The mistake Judah had made was to protect herself from Assyria through an alliance with Egypt. But that wasn’t God’s plan. He had liberated them from Egypt in the first place. Think about it. Judah is going back to the old slave-master, to ensure her freedom.

Scripture – especially the Old Testament – is full of warnings about how God’s people must fully trust in and lean upon God and not others for their protection, security, safety and blessing. But too often the Israelites ignored this.

Isaiah 30 is just one clear example of this, where Yahweh warns Israel that relying on Egypt will not save them (from Assyrian aggression) but will only get them into more trouble. The first three verses say this:

“Ah, stubborn children,” declares the Lord,

“who carry out a plan, but not mine,

and who make an alliance, but not of my Spirit,

    that they may add sin to sin;

who set out to go down to Egypt,

    without asking for my direction,

to take refuge in the protection of Pharaoh

    and to seek shelter in the shadow of Egypt!

Therefore shall the protection of Pharaoh turn to your shame,

    and the shelter in the shadow of Egypt to your humiliation.”

Earlier on, as in Isaiah 10, we read about how God himself was bringing the Assyrians to judge Israel for its sin, idolatry and disobedience. But later in that chapter we are told that God will also judge Assyria. The issue as always is whether God’s people will fully trust and depend upon God, or whether they will turn to others for their help and salvation.

There are obvious lessons for Christians today. We can look to things like politics to save us instead of looking to Christ. Yes, believers should be involved in politics and society, but we dare not think that some political or legislative solution alone will be what we all need.

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