To Us A Son Is Given, Ron Ward
RETURN TO THE LORD
Passage: Isaiah 9:8~10:4  
Key verse: 9:13
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
1. The Lord's anger against Israel (9:8-21)
God's anger toward unrepentant Israel was great. He used Arameans and Philistines to devour her. But they said arrogantly, "The bricks have fallen down but we will rebuild with dressed stone." When they did not return to the Lord nor sought the Lord Almighty, the Lord cut off ungodly leaders, prophets and all. God's anger burned against all the wickedness of the land. Then Israel and Judah would kill each other. This is the result of unrepentance.
2. To whom will you run for help (10:1-4)
God pronounced judgment on the leaders who made unjust and oppressive laws that were opposite of God's law. The invaders would come and would not spare anything. Where would they run for help? Thanks be to God who allowed all sinners a refuge in Jesus, to run to for help. If we don't go to him, where can we run to for help?
Prayer: Lord, we see the results of unrepentance around us. Help us to repent all our sins. And come to the baby Jesus who is Mighty to save us.
One Word: Seek the Lord