Isaiah 19:11

Isaiah 19:11 says, Surely the princes of Zoan are fools, the counsel of the wise counsellors of Pharaoh is become brutish: how say ye unto Pharaoh, I am the son of the wise, the son of ancient kings?  Isaiah said that the counsel of those who were supposed to be wise was foolish.  They based their wisdom on being the descendants of wise men.  Just because someone is a descendant of a person noted for their wisdom doesn’t make them wise, and much of the wisdom of the world is foolishness to start with.  If we are looking for wise advice, we need to look to God and to people who are speaking under the leadership of the Holy Spirit. 

Verse twelve adds, Where are they? where are thy wise men? and let them tell thee now, and let them know what the Lord of hosts hath purposed upon Egypt.  Isaiah asked Pharaoh where the wise men were now that things were going so badly and then ask them what the Lord of Hosts, the only true God, had in store for the nation.  Those who do not even acknowledge God or do not accept Him as the only true God can never know what He is planning to do.  We as followers of Christ may not know everything that God plans for the world, but we can know that one day, His Son Jesus Christ is going to return, and the world will face God’s judgment; but that He made a way for people to avoid facing Him in condemnation.  That is really all we need to know. 

Verse thirteen continues, The princes of Zoan are become fools, the princes of Noph are deceived; they have also seduced Egypt, even they that are the stay of the tribes thereof.  Isaiah continued by referring to the people of a couple of nations who had put their faith in Egypt.  Anywhere we look for peace and protection in the world outside of faith in God is going to prove us to be foolish. 

Verse fourteen states, The Lord hath mingled a perverse spirit in the midst thereof: and they have caused Egypt to err in every work thereof, as a drunken man staggereth in his vomit.  Isaiah said that God had allowed the people of Egypt to believe in a perverse spirit, and they were left staggering like drunk men.  God still allows people to follow perverse spirits today, but if they do, they are no wiser than those who are staggering around drunk. 

Verse fifteen adds, Neither shall there be any work for Egypt, which the head or tail, branch or rush, may do.  Isaiah said during this time of judgment that there would be no work done in Egypt.  I believe I can say that when God’s final judgment comes, there will be no peace or work for those who have rejected Jesus Christ and have been sent away to everlasting punishment.