Isaiah 30:2
That walk to go down into Egypt, and have not asked at my mouth; to strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh, and to trust in the shadow of Egypt! That walk to go down into Egypt, and have not asked at my mouth; to strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh, and to trust in the shadow of Egypt!
The verse portrays rebellious children who take counsel apart from God, cover themselves with a covering not of His Spirit, choose their own course and imagination, refuse His counsel and covenant, and add sin to sin. To walk to go down into Egypt without asking at His mouth is to seek security, strength, and protection through human power without seeking His guidance. Egypt and Pharaoh stand for human strength, aid, and worldly idolatrous counsel, and the shadow of Egypt stands for human shelter.
Seeking that human strength in times of difficulty and trouble instead of obeying the admonitions of God's Word and law is sin. No one who refuses those admonitions and follows a way of his own choosing can accept the gospel of Christ. Such dependence on fallible people, even those in positions of responsibility, becomes shame and confusion. The warning given to ancient Israel applies to God's people in every age, and the same course threatens them in the last days, even those who have had privileges and opportunities and have seen the Lord work in a marked manner, when they oppose righteousness and will not hear the law of the Lord.
The verse is fulfilled in men in responsible positions at the heart of the work who claim to be teachers, counsellors, and wise men while not having light and truth in heart and soul and not converted to practice the truth. They keep old hereditary and cultivated character, mingle their own spirit with words and actions, pervert principle, and confederate to do what God expressly forbade until justice and mercy and love for God and man fall in the streets and equity cannot enter. Their eyes become greatly blinded so they cannot see, greatly weakening the Lord's work and dishonoring truth of heavenly origin.
Students going to Ann Arbor to obtain the finishing touches walk down into Egypt by taking counsel of teachers who know not God and must themselves become learners in the school of Christ to receive the seal of God. They strengthen themselves in Pharaoh's strength by receiving precept and example teaching doctrines and maxims of men, bringing many good things but mingling error with truth, opening their minds to error, treating works of infidel authors as essential in education, and cooperating with those who make void God's law. This lessens faith in God, denies Him, and leads them to look away from Christ the light of the world under a deleterious spirit and influence.
The verse rebukes those who have great light and disregard it, seeking strength apart from God and exalting self and fleshly appetite, sensuality, and uncleanness instead of the Lord. Such indulgence corrupts the whole man, clogs the living machinery, corrupts service offered to God, perverts truth held in unrighteousness, and makes tame, lifeless, Christless efforts disgust God. Church members must put away injurious food, meat eating, and other harmful indulgence, fast and pray, obtain the Holy Spirit, and strive to overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the word of testimony. Not one particle of impurity will escape wrath at the execution of judgment, only saints will become members of the royal family in God's kingdom in the earth made new, those with many advantages who indulge self stand worse than those without them and put Christ to open shame, and their punishment will be proportionate to the dishonor brought on God.
Professing believers strengthen themselves by confederating with those who delight in what God hates, following their own counsel, justifying the heathen and the disobedient in transgression, and while worshiping God only in name and disguised as servants of Christ advancing the enemy's plans by accusing the brethren, discouraging God's servants, speaking against God's appointed men, and drawing souls away from God. God bears long with them, having bought them with His blood and inviting and entreating them to turn with clear evidence He is the only true God because He is not willing that any should perish. But if they refuse instruction and grace and persist in misrepresenting His work He withdraws the light of His presence and covenant-keeping power and permits them to follow their own way to destruction with cause followed by effect and none to deliver, giving unbelievers satisfaction and causing confusion in Israel and reproach upon God through lack of numbers in His army. Those in this human dependence must be converted with the entire being surrendered to the working of the Holy Spirit until pride and selfishness and covetousness are eradicated.