“…the king of Assyria shall lead away the Egyptians prisoners… naked and barefoot…” — Isaiah 20:4
“Therefore, behold, I will hedge up thy way with thorns, and make a wall, that she shall not find her paths.” — Hosea 2:6
God allowed Egypt — the very thing Israel trusted in — to be stripped, humiliated, and led away captive. Why? Because His people were leaning on the arm of flesh instead of the arm of God.
In Hosea, the Lord declares that He will “hedge up” His people’s way with thorns. He will block their path, frustrate their plans, and remove their options — not out of cruelty, but out of mercy. God knows that sometimes the only way to bring us back is to take away what we are leaning on.
When we trust in the world, God may let it fail. When we depend on people, God may let them disappoint. When we rely on comfort, God may allow discomfort. Not to destroy us — but to redirect us.
“Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy word.” — Psalm 119:67
Illustration #1 — Abraham in Egypt (Genesis 12:10–20)
Abraham went down into Egypt because of famine — leaning on human provision instead of divine promise. There, he compromised, lied about Sarah, and brought trouble upon himself. What did God do? The Lord sent plagues upon Pharaoh’s house, exposing the situation and forcing Abraham out of Egypt. God disrupted his false refuge to bring him back to the land of promise.
Illustration #2 — The Prodigal Son (Luke 15:14–18)
The prodigal trusted in his inheritance, his independence, and the far country. But when everything failed: “And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine…” (Luke 15:14). God allowed emptiness, hunger, and loss — until the moment came: “And when he came to himself…” (Luke 15:17). God removed what he trusted in so he would return to the father.
Sometimes the greatest evidence of God’s love is not what He gives — but what He takes away. He will strip Egypt, hedge your path, and dry up your resources — so that your heart will say again:
“I will go and return to my first husband…” (Hosea 2:7).
God will remove what you trust in… to restore Who you should trust.