Isaiah 9:8 says, The Lord sent a word into Jacob, and it hath lighted upon Israel. Isaiah said that God had sent word to Jacob in the past and that it applied to all of Israel. Through their faith in the coming Messiah, God was going to make them His everlasting kingdom. God had also warned them what He would do if they refused to accept and obey Him. We know these same things because God has preserved His written word for us and sent His living Word to die for us. He then calls us to Him by faith.
Verse nine adds, And all the people shall know, even Ephraim and the inhabitant of Samaria, that say in the pride and stoutness of heart, Isaiah said all the people of Israel, the unified people of God and not just the ones in Judah, would know the truth of their sins against Him. Some were full of self-pride and had their hearts firmly set against God. Everyone is guilty of sin today, and if anyone refuses to acknowledge that for whatever reason and come to Jesus Christ for forgiveness, then that person cannot be saved. Still, God calls everyone, and Jesus Christ has already died for their sins if they will accept Him as their Savior and Lord.
Verse ten adds, The bricks are fallen down, but we will build with hewn stones: the sycomores are cut down, but we will change them into cedars. Isaiah said that even though God had destroyed their buildings that the people said they would build them back better and stronger. No matter how strong people who defy God may think themselves to be, they will never build anything that God will not one day destroy if it is built on the idea that it is stronger than God.
Verse eleven continues, Therefore the Lord shall set up the adversaries of Rezin against him, and join his enemies together; Isaiah said that God would set up adversaries against those who were supposed to be His people. I believe it was more that God would no longer protect them from their enemies and that their enemies would even join together to defeat them. If we allow one sin back into our life as Christians, others are likely to soon follow, and God will never force us not to sin. We have to make a deliberate choice to be obedient to Him, starting with putting our faith in Jesus Christ.
Verse twelve states, The Syrians before, and the Philistines behind; and they shall devour Israel with open mouth. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still. The people were warned that the Syrians, followed by the Philistines, would defeat the people of God if they turned away from Him. We can expect another enemy to come against us if we somehow have had one fighting against us because of our disobedience to God. We can never defeat all the forces of evil in the world unless we come to Jesus Christ and put our faith in Him and then live in obedience to the Holy Spirit. Even after we accept Jesus Christ as our personal Savior, if we do not allow the Holy Spirit to be the Lard of our life, we allow sin to have power in our lives once more.
Verse thirteen adds, For the people turneth not unto him that smiteth them, neither do they seek the Lord of hosts. Isaiah said that the people, even when God was allowing them to be defeated, still would not turn to Him for deliverance once more. If we stray away from obeying God, He will allow us to be defeated spiritually until we return to Him and ask His forgiveness. Though as Christians we are forever saved from sin and death, we can at times allow sin back into our lives, which leads us to being spiritually dead in our calling here in this lifetime.
Verse fourteen continues, Therefore the Lord will cut off from Israel head and tail, branch and rush, in one day. Isaiah warned them that one day He would cut off His defense of them. and then he explained what the head and tail referred to.
Verse fifteen concludes, The ancient and honourable, he is the head; and the prophet that teacheth lies, he is the tail. The people were told that the kings and men in power had become the authority or head that would be cut off from Him and that the lying prophets were the tail. These would be cut off, but they also cut the people off from God when they put their faith in these false leaders and teachers instead of in God and His word. People who refuse to put their faith in Jesus Christ will always be cut off from the Father, and He has already sent all the prophets necessary for them to hear and believe in Him. As followers of Christ, we don’t have some new way to God to tell people about, but we only have the unchanging gospel of Christ.
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