Guidance from Overlooked Men and Women of the Bible

People Tall and Smooth-Skinned

The Bible, as far as I can tell, never identifies a people group based on their skin color. Notice this description from Isaiah as he speaks a prophecy against the people of Cush:

Go, swift messengers, to a people tall and smooth-skinned, to a people feared far and wide, an aggressive nation of strange speech, whose land is divided by waters.

Cush consisted of parts of modern day Ethiopia and Sudan. People from these countries are tall and smooth-skinned, even to this day. They are also black. But the Lord, speaking through Isaiah, failed to mention this fact. Instead of skin color, the Lord described the Cushites using other characteristics—height, skin quality, stance toward outsiders, language, the land they lived upon.

While noting these various aspects, the Lord remained most interested in whether the people of Cush followed him. After a devastating season described by Isaiah, a dramatic conversion was to occur. Isaiah writes that gifts will be brought to the Lord Almighty from a people tall and smooth-skinned…

Which strikes me, because I work with several followers of Jesus from the region formerly known as Cush. These men and women serve the Lord devotedly, and indeed bring their gifts before him. I’m better for knowing them, and proud to be their friend. Fascinating to see a promise in scripture fulfilled in their lives.

Which again has nothing to do with the color of their skin.

Isaiah 18 in week thirty-four of reading the Bible cover to cover

Photo by Emmanuel Ikwuegbu

3 Comments

  1. Anonymous

    Jeremiah 13:23 NLT Can an Ethiopian change the color of his skin?
    Can a leopard take away its spots?
    Neither can you start doing good,
    for you have always done evil.

    Song of Solomon 1:5 I am dark (shachor Definition: black), but lovely,
    O daughters of Jerusalem,
    Like the tents of Kedar,
    Like the curtains of Solomon.

  2. Anonymous

    That’s the English translation. When you look at the original you’ll be surprised.

  3. Anonymous

    It could be brother I also think the same

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