Woe There
Scripture Reading: Isaiah 31:1
“Woe” is the English translation of the Hebrew word which means, “you are in big trouble.” The people of Judah were looking for deliverance from Egypt. They believed that the sheer number of Egyptian chariots and the strength of Egyptian horses guaranteed deliverance. Their faith was in Egypt.
It isn’t necessarily wrong to seek help from other people or to allow their resources to meet your need. If you are ill, there is nothing wrong with going to a doctor for help. If you need help with financial planning, it is wise to seek out a professional with that kind of expertise. That isn’t why these Jews were being “woed.”
They are condemned for what they didn’t do. They did not “look to the Holy One of Israel or consult the LORD!” If they had, they would have known it wasn’t God’s will to seek help from the Egyptians. The trick here is to learn to keep our faith in the right place.
One of the key indicators that we are on the right path is we are praying first. And our prayers must not be the kind where we are merely seeking God’s approval for what we are going to do anyway. We need to pray with humility and a readiness to receive God’s instructions with a spirit of obedience. We must be ready to trust Him, even when our flesh tells us to put our hope in chariots and horses.
