Prophecy of the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ
9
📚Nevertheless the gloom will not be on her who was distressed, as when he first 📖 humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, and afterwards more grievously afflicted her by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, in Galilee of the nations.9:1 This looks forward to the time of Christ. See Matt 4:12-16.⚜
2 📚The people who walked in darkness 📖
have seen a great light 📖.
Those who dwell in the land of
the shadow of death 📖,
on them the light shined.
3 📚Have you multiplied the nation,
and not increased the joy?
The joy they have in your presence is like
the joy in harvest,
like the joy men have when
they divide the plunder.
9:3 The Lord Jesus came to greatly enlarge the number of those who would come to the light and become His people. And He came to bring true heavenly joy (Isa 61:3; John 15:11; 16:20-24; 17:13; Rom 14:17; 1 Pet 1:8; 1 John 1:4).⚜
4 📚For you have broken 📖 the yoke
of his burden,
and the bar across his shoulders,
the rod of his oppressor,
as in the day of Midian 📖.
5 📚Because every warriors boot
from the noisy battle,
and garments rolled in blood,
will be for burning and
fuel for the fire.
9:5 The work of God will bring peace to individuals now, and eventually universal peace to the whole world. See Isa 2:4.⚜
6 📚For to us a child is born 📖,
to us a son is given.
And the government will be on his
shoulder;
and his name will be called Wonderful 📖,
Counsellor 📖, The Mighty God 📖,
The Father of Eternity 📖,
The Prince of Peace 📖.
7 📚Of the increase of his government
and peace there will be no end,
on the throne of David,
and over his kingdom,
to order it and establish it
with justice and righteousness 📖
from that time on and forever.
9:7 Christ will reign forever. In regard to His human nature He was a descendant of King David and inherited David’s kingdom. See 2 Sam 7:11-16; 23:1-5; Luke 1:32-33; Rom 1:3; Rev 22:16.⚜
The zeal 📖 of the LORD of hosts
will accomplish this.
The anger of God Almighty
8 📚The Lord sent a message
against Jacob,
and it has fallen on Israel.
9:8 Isaiah turns again to the subject of the Lord’s anger on Israel. He continues on this subject up to Isa 10:5.⚜
9 📚And all the people will know
it, Ephraim 📖 and the inhabitant
of Samaria,
who say in pride 📖 and arrogance
of heart,
10 📚“The bricks have fallen down,
but we will build with cut stones;
the sycamores are cut down,
but we will replace them with cedars”.
11 📚Therefore the LORD will set up
the adversaries of Rezin against him,
and spur his enemies on,
12 📚The Syrians in front,
and the Philistines behind;
and they will devour Israel with
open mouth.
Yet for all this his anger is not
turned away,
but his hand is stretched out still.
13 📚For the people do not turn to him
who strikes them,
nor do they seek the LORD of hosts.
14 📚Therefore the LORD will cut off
from Israel head and tail,
branch and reed, in one day.
9:10-14 Israel would have no opportunity to rebuild their towns. God’s hot anger against their pride and wickedness was not cooled by the destruction wrought by minor enemies. The Lord struck them but they did not turn to Him in repentance. He would strike them again through the Assyrians.⚜
15 📚The ancient and honourable,
he is the head;
and the prophet 📖 who teaches lies 📖,
he is the tail.
16 📚For the leaders of this people cause
them to go astray,
and those who are led by them
are destroyed.
17 📚Therefore the Lord will have no joy
in their young men,
nor have mercy on their fatherless
and widows;
for everyone 📖 is a hypocrite
and an evildoer,
and every mouth speaks folly.
Yet for all this his anger is not
turned away,
but his hand is stretched out still.
18 📚For wickedness burns like fire;
it will devour the briars and thorns,
and will set the thickets of the forest on fire,
and they will mount upward
like the rising of smoke.
19 📚Through the wrath of the LORD
of hosts the land is darkened,
and the people will be like fuel for the fire.
No man will spare his brother.
9:18-19 Wickedness in itself is destructive like fire. Also it brings on those who practice it the fire of God’s anger.⚜
20 📚And he will cut down on the right hand,
but be hungry;
and he will devour on the left hand,
but will not be satisfied.
Each one of them will eat the flesh
of his own arm.
9:20 God had warned them that famine would result from their wickedness (Lev 26:18-20; Deut 28:38-42, 53-57). Notes on God’s anger at Num 25:3; Ps 90:7-11.⚜
21 📚Manasseh will devour Ephraim,
and Ephraim, Manasseh;
and they will both be
against Judah.
Yet for all this his anger is not
turned away,
but his hand is stretched out still.
9:21 Their wickedness would be expressed in hatred and strife among themselves. Oh, what will men not do when they abandon the God of holiness and love! But still worse was to come.⚜