Isaiah 9-10 Isaiah 9-11 cntinue the bk f Immanuel while revealing the prphecy fund in the names f Isaiah s tw sn and Isaiah himself Last week we saw the turn frm glmy predictin at the end f 8 t a hpeful scene in chapter 9 Speaking f a glry that wuld eventually visit the Galilee Is. 9:1 But there will be n mre glm fr her wh was in anguish; in earlier times He treated the land f Zebulun and the land f Naphtali with cntempt, but later n He shall make it glrius, by the way f the sea, n the ther side f Jrdan, Galilee f the Gentiles. Is. 9:2 The peple wh walk in darkness Will see a great light; Thse wh live in a dark land, The light will shine n them. Is. 9:3 Yu shall multiply the natin, Yu shall increase their gladness; They will be glad in Yur presence As with the gladness f harvest, As men rejice when they divide the spil. Here s ne f many examples where specific details f the Messiah s life are included in OT prphecy And yet they are virtually unrecgnizable until the Messiah has been revealed This is ften the very purpse f prphecy T verify r validate Gd s purpses at a future time by shwing that Gd was at wrk lng befre the events f ur day Yet He hides the meaning t ensure it desn t cme t light prematurely Here, we see Immanuel s arrival assciated with glry fr the tribes f Zebulun and Naphtali, tw areas that were until that time held in cntempt Nthing gd cmes frm Nazareth (Jhn 1:46) But in these tw areas f Israel we find Capernum and Nazareth, where Jesus grew up and ministered extensively 2009 Verse By Verse Ministry f San Antni (www.versebyverseministry.rg) May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.
Isaiah 9-10! 2 Ntice als the references t peple there seeing a great light As Jhn describes Jesus And the peple will be glad in Yur presence Clearly Isaiah is alluding t Jesus - Immanuel - Gd with us But t the ne wh desn t understand the prphecy, Isaiah just sunds like he s describing the restratin f Israel after the Assyrian invasin Remember this is in keeping with Gd s decree that Isaiah s ministry wuldn t prduce a successful result in Isaiah s day But lk a little mre clsely Isaiah is als weaving in references t the secnd cming f Christ The peple wh walk in darkness will see a great light Zech. 14:5...Then the LORD, my Gd, will cme, and all the hly nes with Him! Zech. 14:6 In that day there will be n light; the luminaries will dwindle. Zech. 14:7 Fr it will be a unique day which is knwn t the LORD, neither day nr night, but it will cme abut that at evening time there will be light. He will multiply the natin... Millennial kingdm?? But again, if yu aren t made aware f the cnnectin, it seems t be a descriptin f hw Gd frees Israel frm an Earthly ppressr In fact, lk where Isaiah ges next: Is. 9:4 Fr Yu shall break the yke f their burden and the staff n their shulders, The rd f their ppressr, as at the battle f Midian. Is. 9:5 Fr every bt f the bted warrir in the battle tumult, And clak rlled in bld, will be fr burning, fuel fr the fire. Here again, sunds like the verthrw f a tyrannical armed frce But this is nt actually a descriptin f Gd defeating the Assyrians 2009 Verse By Verse Ministry f San Antni (www.versebyverseministry.rg) May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.
Isaiah 9-10! 3 There is anther tyrannical frce that Gd is vwing t destry An Oppressr wh is much strnger than Assyria and wh hlds many mre captives than Assyria will ever hld And this enemy is defeated by a child, Immanuel: Is. 9:6 Fr a child will be brn t us, a sn will be given t us; And the gvernment will rest n His shulders; And His name will be called Wnderful Cunselr, Mighty Gd, Eternal Father, Prince f Peace. Is. 9:7 There will be n end t the increase f His gvernment r f peace, On the thrne f David and ver his kingdm, T establish it and t uphld it with justice and righteusness Frm then n and frevermre. The zeal f the LORD f hsts will accmplish this. Nw lk back at verse 4 in light f what we have just read What yke is being brken d yu think? What rd f ppressin? Ultimately, it refers t the bndage f sin t the enemy, Satan And the establishment f the the Kingdm and the Davidic thrne Nw in verse 8 thrugh the end f the chapter and even int 10, we enter int a new divisin f the bk f Immanuel reflecting Isaiah s sn Maher-Shalal- Hash-Baz The spil speeds, the pray hastens Here we have the bringing lw the hautiness f man Is. 9:8 The Lrd sends a message against Jacb, And it falls n Israel. Is. 9:9 And all the peple knw it, That is, Ephraim and the inhabitants f Samaria, Asserting in pride and in arrgance f heart: Is. 9:10 The bricks have fallen dwn, But we will rebuild with smth stnes; The sycamres have been cut dwn, But we will replace them with cedars. 2009 Verse By Verse Ministry f San Antni (www.versebyverseministry.rg) May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.
Isaiah 9-10! 4 Is. 9:11 Therefre the LORD raises against them adversaries frm Rezin And spurs their enemies n, Is. 9:12 The Arameans n the east and the Philistines n the west; And they devur Israel with gaping jaws. In spite f all this, His anger des nt turn away And His hand is still stretched ut. The Lrd is sending am message t Jacb (all tribes) But it falls (naphal = brings dwn r fallen) Israel And in verse 9, the peple will knw this is frm Gd, but that knwledge wn t save them Just as in the day f Tribulatin Rev. 16:9 Men were scrched with fierce heat; and they blasphemed the name f Gd wh has the pwer ver these plagues, and they did nt repent s as t give Him glry. Even as the Assyrians begin t cnquer the nrth, they peple declare in verse 10 that they can vercme in their wn pwer Pride is the mst cnvincing liar Their pride is met by the Lrd pushing Israel s enemies all the mre Histrically, the Assyrians push int Israel frm the east, while the Syrians invade frm the nrth, and the Philistines will invade frm the suth Even after the destructin is dne, Gd s anger wn t be exhausted, Isaiah says And rightly s, because lk at their respnse Is. 9:13 Yet the peple d nt turn back t Him wh struck them, Nr d they seek the LORD f hsts. Is. 9:14 S the LORD cuts ff head and tail frm Israel, Bth palm branch and bulrush in a single day. Is. 9:15 The head is the elder and hnrable man, And the prphet wh teaches falsehd is the tail. Is. 9:16 Fr thse wh guide this peple are leading them astray; And thse wh are guided by them are brught t cnfusin. Is. 9:17 Therefre the Lrd des nt take pleasure in their yung men, Nr des He have pity n their rphans r their widws; Fr every ne f them is gdless and an evilder, 2009 Verse By Verse Ministry f San Antni (www.versebyverseministry.rg) May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.
Isaiah 9-10! 5 Is. 9:18 Fr wickedness burns like a fire; It cnsumes briars and thrns; It even sets the thickets f the frest aflame And they rll upward in a clumn f smke. Is. 9:19 By the fury f the LORD f hsts the land is burned up, And the peple are like fuel fr the fire; N man spares his brther. Is. 9:20 They slice ff what is n the right hand but still are hungry, And they eat what is n the left hand but they are nt satisfied; Each f them eats the flesh f his wn arm. Is. 9:21 Manasseh devurs Ephraim, and Ephraim Manasseh, And tgether they are against Judah. In spite f all this, His anger des nt turn away And His hand is still stretched ut. And every muth is speaking flishness. In spite f all this, His anger des nt turn away And His hand is still stretched ut. As in the time f Tribulatin, Gd s judgment desn t result repentance They d nt turn back, which is shub r repent This is nt surprising, because Scripture makes clear judgment isn t fr the purpse f cnversin It is the natural expressin f a hly and just Gd against sin What brings cnversin? Rm. 2:4 Or d yu think lightly f the riches f His kindness and tlerance and patience, nt knwing that the kindness f Gd leads yu t repentance? And in keeping with Gd s charge t Isaiah in Chapter 6, He s nt ready yet t display kindness and bring repentance That awaits a future day fr Israel Gd purpses t cut ff head and tail It s a great picture f the tw rles f leader and prphet amng the peple The leaders are the head and they direct the peple int sin and idlatry Peple fllw their leaders fr better r wrse 2009 Verse By Verse Ministry f San Antni (www.versebyverseministry.rg) May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.
Isaiah 9-10! 6 And the prphets are the tail In many wild animals, the tail is a signal fr ther animals It lets the rest f the herd knw if danger is appraching The false prphets didn t warn the peple f the leaders sin and f Gd s judgment f sin They gave n warning, s they are cut ff as well And when the head and tail are rtten, everyne suffers First, all had participated in the sin The fact that sme were led astray isn t an excuse in Gd s eyes All are guilty Secndly, ur status r statin in life desn t mitigate ur guilt We might take pity in human terms fr smene wh is rphaned r widwed, but Gd desn t assign special dispensatin t thse categries All sinned against the cvenant, He says, s all will be caught up in the judgment And as Gd eliminates leaders, the ppulace disslves int civil war Tribes fighting each ther (devuring their wn flesh) And all against Judah Remember the nrthern tribes were apstate They had rebelled against Gd and His law back when they divided the Kingdm and appsed Slmn s sn They have been rebels frm the beginning Mving int chapter 10, Isaiah adds a bit f scial cmmentary against the leaders in his day, the men wh wuld fall t this judgment 2009 Verse By Verse Ministry f San Antni (www.versebyverseministry.rg) May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.
Isaiah 9-10! 7 Is. 10:1 We t thse wh enact evil statutes And t thse wh cnstantly recrd unjust decisins, Is. 10:2 S as t deprive the needy f justice And rb the pr f My peple f their rights, S that widws may be their spil And that they may plunder the rphans. Is. 10:3 Nw what will yu d in the day f punishment, And in the devastatin which will cme frm afar? T whm will yu flee fr help? And where will yu leave yur wealth? Is. 10:4 Nthing remains but t cruch amng the captives Or fall amng the slain. In spite f all this, His anger des nt turn away And His hand is still stretched ut. Remembering that the wrd we means judgment, Isaiah declares their is inevitably ging t be judgment against thse wh d evil In the case f nrthern Israel, the evil tk the frm f evil statues In cntrast t Gd s hly Law And unjust decisin making In cntrast t Gd s perfect justice Isaiah lists sme f their injustices and evil laws, and then he asks hw they hpe t escape Gd s wrath? Where d yu g fr rescue? And hw d yu preserve yur wealth, which was a surce f pwer fr these peple They will simply fall with the rest In verse 2, we have the tie t Isaiah s sn The phrase: widws are their spil and rphans their plunder uses tw Hebrew wrds placed tgether Shalal bazaar, which immediately reminds us f Isaiah s sn Maher Shalal Hash Baz Nw Isaiah begins t transitin t the next theme assciated with his secnd sn Shear Jashub (A remnant returns) 2009 Verse By Verse Ministry f San Antni (www.versebyverseministry.rg) May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.
Isaiah 9-10! 8 The new sectin begins by addressing Assyria s rle in Gd s plan and their wn failures and cming judgment Is. 10:5 We t Assyria, the rd f My anger And the staff in whse hands is My indignatin, Is. 10:6 I send it against a gdless natin And cmmissin it against the peple f My fury T capture bty and t seize plunder, And t trample them dwn like mud in the streets. Is. 10:7 Yet it des nt s intend, Nr des it plan s in its heart, But rather it is its purpse t destry And t cut ff many natins. Is. 10:8 Fr it says, Are nt my princes all kings? Is. 10:9 Is nt Caln like Carchemish, Or Hamath like Arpad, Or Samaria like Damascus? Is. 10:10 As my hand has reached t the kingdms f the idls, Whse graven images were greater than thse f Jerusalem and Samaria, Is. 10:11 Shall I nt d t Jerusalem and her images Just as I have dne t Samaria and her idls? Gd begins declaring we against Assyria as well They were Gd s appinted instrument fr judgment against Israel That s an assume thught by itself Gd directed an entire natin f peple t d His specific will He sent it against a gdless natin (Israel) as an expressin f His fury Passages like this are imprtant cunsel fr us, because they remind us that Gd s pwer in the curse f human affairs is limitless We cannt set bundaries upn Gd by teaching that He lves us t much t impse Himself upn us As if unrestrained human liberty and right f free chice may be a litmus test fr r definitin f lve Gd defines lve as grace, which by it s very nature interrupts the nrmal curse f human events Here we see Gd directing human activity in a very specific way 2009 Verse By Verse Ministry f San Antni (www.versebyverseministry.rg) May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.
Isaiah 9-10! 9 But in verse 7, Gd declares that Assyria failed t live up t their cmmissin They d nt intend nr plan in their heart t d as Gd directed That is t bring dwn Israel alne Gd s plan was fcused n the Nrthern kingdm nly But Assyria chse t g t far and attempted t cut ff many natins, including Judah in the suth Specifically, they assume in verse 9 that all kings and all kingdms are the same, s all are valid target But they were wrng Gd nly intended that Israel wuld be their target S in verse 11, the Assyrians decided that Jerusalem as n different than Samaria (Israel s capital) But there was a wrld f difference Samaria was a huse f idl wrship But Jerusalem was and is Gd s hly city When Assyrian made the mistake f assuming all earthly kingdms are equal, they sinned We can make the same mistake tday Thugh the earthly gvernment f Israel tday is nt living in a way that pleases Gd, nevertheless the natin is still special t Gd We must never make the distinctin f assessing Israel s wrth by judging the actins f the peple r the plitical entity Nw we might ask did Assyria understand that their cmmissin frm Gd was directed at Israel? In 2Kings 18, when the king f Assyrian s representatives were speaking with king f Judah in Jerusalem, they mentin their cmmissining frm Gd 2Kings 18:25 Have I nw cme up withut the LORD S apprval against this place t destry it? The LORD said t me, G up against this land and destry it. 2009 Verse By Verse Ministry f San Antni (www.versebyverseministry.rg) May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.
Isaiah 9-10! 10 Actually, the Assyrian s statement was wrng Gd had nt sent them t destry Jerusalem, nly Israel But the Assyrians weren t making that distinctin Remember, Gd wuld nt allw Judah t disappear fr the sake f Immanuel S Gd declares judgment against the Assyrians fr acting presumptuusly Is. 10:12 S it will be that when the Lrd has cmpleted all His wrk n Munt Zin and n Jerusalem, He will say, I will punish the fruit f the arrgant heart f the king f Assyria and the pmp f his haughtiness. Is. 10:13 Fr he has said, By the pwer f my hand and by my wisdm I did this, Fr I have understanding; And I remved the bundaries f the peples And plundered their treasures, And like a mighty man I brught dwn their inhabitants, Is. 10:14 And my hand reached t the riches f the peples like a nest, And as ne gathers abandned eggs, I gathered all the earth; And there was nt ne that flapped its wing r pened its beak r chirped. Is. 10:15 Is the axe t bast itself ver the ne wh chps with it? Is the saw t exalt itself ver the ne wh wields it? That wuld be like a club wielding thse wh lift it, Or like a rd lifting him wh is nt wd. Is. 10:16 Therefre the Lrd, the GOD f hsts, will send a wasting disease amng his stut warrirs; And under his glry a fire will be kindled like a burning flame. Is. 10:17 And the light f Israel will becme a fire and his Hly One a flame, And it will burn and devur his thrns and his briars in a single day. Is. 10:18 And He will destry the glry f his frest and f his fruitful garden, bth sul and bdy, And it will be as when a sick man wastes away. Is. 10:19 And the rest f the trees f his frest will be s small in number That a child culd write them dwn. Gd declares a dramatic and cmprehensive judgment Assyria The actual judgment is described in detail in Isaiah 37 Here Isaiah simply prmises it will cme and it will be ttal He begins by allwing Assyria s wn thughts and wrds t stand in judgment against the natin 2009 Verse By Verse Ministry f San Antni (www.versebyverseministry.rg) May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.
Isaiah 9-10! 11 First, they attribute their wn success t their strength and wisdm Numerical strength and military might And the human wisdm in their libraries and wise men Secndly, they attribute their success t their wealth, which they btained largely frm plundering ther natins And there was nthing the ther natins culd d r say abut it Assyria s dminatin was cmplete in its day But then in verse 15, Gd replies This dialg is reminiscent f the cnversatin fund in Jb in sme ways Gd says can the tl bast f its pwer? When the axe lies n the grund, des it have pwer? Only when an arm picks it up and uses it des it have pwer And it s pwer is in direct prprtin t the strength f that arm Assyria was like an axe r saw r club r rd It did what the Master determined it shuld d But if that tl begins t take credit fr its wrk, it ffends the Master wh wields it Therefre, Gd judges Assyria in a way that highlights their sin Gd is ften shwn t d this in Scripture He selects a frm f judgment that underscres the nature f the sin Assyria was prud and sure f its wn might, s Gd tk away its might Lk at Isaiah 37:35-36: 2009 Verse By Verse Ministry f San Antni (www.versebyverseministry.rg) May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.
Isaiah 9-10! 12 Is. 37:35 Fr I will defend this city t save it fr My wn sake and fr My servant David s sake. Is. 37:36 Then the angel f the LORD went ut and struck 185,000 in the camp f the Assyrians; and when men arse early in the mrning, behld, all f these were dead. Ntice in Isaiah 10:17, the destructin f Assyria cmes at the hand f the Hly One f Israel Wh is that? Christ Himself Nw lk at Isaiah 37:35-36 Wh accmplishes the destructin f the Assyrian army? The Angel f the lrd, Christ In ne day, the bulk f the Assyrian, the surce f their might and pride, is gne Fr the sake f Judah, fr Immanuel Nw in verse 20, Isaiah makes a fascinating transitin Is. 10:20 Nw in that day the remnant f Israel, and thse f the huse f Jacb wh have escaped, will never again rely n the ne wh struck them, but will truly rely n the LORD, the Hly One f Israel. Is. 10:21 A remnant will return, the remnant f Jacb, t the mighty Gd. Is. 10:22 Fr thugh yur peple, O Israel, may be like the sand f the sea, Only a remnant within them will return; A destructin is determined, verflwing with righteusness. Is. 10:23 Fr a cmplete destructin, ne that is decreed, the Lrd GOD f hsts will execute in the midst f the whle land. Is. 10:24 Therefre thus says the Lrd GOD f hsts, O My peple wh dwell in Zin, d nt fear the Assyrian wh strikes yu with the rd and lifts up his staff against yu, the way Egypt did. Is. 10:25 Fr in a very little while My indignatin against yu will be spent and My anger will be directed t their destructin. Is. 10:26 The LORD f hsts will aruse a scurge against him like the slaughter f Midian at the rck f Oreb; and His staff will be ver the sea and He will lift it up the way He did in Egypt. Is. 10:27 S it will be in that day, that his burden will be remved frm yur shulders and his yke frm yur neck, and the yke will be brken because f fatness. 2009 Verse By Verse Ministry f San Antni (www.versebyverseministry.rg) May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.
Isaiah 9-10! 13 Is. 10:28 He has cme against Aiath, He has passed thrugh Migrn; At Michmash he depsited his baggage. Is. 10:29 They have gne thrugh the pass, saying, Geba will be ur ldging place. Ramah is terrified, and Gibeah f Saul has fled away. Is. 10:30 Cry alud with yur vice, O daughter f Gallim! Pay attentin, Laishah and wretched Anathth! Is. 10:31 Madmenah has fled. The inhabitants f Gebim have sught refuge. Is. 10:32 Yet tday he will halt at Nb; He shakes his fist at the muntain f the daughter f Zin, the hill f Jerusalem. Is. 10:33 Behld, the Lrd, the GOD f hsts, will lp ff the bughs with a terrible crash; Thse als wh are tall in stature will be cut dwn And thse wh are lfty will be abased. Is. 10:34 He will cut dwn the thickets f the frest with an irn axe, And Lebann will fall by the Mighty One. Ntice first hw Isaiah pens this passage In that day This is a term that references a future day, nt the day f Assyria I realize that may sund cunterintuitive t us, since it seems t emphasize the same day nt a different day But in the Hebrew phrase, it can be interpreted as In that day t cme, where the wrd that references a special day everyne awaits In ther wrds, it references the day f Christ s Secnd Cming We can knw this is the intended fcus by the fact that Isaiah has cme back t the theme f a remnant again In fact, in verse 21 he references the name f his secnd sn, Shear Jashub Lk at the language that fllws as well Nne f the remnant will ever again rely n the ne wh struck them, meaning the enemy Satan 2009 Verse By Verse Ministry f San Antni (www.versebyverseministry.rg) May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.
Isaiah 9-10! 14 They will instead rely n Christ - bvius nt what happened in the destructin f Assyria...it s still t cme Then Gd emphasizes again the difference between the entity f Israel and the prspects fr any given individual within the natin The entity f Israel is assured a future in glry But as t whether any given individual in the natin shares in that future is an pen questin Sme will, many will nt And then Isaiah gives an indicatin fr why that will be, fr why sme are there but thers are nt It s because Gd will bring a righteus destructin against the natin, beginning with the Assyrians and later the Babylnians and Rmans and ultimately the Antichrist And the destructin will be cmplete in the sense that it n ne in the land can escape it, and the entire land will be cnsumed But nt that all Jews will be destryed...he just said that a remnant will remain Thrughut the rest f this passage Isaiah uses terminlgy that als appears later in chapter 28 when Isaiah describes the cming Tribulatin S this is a preview f that cming day f judgment fr Israel But it s als clear that Isaiah is speaking primarily abut the distress f the Assyrian invasin f Judah And He tells Judah and Jerusalem nt t be distressed when they face that trial, because the Lrd will cme t their aid as Isaiah describes in Chapter 36 But lk at Isaiah and Gd ultimately is cnnecting the tw events The Assyrian Army is a picture f the Antichrist s frces in his day The trials and distress f the Assyrian attack n Jerusalem are a picture f the Antichrist s attack and siege f Jerusalem in the last days 2009 Verse By Verse Ministry f San Antni (www.versebyverseministry.rg) May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.
Isaiah 9-10! 15 The Assyrians are send by Gd t bring His judgment against Israel, but they g t far and wish t put an end t Jerusalem Just as the Antichrist is appinted t bring judgment against Israel in that future day, but he ges t far and seeks t destry the Jews altgether Gd prmises t rescue Judah against the Assyrian army and des s fr the sake f Immanuel S that Judah will be arund t receive the Christ Child in His first cming Likewise, Gd prmises t preserve Jerusalem against the might f the Antichrist s frces S that Jerusalem will survive t receive the return f Christ wh cmes in respnse t the Jewish call (Zech 12) Gd saves Jerusalem frm the Assyrians by bringing Christ as the Angel f the Lrd t slay the Assyrian army in a single blw Christ returns n the cluds with a swrd in His muth t destry the armies f the Antichrist with a single wrd Obviusly, Isaiah is psitining the events f Assyrian in his day as a prphetic picture f what will happen t Judah in a future as well 2009 Verse By Verse Ministry f San Antni (www.versebyverseministry.rg) May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.