Chapter Four - The Book of Immanuel (7-12)
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As a result of this chapter, you should be able to:
describe the contents of Isaiah 7-12 as it relates to the outline given in the commentary;
explain the historic and prophetic background of the birth of Immanuel;
defend the virgin birth of the Messiah from Isaiah 7:14;
explain the significance of Isaiah's two sons; and
explain the messianic titles given in Isaiah 9:6.
This chapter is divided into the following six parts:
the birth of Immanuel (7:1-17);
the Assyrian invasion (7:18-8:22);
the Davidic kingdom and king (9:1-7);
God's stretched-out hand of judgment (9:8-10:34);
the branch from Jesse's roots (11:1-16); and
the song of redemption (12:1-6).
One of the characteristics of predictive prophecy is the frequent mingling together of different times into a composite picture. The prophet must speak to his own time, of course, in a way that his contemporaries can understand. Nevertheless, he is not confined to his own time or even to the immediate future, for the Spirit of God bears him along to distant times and sometimes to distant places (Note: For further information on this phenomenon, please study the course, Eschatology, Chapter 2, Sections 3.1.4 and 3.1.5). The Holy Spirit especially brings to the attention of the prophet's hearers the times of the Messiah, the promised Redeemer. As has been shown, that is notably true of Isaiah.
Isaiah 7-12 is a section that aptly illustrates that principle. The prophecies were given during the reign of Ahaz (7:1) at a time when Syria and Israel were allied against Judah. The cowardly, paganized King Ahaz of Judah expected momentarily to be destroyed by those two enemy powers. Beyond that, the terrible might of the far larger and stronger Assyria threatened on the horizon. Through His prophet, God promises deliverance from those enemies but shows that the ultimate deliverance of His people can come only through the One whose name is Immanuel. In these chapters are some of the best-known prophecies of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The section can be outlined in this way:
2. The Book of Immanuel (7:1-12:6)
2.1 The Birth of Immanuel (7:1-17)
2.1.1 Occasion of the Prophecy (7:1-9)
2.1.2 The Sign to the House of David (7:10-17)
2.2 The Assyrian Invasion (7:18-8:22)
2.3 The Davidic Kingdom and King (9:1-7)
2.4 God's Stretched-out Hand of Judgment (9:8-10:34)
2.5 The Branch from Jesse's Roots (11:1-16)
2.6 The Song of Redemption (12:1-6)
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1. THE BIRTH OF IMMANUEL (7:1-17)
After the kingdom was divided following the death of Solomon, the two resultant kingdoms were often at war with one another (see 2 Kings 16:5). The kingdom of Judah had the advantage of continuing under the Davidic dynasty and having the Temple with its attendant order of worship. In fact, many of the true believers who lived in Israel migrated into Judah to worship the Lord freely apart from the idolatrous practices introduced in Israel by Jeroboam I (2 Chronicles 11:13-16).
Verse 7:1
The words of Isaiah to King Ahaz were delivered between the first successes of the enemy powers and their final retreat. In verse 2, which precedes verse 1 chronologically, the "house of David" refers to the government of which Ahaz was the head.
The historical circumstances mentioned in this paragraph form the background of the prophet's triumphant announcement to Ahaz and lead into one of the most remarkable of all prophecies - the virgin birth of Christ. During his reign Uzziah had taken Elath from Damascene Syria (Hebrew, Aram). Syria was now trying to avenge previous calamities and recover previous losses (cf. 2 Kings 14:22). Rezin, the king of Aram, formed an alliance with the usurper Pekah, son of Remaliah, the king of Israel (2 Kings 15:25). The invasion mentioned in this passage was probably in the first year of the reign of Ahaz. The army of Ahaz was destroyed (2 Chronicles 28:5-15), but the allied enemies were not able to conquer Jerusalem (2 Kings 16:7-9).
Verse 7:2
As the Northern Kingdom became more and more corrupt, it eventually came to the sad condition mentioned here, in which one group of the people united with a pagan foreign power against the other group - "Syria is confederate with Ephraim" (v. 2, KJV). The name "Ephraim" was sometimes used for the Northern Kingdom because of the dominant place of the tribe of Ephraim in that nation (see Hosea 11:8).
Terror spread from King Ahaz throughout the populace.
Verse 7:3
In the midst of that panic Isaiah, the prophet of God, set out at God's command to meet Ahaz, taking with him his son whose symbolic name was Shear-jashub ("a remnant shall return" 7:3). God's assurance and the stability that it engendered came in the midst of human confusion: "Thus says the Lord God, 'It shall not stand nor shall it come to pass"' (v. 7).
Verses 7:4-7
Isaiah warned the king against acting in self-will apart from God's leading and exhorted him to have a calmness that could come only from confidence in God. Calvin comments that God exhorted him "to restrain himself outwardly, and keep his mind calm within" (John Calvin, Commentary on the Book of Isaiah, 1:232.).
The enemies are presented as God sees them, not worthy of consideration. "They were two tails," the ends of "wooden pokers ... which would not blaze any more, but only continue smoking" (Franz Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Prophecies of Isaiah, 1:209.) No matter how powerful those foes might seem to be, they could not alter the course of history as ordained by God.
Verse 7:8
The ten-tribe kingdom, whose alliance with Syria was ungodly and unnatural, was to cease to exist as a nation within sixty-five years (v. 8). The Assyrian conquest of Samaria came much sooner than that, but apparently the period of sixty-five years covers the time until the beginning of Ashurbanipal's reign in 669 B.C., at which time the Assyrian ruler completed the transportation of people of other nations to Samaria, which had been begun by Esarhaddon (cf. Ezra 4:2, 10). By that date the Northern Kingdom had been effectively wiped out. The sixty-five years would include fourteen of Ahaz, twenty-nine of Hezekiah, and twenty-two of Manasseh (i.e. 14 + 29 + 22 = 65).
Verse 7:9
The announcement of Israel's fall is accompanied by a warning to Judah that if it acts like Israel it also will perish. There is paronomasia in the words believe and last (be established, KJV); they are variant forms from the same verb root (v. 9).
Verses 7:10-11
The Lord's instruction to Ahaz to ask for a sign may have come on a later occasion or later on this same occasion. The latter seems preferable.
The term sign (v. 11) indicates a visible pledge of the truth of something that confirms a given word. The sign is sometimes a miracle (Exodus 4:8), sometimes a prediction (Exodus 3:12), and some times a symbol (Isaiah 8:18). Here the sign is a miraculous event that shows that the prediction will come true. The prediction is that the alliance will be broken and that the nation will not be overrun at that time.
The language with which the Lord gives the instruction to ask for a sign shows that it was to be no ordinary occurrence: "Make it deep as Sheol or high as heaven" (v. 11). That transcends any ordinary or commonplace event. Franz Delitzsch has a good section here in which he ridicules the perplexity of rationalistic commentators over this passage. Quoting Meier to the effect that Isaiah did not intend to perform an actual miracle, Franz Delitzsch shrewdly observes, "Probably because no miracle was ever performed by Goethe, to whose high poetic consecration Meier compares the consecration of the prophet as described in chapter VI." His conclusion of the argument is excellent.
"Dazzled by the glory of the Old Testament prophecy, a rationalistic exegesis falls prostrate upon the ground; and it is with such frivolous, coarse and common words as these that it tries to escape from its difficulties. It cannot acknowledge the miraculous power of the prophet, because it believes in no miracles at all" (Franz Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Prophecies of Isaiah, p. 215).
Verse 7:12
Ahaz, whose character is well known (2 Kings 16:2-4), gives a hypocritical answer. In a self-righteous way he apparently invokes the command of Deuteronomy 6:16 - "You shall not put the Lord your God to the test." With a pretense of piety "in order to avoid being disturbed in his Assyrian policy" (Delitzsch), Ahaz was seeking the help of Assyria to defeat his more immediate enemies even while he spoke. What a silly policy it was to depend on the cruel and aggressive Assyrian nation for help. Assyria "helped" smaller nations by absorbing them and destroying their identity. In the situation in which Ahaz found himself, he was like a mouse being attacked by two rats and asking the cat for help.
Verse 7:13
Through Isaiah, God speaks to the whole house of David, not just to King Ahaz (v. 13). Because the king had rejected God, Isaiah does not say "your God"; instead he says "my God."
Verses 7:14-17
Because Ahaz would not choose, the Lord Himself acted and gave him a sign (v. 14). It was not to Ahaz alone (in which case the singular pronoun would have been used) but to the Davidic dynasty; hence the plural. To even imply that doing what God commanded with regard to the sign would be tempting Him exposes the extraordinary wickedness and folly of Ahaz.
Much speculation and controversy have surrounded the prophecy of Isaiah 7:14. There is much questioning about the meaning of "the virgin" (ha almah) and the identity of the baby who is to be born. It does not seem at all likely that it could be a reference to Isaiah's wife, who is called in Isaiah 8:3 "the prophetess." Usage is in favor of rendering almah as a marriageable virgin, for examples:
In addition to this passage, the word occurs six times in the Old Testament: Genesis 24:43; Exodus 2:8; Psalm 68:26; Song of Solomon 1:3 and 6:8; and Proverbs 30:19. It also occurs in the masculine form in 1 Samuel 17:56 and 20:22.
The New Testament translates that passage and uses the Greek word parthenos, which can mean nothing else but "virgin" (Matthew 1:23).
There are three major views about the identity of the "son" mentioned in the passage:
The narrative relates the birth and infancy of a child born in the ordinary course of nature during Isaiah's lifetime.
The passage is definitely and exclusively messianic (i.e. It only refers to the miraculous birth of Christ)..
The prophecy has a double meaning and refers to two distinct births. The primary sense tells of the birth of a child in the ordinary course of nature; but the terms are so chosen as to be descriptive of the miraculous birth of Christ.
1.1 The Birth and Infancy of a Child in the Ordinary Course of Nature
According to some interpreters the narrative relates the birth and infancy of a child born in the ordinary course of nature during Isaiah's lifetime. That is, the word almah simply means a young woman of marriageable age who is a virgin prior to the conception of that child.
1.1.1 Problems of this view
However, there are several serious problems in this view:
It does not seem to be a sign of the magnitude demanded by the context. It would certainly not be unique for a young woman to bear a son. In what way would that express a miracle that would constitute a sign to the whole house of David?
It would seem to be contrary to the normal usage of almah in the Hebrew Old Testament.
Another objection is the parallel passage in Isaiah 9:6-7, where the child who is born is described in terms of deity.
The use made of the passage in the New Testament (Matthew 1:18-25) seems to be against such a limited interpretation.
1.1.2 Comments
There the word parthenos does not mean a young woman who was a virgin before the conception of her child, but one who was still a virgin at the time the child was born. In any case, Isaiah's wife could not fit that description because she already had at least one child, Shear-jashub, who is specifically mentioned in the context. I think that this view is wrong.
The other two views both see the prophecy as linked in some way to the virgin birth of Christ. There are good interpreters who hold either of those views. Both see a messianic element, but the difference of opinion is whether the prophecy is exclusively messianic.
1.2 The Passage is Exclusively Messianic
The third view is that the passage is definitely and exclusively messianic. That is to say it only refers to the miraculous birth of Christ.
1.2.1 Problems of this view
One of the most serious objections is that the far-away virgin birth could not be a sign to Ahaz, since there would be no fulfillment in his time. A possible answer to that objection is that the virgin birth was not given as a sign to Ahaz alone, but to the whole house of David which Ahaz represented, however poorly, in his generation.
But this prophecy seems to be like some others that give a glimpse of messianic times without giving an indication of the length of time involved before the events take place. According to this particular view, there is contingency in the passage. The thought seems to be that if the young Immanuel were born immediately, then before he would be old enough to discern between good and evil the land would be delivered from its oppressors. In that sense there is in the prophecy both a message for the age and the ages. Ahaz was given the assurance that the Syrio-Israelite invasion would not prevail, and the "house of David" had the greater assurance of the great deliverer, Immanuel.
1.2.2 Comments
The far-away virgin birth could not be a sign to Ahaz is a very serious problem. God would not provide a meaningless sign to Ahaz. I conclude that this view is possible but it is not the best.
1.3 It Has a Double Meaning and Refers to Two Distinct Births
A second view is that the prophecy has a double meaning and refers to two distinct births. The primary sense tells of the birth of a child in the ordinary course of nature; but the terms are so chosen as to be descriptive of the miraculous birth of Christ. In this case, the nearness of the birth would be a sign to Ahaz and would point forward to the birth of the Messiah.
Those who hold that view compare this passage to Hosea 11:1: "When Israel was a youth I loved him, and out of Egypt I called My son." In the context that evidently refers to the nation of Israel. However, the New Testament shows that it is in some sense a prophecy of Christ: "And he arose and took the Child and His mother by night, and departed for Egypt; and was there until the death of Herod, that what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet might be fulfilled, saying, "Out of Egypt did I call My Son" (Matthew 2:14-15).
This view sees the sign as being not just the birth, but the time that was necessary for the young boy to be able to choose between good and evil. Thus the sign is the destruction of the Syrio-Israelite alliance within the next five or six years (Isaiah 7:16; 8:3-4).
The advantage of this view is that it certainly fits into the context and does not do violence to the New Testament usage, for it fully accepts the virgin birth of Christ.
1.3.1 Problems of this view
However, there are several objections to this view:
This interpretation is too complicated and its probability is further decreased by the lack of similarity in the two postulated events.
In its primary sense it may not give a sufficient sign as demanded by the context.
1.3.2 Comments
I think that the nature of Bible prophecy is complicated and it may have a near partial fulfillment and also a final complete fulfillment (Note: Please read the course, Eschatology, Chapter 2, Sections 3.1.4 and 3.1.5). In this connection, the objections here are not strong enough to disprove this view. I conclude that this view is the best.
1.4 Final Thoughts
According to the first view, the baby in Ahaz's day would have born the name Immanuel in a symbolic sense, just as the Old Testament leader Joshua bore the name that in its fullest sense belongs to the New Testament "Joshua," the Lord Jesus Christ. The name would be an assurance from the Lord, for it means "God with us."
The second and third views see the name given only to the Lord Jesus, not in a merely figurative way as a testimony that God is with us, but in the most literal way as the One who is, as God Himself, actually with us in the sense of becoming one of us. This great prophetic name of the Lord Jesus sets forth both His deity and His humanity. This is similar to the statement of the apostle John: "And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth" (John 1:14). The great Christological passage in Philippians 2:5-11 is an apt commentary on this name of our wonderful Lord.
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2. THE ASSYRIAN INVASION (7:18-8:22)
Verses 7:18-25
The prophet goes on to show Ahaz that Assyria, on which he was relying, would come on Judah in a more devastating invasion than that of Syria and Israel (7:20). The country Ahaz had appealed to out of fear of Syria and Israel would itself bring Judah into most serious trouble.
Verses 8:1-4
The name of Isaiah's son prophesied the nearness of the fall of Israel and Syria (8:1-4). Isaiah wrote out the message on a large tablet: Maher-shalal-hash-baz, "swift is the booty, speedy is the prey." The two witnesses (v. 2) at tested to the fact that Isaiah's message was true. This idea of two witnesses was from the law (Numbers 35:30; Deuteronomy 17:6; 19:15). The text records that Isaiah's son was born and that before he could utter the words "father" or "mother" the alliance would fall. In other words, the alliance would fall within about two years of the time that Isaiah first gave the message - nine months for the birth and then one year before the baby could speak.
Verses 8:5-8
Ahaz had been concerned with the Israel-Syria alliance. But now Isaiah prophesied of the real danger - the invasion by Assyria. He noted that judgment was going to come on Israel because of its rejection of the Southern Kingdom and all that it stood for. Not only would the invasion sweep through the Northern Kingdom, but it would also come down all the way into Judah, called here the land of Immanuel (v. 8).
Verses 8:9-15
In spite of the alliance, which was against them at this time, Isaiah affirmed that the ultimate victory would be with the people of God (vv. 9-15). No matter how great a confederation of enemies there may be, God will deliver His people if they look to Him. They need not fear the hostile coalitions if they are reverencing their God. "And He shall be your fear, and He shall be your dread" (v. 13). The lesson is repeated often in Scripture that trust in God drives out the fear of man or of the devil. The alliance will be shattered because God is with us (vv. 9-10). "God is with us" (v. 10) is once again Immanuel. The people could take heart that they were in a covenant relationship with the God who was with them. However, because of this relationship the people were to fear God, not the alliance that threatened them (vv. 11-15).
Verses 8:16-18
In this context Isaiah spoke of himself and his children as set for "signs and wonders in Israel" (v. 18). It was noted earlier that Isaiah himself had a symbolic name indicating the almighty power of God in salvation to the ends of the earth. Likewise, his two sons were given symbolic names: Shear-jashub and Maher-shalal-hash-baz.
lsaiah - "the salvation of Yahweh"
Maher-shalal-hash-baz - "swift is the booty, speedy is the prey"
Shear-jashub - "a remnant will return"
Verse 8:19-22
Isaiah noted that the nation was to consult the word of the Lord, not mediums and spiritists who cannot deliver the nation. Once again Isaiah is reminding the people of the Deuteronomic covenant. It promised peace and prosperity as long as the people were living according to the word of God, but also promised them destruction and captivity if they departed from that word and the covenantal stipulations. It is God alone who can bring deliverance for the nation, not false teachers and false prophets who turn the people to false gods.
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3. THE DAVIDIC KINGDOM AND KING (9:1-7)
Verses 9:1-5
At the opening of chapter 9 the prophecy takes a tremendous leap across the centuries. In fact, there are two leaps, for both advents of the Lord Jesus Christ are in view.
The New Testament makes clear that this prophecy was partially fulfilled by the ministry of our Lord in Galilee at His first coming (cf. Isaiah 9:1-2 with Matthew 4:13-16).
It is obvious, however, that not everything in the prophecy was fulfilled at that time. As in a number of other Old Testament passages, the two comings of Christ are brought together in one prophecy. The Old Testament prophet, standing far off from what God allowed him to see, perceived two great mountain peaks as if they were only one. He could not see the valley between the peaks - the present age between the two advents of Christ. This phenomenon is illustrated in below picture:
(Source: The Second Coming of Christ, p. 6, Rev. Clarence Larkin Estate, 1922 Edition, by Clarence Larkin)
We who live in that valley can look back on our Lord's first coming and forward to His second coming. Through God's grace New Testament believers have a marvelous advantage that even the greatest of God's servants in Old Testament times did not have. Peter tells of the perplexity of the Old Testament prophets as they reviewed their own writings, which the Holy Spirit had given them by inspiration.
"As to this salvation, the prophets who prophesied of the grace that would come to you made careful search and inquiry, seeking to know what person or time the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating as He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow" (1 Peter 1:10-11).
How wonderful to remember that our Lord graciously fulfilled part of this prophecy as He ministered in Galilee. Many people in that area received the "great light" (v. 2) of His presence as He "went about doing good" (Acts 10:38).
Verses 9:6-7
The birth of the child prophesied in Isaiah 9:6 has occurred long ago, at Christ's first coming. His universal reign has not yet been fulfilled; that awaits His return. The two natures of Christ in one perfect Person are indicated by the terms of the prophecy:
"a child is born" - that is His genuine humanity; and
"a son is given" - that is His absolute deity.
Lest there by any doubt, He is given titles that no mere man could have.
In Scripture names often have meaning. When Scripture says what the name of this person is, that indicates what He really is; that is, His character.
In the current scene people are prone to exaggerate in their assessment of other people and things. In the commercial realm one's product is always better than others' products. Indeed it is always better than it was formerly, since it has been improved! On the political scene one party's candidate is always the greatest and the best, but so is the other party's candidate.
But here is a Person concerning whom no one could possibly exaggerate, because anything that could be said of the Lord Jesus falls short of the reality of His Person.
There is a difference of opinion among commentators whether this glorious name consists of four or five elements. A number of the widely used modern versions punctuate it as four parts, linking the words Wonderful Counselor together. One argument for this view is that there are then four nouns, each with its accompanying adjective:
Wonderful Counselor;
Mighty God;
Eternal Father; and
Prince of Peace (NASB).
Others take the terms to be five in number:
Wonderful;
Counselor;
Mighty God;
Everlasting Father; and
Prince of Peace" (KJV).
3.1 Wonderful
The word Wonderful, according to this interpretation, stands alone as a comprehensive description of the Lord Jesus Christ in His Person and work. This is similar to what He said of Himself as the Angel of the Lord (Yahweh) in appearing to the parents of Samson (Judges 13:18).
The Lord Jesus is wonderful in His Person because He is unique. There is no one else like Him, for He is the God-Man. Even among the Persons of the Godhead He is unique, for neither the Father nor the Holy Spirit became incarnate; only the Son did. The Father's delight is in Him, and the Holy Spirit's work is to glorify Him (Isaiah 42:1; Matthew 3:17; 17:5; John 16:14).
Furthermore, our Lord is wonderful in His work. He did that which no one else could do. The psalmist said of all men that no one could redeem his brother or "give to God a ransom for him" (Psalm 49:7). The writer to the Hebrews declares that "when he had by himself purged our sins, [He] sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high" (Hebrews 1:3, KJV). He Himself said, "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many" (Mark 10:45).
3.2 Counselor
The Scripture says that in Christ are hidden "all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge" (Colossians 2:3). No wonder that His name is Counselor. Human counselors are limited in various ways. Some have knowledge but lack compassion. Some are full of compassion but limited in knowledge. But the Lord Jesus Christ is the omniscient One and the compassionate One. "And seeing the multitudes, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and downcast like sheep without a shepherd" (Matthew 9:36).
3.3 Mighty God
His title Mighty God denotes His almighty power manifested in creation and available to His people. The Hebrew el-gibbor cannot be vitiated to mean a god-hero in the fashion of the pagan demigods. It must signify absolute deity, which is already implied in the context as can be seen by the parallelism in the verse. It is also parallel to the prophecy in 7:14.
3.4 Eternal Father
The title Eternal Father is perhaps the most perplexing of the whole series, because it is normally applied to the first Person of the Godhead. The One described here is obviously the second Person, the One known in the New Testament as the Lord Jesus Christ. One must not confuse the Persons of the Godhead as the ancient heretics the Patripassians did, of whom Tertullian charged that they "put to flight the Paraclete, and ... crucified the Father" (Against Praxeas, The Ante-Nicene Fathers, ed. Alexander Roberts and James Donaldson, Buffalo: Christian Literature, 1885, 3:597).
The Father is not the Son and the Son is not the Father, although the Father is God and the Son is God (the very same God).
This expression in the text being considered is not intended to describe Trinitarian distinctions, but to stress the everlasting care that the Lord Jesus gives to His own. He is literally "the Father of eternity," the One who nourishes and protects His own forever. As a human father is supposed to provide security for his family, so the Lord Jesus lovingly provides for His own throughout all ages.
3.5 Prince of Peace
The Prince of Peace in the immediate context is the One who brings peace to the war-ravaged world through His presence and reign. This is a foregleam of the millennial kingdom celebrated so often in the Prophets. His kingdom with its resultant peace will continue perpetually (v. 7). To affirm its certainty God makes the statement, "The zeal of the Lord of hosts will accom plish this," a statement that occurs in only two other places in Scripture (2 Kings 19:31 and Isaiah 37:32).
Those who do not take prophetic passages literally have no explanation for the emphasis in Scripture that the Lord Jesus will reign on the throne of David. If His kingdom is not a literal, earthly kingdom but only a spiritualized expression, what would be the need of His descent from David? The Davidic covenant (2 Samuel 7:1-29) is a clear and unconditional promise from God that David will never lack a man to sit on his throne. The throne of David is real and literal.
That is not only stressed in the Old Testament but in the New Testament as well. The angel Gabriel told Mary, "The Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever; and His kingdom will have no end" (Luke 1:32-33). In using the name Jacob (instead of Israel) the Scriptures seem to be emphasizing the literalness of this prophecy.
The New Testament begins with Christ's official descent from David (Matthew 1:1), and Paul opens the epistle to the Romans with a reminder of Christ's relationship to David (Romans 1:3).
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4. GOD'S STRETCHED-OUT HAND OF JUDGMENT (9:8-10:34)
Verses 9:8-10:4
The stretched-out hand of God is seen repeatedly in this section (see 9:12, 17, 21; 10:4; cf. also 5:25). It is not a display of mercy, as in some other places where God is seen as stretching out the hand of grace toward the sinner, but an indication of judgment. Because God's previous judgments have not had the desired effect of turning His people to repentance (9:13), He must continue to smite them.
Verses 10:5-19
God used the wicked nation of Assyria to punish His own people for their sins (10:5). That is the lesson the prophet Habakkuk learned later in his perplexity about God's using wicked Babylon to punish wicked Judah (Habakkuk 1:12-2:20). How can God do that and keep everything in perfect balance? Because He is omniscient and omnipotent. That may be paradoxical to us, but not a problem with God. The psalmist said, "For the wrath of man shall praise Thee" (Psalm 76:10).
But God will not allow Assyria to escape His righteous judgment either. Men delude themselves into thinking they are going their own way, declaring their independence from God. The powerful nation of Assyria was serving a divine purpose as a tool in the hand of the Lord. That did not by any means excuse Assyria's actions or absolve it of its guilt.
So it will be that when the Lord has completed all His work on Mount Zion and on Jerusalem, He will say, "I will punish the fruit of the arrogant heart of the king of Assyria and the pomp of his haughtiness" (10:12).
God's sovereignty and man's responsibility are always in perfect balance in the Word of God. Even though one is not able to reconcile that antinomy, one can believe both parts of it because the Bible clearly teaches both parts. God is sovereign in His universe; at the same time man is fully accountable to God for all his acts.
Verses 10:20-34
The reference to "that day" (10:20) seems to carry the prophecy over from the historical invasion in the prophet's time to another tremendous invasion of the land in the end time. Whatever the exact connection may be, the sequel in chapter 11 would seem to indicate such a far view. The "shoot ... from the stem of Jesse" (11:1) can only be the Messiah.
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5. THE BRANCH FROM JESSE'S ROOTS (11:1-16)
Verse 11:1
How exquisitely the Lord Jesus Christ is portrayed in the writings of the "evangelical prophet"! In 11:1 He is characterized again as the "branch," although the Hebrew word used here is not the same as in 4:2. He is seen as the true successor of David - as the Messiah-King. The description of His enduement by the Spirit of God is in keeping with the New Testament statement that "God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him" (John 3:34, KJV).
In chapter nine there is an emphasis on the peace that will attend His reign (9:7). In this passage the stress is on the righteousness that will characterize His kingdom (cf. Psalm 85:10, where righteousness and peace are seen in perfect harmony in Messiah's reign). Men desire peace, but they do not have as great a desire for righteousness. No ordinary or even extraordinary man could reign in perfect righteousness; only the God-Man can do that (cf. Isaiah 32:1).
Verses 11:2-3
The description in verse 2 of the Spirit's resting on Him, which is given in a sevenfold way, is probably the source of that striking figure in the book of Revelation where the "seven Spirits of God" are mentioned (Revelation 1:4; 3:1). Seven is used symbolically in various parts of the Scripture to denote divine completeness or divine perfection. The seven Spirits of God seem to be the Holy Spirit in all the fullness and perfection of His Person and power, or as already indicated, the Spirit not given by measure; that is, not limited in any way.
Verse 11:4
The Lord Jesus Christ's absolute "fairness" (v. 4) ought to be a source of consolation. There is so much now that is unfair. Even those who try to be fair are often unfair because of some limitation of knowledge or ability. That fairness, however, demands judgment on sinners and punishment for their sin. The "rod of His mouth" (v. 4) is parallel to the statement in Psalm 2, where the Messiah is told by God the Father, "Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel" (Psalm 2:9, KJV). There is an echo of this passage also in Revelation 19:15.
Verses 11:5-8
Through verse 5 most evangelical commentators will probably agree. But when the prophecy begins to describe changed conditions within the animal creation, there comes a divergence of views. Many refuse to take this part literally, evidently because such acceptance would involve changes in the course of what is called "nature." Many are disposed to allegorize or spiritualize the Old Testament prophecies concerning the kingdom. Fulfilled prophecy, however, furnishes a standard by which to interpret prophecy that has not yet been fulfilled. If the prophecies concerning the sufferings of Christ were fulfilled generally in a literal manner, should it not be expected that the prophecies concerning His glory will be similarly fulfilled?
No one can deny that there are many figures of speech in prophetic passages; nor can God describe the coming glory in a way that we can completely understand. But if kingdom prophecy means anything, it means that a day will come when Christ shall personally and literally reign over this earth. This messianic reign is often referred to as the Millennium, based on the passage concerning the thousand years in Revelation 20.
That prophecy in Revelation is the culmination and climax of a great number of prophecies in the Old and New Testaments concerning the future reign of the Messiah.
The New Testament declares that eventually the material creation is to be delivered from the bondage into which it came because of Adam's sin (Romans 8:19-22). It is not heaven that is being described in this passage; it is Christ's coming kingdom on the earth. Consequently, when the text mentions wolves, lambs, leopards, kids, and so on, it is referring to those literal animals, not just a fanciful, ethereal scene in some "never-never" land. It reflects a basic change in the nature of animals. The struggle for existence that is so often talked about will then have ceased. "The wolf will deal with the lamb ... And a little boy will lead them" (v. 6). Ferocious and carnivorous beats will become gentle, tractable, and herbivorous: "the lion will eat straw like the ox" (v. 7). Why should one look for a so-called "spiritual" explanation of those words when they are perfectly clear taken literally?
Some who will not accept such a passage literally probably do not accept the historicity and literalness of the Genesis record that tells of the entrance of sin into the world. When one will not accept the plain statements of Scripture at face value, one tends to become enmeshed in an ever-growing web of evasion.
Verses 11:9-10
This brief picture in Isaiah 11 shows something of the coming glory of that future day:
"They will not hurt or destroy in all My holy mountain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea" (v. 9).
Verses 11:11-16
In the verses that follow, the coming deliverance of God's people is compared to the ancient deliverance from Egypt. This time they will be coming from all over the earth (v. 12). The "remnant" (vv. 11 and 16) and the "highway" (v. 16) are two of the leading motifs in Isaiah. The "highway" finds later echoes (35:8; 40:3). Such a use of recurring themes is one of the evidences of the authorship and unity of the book.
Assyria is specifically mentioned (v. 16), and that is significant because the underlying historical setting for these chapters (7-12) is the Assyrian invasions, in one of which Israel was conquered, and another in which Judah was to be very seriously threatened.
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6. THE SONG OF REDEMPTION (12:1-6)
The "book of Immanuel" closes with a lovely song. In the opening section the birth of Immanuel was announced (7:14). That was against the tragic background of foreign invasions, at first that of Syria and Israel, and later, that of Assyria. The prophecy moves back and forth between the near view and the far view. The godly remnant are seen in that coming day (v. 1), the day of salvation for the nation (cf. Romans 11:26).
Verses 12:1-2
The song is in two parts: verses 1-2 and verses 3-6. The first part looks back on the judgment of God and then rests in His comfort (cf. 40:1). It acknowledges God as "strength," "song," and "salvation."
Verses 12:3-6
The second part is a pure hymn of praise, celebrating "the Holy One of Israel" in the midst of His people (v. 6).
"I will trust and not be afraid" (v. 2) is the re sponse of the true believer. Drawing "water from the springs of salvation" (v. 3) is a refreshing and meaningful allusion often found in Scripture (cf. Isaiah 55:1; Psalm 42:1; John 4:13-14; Revelation 22:17). The conclusion of the song is similar to the last statement in the book of Ezekiel where the name of the city is given as "The Lord is there" (Ezekiel 48:35).
God's Word has a universal applicability, although one must be careful not to confuse application with primary interpretation. Even though this song will find its true setting in the coming kingdom age, any believer in any age can sing, "I will trust and not be afraid" (v. 2).
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7. REFERENCES AND RECOMMENDATION FOR FURTHER STUDY
An Introduction to the Old Testament Prophetic Books, Chapter 6, Moody Press: Chicago, 1986 Edition, by C. Hassell Bullock.
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