ISAIAH 18 AN ORACLE CONCERNING CUSH

                                                                           Isaiah 18

                                                           An oracle concerning Cush

Isa 18:1  Woe to the land shadowing with wings, which is beyond the rivers of Ethiopia: 

This message calls the attention of a land lying alongside the rivers of Ethiopia (Cush), whose ships had sails resembling wings. The word Woe here functions not as a lament for impending doom, but as a word like Ho — a summons to pay attention.

Isa 18:2  That sendeth ambassadors by the sea, even in vessels of bulrushes upon the waters, saying, Go, ye swift messengers, to a nation scattered and peeled, to a people terrible from their beginning hitherto; a nation meted out and trodden down, whose land the rivers have spoiled!

That land was accustomed to sending envoys in vessels made of papyrus coated with pitch. The prophet uses the same messengers to carry his prophetic message back to them. The nation referred to had already been scattered by its enemies, its people described as smooth-skinned, with their hair shaven by sharp instruments. They were known as fierce and valiant warriors, terrible in their history from ancient times. This was a nation that had measured out and subdued others, expanding its dominion, and whose land was continually washed by rivers carrying away its soil — all fitting the characteristics of Nubia, Abyssinia (Ethiopia), and the broader land of Cush.

Isa 18:3  All ye inhabitants of the world, and dwellers on the earth, see ye, when he lifteth up an ensign on the mountains; and when he bloweth a trumpet, hear ye. 

Here, the prophet summons all nations to take notice. When the Lord raises a banner on the mountains of Judaea and sounds the trumpet, it signals a gathering of armies — namely, the Assyrians and their allies — against the land of Judaea. It is a divine summons for all nations to witness God’s intervention and justice upon the proud enemies of His people.

Isa 18:4  For so the LORD said unto me, I will take my rest, and I will consider in my dwelling place like a clear heat upon herbs, and like a cloud of dew in the heat of harvest. 

The Lord reveals His purpose to the prophet, declaring that He will sit quietly in His dwelling place and watch as the wicked lay their plans. As the sun shines steadily upon the herbs, causing them to grow, and as the dew descends softly in the heat of harvest ripening the crops, so too will the Lord allow the enemies’ schemes to mature. God’s silence during this time would be mistaken for indifference or approval by the wicked, but it is deliberate, allowing their pride and presumption to increase before their downfall.

Isa 18:5  For afore the harvest, when the bud is perfect, and the sour grape is ripening in the flower, he shall both cut off the sprigs with pruning hooks, and take away and cut down the branches. 

This figurative verse describes how, when the plans of the wicked seem ready to bear fruit — when the bud has blossomed, and the sour grape has formed — God will intervene. He will cut off the sprigs and prune the branches, halting their progress. This shows that the Lord allows their plots to ripen to a point, but before they can achieve success, He thwarts them, ensuring they will not bear fruit again.

 Isa 18:6  They shall be left together unto the fowls of the mountains, and to the beasts of the earth: and the fowls shall summer upon them, and all the beasts of the earth shall winter upon them. 

The armies that march against God’s people will be discomfited and destroyed before they can realise their purpose. Their unburied bodies will be left as prey for the birds and beasts of the earth, which will feast on them through the seasons. This prophecy was intended to give reassurance to the people of Judaea, who were fearful of the war preparations around them. The message affirms that the Lord watches the rage of the proud and foils the schemes of those who rise against His people.

Isa 18:7  In that time shall the present be brought unto the LORD of hosts of a people scattered and peeled, and from a people terrible from their beginning hitherto; a nation meted out and trodden under foot, whose land the rivers have spoiled, to the place of the name of the LORD of hosts, the mount Zion. 

When these enemies are overthrown, the defeated nations shall acknowledge Yahweh as the one true God. They will bring tributes and offerings to the Lord, and perhaps even embrace the true faith. This act would come from the nation of Cush — once scattered, smooth-skinned, and shaven, known for their oppression and military might. A people who extended their dominion over others, whose lands were regularly swept and reshaped by their rivers - the Cushites.

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