20150719 Sunday, July 19 2015
Isaiah 31: The Egypt Connection

by Wayne Blank
See also 1 Year Holy Bible Reading Plan

"Solomon made affinity with Pharaoh king of Egypt, and took Pharaoh's daughter, and brought her into the city of David"

Noah had three sons - Shem, Ham and Japheth - from whom the families of all of humanity originated (see Genesis 10: The First Nations Of The New World and The LORD's Seed Covenants With The Two Men Of Iraq).

"6:5 And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. 6:6 And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.

6:7 And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.

6:8 But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.

6:9 These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God.

6:10 And Noah begat three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth." (Genesis 6:5-10 KJV)

Noah's son Ham had four sons: Cush, Mizraim, Put, Canaan.

"1:8 The sons of Ham; Cush, and Mizraim, Put, and Canaan.

1:9 And the sons of Cush; Seba, and Havilah, and Sabta, and Raamah, and Sabtecha. And the sons of Raamah; Sheba, and Dedan.

1:10 And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be mighty upon the earth.

1:11 And Mizraim begat Ludim, and Anamim, and Lehabim, and Naphtuhim, 1:12 And Pathrusim, and Casluhim, of whom came the Philistines, and Caphthorim." (1 Chronicles 1:8-12 KJV)

Mizraim was the Hebrew name given to Egypt and northeast Africa by the Israelites because of Mizraim's descendants there. Mizraim is rendered into English as "Egypt" from the name that the ancient Greek empire gave to it, pronounced Aigyptos (see also The Cleopatra Connection). The actual Hebrew name is found hundreds of times in the Holy Scriptures - from which various translations render it, interchangeably, as either "Mizraim" or "Egypt" e.g. Genesis 10:6 in the King James Version and the Revised Standard Version:

"10:6 And the sons of Ham; Cush, and Mizraim, and Phut, and Canaan." (Genesis 10:6 KJV)

"10:6 The sons of Ham: Cush, Egypt, Put and Canaan." (Genesis 10:6 RSV)

As shown on the map, Egypt provided a vast section of the "Fertile Crescent" that extended from the Tigris-Euphrates valley of Iraq (known as "Eden" in the most-ancient times; see also A Biography Of Abraham: From Ur To Canaan) to the fertile Nile River and its delta (part of which was known as "Goshen") which was the home and birthplace of the Israelites for 400 years (see I Will There Make Of Thee A Great Nation).

Jacob / Israel (see A Biography Of Jacob: When Jacob Became Israel) was not the first to seek refuge in Egypt to escape famine. His grandfather Abraham experienced the same flight, after which modest-means Abraham left with great wealth - amidst plagues upon Egypt from the LORD.

"12:10 And there was a famine in the land: and Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn there; for the famine was grievous in the land.

12:11 And it came to pass, when he was come near to enter into Egypt, that he said unto Sarai his wife, Behold now, I know that thou art a fair woman to look upon: 12:12 Therefore it shall come to pass, when the Egyptians shall see thee, that they shall say, This is his wife: and they will kill me, but they will save thee alive. 12:13 Say, I pray thee, thou art my sister: that it may be well with me for thy sake; and my soul shall live because of thee.

12:14 And it came to pass, that, when Abram was come into Egypt, the Egyptians beheld the woman that she was very fair. 12:15 The princes also of Pharaoh saw her, and commended her before Pharaoh: and the woman was taken into Pharaoh's house. 12:16 And he entreated Abram well for her sake: and he had sheep, and oxen, and he asses, and menservants, and maidservants, and she asses, and camels.

12:17 And the LORD plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai Abram's wife. 12:18 And Pharaoh called Abram, and said, What is this that thou hast done unto me? why didst thou not tell me that she was thy wife? 12:19 Why saidst thou, She is my sister? so I might have taken her to me to wife: now therefore behold thy wife, take her, and go thy way. 12:20 And Pharaoh commanded his men concerning him: and they sent him away, and his wife, and all that he had." (Genesis 12:10-20 KJV)

The Israelites grew from a family of about 70 people to a multitude in which military-age males alone numbered over 600,000 - made possible by the resources and military protection of Egypt during the 4 centuries that they lived as citizens of Egypt. Ironically, it was their power that caused the later Pharaoh to fear the Israelites in his country (see How Long Were They Slaves?).

As well, the patriarchs of two of the tribes of Israel, Ephraim and Manasseh, were born of an Egyptian mother - at the time when their father, the Israelite patriarch Joseph, was the Prime Minister of Egypt (see Joseph's Sheaves and Stars Dreams Fulfilled and The Adoption Of Ephraim and Manasseh).

Even after the Exodus, Israel sometimes established political and military ties with Egypt. King Solomon also maintained a close family and military relationship with Egypt - that continued on after the division of Israel (see Israel In History and Prophecy: Israel and Judah).

"3:1 And Solomon made affinity with Pharaoh king of Egypt, and took Pharaoh's daughter, and brought her into the city of David, until he had made an end of building his own house, and the house of the LORD, and the wall of Jerusalem round about." (1 Kings 3:1 KJV)

"9:15 And this is the reason of the levy which king Solomon raised; for to build the house of the LORD, and his own house, and Millo, and the wall of Jerusalem, and Hazor, and Megiddo, and Gezer. 9:16 For Pharaoh king of Egypt had gone up, and taken Gezer, and burnt it with fire, and slain the Canaanites that dwelt in the city, and given it for a present unto his daughter, Solomon's wife." (1 Kings 9:15-16 KJV)

Subsequent Israelite kings also made military alliances with Egypt - but for the wrong reason, as declared by the LORD through the prophet Isaiah: "Woe to them that go down to Egypt for help ... but they look not unto the Holy One of Israel, neither seek the LORD! ... the Egyptians are men, and not God."

"31:1 Woe to them that go down to Egypt for help; and stay on horses, and trust in chariots, because they are many; and in horsemen, because they are very strong; but they look not unto the Holy One of Israel, neither seek the LORD! 31:2 Yet he also is wise, and will bring evil, and will not call back his words: but will arise against the house of the evildoers, and against the help of them that work iniquity. 31:3 Now the Egyptians are men, and not God; and their horses flesh, and not spirit. When the LORD shall stretch out his hand, both he that helpeth shall fall, and he that is holpen shall fall down, and they all shall fail together.

31:4 For thus hath the LORD spoken unto me, Like as the lion and the young lion roaring on his prey, when a multitude of shepherds is called forth against him, he will not be afraid of their voice, nor abase himself for the noise of them: so shall the LORD of hosts come down to fight for mount Zion, and for the hill thereof. 31:5 As birds flying, so will the LORD of hosts defend Jerusalem; defending also he will deliver it; and passing over he will preserve it.

31:6 Turn ye unto him from whom the children of Israel have deeply revolted. 31:7 For in that day every man shall cast away his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which your own hands have made unto you for a sin.

31:8 Then shall the Assyrian fall with the sword, not of a mighty man; and the sword, not of a mean man, shall devour him: but he shall flee from the sword, and his young men shall be discomfited. 31:9 And he shall pass over to his strong hold for fear, and his princes shall be afraid of the ensign, saith the LORD, whose fire is in Zion, and his furnace in Jerusalem." (Isaiah 31:1-9 KJV)

Fact Finder: Was the Messiah's life saved by Egypt? What prophecy did the Messiah's coming out of Egypt fulfill?
Matthew 2:13-15, Hosea 11:1 and see The Flight Into Egypt; also The Rachel Prophecies and Does Rome Have Christ's Birth Certificate?