Some of the most remarkable promises in the Bible are the ones that seem impossible.
Isaiah gives us one of those promises:
“In that day Egypt and Assyria will be connected by a highway. The Egyptians and Assyrians will move freely between their lands, and they will both worship God. In that day Israel will be the third, along with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing in the midst of the earth. For the Lord of Heaven’s Armies will say, ‘Blessed be Egypt, my people. Blessed be Assyria, the land I have made. Blessed be Israel, my special possession!’”
— Isaiah 19:23–25 NLT
To understand how astonishing this prophecy is, we need to remember who these nations were.
Egypt was a historic enemy of Israel. Egypt had enslaved God’s people for generations.
Assyria was another powerful enemy. The Assyrian Empire conquered the northern kingdom of Israel and threatened Judah.
Yet Isaiah sees a day when Egypt and Assyria are connected by a highway. They move freely between their lands. They worship the Lord together. And Israel joins them as a blessing to the world.
What an extraordinary picture of what God can do.
God Can Build Highways Where We See Walls
A highway connects places that were separated.
Isaiah’s picture is a powerful reminder that God can create a way where we see no way.
Human beings are very good at building walls.
We build walls between nations, races, cultures, churches, families and individuals. Sometimes those walls are created by disagreements. Sometimes by history. Sometimes by hurt. Sometimes by pride.
But God builds highways.
He creates paths toward reconciliation.
He opens doors that seemed permanently closed.
He brings people together whom we never imagined could stand together.
The God who brought Israel out of Egypt could one day bring Egypt into worship of Him.
The God who judged Assyria could one day bring Assyria into His blessing.
Never underestimate what God can do in the lives of people—or in relationships that seem impossible to repair.
The Destination Is Worship
Notice what happens when the highway is built:
“They will both worship God.”
The highway isn’t simply a symbol of better transportation.
It represents a new relationship with God.
Former enemies are now moving freely between their lands, but more importantly, they are moving together toward God.
That is the ultimate purpose of reconciliation.
God doesn’t simply want us to get along better. He wants us to come together around Him.
When our eyes are fixed on Jesus, the things that divide us begin to lose their power.
Worship reminds us that there is something bigger than our differences.
There is one Lord.
One Savior.
One God.
And one kingdom.
God Can Change the Story
Imagine being an Israelite hearing this prophecy.
Egypt? God’s people?
Assyria? Blessed by God?
These were not the people you would naturally expect to see included in God’s blessing.
But God was writing a bigger story.
This is one of the great themes of Scripture: God can change the story.
A person can have a terrible past and still have a God-given future.
A family can experience years of conflict and still find reconciliation.
A church can go through seasons of difficulty and experience renewal.
A nation can experience profound change.
Someone who seems far from God today may become a passionate worshipper tomorrow.
We should never give up on people simply because we know their past.
God sees what a person can become by His grace.
Blessed to Become a Blessing
Then Isaiah says something particularly important about Israel:
“Israel will be the third, along with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing in the midst of the earth.”
God didn’t bless Israel simply so Israel could enjoy God’s blessing.
God blessed Israel so that Israel could become a blessing.
That principle runs throughout Scripture.
God blesses Abraham so that all the families of the earth will be blessed through him.
God blesses His people so they can bless others.
And that same principle applies to us.
God has given you something that someone else needs.
Perhaps it is encouragement.
Perhaps it is wisdom.
Perhaps it is generosity.
Perhaps it is forgiveness.
Perhaps it is a testimony of God’s faithfulness.
Perhaps it is simply a listening ear.
Don’t allow God’s blessings to stop with you.
What God puts into our hands is often meant to pass through our hands to someone else.
God Loves the Nations
The language of verse 25 is remarkable:
“Blessed be Egypt, my people.”
God’s heart was never limited to one nation.
Israel had a unique place in God’s redemptive plan, but God’s ultimate purpose was always much bigger.
He wanted the nations to know Him.
Isaiah gives us a glimpse of that coming reality.
Egypt.
Assyria.
Israel.
Former enemies.
Different cultures.
Different histories.
Standing together under the blessing of God.
This points forward to the great picture we see in the New Testament—a gospel that crosses every cultural, ethnic and national boundary.
Jesus didn’t come for one kind of person.
He came for the world.
We Can Be Highways
There is a practical challenge here for every follower of Jesus.
Be a highway, not a wall.
Build bridges.
Open doors.
Make peace.
Forgive.
Listen.
Encourage.
Welcome people who are different from you.
Look for opportunities to bring people closer to God rather than pushing them farther away.
Sometimes we become very good at deciding who belongs on our side of the wall.
God calls us to something different.
He calls us to become people through whom His love can travel.
Maybe there is someone in your life who feels far away from God.
Be a highway.
Maybe there is a relationship that has been damaged.
Be a highway.
Maybe someone who doesn’t look, think or worship exactly like you needs to experience the love of Christ.
Be a highway.
Maybe someone has made mistakes and needs someone to believe that God can still write a new chapter.
Be a highway.
God Is Still Building Highways
Isaiah’s vision reminds us that God’s purposes are bigger than our divisions.
Where we see enemies, God sees people He can redeem.
Where we see walls, God can build highways.
Where we see a broken past, God can create a new future.
Where we see differences, God can create worship.
And where God has blessed us, He wants us to become a blessing in the midst of the earth.
So perhaps the prayer for today is simple:
“Lord, make me a highway.”
Use me to connect people rather than divide them.
Use me to bring peace rather than conflict.
Use me to carry Your love to people who desperately need it.
Use me to help people find their way back to You.
Because the God who builds highways between enemies is still building pathways to Himself.
And He wants us to be part of the work.
