In that day Israel will be the third with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing in the midst of the earth, whom the Lord of hosts has blessed, saying, “Blessed be Egypt my people, and Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel my inheritance.” (Isaiah 19:24–25, ESV)

God’s people in Isaiah’s day may have thought of themselves as blessed by God. They were less comfortable with their calling (remember what God has said to Abraham?) to be a blessing. But that the Gentile nations of Egypt and Assyria, the world powers of the day, would join them in being a blessing was unthinkable. Israel may have considered being God’s inheritance a blessing—but to have Egypt, their former oppressors, called “my [God’s] people” and Assyria the work of his hands was astounding. Yet that is God’s triple blessing pronounced by the prophet! What does he mean?

The late Dr. Edward J. Young wrote:

“Isaiah is. . . portraying a time when those who once were enemies of God, Gen­tiles in the flesh, without Christ, aliens from the com­monwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, hav­ing no hope and without God in the world, will become one new man, and will be fellow citizens with the saints and of the household of God.” (The Book of Isaiah, Vol. 2, pp. 46–47).