Day 198 (Isaiah 18-22) - Year 8 - The Bible Recap

Summary5 min read

The Bible Recap
Host: Tara-Leigh Cobble
Episode: Day 198 (Isaiah 18–22) – Year 8
Release Date: July 17, 2026

Episode Overview

In this episode, Tara-Leigh Cobble recaps Isaiah chapters 18–22, covering a series of prophetic oracles directed toward various nations surrounding Judah. The episode unpacks God’s pronouncements against Ethiopia (Kush), Egypt, Assyria, Philistia, Babylon, Jerusalem, and explores the themes of God’s sovereignty, inclusion of the nations in His family, judgment, and mercy. Tara-Leigh brings her signature approachable, insightful style to make sense of Isaiah’s challenging and often surprising prophecies.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Oracles to the Nations (00:01 – 06:00)

Mystery Nation Beyond Kush (00:20)
- Begins with a prophecy to a nation “beyond the rivers of Kush”—likely modern-day Ethiopia.
- This nation seeks help to avoid disaster.
- Isaiah calls for all nations to heed the Lord, foretelling a time when Gentile nations will acknowledge Yahweh’s supremacy and bring Him tribute.
“He prophesies that eventually the Gentile nations will bring tribute to Yahweh and acknowledge his supremacy.” (00:30)
Oracle Concerning Egypt (01:00)
- Egypt, a historical oppressor and major power, is targeted. God will confound Egypt's wisdom, bring internal strife, and oppression.
- Tara-Leigh notes God's surprising mercy, referencing Isaiah 19:18–25.
  - Five Egyptian cities will swear allegiance to the Lord (19:18).
  - “The Lord will make himself known to the Egyptians” (19:21).
  - Egypt and Assyria, long-time enemies of Israel, will one day worship Yahweh together.
  - Verse 25: God refers to Egypt as "my people," Assyria as "the work of my hands," and Israel as "my inheritance," highlighting the inclusivity of God’s family.
“This is stunning and really reveals God's heart of love for a multinational family.” (02:50)
- Tara-Leigh points out the ethnic diversity of biblical characters, humorously noting that none of the people in these stories are white, despite popular art depictions.
“None of these people are white. Don't worry, we'll join this family eventually, white people. But we're still a few hundred years off.” (03:10)

Isaiah’s Prophetic Theater – Ashdod, Egypt, and Assyria (04:00 – 05:20)

Isaiah’s Dramatized Prophecy (04:00)
- Chapter 20 interrupts with a physical prophecy: Isaiah wears sackcloth (mourning attire), then shifts to nudity as an enacted sign.
- Ashdod (Philistine city) seeks help from Egypt and Kush when attacked by Assyria, but all are humiliated and captured.
- Isaiah’s barefoot, naked display symbolizes the shame and defeat Assyria will inflict.
“Apparently Isaiah did this for three years, either constantly or intermittently. Prophets do not have an easy calling, that's for sure.” (05:30)

Oracles of Destruction – Babylon and Others (05:30 – 06:30)

Babylon, Persia, and Heartbreak (05:30)
- Isaiah sees the future fall of Babylon, conquered by Persian cities, a vision that deeply disturbs him despite Babylon’s wickedness.
- His grief reflects God’s own compassion (mirroring God’s mourning for Moab).
Other Oracles and the Cycle of Destruction
- Series of brief judgments against multiple nations.
- When nations ask how long the suffering will last, the reply is, “dawn is breaking, but it will be followed by night.” (06:20)
- Emphasizes the cyclical nature of judgment.

Oracle for Jerusalem and Shebna (06:30 – 08:00)

Judgment on Jerusalem
- Prophecy turns to Judah itself; Isaiah is devastated at the calamities to come.
- Jerusalem’s futile preparations (like water tunnels) won’t save it—the destruction is divinely orchestrated.
- Judah, faced with imminent disaster, chooses self-indulgence over repentance, betraying their heart condition.
The Pride of Shebna (07:10)
- Isaiah condemns Shebna, a proud royal official, who prepares elaborate tombs for himself.
- God’s striking judgment: “whirl you around and around and throw you like a ball into a wide land” (Isaiah 22:18).
- Shebna will be replaced by Eliakim.
"It's not often, if ever, that you hear God promise to, quote, whirl you around and around and throw you like a ball into a wide land. But that's what he says to Shebna in 22:18." (07:30)

Tara-Leigh’s Reflections (“God Shot”) (08:00 – 09:30)

Draws attention to God’s sovereignty over human wisdom and emotion, citing Isaiah 19:3 and 19:14.

“I will confound their counsel.” (Isaiah 19:3) “The Lord has mingled within her a spirit of confusion.” (Isaiah 19:14)
Humbling and comforting that God can sovereignly guide and instruct.
Connects to New Testament promises: the Holy Spirit guiding into truth (John 16:13) and reminding believers of Jesus’ words (John 14:26).
Cautions: Not every thought or impulse is from God; God’s mind is different (Isaiah 55:8).
Concludes with gratitude for God’s willingness to share His thoughts and delight in knowing Him.

“His thoughts fascinate me and I want more of them all the time. He's where the joy is.” (09:20)

Memorable Quotes & Moments

On God’s Multinational Family:
“This is stunning and really reveals God's heart of love for a multinational family.” (02:50)
Biblical Diversity: “None of these people are white. Don't worry, we'll join this family eventually, white people. But we're still a few hundred years off. I know we're in all the paintings, but those are paintings, not pictures.” (03:10)
Prophetic Drama:
“Prophets do not have an easy calling, that's for sure.” (05:30)
On God’s Judgment to Shebna: “It's not often, if ever, that you hear God promise to, quote, whirl you around and around and throw you like a ball into a wide land.” (07:30)
The God Shot:
“His thoughts fascinate me and I want more of them all the time. He's where the joy is.” (09:20)

Key Timestamps

[00:01] – Introduction to Isaiah 18–22 and surrounding nations
[00:20] – Mystery nation beyond Kush and eventual Gentile tribute
[01:00] – Prophecy against Egypt and surprising mercy
[03:10] – Multinational family of God and biblical diversity
[04:00] – Isaiah’s enacted prophecy (sackcloth and nudity)
[05:30] – Distress over Babylon’s destruction; oracles to other nations
[06:30] – Oracle to Jerusalem/Judah and futility of their preparations
[07:10] – Shebna’s pride and unique judgment
[08:00] – The “God Shot”: Sovereignty over human thought, encouragement, and humility
[09:20] – Concluding reflection on God’s wisdom and guidance

Final Takeaway

This episode explores not only the judgments of God on the nations but also His surprising inclusiveness, compassion, and sovereignty. Tara-Leigh ties ancient prophecies to God’s universal purposes and offers reminders of humility and encouragement for daily living and personal faith.

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Transcript1 lines

[00:02]
A
Hey, bible readers, I'm tara leigh cobble and I'm your host for the bible recap. Today we continue with more oracles to the pagan nations in the areas surrounding Judah. And some very surprising stuff happens in today's prophecies. We start out with a mystery nation that is beyond the rivers of Kush. Kush is another name for ancient Ethiopia, though it's a bit further south now than it was in ancient times. So it's possible that this points to the location of modern Ethiopia. They're sending for help to avoid disaster. And then Isaiah calls for all the people of the world to do the same thing. He prophesies that eventually the Gentile nations will bring tribute to Yahweh and acknowledge his supremacy. Next, we move on to Egypt. Just a quick refresher. Egypt enslaved the people of Israel for 400 years and only let them go after God brought a string of plagues and death their way. They're racist toward the Israelites, they're renowned for their knowledge, and they're a major world power. So what does God have to say to this long standing, powerful enemy of his people? He's going to confuse their wisdom. He's going to oppress them the way they've oppressed others. And he's even going to turn them against each other. Good riddance, right? You'd think. But Yahweh often has grace tucked up his sleeve. We start to see it in 1918. It says, in that day there will be five cities in the land of Egypt that speak the land of Canaan and swear allegiance to the Lord of hosts. What? It gets better. Verse 21 says, and the Lord will make himself known to the Egyptians. But that's not all. Verse 23 says, in that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria. And Assyria will come into Egypt and Egypt into Assyria. And the Egyptians will worship with the Assyrians. Assyria and Egypt, two of the most powerful enemies of God's people, will worship him. In verse 25, he calls them Egypt, my people, and Assyria, the work of my hands, right alongside Israel, my inheritance. This is stunning and really reveals God's heart of love for a multinational family. He continues to show us the beautiful diversity of his family. And as you're picturing this, try to remember that none of these people are white. Don't worry, we'll join this family eventually. White people. But we're still a few hundred years off. I know we're in all the paintings, but those are paintings, not pictures. In chapter 20 the oracles are interrupted by a section where Isaiah performs a prophetic sign that pertains to some present day activity. Know how prophets like to demonstrate things with a little bit of theater to really drive the point home? That's what's happening here. Isaiah is dressed in sackcloth, the standard sign for someone who's mourning. Then the people of Ashdod, which is a Philistine city, are attacked by Assyria. Assyria is really taking over the whole neighborhood. And Ashdod is just a few blocks over from Judah. It seems that the people of Ashdod sought help from Egypt and Kush, but then Assyria took them captive too, humiliating everyone, basically. And the way Isaiah demonstrated this was to go from a state of mourning with his sackcloth on to a state of humiliation via nudity. The description sounds a lot like a prisoner of war who's being led away barefoot and naked and ashamed. And apparently Isaiah did this for three years, either constantly or intermittently. Either way, prophets do not have an easy calling, that's for sure. And we have more evidence of that in chapter one, where Isaiah has a vision that really disturbs him. He has a vision of two cities in Persia that are about to destroy Babylon, which they did conquer about 200 years later. Isaiah's grief over the destruction of such a wicked city shows us how tenderhearted he can be. And his compassion really mirrors what we saw yesterday, where God mourned over Moab. Isaiah has a series of short oracles for other nations, all of which amount to destruction. They want to know how long it will last. And his reply is, basically, dawn is breaking, but it will be followed by night. Yikes. Today we wrapped up with an oracle for Jerusalem. We've dealt with a lot of the neighboring nations, but as always, God's people are held to an even higher standard. So what does Isaiah have to say to Judah? He's crushed by what is going to happen to them. Devastated Jerusalem will be attacked and destroyed. They'll try to fortify the city and prepare it for an attack, even digging water tunnels that you can still walk through if you visit Jerusalem today. But none of it will save them from the attack because God has planned it. And when Judah realizes destruction is imminent, they don't repent. Instead, they decide to spend their final moments in self indulgence. And their hearts are revealed in that process. Isaiah also has harsh words for Shebna, the king's servant, whose pride is really making him look foolish in the face of everything that's happening. Shebna has made elaborate provisions for his own death. But God is going to put a stop to it. It's not often, if ever, that you hear God promise to, quote, whirl you around and around and throw you like a ball into a wide land. But that's what he says to Shebna in 22:18. Then God will replace Shebna with a new chief of staff. Eliakim I continue to be amazed at the extent of God's power. My God shot today came from the part where God is talking to Egypt, his future people. In nineteen three he says, I will confound their counsel. And in nineteen fourteen he says, the Lord has mingled within her a spirit of confusion and and they will make Egypt stagger in all its deeds. The thought of God being sovereign over thoughts and words. It's a little humbling. It's a lot humbling. But if you think about it, it's also super encouraging. If God couldn't do that, how else would God the Spirit guide me into all truth like Jesus promised in John 16:13? Or remind me of what Jesus said like he promised in John 14:26? To be clear, we definitely know that not every thought we think is him speaking to us per se. Isaiah 55:8 makes it clear that his mind works differently than ours does, but I'm grateful that he's willing and able to whisper his thoughts and His Word to us when we need to know them. His thoughts fascinate me and I want more of them all the time. He's where the joy is. Do you love the Bible Recap podcast and want others to know they can love it too? You can amplify your voice by leaving us a rating or review on your podcast app of choice or on Apple Podcast. If your app doesn't have a review feature, even a five star rating only takes one second. And if you want to leave a review it just takes a little longer. But it will help others know this is worth a listen. So if you get your voice out there, it'll help us get our voice out there, which will help us get God's voice out there. We want people in His Word.