Isaiah 19:25 Whom the LORD of hosts shall bless, saying, Blessed be Egypt my people, and Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel mine inheritance.
Reconciled to God, Reconciled to Each Other
Whether you watch the news or not you are probably aware that there is a lot of war in the world. You’re also aware that there is a lot of war around the nation of Israel. That has always been the case. It’s also true that there’s war in our corner of the world, and there is war in every human heart. That war is not primarily with other people, but with God Himself.
In Isaiah 19 the prophet looks ahead to a coming day when ancient enemies will be reconciled. The reason they’ll be reconciled with each other is because they will be reconciled with the God Who made them. The Bible says that there will be an altar to the Lord in the land of Egypt. The Egyptians will make sacrifices to God. There will also be roads between Egypt and Assyria because the Assyrians will be coming to Egypt to serve God with the Egyptians. There will be unity among these nations who often have had one thing in common – their hatred of Israel.
However, the problem Egypt has now is the same problem Israel has: both have turned from God. The problem with Israel is the same problem with our country today. We have turned from God. And the problem with these nations is the same problem with my own wicked heart and yours: we have turned from God. But, when those nations are reconciled to God, they will be reconciled to each other, and when we turn to God we can be reconciled with others also.
Now let me ask you: with whom would you be reconciled today if you were reconciled to God? We war amongst ourselves because we war against God. It is not honest to say, “Well, I’m right with God, but I hate somebody else.” The Bible says in I John that if a man says he loves God but hates his brother, he’s a liar. When I give due diligence to be right with God, I cannot possibly live with malice towards anybody else. When I make things right with God, I make things right with my world and the people in it.