ISAIAH
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| 1. | Assyria Will Invade the Land | 4. | The Punishment of Samaria |
| 2. | Fear God - Heed His Word | 5. | Lesson 5 from the Amplified Version |
| .3. | The Government of the Promised Son |
From the NKJV
|
A man’s pen = the carving tool of the people. The writing was to be
| legible |
| in the language of the common people |
| (not in the language of the priests or educated classes) |
Maher-shalal-hash-baz (Mohe-lemibbaz-bizza-ulemi’de ‘ada’ ah - Targum) = haste, spoil, speed, prey. These words are explained in v. 4, and may be connected thus:
| he hastened [to take the] spoil, he speeds [to seize] the prey. |
| Maher | = | Hasten; or, he shall hasten |
| shalal | = | Spoil, or prey |
| hash | = | Hasten, or make speed |
| baz | = | Spoil |
and is repeated to give emphasis, and to excite attention.
The idea is that the Assyrian would hasten to his plunder - that it would be accomplished with speed.
This name was to be given to a child of Isaiah;
and this child was to be a sign of the event which was signified by the name
(from Barnes' Notes, Electronic Database. Copyright (c) 1997 by Biblesoft)
In the midst of the Syro-Ephraimitish war, which was not yet at an end, Isaiah received instructions from God to perform a singular prophetic action.
| Scroll |
 |
gilaayown | OT 1549 a tablet for writing (as bare); by analogy, a mirror (as a plate) |
The slab or table (see Isaiah 3:23, where the same word is used to signify a metal mirror)
| was to be large |
| to produce the impression of a monument |
| was to be "a man's pen" (cheret 'enoosh), i.e., |
| written in the vulgar, and, so to speak, popular character |
| consisting of inartistic strokes that could be easily read. |
For the writing was simply to serve as a public record of the fact, that the course of events was one that Jehovah had foreseen and indicated beforehand. And when what was written upon the table should afterwards take place, they would know that it was the fulfillment of what had already been written, and therefore was an event pre-determined by God.
For this reason Jehovah took to Himself witnesses.
| Uriah | the priest (Urijah) who afterwards placed himself at the service of Ahaz to gratify his heathenish desires (2 Kings 16:10 ff.). |
| Zechariah | ben Yeberechyahu (Berechiah), possibly the Asaphite mentioned in 2 Chron 29:13. We do not further know him. |
From the NKJV
|
To his son Shear-yashub, in whose name the law of the history of Israel, as revealed to the prophet on the occasion of his call (ch. 6), the restoration of only a remnant of the whole nation, had been formulated, there was now added a second son, to whom the inscription upon the table was given as a name. He was therefore the symbol of the approaching chastisement of Syria and the kingdom of the ten tribes.
It is true that Tiglath-pileser only conquered Damascus, and not Samaria; but he took from Pekah, the king of Samaria, the land beyond the Jordan, and a portion of the land on this side.
The trophies, which he took to Assyria were no
less the spoil of Samaria than if he had conquered Samaria itself (which
Shalmaneser did twenty years afterwards).
The birth of Mahershalalhashbaz took place
about three-quarters of a year later than the preparation of the table; and the
time appointed, from the birth of the boy till the chastisement of the allied
kingdoms, was about a year.
As the Syro-Ephraimitish war did not commence later than the first year of the reign of Ahaz, i.e., the year 743, and the chastisement by Tiglath-pileser occurred in the lifetime of the allies, whereas Pekah was assassinated in the year 739, the interval between the commencement of the war and the chastisement of the allies cannot have been more than three years; so that the preparation of the table must not be assigned to a much later period than the interview with Ahaz.
The inscription upon the table, which was adopted as the name of the child, was not a purely consolatory prophecy, since the prophet had predicted, a short time before, that the same Asshur, which devastated the two covenant lands, would lay Judah waste as well. It was simply a practical proof of the omniscience and omnipotence of God, by which the history of the future was directed and controlled.
The prophet had, in fact, the mournful vocation to
harden.
Hence the enigmatical character of his words and doings in relation to
both kings and nation. Jehovah foreknew the consequences which would follow the
appeal to Asshur for help, as regarded both Syria and Israel.
This knowledge he committed to writing in the presence of witnesses. When this should be fulfilled, it would be all over with the rejoicing of the king and people at their self-secured deliverance.
Consolation of Immanuel in the Coming Darkness
( 8:5 - 9:7 )
From the NKJV
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The heading or introduction, "And Jehovah proceeded still further to speak to
me, as follows," extends to all the following addresses as far as chapter 12. They
all finish with consolation.
But consolation presupposes the need of
consolation.
Consequently, even in this instance the prophet is obliged to
commence with a threatening of judgment.
The waters of Shiloah that go softly
The name Siloah, or Siloam, is found only three times in the Scriptures as
applied to waters
| 1. | Once in this place, where it is spoken of a running water |
| 2. | As a pool in Nehemiah - bªreekat (Neh 3:15) |
| 3. | As a pool, in the account of the miracle of healing the man who was born blind (John 9:7,11) |
Josephus places the fountain and pool of Siloah (Siloam) at the opening of the Tyropoeon,
on the
south-eastern side of the ancient city, where we still find it at the
present day (vid. Jos. Wars of the Jews, v. 4, 1; also Robinson, Pal. i. 504). The clear little brook - a pleasant sight to the eye as it issues from the ravine
which runs between the south-western slope of Moriah and the south-eastern slope
of Mount Zion.
Davidic monarchy enthroned upon Zion, which had the promise of God, who was
enthroned upon Moriah, in contrast with the imperial or world kingdom, which is
compared to the overflowing waters of the Euphrates.
(From Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament: New Updated Edition,
Electronic Database. Copyright (c) 1996 by Hendrickson Publishers, Inc.)
The waters of the River, strong and mighty
The waters of the Euphrates.
| The waters of Siloam | Represented the government of Yahweh | small sweetly-flowing |
| The waters of the Euphrates | Represented the government of Assyria | violent, rapid, overflowing |
The one they despised; the other they sought and admired.
The power of the kingdom of David was then
feeble and decayed.
That of the Assyrian monarch was vigorous, mighty, vast.
They despised the one, and sought the alliance of the other.
(from Barnes' Notes, Electronic Database. Copyright (c) 1997 by Biblesoft)
From the NKJV
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Not till then would this overflowing reach as far as Judah, but then it would do so most certainly and incessantly.
The fate of Judah would be different from that of Ephraim.
| Ephraim | Ephraim would be laid completely under water by the river - would be utterly destroyed. |
| Judah | In Judah the stream, as it rushed forward,
would reach the most dangerous height; but if a deliverer could be found, there was still a possibility of its being saved. |
Such a deliverer was
Immanuel, whom the prophet sees in the light of the Spirit living through all
the Assyrian calamities. The prophet appeals to him that the land,
which is his land, is almost swallowed up by the
world-power: the spreading out
of the wings of the stream (of the large bodies of water pouring out on
both sides from the main stream, as from the trunk, and covering the land like
two broad wings) have filled the whole land. According to Norzi, Immanuel is to
be written here as one word, as it is in Isa 7:14; but the correct reading is 'Immânu
El.
(From Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament: New Updated Edition,
Electronic Database. Copyright (c) 1996 by Hendrickson Publishers, Inc.)
From The Dead Sea Scrolls
| 1 For this, behold, the Lord will bri]ng up against them the [torrential and violent] water of the river, [the king of Assyria] 2 [and all his pomp. He will] come up through all the channels and overflow all its banks. [He will invade Judah, he will flood, he will brim over] 3 [and will reach right up to the neck.] The opening of his wings will cover the breadth of your land, [O Emmanuel! The interpretation of the word concerns] 4 […] …the law; he is Rezin and the son of [Romeliah…] 5 […as it is written in […] 6 […] and not […] |
From the NKJV
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Gird yourselves ... Gird yourselves
Note the Figure of Speech (Repetition used for emphasis).
The prophet's imploring look at Immanuel does not remain unanswered.
We may see
this from the fact that what was almost a silent prayer is changed at once into
the jubilate of holy defiance.
The second imperatives in verse 9 are threatening words of authority, having a future signification. The prophet classes together all the nations that are warring against the people of God, pronounces upon them the sentence of destruction, and calls upon all distant lands to hear this ultimate fate of the kingdom of the world, - of the imperial power. The world-kingdom must be wrecked on the land of Immanuel.
"For with us," as the
watchword of believers runs, pointing to the person of the Savior, "with us is
God."
| FEAR GOD - HEED HIS WORD |
From the NKJV
|
There then follows in verse 11 an explanatory clause, which seems at first sight to pass on to a totally different theme, but it really stands in the closest connection with the triumphant words of verses. 9 and 10.
| It is Immanuel whom believers receive, constitute, and hold fast as their refuge in the approaching times of the Assyrian judgment. |
| He is their refuge and God in Him, and not any human support whatever. |
A strong hand - hayaad (OT:3027), "the hand," is the absolute hand, which is no sooner laid upon a man than it overpowers all perception, sensation, and thought.
It describes a condition in which the hand of God was put forth upon the prophet with peculiar force, as distinguished from the more usual prophetic state, the effect of a peculiarly impressive and energetic act of God.
A conspiracy - Treason
The warning runs thus: The prophet, and such as were on his side, were not to
call that kesher which the great mass of the people called kesher (2 Chron
23:13, "She said, Treason, Treason!" kesher, kesher); yet the alliance of Rezin
and Pekah was really a conspiracy - a league against the house and people of
David.
Nor can the warning mean that believers, when they saw how the unbelieving Ahaz brought the nation into distress, were not to join in a conspiracy against the person of the king; they are not warned at all against making a conspiracy, but against joining in the popular cry when the people called out kesher.
The true explanation has been given by Roorda, viz., that the reference is to the conspiracy, as it was called, of the prophet and his disciples. The same thing happened to Isaiah as to Amos (Amos 7:10 -Then Amaziah the priest of Bethel sent to Jeroboam king of Israel, saying, "Amos has conspired against you in the midst of the house of Israel.) and to Jeremiah.
Whenever the prophets were at all zealous in their opposition to the appeal for foreign aid, they were accused and branded as standing in the service of the enemy, and conspiring for the overthrow of the kingdom. In such perversion of language as this, the honorable among them were not to join.
The way of God was now a very different one from the way of that
people. If the prophet and his followers opposed the alliance with Asshur,
this was not a common human conspiracy against the will of the king and
nation, but the inspiration of God, the true policy of
Jehovah.
Whoever trusted in Him had no need to be afraid of such attempts as
those of Rezin and Pekah, or to look upon them as dreadful.
From the NKJV
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The object of their fear was a very different one. The logical
comparison to verse 13 commences with v'hâhâh (Let Him be).
If you actually acknowledge Jehovah the Holy One as the Holy One, and if it is He whom ye fear, and who fills you with dread (ma'ariitz, used for the object of dread, as moorah is for the object of fear; hence "that
which terrifies" in a causative sense).
All who did not give glory to Jehovah would be dashed to pieces upon His work as
upon a stone, and caught therein as in a trap. This was the burden of the divine
warning, which the prophet heard for himself and for those that believed.
For a stone of stumbling. Compare 1 Peter 2:7,8, Luke 20:17, Romans
9:32,33; 11:11.
1 Peter 2:7-8
Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are
disobedient,
"The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone," and
"A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense."
Luke 20:17-19
Then He looked at them and said, "What then is this that is written:
'The stone which the builders rejected
Has become the chief cornerstone'?
Whoever falls on that stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will
grind him to powder
And the chief priests and the scribes that very hour sought to lay hands on
Him, but they feared the people -for they knew He had spoken this parable
against them.
Romans 9:32-33
Why? Because they did not seek it by faith, but as it were, by the
works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumbling stone. As it
is written:
"Behold, I lay in Zion a stumbling stone and rock of offense,
And whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame."
And many among them -Many by the invasion under the Assyrian.
Many were taken captive; many killed, and many were carried to
Babylon.
The repetition here of so many expressions so nearly synonymous is emphatic, and
shows that it would be certainly done.
However, one must not conclude from this that the ancient Immanuel
prophecy refers exclusively to Jesus.
The circumstances surrounding the prophecy demand a more immediate
fulfillment as well.
The context of Isaiah 7:14 indicates that a child would be born in the
days of Ahaz who would serve as a sign to that generation of God's providential
control of international events and of His people's destiny.
This child, who was a sign of God's presence with His people,
foreshadowed Jesus, who is "God with us" in the fullest possible
sense.
(from Holman Bible Handbook. (c) Copyright 1992 by
Holman Bible Publishers.
All rights reserved.)
From the NKJV
|
These words appear at first sight to be a command of God to the prophet, according to such parallel passages as Dan 12:4,9; Rev 22:10, cf., Dan 8:26; but
with this explanation it is impossible to do justice to the words. And so the
prophet here prays that Jehovah would take his testimony with regard to the
future, and his instruction, which was designed to prepare for this future - that
testimony and torah which the great mass in their hardness did not understand, and in their self-hardening despised - and lay them up well secured and well
preserved, as if by band and seal, in the hearts of those who
received the prophet's words with believing obedience.
For it would be all over with Israel, unless a community of believers should be
preserved, and all over with this community, if the word of God, which was the
ground of their life, should be allowed to slip from their hearts. We have here
an announcement of the grand idea, which the second part of the book of Isaiah
carries out in the grandest style. It is very evident that it is the prophet
himself who is speaking here, as we may see from verse 17, where he continues to
speak in the first person.
The testimony
The message; especially that of which Uriah and Zechariah had been
called to bear witness.
Seal
Books were made in the form of rolls, and were often sealed when
completed - as we seal a letter.
The mode of sealing them was not by wax only, but by uniting them by any
adhesive matter, as paste, or glue. Wax in warm climates would
be generally rendered useless by the heat.
The meaning here is, to secure, to close up - perhaps by passing a
cord or string around the volume, and making it secure, denoting
that it was finished.
Among my disciples
Most of the Jewish commentators suppose that the volume, when
completed by a prophet, was given for safe keeping to his disciples, or to
some employed to preserve it securely.
The word disciples means those who are taught, and here means those
who were taught by the prophet; perhaps the pious and holy part of
the people who would listen to his instructions.
The Chaldee translates this verse, 'O prophet, preserve the testimony,
lest ye testify to those who will not obey; seal and hide the law, because they
will not learn it.'
(from Barnes' Notes, Electronic Database. Copyright (c) 1997 by Biblesoft)
From the NKJV
|
While offering this prayer, and looking for its fulfillment, he waits upon
Jehovah.
A time of judgment had now commenced, which would
still last a long time; but the word of God was the pledge of Israel's
continuance in the midst of it, and of the renewal of Israel's glory afterwards.
The prophet would therefore hope for the grace that was now hidden behind the
wrath.
Wait on the LORD - Wait
on Jehovah -
This
phrase is found 3 times in the Old Testament, using 2 different words
used for "wait.
| Isaiah 8:17 | Wªchikiytiy la-Yahweh | OT 2442 | ||||||||||
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| Isaiah 40:31 | Wªqowyee Yahweh | OT 6960 | This root means to wait or to look for with eager expectation. | |||||||||
| Psalm 37:9 | Wªqoweey Yahweh | OT 6960 | ||||||||||
Psalm 37:9
Those who wait and hope and look for the Lord [in the end] shall inherit
the earth. (AMP)
Isaiah 40:31
But those who wait for the Lord [who expect, look for, and hope in Him]
shall change and renew their strength and power; they shall lift their wings and
mount up [close to God] as eagles [mount up to the sun]; they shall run and not
be weary, they shall walk and not faint or become tired. (AMP)
From the NKJV
|
His home was the future, and to this he was subservient, even
with his entire house.
He
presents himself to the Lord with his children, puts himself and them into His
hands. They were Jehovah's gift, and that for a higher purpose than every-day
family enjoyment.
They served the purpose of signs and types in connection
with the history of salvation.
"Signs and wonders" - 'oth (sign) was an omen or
prognostic in word and deed, which pointed to and was the pledge of something
future (whether it were in itself miraculous or natural).
"...has sent us as living messages to the people of Israel."
(Today's English Version)
He had selected these signs and types: He who could bring to pass the future, which they set forth, as surely as He was Jehovah of hosts, and who would bring it to pass as surely as He had chosen Mount Zion for the scene of His gracious presence upon earth.
Shear-yashub and Mahershalalhashbaz were indeed no less symbols of future wrath than of future grace;
but the name of the father (Yªsha`yaahuw) was
an assurance that all the future would issue from Jehovah's salvation, and end
in the same. Isaiah and his children were figures and emblems of redemption,
opening a way for itself through judgment.
The Epistle to the Hebrews (Hebrews 2:13) quotes these words as the distinct words of Jesus, because the spirit of Jesus was in Isaiah - the spirit of Jesus, which in the midst of this holy family, bound together as it was only to the bands of "the shadow," pointed forward to that church of the New Testament which would be bound together by the bands of the true substance.
Hebrews 2:10-13
In bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through
whom everything exists, should make the author of their salvation perfect
through suffering. Both the one who makes men holy and those who are made
holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them
brothers. He says,
"I will declare your name to my brothers; in the presence of the congregation I
will sing your praises."
And again,
"I will put my trust in him."
And again he says,
"Here am I, and the children God has given me." (NIV)
Isaiah, his children, and his
wife, who is called "the prophetess" (nebi'ah) not only because she was the wife
of the prophet but because she herself possessed the gift of prophecy, and all
the believing disciples gathered round this family - these together formed the
stock of the church of the Messianic future, on the foundation and soil of
Israel.
(From Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament: New Updated Edition,
Electronic Database. Copyright (c) 1996 by Hendrickson Publishers, Inc.)
From the NKJV
|
The appeal is supposed to be made by Judeans of the existing stamp; for we know from Isaiah 2:6; 3:2-3, that all kinds of heathen superstitions had found their way into Jerusalem, and were practiced there as a trade. The persons into whose mouths the answer is put by the prophet are his own children and disciples. The circumstances of the times were very critical; and the people were applying to wizards to throw light upon the dark future.
Familiar Spirits - 'Ob signified primarily the spirit of witchcraft, then the possessor of such a spirit (equivalent to Baal ob).
Wizards - Yidd'oni, on the other hand, signified primarily the possessor of a prophesying or soothsaying spirit and then the soothsaying spirit itself (Lev 20:27), which was properly called yiddâ'oon (the much knowing). These people, who are designated by the LXX, both here and elsewhere, as eggastro'muthoi, i.e., ventriloquists, imitated the chirping of bats, which was supposed to proceed from the shadows of Hades, and uttered their magical formulas in a whispering tone.
Leviticus 20:27
A man or a woman who is a medium, or who has familiar spirits, shall surely be
put to death; they shall stone them with stones. Their blood shall be upon them.
(NKJV)
(Note: The Mishnah Sanhedrin 65 a gives this definition: "Baal'ob is a python, i.e., a soothsayer ('with a spirit of divination'), who speaks from his arm-pit; yidd'oni, a man who speaks with his mouth." The baal ob, so far as he had to do with the bones of the dead, is called in the Talmud 'obâ' temayya', e.g., the witch of Endor (b. Sabbath 152 b).
From the NKJV
|
All the individuals who did not adhere to the revelation made by Jehovah through His prophet formed one corrupt mass, which would remain in hopeless darkness.
The law includes here the law of Moses, the 'Magna Charta' on which
all prophecy rests: also all Scripture. Calvin and Grotius support
the English version. 'If they turn from the word of God as the only
infallible oracle, it indicates that, or it is because there is no light of
truth in any one of them; or, as Grotius explains the latter clause, 'it
indicates that no light of prosperity shall attend any one of them.'
(from Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary, Electronic Database. Copyright
(c) 1997 by Biblesoft)
According to this word - According to what God has revealed.
By this standard all their pretended revelations were to be tried.
By this standard all doctrines are still to be tried.
It is because - There has been a great variety of criticism upon this verse, but our translation expresses, probably, the true idea. The word rendered here 'because,' 'ªsher (OT:834), commonly denotes 'which;' but it seems here to be used in the sense of the Syriac? "Dolath," or the Greek hoti (NT:3754) - as concerning that, as though, because.
No light - 'Morning.' Hebrew shaachar
(OT:7837).
The word usually means the morning light; the mingled light and darkness
of the aurora; daybreak.
It is an emblem of advancing knowledge, and perhaps, also,
of prosperity or happiness after calamity, as the break of day succeeds
the dark night.
The meaning here may be , 'If their teachings do not accord with the law and the
testimony, it is proof that they are totally ignorant, without even the
twilight of true knowledge; that it is total darkness with them.'
Or it may mean, 'If they do not speak according to this word, then
no dawn will arise, that is, no prosperity will smile upon this
people.' - Gesenius. Lowth understands it of obscurity, darkness:
(from Barnes' Notes, Electronic Database. Copyright (c) 1997 by Biblesoft)
From the NKJV
|
The people would be brought to such a plight in the approaching Assyrian
oppressions, that they would wander about in the land pressed down by their hard
fate (niksheh) and hungry (ya’ab), because all provisions would be gone and the
fields and vineyards would be laid waste.
As often as it experienced hunger
afresh, it would work itself into a rage, and curse by its king and God, i.e.,
by its idol.
Consequently all this reaction of their wrath would avail them nothing:
| whether they turned upwards, to see if the black sky were not clearing, |
| or looked down to the earth, |
The judgment of God does not convert them,
but only heightens their wickedness; just as in
Rev 16:11, after the pouring out of the fifth vial of
wrath, men only utter blasphemies, and do not desist from their works.
After
stating what the people see, whether they turn their eyes upwards or downwards, the closing participial clause of verse 22 describes how they see themselves "thrust out into darkness.’
(From Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament: New Updated Edition,
Electronic Database. Copyright (c) 1996 by Hendrickson Publishers, Inc.)
Revelations 16:11
They blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and
did not repent of their deeds. (NKJV)
| THE GOVERNMENT OF THE PROMISED SON | |
From the NKJV
|
Nevertheless = For
This section (Isaiah 9:1-7) relates to Messiah, the
Son, referring back to Isaiah 8:9,10;
and carries to Isaiah 7:14 on to its
future fulfillment.
After the prophet has thus depicted the people as without morning dawn, he gives the reason for the assumption that a restoration of light is to be expected, although not for the existing generation.
The reason assigned for the fact that the unbelieving people of Judah had fallen into a night without morning, is, that there was a morning coming, whose light, however, would not rise upon the land of Judah first, but upon other parts of the land.
Since the times of the judges, all these lands had been exposed, on account of the countries that joined them, to corruption from Gentile influence and subjugation by heathen foes.
The northern tribes on this side, as well as those on the other side, suffered the most in the almost incessant war between Israel and the Syrians, and afterwards between Israel and the Assyrians; and the transportation of their inhabitants, which continued under Pul, Tiglath-pileser, and Shalmaneser, amounted at last to utter depopulation. But these countries would be the very first that would be remembered when that morning dawn of glory should break.
Matthew informs us (Matt 4:13 ff.) in what way this was fulfilled
at the commencement of the Christian times. On the ground of this prophecy of Isaiah, and the Messianic hopes of the Jewish nation were really directed
towards Galilee.
(Note: The Zohar was not the first to teach that the Messiah would appear in
Galilee, and that redemption would break forth from Tiberias; but this is found
in the Talmud and Midrash (see Litteratur-blatt des Orients, 1843, Col. 776).)
Matthew 4:13-16
And leaving Nazareth, He came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is by
the sea, in the regions of Zebulun and Naphtali, that it might
be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying:
"The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, by the way of the sea, beyond the
Jordan,
Galilee of the Gentiles: The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light,
And upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death Light has dawned."
(NKJV)
From the NKJV
|
The range of vision is here
extended; not to the Gentiles, however, but to all
Israel.
Salvation would
not break forth
| - till it had become utterly dark along the horizon of Israel, according to the description in Isa 5:30 |
| - till the land of Jehovah had become a land of the shadow of death on account of the apostasy of its inhabitants. |
The apostate mass of the nation is to be regarded as already swept away; for if death has cast its shadow over the land, it must be utterly desolate.
In this state of things the remnant left in the land beholds a great light, which breaks through the sky that has been hitherto covered with blackness.
The
people, who turned their eyes upwards to no purpose, because they did so with
cursing (Isa 8:21), are now no more.
It is the remnant
of Israel, which sees this light of spiritual and material redemption, arises above its
head.
In what this light would consist the prophet states afterwards, when
describing
| first the blessings |
| and then the star of the new time. |
Luke 1:67-80
Now his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied,
saying:
"Blessed is the Lord God of Israel, For He has visited and redeemed His people,
and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of His
servant David, ... To give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of
death, To guide our feet into the way of peace." (NKJV)
John 8:12
Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, "I am the light of the world. He who
follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life."
(NKJV)
From the NKJV
|
The nation (haggoi) is undoubtedly Israel, reduced to a small remnant.
That
God would make this again into a numerous people, was a leading feature in the
pictures drawn of the time of glory (Isa 26:15), which
would be in this respect the counterpart of that of Solomon (1 Kings 4:20).
(From Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament: New Updated Edition,
Electronic Database. Copyright (c) 1996 by Hendrickson Publishers, Inc.)
| Past Glory | 1 Kings 4:20 | Judah and Israel were as numerous as the sand by the sea in multitude, eating and drinking and rejoicing. |
| Coming Doom | Isaiah 8:4 | The riches of Damascus and the spoil of Samaria will be taken away |
| Future Glory | Isaiah 26:15 | You have increased the nation, O LORD, You have increased the nation; You are glorified; You have expanded all the borders of the land. |
This joy would be a holy joy, as the expression "before You" implies: the expression itself recalls the sacrificial meals in the courts of the temple (Deut 12:7; 14:26).
Deuteronomy 12:7
And there you shall eat before the LORD your God, and you
shall rejoice in all to which you have put your hand, you and your households,
in which the LORD your God has blessed you.
(NKJV)
Deuteronomy 14:26
And you shall spend that money for whatever your heart desires: for oxen or
sheep, for wine or similar drink, for whatever your heart desires; you shall eat
there before the LORD your God, and you shall rejoice, you
and your household. (NKJV)
It would be a joy over blessings received, as the figure of
the harvest indicates; and joy over evil averted, as the figure of dividing the
spoil presupposes: for the division of booty is the business of conquerors.
This
second figure is not merely a figure: the people that are so joyous are really
victorious and triumphant.
From the NKJV
|
The future deliverance, which the prophet here celebrates, would be the
counterpart of the Egyptian.
But as the whole of the great nation of Israel was
then redeemed, whereas only a small remnant would participate in the final
redemption, he compares it to the day of Midian, when Gideon broke the seven
years' dominion of Midian, not with a great army, but with a handful of resolute
warriors, strong in the Lord (Judges 7).
The question suggests itself here, who is
the hero, Gideon's antitype, through whom all this is to occur?
The prophet does
not say; but building up one clause upon another he gives first of all the
reason for the cessation of the oppressive dominion of the imperial
power - namely, the destruction of all the military stores of the enemy.
From the NKJV
|
The noise made by a warrior coming up proudly in his war-boots, nor with
Luzzatto in the sense of the
war-boot itself, for which the word is too strong, but as referring to the noise or tumult of battle, in the
midst of which the man comes up equipped or shod for military service.
The prophet names the boot and garment with an obvious purpose. The destruction of the hostile weapons follows as a matter of course, if even the military shoes, worn by the soldiers in the enemies' ranks, and the military cloaks that were lying in dâmim, i.e., in blood violently shed upon the battle-field, were all given up to the fire.
| The Chaldee renders it | 'For every gift of theirs is for evil.' |
| The Syriac renders it | 'For every tumult (of battle) is heard with terror.' |
| Hengstenberg renders it | 'For all war-shoes put on at the noise of battle, all garments dipped in blood, shall be burnt, shall be the food of fire.' |
(from Barnes' Notes, Electronic Database. Copyright (c) 1997 by Biblesoft)
Psalm 46:9
He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two;
He burns the chariot in the fire.
(NKJV)
Ezekiel 39:9-10
Then those who dwell in the cities of Israel will go out and set on fire and
burn the weapons, both the shields and bucklers, the bows and arrows, the
javelins and spears; and they will make fires with them for seven years.
(NKJV)
From the NKJV
|
Upon the two sentences with ci the prophet now builds a third.
| The reason for the triumph | is the deliverance effected | ||
|
|||
| The reason for the deliverance | is the new great King | ||
| The reason for the destruction of the foe | |||
| The reason for all the joy | |||
| The reason for all the freedom | |||
| The reason for all the peace | |||
Is born - is given
Not that he was born when the prophet spoke. But in prophetic vision,
as the events of the future passed before his mind, he saw that
promised son, and the eye was fixed intently on him.
Romans 4:17
... God ... Who gives life to the dead and speaks of the nonexistent
things that [He has foretold and promised] as if they [already] existed.
(AMP)
John 1:1-14
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the
Word was God ... And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His
glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
(NKJV)
The same person whom the prophet foretold in chapter 7 as the son of the virgin who would come to maturity in troublous times, he here sees as born, and as having already taken possession of the government.
| There he appeared as a sign, |
| here as a gift of grace. |
Isaiah 22:22-23
The key of the house of David I will lay on his shoulder; so he shall open, and
no one shall shut; and he shall shut, and no one shall open.
I will fasten him as a peg in a secure place, and he will become a glorious
throne to his father's house. (NKJV)
The words in their strict meaning point to the Messiah, whom men may for a time, with pardonable error, have hoped to find in Hezekiah, but whom, with unpardonable error, men refused to acknowledge, even when He actually appeared in Jesus.
The name Jesus is the combination of all the Old Testament titles used to designate the Coming One according to His nature and His works. The names contained in Isa 7:14 and 9:6 are not thereby suppressed; but they have continued, from the time of Mary downwards, in the mouths of all believers. There is not one of these names under which worship and homage have not been paid to Him. But we never find them crowded together anywhere else, as we do here in Isaiah; and in this respect also our prophet proves himself the greatest of the Old Testament evangelists.
| His name shall be called: |
 |
Pele' | WONDERFUL |
Just as the angel of Jehovah, when asked by Manoah what was his name (Judges 13:18), replied peliy (pilª'iy ), and indicated thereby his divine nature - a nature incomprehensible to mortal men; so here the God-given ruler is also pele', a phenomenon lying altogether beyond human conception or natural occurrence.
Judges 13:18
And the Angel of the LORD said to him, "Why do you ask My
name, seeing it is wonderful?" (NKJV)
He Himself is throughout a wonder - paradoxasmo's, as Symmachus renders it.
This word is derived from the verb paalaa' (OT:6381), to
separate, to distinguish, or to make great.
It is applied usually to anything that is great or wonderful, as a miracle.
It is applied here to denote the unusual and remarkable assemblage of qualities
that distinguished the Messiah.
(from Barnes' Notes, Electronic Database. Copyright (c) 1997 by Biblesoft)
| His name shall be called: |
 |
Yow`eets | COUNSELOR |
By virtue of the spirit of counsel which He possesses (Isa 11:2), He can always discern and given counsel for the good of His nation. There is no need for Him to surround Himself with counselors; but without receiving counsel at all, He counsels those that are without counsel, and is thus the end of all want of counsel to His nation as a whole.
The name "counselor" here denotes
| one of honorable rank; one who is suited to stand near princes and kings as their adviser. |
It is expressive of
| great wisdom, and of qualifications to guide and direct the human race. |
The Septuagint translates this phrase, 'The angel of the mighty
counsel.'
The Chaldee, 'The God of wonderful counsel.'
(from Barnes' Notes, Electronic Database. Copyright (c) 1997 by Biblesoft)
| His name shall be called: |
 |
Eel Gibowr | MIGHTY GOD |
El gibbor attributes divinity to Him.
But all these renderings, and others of a similar kind, founder, without needing
any further refutation,
on Isa 10:21, where He, to whom the remnant of Israel
will turn with penitence, is called El gibbor.
Isaiah 10:21
The remnant will return, the remnant of Jacob, to the Mighty God.
There is no
reason why we should take El in this name o the Messiah in any other sense than
in Immânu-El; not to mention the fact that El in Isaiah is
always a name of God, and that the prophet was ever strongly conscious of the antithesis between
El
and âdâm.
And finally, El gibbor was
a traditional name of God.
The name gibbor is used here as an adjective, like Shaddai in
El Shaddai.
The Messiah, then, is here designated "mighty God."
It stands written once for all, just as in Jer 23:6 Jehovah Zidkenu (Jehovah our Righteousness) is also used as a name of the Messiah - a Messianic name, which even the synagogue cannot set aside (vid. Midrash Mishle 57 a, where this is adduced as one of the eight names of the Messiah).
The Syriac has, 'The mighty God of ages.'
This is one, and but one out of many, of the instances in
which the name God is applied to the Messiah;
(from Barnes' Notes, Electronic Database. Copyright (c) 1997 by Biblesoft)
| His name shall be called: |
 |
`Ad 'Abiy | EVERLASTING FATHER |
Eternal Father - for what is
divine must be eternal.
The title Eternal Father designates Him, however, not
only as the possessor of eternity, but as the tender, faithful, and wise trainer, guardian, and provider for His people even in eternity.
He is eternal Father, as the eternal, loving King.
The phrase may either mean the same as the Eternal Father, and the sense will be,
| the Messiah will not, as must be the ease with an earthly king, however excellent, leave his people destitute after a short reign, but will rule over them and bless them forever; |
| or it may be used in accordance with a custom usual in Hebrew and in Arabic, where he who possesses a thing is called the father of it. |
This is rendered by
| The Chaldee | 'The man abiding forever.' |
| The Vulgate | 'The Father of the future age.' |
| Lowth | 'The Father of the everlasting age.' |
Literally, it is the Father of eternity.
(from Barnes' Notes, Electronic Database. Copyright (c) 1997 by Biblesoft)
| His name shall be called: |
 |
Sar-Shaalowm | PRINCE OF PEACE |
The Prince of prosperity, the Giver of all blessings.
Now, if He is mighty God, and uses His divine might in eternity for the good of His people, He is also, as the fifth name affirms, sar-shalom, a Prince who removes all peace-disturbing powers, and secures peace among the nations (Zech 9:10). To exalt the government of David into an eternal rule of peace, is the end for which He is born; and moreover He proves Himself to be what He is not only called, but what he actually is.
Zechariah 9:10
I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim
And the horse from Jerusalem;
The battle bow shall be cut off.
He shall speak peace to the nations;
His dominion shall be 'from sea to sea,
And from the River to the ends of the earth.' (NKJV)
That this passage refers to the Messiah has been generally conceded.
The Messiah, Mªshiyach (OT:4899), whose peace shall be multiplied
upon us in his days.'
Thus rabbi Jose, of Galilee, says,
| 'The name of the Messiah is Shaalowm, as is said in Isaiah 9:6, "Father of Eternity, Prince of Peace." |
| numbers among the eight names of the Messiah those also taken from this passage, Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty God, Prince of Peace. |
| have rejected this interpretation, because the Messiah is here described as God. |
From the NKJV
|
No end - Compare the angelic message (Luke 1:32,33).
Luke 1:31-33
And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son,
and shall call His name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the
Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father
David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His
kingdom there will be no end."
(NKJV)
The sublime and lofty King’s Son will bring in ever extending dominion and endless peace, when He sits upon the throne of David and rules over David's kingdom. He is a semper Augustus, i.e., a perpetual increaser of the kingdom; not by war, however, but with the spiritual weapons of peace.
And within He gives to the kingdom
| "judgment" | (mishpât) | which He pronounces and ordains |
| "righteousness" | (zedâkâh) | which He not only exercises Himself, but transfers to the members of His kingdom |
This new epoch of Davidic
sovereignty was still only a matter of faith and hope.
But the zeal of Jehovah
was the guarantee of its realization.
The accentuation is likely to mislead
here, inasmuch as it makes it appear as though the words "from henceforth even
for ever" (me'attâh v'ad 'oolâm) belonged to the closing sentence, whereas the
eternal perspective which they open applies directly to the reign of the great
Son of David, and only indirectly to the work of the divine jealousy.
"Zeal," or
jealousy, kin'âh, literally - glowing fire, from qaanee', Arab.
Kanaa, - to be deep red
(Deut 4:24 - For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God), is one of the deepest of the Old Testament ideas, and one of the
most fruitful in relation to the work of reconciliation.
It is two-sided.
| The fire of love | has for its obverse the fire of wrath. |
| Jealousy | contends for the object of its love against everything that touches either the object or the love itself. |
Jehovah loves His nation.
That He should leave it in the hands of such bad
Davidic kings as Ahaz, and give it up to the imperial power of the world, would
be altogether irreconcilable with this love, if continued long.
But His love
flares up, consumes all that is adverse, and gives to His people the true King,
in whom that which was only foreshadowed in David and Solomon reaches its
highest antitypical fulfillment.
With the very same words, "the zeal of Jehovah
of hosts," etc., Isaiah seals the promise in Isa 37:32.
Isaiah 37:32
For out of Jerusalem will go forth a remnant, and a band that survives out
of Mount Zion. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.
(AMP)
| THE PUNISHMENT OF SAMARIA | |
Jehovah's Outstretched Hand
( 9:8-10:4 )
The great light would not arise till the darkness had reached its deepest point. The gradual increase of this darkness is predicted in this second section of the esoteric addresses. Many difficult questions suggest themselves in connection with this section.
| 1. | Is it directed against the northern kingdom only, or against all Israel? |
| 2. | What was the historical standpoint of the prophet himself? |
The majority of commentator’s reply that the prophet is only
prophesying against Ephraim here, and that Syria and Ephraim has already been
chastised by Tiglath-pileser.
The former is incorrect. The prophet does indeed
commence with Ephraim, but he does not stop there.
The fates of both kingdoms
flow into one another here, as well as in Isaiah 8:5 ff., just as they were
causally connected in actual fact.
And it cannot be maintained, that when the prophet uttered his predictions Ephraim had already felt the scourging of Tiglath-pileser.
The prophet takes his stand at a time when judgment after judgment had fallen upon all Israel without improving it.
From the NKJV
|
The word (dâbâr) is both in nature and history the messenger of the Lord:
| (Psalm 147:15) | It runs quickly through the earth
|
|
| (Psalm 107:20) | When sent by the Lord, comes to men to destroy or to heal
|
|
| (Isaiah 55:11) | It never returns to its sender void
|
Thus does the Lord now send a word against Jacob (Jacob, as in Isa 2:5); and this heavenly messenger descends into Israel, taking shelter, as it were, in the soul of the prophet.
Its immediate commission is directed against Ephraim, which has been so little humbled by the calamities that have fallen upon it since the time of Jehu, that the people are boasting that they will replace bricks and sycamores, that wide-spread tree (1 Kings 10:27 - "and cedar as plentiful as sycamore-fig trees in the foothills"), with works of art and cedars.
"We put in their place:" nachaliph is as in Isa 40:31; 41:1, where it is construed with koach (OT:3581) (strength), and signifies to renew.
The poorest style of building in the land is contrasted with the best; for "the sycamore is a tree which only flourishes in the plain, and there the most wretched houses are still built of bricks dried in the sun, and of knotty beams of sycamore."
These might have been destroyed by the war, but more durable and stately buildings would rise up in their place. Ephraim, however, would be made to feel this defiance of the judgments of God (to "know," as in Hos 9:7; Ezek 25:14). Jehovah would give the adversaries of Rezin authority over Ephraim, and instigate his foes: sicseec, as in Isa 19:2 ("I will stir up Egyptian against Egyptian").
Hosea 9:7
The days of punishment are coming, the days of reckoning are at hand.
Let Israel know this. Because your sins are so many and your hostility so
great, the prophet is considered a fool, the inspired man a maniac.
(NIV)
Ezekiel 25:14
... they will know my vengeance, declares the Sovereign LORD.
(NIV)
The
adversaries of Rezin - tzâree Retziin
A simple play upon the words - are the Assyrians, whose help had been
sought by Ahaz against Rezin; though perhaps not these exclusively, but possibly
also the Trachonites, for example, against whom the mountain fortress Rezîn
appears to have been erected, to protect the rich lands of eastern Hauran.
In verse 12 the range of vision stretches over all Israel.
It cannot be otherwise, for the northern kingdom never suffered anything from the Philistines; whereas
an invasion of Judah by the Philistines was really one of the judgments
belonging to the time of Ahaz (2 Chron 28:16-19). Consequently by Israel here we
are to understand all Israel, the two halves of which would become a rich prize
to the enemy.
| Ephraim would be swallowed up by Aram - namely, by those who had been subjugated by Asshur, and were now tributary to it |
| Judah would be swallowed up by the Philistines. |
But this strait would be very far from being
the end of the punishments of God. Because Israel would not turn
- the wrath of
God would not turn away.
(From Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament: New Updated Edition,
Electronic Database. Copyright (c) 1996 by Hendrickson Publishers, Inc.)
From the NKJV
|
As the first stage of the judgments has been followed by no true conversion to Jehovah the almighty judge, there comes a second. `ad (OT:5704) shuwb (OT:7725) (to turn unto) denotes a thorough conversion, not stopping half-way.
There was coming now a great
day of punishment (in the view of the prophet, it was already past), such as
Israel experienced more than once in the Assyrian oppressions, and Judah in the
Chaldean, when head and tail, or, according to another proverbial expression, palm-branch and rush, would be rooted out.
We might suppose that the persons
referred to were the high and low; but verse 15 makes a different application of
the first double figure, by giving it a different turn from its popular sense.
| The Head | The Rulers | The chiefs of the nation were the head of the national body; |
| The Tail | The False Prophets | and behind, like a wagging dog's tail, sat the false prophets with their flatteries of the people, loving. |
The allusion here is to the rulers of the nation and the dregs of the people.
The basest extremity was the demagogues in the shape of prophets.
For it had
come to this, as verse 16 affirms, that those who promised to lead by a straight
road led astray, and those who suffered themselves to be led by them were as
good as already swallowed up by hell
(cf., Isa 5:14;
3:12).
Therefore the
Sovereign Ruler would not rejoice over the young men of this nation; that is to
say, He would suffer them to be smitten by their enemies, without going with
them to battle, and would refuse His customary compassion even towards widows
and orphans, for they were all thoroughly corrupt on every side.
(From Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament: New Updated Edition,
Electronic Database. Copyright (c) 1996 by Hendrickson Publishers, Inc.)
From the NKJV
|
From The Dead Sea Scrolls
| Frags. 4-6 col. I 14 [Isaiah 9:17-20 Because evil is burning like a fire] which consumes thistles [and brambles;] it catches fire [in the dense wood and the height] of the smoke coils upwards. [By the wrath of the God] of Hosts devastated is] 16 [the land and the people is fuel for the fire.] No-one [forgives] his brother,] 17 [he destroys to the right and remains hungry, he consumes] to the left and is not replete; 18 [a man eats the flesh of his arm. Manasseh against] Ephraim and Ephraim against 19 [Mana]sseh; [the two] together [against Judah. And with all this] his wrath is not mollified. |
The standpoint of the prophet is at the extreme end of the course of judgment, and from that he looks back. The curse, which the apostasy of Israel carries within itself, now breaks fully out.
Wickedness, i.e., the constant thirst of and for evil, is a fire that a man
kindles in
himself.
And when the grace of God, which damps and restrains this fire, is all
over, it is sure to burst forth: the wickedness bursts forth like fire (the verb
is used here, as in Isa 30:27, with reference to the wrath of God). And this is
the case with the wickedness of Israel, which now consumes first of all thorns
and thistles, i.e., individual sinners who are the most ripe for judgment, upon
whom the judgment commences, and then the thicket of the wood - the entire
nation.
The fire, into which the wickedness bursts out, seizes individuals first of all; and then, like a forest fire, it seizes upon the nation at large in all its ranks and members, who "whirl up (roll up) ascending of smoke." This fire of wickedness was no other than the wrath ('ebrâh) of God: it is God's own wrath, for all sin carries this within itself as its own self-punishment.
This fire of wrath gradually but thoroughly burns out, the soil of the land and the people of the land utterly consumed.
From the NKJV
|
This is directed against the unjust authorities and judges.
The woe
pronounced upon them is, as we have already frequently seen.
Poor persons who wanted to commence legal proceedings were not even allowed to do so, and possessions to which widows and orphans had a well-founded claim were a welcome booty to them.
For (because of ) all this they could not escape the judgment of God.
This
is announced to them in verse 3, in the form of three distinct questions.
| What will you do in the day of punishment? | The day of reckoning - coming as a rushing tempest. |
| To whom will you flee for help? | There was no help or assistance of any kind. |
| Where will you leave your glory? | It was irrecoverably lost.. |
For all this ... anger not turned ... hand stretched out still
Five times this is repeated in Isaiah.
| Isaiah 5:25 | His hand is raised and he strikes them down.
The mountains shake, and the dead bodies are like refuse in the
streets. Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away, his hand is still upraised. |
| Isaiah 9:12 | Arameans from the east and Philistines from
the west have devoured Israel with open mouth. Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away, his hand is still upraised. |
| Isaiah 9:17 | Therefore the Lord will take no pleasure in
the young men, nor will he pity the fatherless and widows, for everyone is
ungodly and wicked, every mouth speaks vileness. Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away, his hand is still upraised. |
| Isaiah 9:21 | Manasseh will feed on Ephraim, and Ephraim on
Manasseh; together they will turn against Judah. Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away, his hand is still upraised. |
| Isaiah 10:4 | Nothing will remain but to cringe among the
captives or fall among the slain. Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away, his hand is still upraised. |
Why? The answer goes back to the "Woes" in Lesson 3, and the "wasted opportunities" for forgiveness and restoration:
| Isaiah 5:24 | They have rejected the law of the LORD Almighty and spurned the word of the Holy One of Israel. |
| Isaiah 8:13-14 | The LORD Almighty is the one you are to regard as holy, he is the one you are to fear, he is the one you are to dread, and he will be a sanctuary. |
| Isaiah 9:10 | The people have not returned to him who struck them, nor have they sought the LORD Almighty. |
| LESSON 5 FROM THE AMPLIFIED VERSION |
Isaiah 8:1-10:4 - from the Amplified Version
8:1 THEN THE Lord said to me, Take a large tablet [of wood,
metal, or stone] and write upon it with a graving tool and in ordinary
characters [which the humblest man can read]: Belonging to
Maher-shalal-hash-baz [they (the Assyrians) hasten to the spoil (of Syria and
Israel), they speed to the prey].
(2) And I took faithful witnesses to record and attest [this prophecy] for me,
Uriah the priest and Zechariah son of Jeberechiah.
(3) And I approached [my wife] the prophetess, and when she had conceived and
borne a son, the Lord said to me, Call his name Maher-shalal-hash-baz [as a
continual reminder to the people of the prophecy],
(4) For before the child knows how to say, My father or my mother, the riches of
Damascus [Syria's capital] and the spoil of Samaria [Israel's capital] shall be
carried away before the king of Assyria.
(5) The Lord spoke to me yet again and said,
(6) Because this people [Israel and Judah] have refused and despised the waters of
Shiloah [Siloam, the only perennial fountain of Jerusalem, and symbolic of God's
protection and sustaining power] that go gently, and rejoice in and with Rezin
[the king of Syria] and Remaliah's son [Pekah the king of Israel],
(7) Now therefore, behold, the Lord brings upon them the waters of the River
[Euphrates], strong and many--even the king of Assyria and all the glory [of his
gorgeous retinue]; and it will rise over all its channels, brooks, valleys, and
canals and extend far beyond its banks; [Isa 7:17.]
(8) And it will sweep on into Judah; it will overflow and go over [the hills],
reaching even [but only] to the neck [of which Jerusalem is the head], and the
outstretched wings [of the armies of Assyria] shall fill the breadth of Your
land, O Immanuel [Messiah, God is with us]! [Num 14:9; Ps 46:7.]
(9) Make an uproar and be broken in pieces, O you peoples [rage, raise the war
cry, do your worst, and be utterly dismayed]! Give ear, all you [our enemies] of
far countries. Gird yourselves [for war], and be thrown into consternation! Gird
yourselves, and be [utterly] dismayed!
(10) Take counsel together [against Judah], but it shall come to naught; speak the
word, but it will not stand, for God is with us [Immanuel]!
(11) For the Lord spoke thus to me with His strong hand [upon me], and warned and
instructed me not to walk in the way of this people, saying,
(12) Do not call conspiracy [or hard, or holy] all that this people will call
conspiracy [or hard, or holy]; neither be in fear of what they fear, nor [make
others afraid and] in dread.
(13) The Lord of hosts--regard Him as holy and honor His holy name [by regarding
Him as your only hope of safety], and let Him be your fear and let Him be your
dread [lest you offend Him by your fear of man and distrust of Him].
(14) And He shall be a sanctuary [a sacred and indestructible asylum to those who
reverently fear and trust in Him]; but He shall be a Stone of stumbling and a
Rock of offense to both the houses of Israel, a trap and a snare to the
inhabitants of Jerusalem. [Isa 28:6; Rom 9:33; 1 Peter 2:6-8.]
(15) And many among them shall stumble thereon; and they shall fall and be broken,
and be snared and taken.
(16) Bind up the testimony, seal the law and the teaching among my [Isaiah's]
disciples.
(17) And I will wait for the Lord, Who is hiding His face from the house of Jacob;
and I will look for and hope in Him.
(18) Behold, I and the children whom the Lord has given me are signs and wonders
[that are to take place] in Israel from the Lord of hosts, Who dwells on Mount
Zion.
(19) And when the people [instead of putting their trust in God] shall say to you,
Consult for direction mediums and wizards who chirp and mutter, should not a
people seek and consult their God? Should they consult the dead on behalf of the
living?
(20) [Direct such people] to the teaching and to the testimony! If their teachings
are not in accord with this word, it is surely because there is no dawn and no
morning for them.
(21) And they [who consult mediums and wizards] shall pass through [the land]
sorely distressed and hungry; and when they are hungry, they will fret, and will
curse by their king and their God; and whether they look upward
(22) Or look to the earth, they will behold only distress and darkness, the gloom
of anguish, and into thick darkness and widespread, obscure night they shall be
driven away.
9:1 BUT [in the midst of judgment there is the promise and the certainty of the
Lord's deliverance and] there shall be no gloom for her who was in anguish. In
the former time [the Lord] brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the
land of Naphtali, but in the latter time He will make it glorious, by the way of
the Sea [of Galilee, the land] beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations.
(2) The people who walked in darkness have seen a great Light; those who dwelt in
the land of intense darkness and the shadow of death, upon them has the Light
shined. [Isa 42:6; Matt 4:15,16.]
(3) You [O Lord] have multiplied the nation and increased their joy; they rejoice
before You like the joy in harvest, as men rejoice when they divide the spoil
[of battle].
(4) For the yoke of [Israel's] burden, and the staff or rod for [goading] their
shoulders, the rod of their oppressor, You have broken as in the day of [Gideon
with] Midian. [Judg 7:8-22.]
(5) For every [tramping] warrior's war boots and all his armor in the battle
tumult and every garment rolled in blood shall be burned as fuel for the fire.
(6) For to us a Child is born, to us a Son is given; and the government shall be
upon His shoulder, and His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father [of Eternity], Prince of Peace. [Isa 25:1; 40:9-11; Matt
28:18; Luke 2:11.]
(7) Of the increase of His government and of peace there shall be no end, upon the
throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with
justice and with righteousness from the [latter] time forth, even forevermore.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this. [Dan 2:44; 1 Cor 15:25-28; Heb
1:8.]
(8) The Lord has sent a word against Jacob [the ten tribes], and it has lighted
upon Israel [the ten tribes, the kingdom of Ephraim].
(9) And all the people shall know it--even Ephraim and the inhabitants of Samaria
[its capital]--who said in pride and stoutness of heart,
(10) The bricks have fallen, but we will build [all the better] with hewn stones;
the sycamores have been cut down, but we will put [costlier] cedars in their
place.
(11) Therefore the Lord has stirred up the adversaries [the Assyrians] of Rezin
[king of Syria] against [Ephraim], and He will stir up their enemies and arm and
join them together,
(12) The Syrians [compelled to fight with their enemies, going] before [on the
east] and the Philistines behind [on the west]; and they will devour Israel with
open mouth. For all this, [God's] anger is not [then] turned away, but His hand
is still stretched out [in judgment].
(13) Yet the people turn not to Him Who smote them, neither do they seek [inquire
for or require as their vital need] the Lord of hosts.
(14) Therefore the Lord will cut off from Israel head and tail [the highest and
the lowest]--[high] palm branch and [low] rush in one day;
(15) The elderly and honored man, he is the head; and the prophet who teaches
lies, he is the tail.
(16) For they who lead this people cause them to err, and they who are led
[astray] by them are swallowed up (destroyed).
(17) Therefore the Lord will not rejoice over their young men, neither will He
have compassion on their fatherless and widows, for everyone is profane and an
evildoer, and every mouth speaks folly. For all this, [God's] anger is not
turned away, but His hand is still stretched out [in judgment].
(18) For wickedness burns like a fire; it devours the briers and thorns, and it
kindles in the thickets of the forest; they roll upward in a column of smoke.
(19) Through the wrath of the Lord of hosts the land is darkened and burned up,
and the people are like fuel for the fire; no man spares his brother.
(20) They snatch in discord on the right hand, but are still hungry [their cruelty
not diminished]; and they devour and destroy on the left hand, but are not
satisfied. Each devours and destroys his own flesh [and blood] or his
neighbor's.
(21) Manasseh [thirsts for the blood of his brother] Ephraim, and Ephraim [for
that of] Manasseh; but together they are against Judah. For all this, [God's]
anger is not turned away, but His hand is still stretched out [in judgment].
10:1 WOE TO those [judges] who issue unrighteous decrees, and to the magistrates
who keep causing unjust and oppressive decisions to be recorded,
(2) To turn aside the needy from justice and to make plunder of the rightful
claims of the poor of My people, that widows may be their spoil, and that they
may make the fatherless their prey!
(3) And what will you do in the day of visitation [of God's wrath], and in the
desolation which shall come from afar? To whom will you flee for help? And where
will you deposit [for safekeeping] your wealth and with whom leave your glory?
(4) Without Me they shall bow down among the prisoners, and they shall fall
[overwhelmed] under the heaps of the slain [on the battlefield]. For all this,
[God's] anger is not turned away, but His hand is still stretched out [in
judgment].
(End of Lesson 5)
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Second Covenant |
Topical Studies |
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