To Us A Son Is Given, Ron Ward
THE LORD’S ANGER
Passage: Isaiah 9:8~10:4  
Key verse: 9:18
The Lord’s Anger Against Israel8 The Lord has sent a message(A) against Jacob;
it will fall on Israel.
9 All the people will know it—
Ephraim(B) and the inhabitants of Samaria(C)—
who say with pride
and arrogance(D) of heart,
10 “The bricks have fallen down,
but we will rebuild with dressed stone;(E)
the fig(F) trees have been felled,
but we will replace them with cedars.(G)”
11 But the Lord has strengthened Rezin’s(H) foes against them
and has spurred their enemies on.
12 Arameans(I) from the east and Philistines(J) from the west
have devoured(K) Israel with open mouth.
13 But the people have not returned(N) to him who struck(O) them,
nor have they sought(P) the Lord Almighty.
14 So the Lord will cut off from Israel both head and tail,
both palm branch and reed(Q) in a single day;(R)
15 the elders(S) and dignitaries(T) are the head,
the prophets(U) who teach lies(V) are the tail.
16 Those who guide(W) this people mislead them,
and those who are guided are led astray.(X)
17 Therefore the Lord will take no pleasure in the young men,(Y)
nor will he pity(Z) the fatherless and widows,
for everyone is ungodly(AA) and wicked,(AB)
every mouth speaks folly.(AC)
Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away,
his hand is still upraised.(AD)
18 Surely wickedness burns like a fire;(AE)
it consumes briers and thorns,(AF)
it sets the forest thickets ablaze,(AG)
so that it rolls upward in a column of smoke.
19 By the wrath(AH) of the Lord Almighty
the land will be scorched(AI)
and the people will be fuel for the fire;(AJ)
they will not spare one another.(AK)
20 On the right they will devour,
but still be hungry;(AL)
on the left they will eat,(AM)
but not be satisfied.
Each will feed on the flesh of their own offspring[a]:
21 Manasseh will feed on Ephraim, and Ephraim on Manasseh;(AN)
together they will turn against Judah.(AO)
Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away,
his hand is still upraised.(AP)
10 Woe(AQ) to those who make unjust laws,
to those who issue oppressive decrees,(AR)
2 to deprive(AS) the poor of their rights
and withhold justice from the oppressed of my people,(AT)
making widows their prey
and robbing the fatherless.(AU)
3 What will you do on the day of reckoning,(AV)
when disaster(AW) comes from afar?
To whom will you run for help?(AX)
Where will you leave your riches?
4 Nothing will remain but to cringe among the captives(AY)
or fall among the slain.(AZ)
Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away,(BA)
his hand is still upraised.
8 The Lord has sent a message(A) against Jacob;
it will fall on Israel.
9 All the people will know it—
Ephraim(B) and the inhabitants of Samaria(C)—
who say with pride
and arrogance(D) of heart,
10 “The bricks have fallen down,
but we will rebuild with dressed stone;(E)
the fig(F) trees have been felled,
but we will replace them with cedars.(G)”
11 But the Lord has strengthened Rezin’s(H) foes against them
and has spurred their enemies on.
12 Arameans(I) from the east and Philistines(J) from the west
have devoured(K) Israel with open mouth.
13 But the people have not returned(N) to him who struck(O) them,
nor have they sought(P) the Lord Almighty.
14 So the Lord will cut off from Israel both head and tail,
both palm branch and reed(Q) in a single day;(R)
15 the elders(S) and dignitaries(T) are the head,
the prophets(U) who teach lies(V) are the tail.
16 Those who guide(W) this people mislead them,
and those who are guided are led astray.(X)
17 Therefore the Lord will take no pleasure in the young men,(Y)
nor will he pity(Z) the fatherless and widows,
for everyone is ungodly(AA) and wicked,(AB)
every mouth speaks folly.(AC)
Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away,
his hand is still upraised.(AD)
18 Surely wickedness burns like a fire;(AE)
it consumes briers and thorns,(AF)
it sets the forest thickets ablaze,(AG)
so that it rolls upward in a column of smoke.
19 By the wrath(AH) of the Lord Almighty
the land will be scorched(AI)
and the people will be fuel for the fire;(AJ)
they will not spare one another.(AK)
20 On the right they will devour,
but still be hungry;(AL)
on the left they will eat,(AM)
but not be satisfied.
Each will feed on the flesh of their own offspring[a]:
21 Manasseh will feed on Ephraim, and Ephraim on Manasseh;(AN)
together they will turn against Judah.(AO)
Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away,
his hand is still upraised.(AP)
10 Woe(AQ) to those who make unjust laws,
to those who issue oppressive decrees,(AR)
2 to deprive(AS) the poor of their rights
and withhold justice from the oppressed of my people,(AT)
making widows their prey
and robbing the fatherless.(AU)
3 What will you do on the day of reckoning,(AV)
when disaster(AW) comes from afar?
To whom will you run for help?(AX)
Where will you leave your riches?
4 Nothing will remain but to cringe among the captives(AY)
or fall among the slain.(AZ)
Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away,(BA)
his hand is still upraised.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 9:20 Or arm
Cross references
- Isaiah 9:8 : S Dt 32:2
- Isaiah 9:9 : S Isa 7:2
- Isaiah 9:9 : S Isa 7:9
- Isaiah 9:9 : Isa 46:12; 48:4; Eze 2:4; Zec 7:11
- Isaiah 9:10 : S Ge 11:3
- Isaiah 9:10 : Am 7:14; Lk 19:4
- Isaiah 9:10 : 1Ki 7:2-3
- Isaiah 9:11 : S Isa 7:8
- Isaiah 9:12 : 2Ki 16:6
- Isaiah 9:12 : S 2Ch 28:18
- Isaiah 9:12 : S Ps 79:7
- Isaiah 9:12 : S Job 40:11
- Isaiah 9:12 : S Isa 5:25
- Isaiah 9:13 : S 2Ch 28:22; Am 4:9; Zep 3:7; Hag 2:17
- Isaiah 9:13 : Jer 5:3; Eze 7:9
- Isaiah 9:13 : Isa 2:3; 17:7; 31:1; 55:6; Jer 50:4; Da 9:13; Hos 3:5; 7:7, 10; Am 4:6, 10; Zep 1:6
- Isaiah 9:14 : ver 14-15; Isa 19:15
- Isaiah 9:14 : Rev 18:8
- Isaiah 9:15 : Isa 3:2-3
- Isaiah 9:15 : S Isa 5:13
- Isaiah 9:15 : Isa 28:7; Eze 13:2
- Isaiah 9:15 : S Job 13:4; S Isa 3:8; 44:20; Eze 13:22; Mt 24:24
- Isaiah 9:16 : Mt 15:14; 23:16, 24
- Isaiah 9:16 : S Isa 3:12
- Isaiah 9:17 : Jer 9:21; 11:22; 18:21; 48:15; 49:26; Am 4:10; 8:13
- Isaiah 9:17 : S Job 5:4; Isa 27:11; Jer 13:14
- Isaiah 9:17 : Isa 10:6; 32:6; Mic 7:2
- Isaiah 9:17 : S Isa 1:4
- Isaiah 9:17 : S Isa 3:8; Mt 12:34; Ro 3:13-14
- Isaiah 9:17 : S Isa 5:25
- Isaiah 9:18 : S Dt 29:23; S Isa 1:31
- Isaiah 9:18 : S Isa 5:6
- Isaiah 9:18 : S Ps 83:14
- Isaiah 9:19 : S Job 40:11; Isa 13:9, 13
- Isaiah 9:19 : Jer 17:27
- Isaiah 9:19 : S Ps 97:3; S Isa 1:31
- Isaiah 9:19 : S Isa 3:5
- Isaiah 9:20 : S Lev 26:26; S Job 18:12
- Isaiah 9:20 : Isa 49:26; Zec 11:9
- Isaiah 9:21 : S Jdg 7:22; S 12:4
- Isaiah 9:21 : S 2Ch 28:6
- Isaiah 9:21 : S Isa 5:25
- Isaiah 10:1 : S Isa 5:8
- Isaiah 10:1 : S Ps 58:2
- Isaiah 10:2 : Isa 3:14
- Isaiah 10:2 : S Isa 5:23
- Isaiah 10:2 : S Dt 10:18; S Job 6:27; S Isa 1:17
- Isaiah 10:3 : S Job 31:14
- Isaiah 10:3 : ver 25; Ps 59:5; Isa 1:24; 13:6; 14:23; 24:6; 26:14; 47:11; Jer 5:9; 9:9; 50:15; Lk 19:44
- Isaiah 10:3 : S Ps 108:12; Isa 20:6; 30:7; 31:3
- Isaiah 10:4 : Isa 24:22; Zec 9:11
- Isaiah 10:4 : Isa 22:2; 34:3; 66:16; Jer 39:6; Na 3:3
- Isaiah 10:4 : S Isa 5:25; 12:1; 63:10; 64:5; Jer 4:8; 30:24; La 1:12
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source:  BibleGateway
Wickedness itself burns like a fire. Unjust laws and oppressive decrees deprive the poor their rights and withheld justice from the oppressed. Injustice is self-destructive, like cannibalism of one’s own people. When nations don’t take care for their own struggling people, a society cannot stand.
When wickedness reigns, there is no consolation or hope for those who are suffering. People only think of their own comforts and “freedom” without realizing how it may affect others. This becomes more apparent during a crisis, when we realize we all need each other. We must live in the light of God's justice and mercy and turn to Him in humility and with compassion for humanity as Jesus did.
Prayer: Lord, you care for all your children and cannot stand injustice. Have mercy on our nation and may we seek a just society that gracefully bears the name of Jesus.
One Word: Seek justice.