Nobody is a hopeless case

Isaiah 19:18-25

At that time five cities in the land of Egypt will speak the language of Canaan and swear allegiance to the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. One will be called the City of the Sun. At that time there will be an altar for the Lord in the middle of the land of Egypt, as well as a sacred pillar dedicated to the Lord at its border. It will become a visual reminder in the land of Egypt of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. When they cry out to the Lord because of oppressors, he will send them a deliverer and defender who will rescue them. The Lord will reveal himself to the Egyptians, and they will acknowledge the Lord’s authority at that time. They will present sacrifices and offerings; they will make vows to the Lord and fulfill them. The Lord will strike Egypt, striking and then healing them. They will turn to the Lord, and he will listen to their prayers and heal them.

At that time there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria. The Assyrians will visit Egypt, and the Egyptians will visit Assyria. The Egyptians and Assyrians will worship together. At that time Israel will be the third member of the group, along with Egypt and Assyria, and will be a recipient of blessing in the earth. The Lord of Heaven’s Armies will pronounce a blessing over the earth, saying, “Blessed be my people, Egypt, and the work of my hands, Assyria, and my special possession, Israel!”

At the time of writing of this passage, Egypt and Assyria were terrible enemies of the people of Yahweh. So this prophecy would have seemed incredible.

Similar to the moral of the Jonah story, this points out that nobody is a hopeless case. Today, the Egyptian Coptic Church, the Assyrian Church of the East, and the Chaldean Catholic Church are considered ancient established churches, having been established early in the history of Christianity. These churches are at least partial fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy.

Saul of Tarsus was a terrible persecutor of the faith. Yet he became one of the greatest apostles of Jesus. There are so many other examples of people who were enemies of Yahweh who then became His disciples.