Day 204: Isaiah 10-12

(The previous post covered three of the six chapters of Isaiah that occurred during Ahaz's reign which included critical prophecy about Jesus. Here were the final three of the six chapters written during Ahaz's reign...)

Isaiah 10
¹ Woe unto them that decree unrighteous decrees, and to the writers that write perverseness;

(A warning (woe) to those who proclaimed unrighteous and/or perverse words…)

² to turn aside the needy from justice, and to rob the poor of my people of their right, that widows may be their spoil, and that they may make the fatherless their prey!

(The words of the unrighteous and perverse were destructive.)

³ And what will ye do in the day of visitation, and in the desolation which shall come from far? to whom will ye flee for help? and where will ye leave your glory?

(The people from verse 1 had nowhere to run and no help from the judgment about to take place.)

⁴ They shall only bow down under the prisoners, and shall fall under the slain. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.
⁵ Ho Assyrian, the rod of mine anger, the staff in whose hand is mine indignation!
⁶ I will send him against a profane nation, and against the people of my wrath will I give him a charge, to take the spoil, and to take the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets.

(God used the Assyrians to bring about judgment.)

⁷ Howbeit he meaneth not so, neither doth his heart think so; but it is in his heart to destroy, and to cut off nations not a few.
⁸ For he saith, Are not my princes all of them kings?
⁹ Is not Calno as Carchemish? is not Hamath as Arpad? is not Samaria as Damascus?
¹⁰ As my hand hath found the kingdoms of the idols, whose graven images did excel them of Jerusalem and of Samaria;
¹¹ shall I not, as I have done unto Samaria and her idols, so do to Jerusalem and her idols?

(God was asking if He judged the Samarians for her idols, should He also judge Jerusalem for the same offense? God was showing He was Just.)

¹² Wherefore it shall come to pass, that, when the Lord hath performed his whole work upon mount Zion and on Jerusalem, I will punish the fruit of the stout heart of the king of Assyria, and the glory of his high looks.
¹³ For he hath said, By the strength of my hand I have done it, and by my wisdom; for I have understanding: and I have removed the bounds of the peoples, and have robbed their treasures, and like a valiant man I have brought down them that sit on thrones:

(After God used Assyria to bring about judgment on Jerusalem, He would punish the king of Assyria because he would take credit for the strength and wisdom that actually came from God.)

¹⁴ and my hand hath found as a nest the riches of the peoples; and as one gathereth eggs that are forsaken, have I gathered all the earth: and there was none that moved the wing, or that opened the mouth, or chirped.
¹⁵ Shall the axe boast itself against him that heweth therewith? shall the saw magnify itself against him that wieldeth it? as if a rod should wield them that lift it up, or as if a staff should lift up him that is not wood.

(A word picture of what the king of Assyria did: an axe boasting to the man who used it. The king of Assyria did not know he was doing God's work and was boasting about what he did.)

¹⁶ Therefore will the Lord, Jehovah of hosts, send among his fat ones leanness; and under his glory there shall be kindled a burning like the burning of fire.
¹⁷ And the light of Israel will be for a fire, and his Holy One for a flame; and it will burn and devour his thorns and his briers in one day.
¹⁸ And he will consume the glory of his forest, and of his fruitful field, both soul and body: and it shall be as when a standard-bearer fainteth.

(God was always Just. So much so that He judged His own people and His own land for their wickedness.)

¹⁹ And the remnant of the trees of his forest shall be few, so that a child may write them.
²⁰ And it shall come to pass in that day, that the remnant of Israel, and they that are escaped of the house of Jacob, shall no more again lean upon him that smote them, but shall lean upon Jehovah, the Holy One of Israel, in truth.

(Leaning upon Jehovah meant to trust in Him, in truth. This meant that our dependence on God ought to be done for the right reason (why) and in the right way (how).)

²¹ A remnant shall return, even the remnant of Jacob, unto the mighty God.
²² For though thy people, Israel, be as the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them shall return: a destruction is determined, overflowing with righteousness.

(Although the Israelites were many, only a remnant would remain from the judgment.)

²³ For a full end, and that determined, will the Lord, Jehovah of hosts, make in the midst of all the earth.

(Paul referenced the previous two verses in Romans 9:27-28.)

²⁴ Therefore thus saith the Lord, Jehovah of hosts, O my people that dwellest in Zion, be not afraid of the Assyrian, though he smite thee with the rod, and lift up his staff against thee, after the manner of Egypt.
²⁵ For yet a very little while, and the indignation against thee shall be accomplished, and mine anger shall be directed to his destruction.

(God wanted the Israelites to know His judgment would soon end and would be towards their enemies. Would this cause the Israelites to go towards God?)

²⁶ And Jehovah of hosts will stir up against him a scourge, as in the slaughter of Midian at the rock of Oreb: and his rod will be over the sea, and he will lift it up after the manner of Egypt.
²⁷ And it shall come to pass in that day, that his burden shall depart from off thy shoulder, and his yoke from off thy neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed by reason of fatness.

(It was believed that verses 28-34 were concerned with the Antichrist…)

²⁸ He is come to Aiath, he is passed through Migron; at Michmash he layeth up his baggage;
²⁹ they are gone over the pass; they have taken up their lodging at Geba; Ramah trembleth; Gibeah of Saul is fled.
³⁰ Cry aloud with thy voice, O daughter of Gallim! hearken, O Laishah! O thou poor Anathoth!
³¹ Madmenah is a fugitive; the inhabitants of Gebim flee for safety.
³² This very day shall he halt at Nob: he shaketh his hand at the mount of the daughter of Zion, the hill of Jerusalem.
³³ Behold, the Lord, Jehovah of hosts, will lop the boughs with terror: and the high of stature shall be hewn down, and the lofty shall be brought low.
³⁴ And he will cut down the thickets of the forest with iron, and Lebanon shall fall by a mighty one.

(This chapter ended with Isaiah speaking of the Antichrist. The next chapter began with the period after the Antichrist's destruction: the Millennium...)




Isaiah 11
¹ And there shall come forth a shoot out of the stock of Jesse, and a branch out of his roots shall bear fruit.

(A Branch (Jesus) would come forth out of the stock (tree trunk) of Jesse (David's father). This was referenced in Matthew 2:23 because Nazareth (Jesus' hometown) meant "branch."

Paul referenced this verse in Romans 15:12. Remember, this chapter was focused on Jesus' reign during the Millennium. This would have caused people during Jesus' time to think His reign would begin then.)

² And the Spirit of Jehovah shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of Jehovah.

(The Holy Spirit would rest upon Christ. This was also known as the seven Spirits of God:
1) Spirit of the Lord
2) wisdom
3) understanding
4) counsel
5) might
6) knowledge
7) the fear of the Lord.

This was referenced by John in Revelation 1:4.)

³ And his delight shall be in the fear of Jehovah; and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither decide after the hearing of his ears;

(The Spirit would make Christ of quick understanding.)

⁴ but with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth; and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.

(Christ would judge with Righteousness.)

⁵ And righteousness shall be the girdle of his waist, and faithfulness the girdle of his loins.
⁶ And the wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.

(There will be peace. Again, these verses were concerning the Millennium.)

⁷ And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
⁸ And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder's den.
⁹ They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of Jehovah, as the waters cover the sea.
¹⁰ And it shall come to pass in that day, that the root of Jesse, that standeth for an ensign of the peoples, unto him shall the nations seek; and his resting-place shall be glorious.
¹¹ And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord will set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, that shall remain, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea.

(During the Millennium, Christ will gather the Israelites to Him.)

¹² And he will set up an ensign for the nations, and will assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.
¹³ The envy also of Ephraim shall depart, and they that vex Judah shall be cut off: Ephraim shall not envy Judah, and Judah shall not vex Ephraim.

(Jealousy between the tribes of Israel will stop.)

¹⁴ And they shall fly down upon the shoulder of the Philistines on the west; together shall they despoil the children of the east: they shall put forth their hand upon Edom and Moab; and the children of Ammon shall obey them.

(Edom was from Esau. Moab and Ammon were from Lot. These three will still be mentioned during the Millennium, but not the Amalekites (also from Esau).)

¹⁵ And Jehovah will utterly destroy the tongue of the Egyptian sea; and with his scorching wind will he wave his hand over the River, and will smite it into seven streams, and cause men to march over dryshod.
¹⁶ And there shall be a highway for the remnant of his people, that shall remain, from Assyria; like as there was for Israel in the day that he came up out of the land of Egypt.

(The how of Christ's gathering of the Israelites.)




Isaiah 12
¹ And in that day thou shalt say, I will give thanks unto thee, O Jehovah; for though thou wast angry with me, thine anger is turned away and thou comfortest me.

(This short chapter was concerning the worship of the gathered Israelites during the Millennium.)

² Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for Jehovah, even Jehovah, is my strength and song; and he is become my salvation.

(The words the Israelites will say in that day will be similar to Paul in 1 Corinthians 12:9 – "And he (Christ) said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness..."

God is our strength when we allow Him to work through us, which is grace.)

³ Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.

(Sounds like Jesus with the Samaritan woman at the well – John 4:11-14.)

⁴ And in that day shall ye say, Give thanks unto Jehovah, call upon his name, declare his doings among the peoples, make mention that his name is exalted.

(The Israelites during this time will want to declare God's works.)

⁵ Sing unto Jehovah; for he hath done excellent things: let this be known in all the earth.
⁶ Cry aloud and shout, thou inhabitant of Zion; for great in the midst of thee is the Holy One of Israel.

(During the Millennium, Christ will be in the midst of them.)

(This post covered the last of the six chapters from Isaiah that were recorded during Ahaz's reign. These chapters focused on Christ during the Millennium. The rest of the chapters from Isaiah occurred during Hezekiah's reign.)

Day 205