Isaiah 9:8-17

ISRAEL'S PRESUMPTION

TEXT: Isaiah 9:8-17

8

The Lord sent a word into Jacob, and it hath lighted upon Israel.

9

And all the people shall know, even Ephraim and the inhabitant of Samaria, that say in pride and in stoutness of heart,

10

The bricks are fallen, but we will build with hewn stone; the sycamores are cut down, but we will put cedars in their place.

11

Therefore Jehovah will set up on high against him the adversaries of Rezin, and will stir up his enemies,

12

the Syrians before, and the Philistines behind; and they shall devour Israel with open mouth. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.

13

Yet the people have not turned unto him that smote them, neither have they sought Jehovah of hosts.

14

Therefore Jehovah will cut off from Israel head and tail, palm-branch and rush, in one day.

15

The elder and the honorable man, he is the head; and the prophet that teacheth lies, he is the tail.

16

For they that lead this people cause them to err; and they that are led of them are destroyed.

17

Therefore the Lord will not rejoice over their young men, neither will he have compassion on their fatherless and widows; for every one is profane and an evil-doer, and every mouth speaketh folly. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.

QUERIES

a.

How did the Lord send a word into Jacob?

b.

Why was God's anger not turned away?

c.

What significance is there in the prophet teaching lies?

PARAPHRASE

The Lord has penetrated into Jacob with His word of warningHis word found its mark through the prophets. Soon all the people of Israel will experience what He has promised, because in the pride and haughtiness of their hearts they have said, Let the judgment come, if the bricks of our houses and walls fall, we will just build houses and walls of hewn stone; if the sycamore trees are cut down, we will put cedars in their place. The Lord's reply to your bragging is to bring Rezin's enemies against youthe Syrians on the east and the Philistines on the west. With bared fangs they will devour Israel. But even then the Lord's righteous anger against you will not be satisfiedHis hand will still be poised to smash you. For after all this chastening you will not repent and turn to seek Jehovah of hosts. Therefore the Lord, in one day, will cut off from Israel the high and the low; the elder and the honorable man is the high, and the prophet that teaches lies is the low. These false leaders and teachers have led the people in error, and the people have been willing to be led in errorboth shall be destroyed. That is why the Lord has no joy in their young men, and no mercy upon even the widows and orphans; for they are all filthy-mouthed, wicked liars, foolish speakers. But even then the Lord's righteous anger against you will not be satisfiedHis hand will still be poised to smash you.

COMMENTS

Isaiah 9:8-12 HAUGHTY HEARTS: The Lord has not overlooked their rebellion. He has sent His word directly into their midst through the prophets. He has hewn them by the prophets and slain them by the words of his mouth (Hosea 6:5). They were without excuse, for God had warned them again and again. He pleaded with them through Joel, Jonah, Amos and Hosea, to no avail. They became prouder and prouder. There was no humility and no repentance for sin. In their haughty hearts they said, in effect, Let the Lord's judgment come, we are fully capable of controlling every situation by our own hands. If God destroys our brick houses and city walls we will rebuild them with hewn stones which cannot be destroyed. If God takes away our sycamore trees we will replace them with cedars! They refused to acknowledge that things were in God's hands. So God will let them know (by experience) that His word is omnipotent. Rezin's enemies, the Syrians on the east (probably those Syrians who had been subjugated by the Assyrians and made to fight with the Assyrians against Damascus), and the Philistines on the west, would form a military-vise, a pincer movement, and crush Israel and Judah between them. Yet, in spite of all this woe and chastening, there is no repentance in Israel, so the wrath of God will still be directed against them.

Isaiah 9:13-17 UNHOLY HARBINGERS: The people had not turned to Jehovah, in spite of God's chastening and the preaching of God's prophets. The reason for their continued rebellion could be found in the fact that the leaders of the nation (its rulers and religious leadersprophets) were teaching and leading the people in lies. From the head to the tailfrom the king to the lowliest officialthey were telling the people lies about Jehovah. There were only a very few of the prophets faithful to the truth of God. The majority were false prophets, preaching and teaching what a sinful people wanted to hear, hirelings, concerned with their own selfish ends, (Cf. Amos 2:12; Micah 2:6-11). Those being led astray into error (the people) would be destroyed also because they were willing to be led astray! God takes no pleasure in any of these people (Isaiah 9:17). The young men of the nation, its greatest treasure are an abomination. The nation is so totally corrupt even the widows and orphans are involved in its rebellion and God cannot even show mercy to these. Everyone is profane and irreligious. They plot evil deeds (Cf. Hosea 4:1-3; Hosea 7:1-16). Every person in the nation is speaking and acting foolishly. It is difficult to comprehend the extent of moral and spiritual decadence rampant in Israel at that time. But the biblical record is substantiated by archaeological data! For this reason God's hand of judgment is poised to fall heavily upon Israel.

QUIZ

1.

Why were the people without excuse for their rebellion?

2.

What was Israel's presumption?

3.

How would the enemies of Rezin deal with Israel?

4.

How did the rulers and prophets contribute to the rebellion of Israel?

5.

To what extent had the nation fallen into decadence?