Isaiah 9:8-10:4.  Today’s reading begins with a message about Israel (the northern kingdom not the whole nation).  Remember that Judah has a new king, Ahaz.  In the east a new power is rising, Assyria.   The northern kingdom had made an alliance with the Syria (Aram) and the alliance wanted to force Ahaz to join them.  When he refused they plotted to overthrow him and attacked Jerusalem.  In fear of the alliance Ahaz made a pact with Assyria, the very thing the alliance did not want to happen, God did not want the pact either.  Ahaz basically invited Assyria to come and deal with the alliance, which they did in 734-732 BC.  The timing of the message in today’s reading is near the end of the invasion by Assyria.  Israel is being destroyed but they seem to have a “no problem, we will bounce back from this” attitude.  Verse 12 seems to identify the enemy as Philistines and Arameans, this either is describing the areas where the Assyrians are attacking Israel from or the whole region is in turmoil and the alliance has fallen apart, it’s “every man for himself”.  Ultimately it is God who is at work in all of this and because of the pride of Israel “His hand is still outstretched” (He is still punishing them).  That is verses 8-12, verses 13-17 kind of repeat the same idea but in these verses we learn that the political leaders (elders) and religious leaders (prophets) are misguiding the people and are being punished.  But the rest of the people even the young and poor are guilty, they have not turned to God either and so God is angry and he continued to punish (The word anger has a large meaning in Hebrew including face, nose, nostrils, anger, wrath, longsuffering (think someone getting “red in the face”, you can see the steam building up)).    A third time Isaiah speaks about the disobedience and pride of the northern kingdom in verses 18-21.  This time we see that the disobedience is like small dry brush.  Sin causes destruction like a fast moving brush fire.   But the land is also destroyed by God’s wrath and that word means just that a strong burst.  Although God is patient for a long time he will deal with sin and will do it quickly when he does.  Remember that these people have had repeated warnings from prophets like Amos and others.  In the end the people who had attacked their cousins in the southern kingdom turn on themselves, Ephraim against Manasseh.  And “his hand is still outstretched”.

These messages about Israel would probably have brought cheers from Isaiah’s audience in Judah but they should have brought tears, not just because their cousins were lost but because of the connection with their own actions.  The words spoken about Israel in these 9:8-21 have a connection to the words spoken against Judah in chapter 5 (remember the reflective structure of this section of Isaiah and how it revolves around God’s holiness).  The first four verses of chapter 10 now return to Judah.  Isaiah pronounces woe on those who are unfair and selfish.  In verse 3 Isaiah makes it clear who he is talking to when he asks, “What will you do in the day of judgment?”  Who will you turn to then, there will be not Assyrians king to pay for protection from God.  You will be a part of the captives or one of the dead.  Why?  Because God is holy and fair and just and his hand of judgment is still outstretched.

Exodus 34:7 tells us that God is loving and forgiving but that he must punish sin, “He will not leave the guilty unpunished”.  We are all guilty, later Isaiah will tell us that we have all strayed away from God (Isaiah 53:6).  But that verse also gives us the solution to god’s wrath, Jesus took it.  The question is what will you do in the day of judgment?  Will you turn to God and rely on his mercy or try to buy your way out. If you try to get to god on your own you will “crouch among the captives and fall among the slain”.  Rely on God’s mercy instead.  Lord than you for bailing me out.  Thank you for making a way.  I realize I can never satisfy your holy nature on my own.  I am sorry for the pain I have caused you.  Help me cause less in the future.  To you I turn for my salvation.  Thank you for your love.