Here the Lord is addressing His people and condemning them for aligning themselves with Egypt.  We read in Isaiah 30:1-3, “Woe to the rebellious children, saith the LORD, that take counsel, but not of me; and that cover with a covering, but not of my spirit, that they may add sin to sin: 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! Therefore shall the strength of Pharaoh be your shame, and the trust in the shadow of Egypt your confusion.”  The Lord calls His people ‘rebellious children’.  In aligning themselves with Egypt, they have sought the advice of others, but did not seek the guidance of the Lord.  In doing this, they were adding “sin to sin.”

How unreasonable and dangerous it was for them to shun the counsel of the Lord for the counsel of the Lord’s enemies.  The Lord had said in Isaiah 1:18, “Come now, and let us reason together…”   He wants us to come to Him and allow Him to guide our steps.  We read in Proverbs 19:21, “There are many devices in a man’s heart; nevertheless the counsel of the LORD, that shall stand.”  There is great assurance and strength found in the Lord’s counsel, yet we (like these Israelites) often seek advice from other sources.  Too often do we shun the perfect counsel of the Lord and do not seek to reason together with Him.  The consequences are NEVER good for us.

Now let’s read Isaiah 30:20, “And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity, and the water of affliction, yet shall not thy teachers be removed into a corner any more, but thine eyes shall see thy teachers.”  Because of their unfaithfulness, the Lord gave to His people

THE BREAD OF ADVERSITY – He brought upon them calamity and want.

THE WATER OF AFFLICTION – He brought distress and oppression upon them.

How thankful we should be for the chastening of the Lord.  Although it may be unpleasant and even painful, it is for our own good.  It is administered by the Lord to cause us to repent, to learn, and to draw us close to Him.  We are instructed in Proverbs 3:11-12, “My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction: For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.”  The chastening hand of God is a proof of His love for us and His relationship with us!  We read in Hebrews 12:8, “But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.”

“YET SHALL NOT THY TEACHERS BE REMOVED INTO A CORNER ANY MORE, BUT THINE EYES SHALL SEE THY TEACHERS.”  There are hard times in our lives.  Times in which we long to have teachers show us what certain things mean.  We need experienced, Godly mentors to explain to us why some special trials have been put upon us.  Are we being tried?  Are we being punished?

Often, in the midst of calamity and distress, we turn to the Lord and seek answers.  He graciously uses others to help us understand.  He graciously gives us teachers.  Strangely enough, when we shun the counsel of God and begin to endure hard times, we don’t even realize why we are going through those hard times.  The Lord desires to show us our errors and restore us to a good relationship with Himself.  We read in Hebrews 12:11-12, “Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby. Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees.”  The chastening hand of God is not enjoyable, but when we endure that chastening and learn the lesson the Lord has for us, we receive the “peaceable fruit of righteousness.”  (349.4)