heat rises on a summer day, or as the morning dew forms during the harvest.””
Isaiah 18:1-4 NLT
The heading to this chapter in my Bible is “A Message about Ethiopia”: the Hebrew translation refers to “Cush”, which encompasses regions of Southern Egypt, Sudan, and parts of Ethiopia. The chapter starts with a reference to the source of the Nile, the “headwaters” of a navigable part able to send messengers in “swift boats”. But the source of the Nile is two rivers, one starting thousands of miles away in East Africa, and the other in Lake Victoria in Uganda. But Isaiah’s reference to “Cush” brings to mind “swift messengers” delivering a message to a “tall, smooth-skinned people”. These were the Cushites (ancient Nubians or Ethiopians). In Biblical times, they were renowned for their remarkable stature and sleek, dark skin. In Isaiah 18:2, we read that these people were “feared far and wide for their conquests and destruction”.
Isaiah 18:3 starts with “All you people of the world, everyone who lives on the earth”, so the scope of the prophecy extends to all nations on earth. And it is a warning to take note when God said, “When I raise my battle flag on the mountain, look! When I blow the ram’s horn, listen!” A message was coming that would impact all the nations. For us pilgrims today, it is easy to become overwhelmed by world events, and in this prophecy, Isaiah is reminding us that God has never surrendered His throne. Kings and governments may change, and as I write, another prime minister in the UK parliament is due to take office. Some fear the change, viewing it negatively as yet another opportunity to increase taxes on hard-working people. Others look at it as an opportunity for something positive to happen, something to improve the lot of the common man. History will decide, of course. But the important thing to note is that the Lord remains King forever.
There is something else worthy of note in the next verse that follows on from God being sovereign and still on His throne. He “will watch quietly from [His] dwelling place— as quietly as the heat rises on a summer day, or as the morning dew forms during the harvest”. God watches from heaven, and nothing escapes His attention. We might see wars, political movements and changes. We fret when we see evil men at war for egotistic purposes. We read of societal challenges, gender wars and so on, but, and here’s the thing, God sees hearts, motives and future consequences. People might think they can get away with their evil behaviour, but God is taking note and writing down all the misdeeds, and even evil thoughts, in one of the books that will be opened on the Day of Judgement (Revelation 20). Nothing, absolutely nothing, will escape God’s gaze. Hebrews 4:12-13, “For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable”.
Sometimes, we pilgrims feel that God is strangely quiet when we are going through some crisis or particular life challenge. We pray, but the Heavens appear to be made of brass, and our prayers bounce back unanswered. We read the Word, and we might even find some revelation or a few crumbs of comfort that will sustain us, but the problem is still with us. It could be ill-health or a financial challenge. It could be a relational problem with a neighbour or a family member. We might even be at our wits’ end, not knowing what to do. But God is watching quietly “from His dwelling place”. Psalm 27 finishes, “Wait patiently for the Lord. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the Lord”. Psalm 121:3, “He will not let you stumble; the one who watches over you will not slumber”. God’s timing is always perfect, and He will act in answer to our prayers at just the right time. We might want to hurry Him along a bit, but we should take a lesson from Abraham, who waited twenty-five years before He saw the promise of God in the birth of Isaac. In Psalm 27:14, we read, “Wait patiently for the Lord. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the Lord“.
Dear Heavenly Father. Thank You for Your promises, Your provision and Your presence. We worship You today. Amen.
Being a Pilgrim 