Isaiah 9:21

Copyright Ó 2013 J. Neely

Isaiah 9:21ues

http://www.dailybiblestudy.org

21 Manasseh, [Manashsheh] Ephraim; ['Ephrayim] and Ephraim, ['Ephrayim] Manasseh: [Manashsheh] and they together [yachad] shall be against Judah. [Yahuwdah] For all this his anger ['aph] is not turned away, [shuwb] but his hand [yad] is stretched out still. [natah] KJV-Interlinear

21 Manasseh devours Ephraim, and Ephraim Manasseh, And together they are against Judah. In spite of all this His anger does not turn away, And His hand is still stretched out. NASB

Ephraim and Manasseh were the two sons of Joseph.  They are brothers and related to each other more so than to the other tribes.  Their territories shared a common boundary as they were neighbors and they helped each other in times of trouble throughout their history.  They were the two principle tribes of Samaria.

But as described in the previous verse, their brotherly love will turn to brotherly strife, and their help for each other will turn to treachery and hatred.

And at the same time they will, even though they hate each other, unite against a common enemy, who is Judah.

The northern nation of Samaria was negative toward God and as such, their only reason for existence was due to their common resentment and hatred of Judah.  This began when the whole nation of Israel split, shortly after Solomon.

Samaria continued in its anti-God attitude and was therefore sent punishment in the form of the Assyrian invasion under Tiglath Pileser.  Only some of the outlying lands were taken, leaving the two principle tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh, untouched.

The nation continued in its anti-Judah attitude and yet another invasion occurred from the combined attacks of Syria and the Philistines.  This is mentioned in verse 11.

Samaria still continued in its hatred of Judah and yet another judgment was sent in the form of internal strife and anarchy, which we have just studied.

This led to the last and final judgment against Samaria, where they were invaded by Shalmaneser and Sargon.  This resulted in the total obliteration of the nation as its entire population was either killed or enslaved and deported. Thus the end, the permanent end, of the northern nation of Samaria occurred, and it ceased to be a nation.

Israel received warning after warning and yet it disregarded God and the prophets that God sent.

And so this principle applies to both nations as well as individuals.  Ignore God and you can expect punishments. Light ones at first and then more and more with heavier and heavier consequences until God finally removes you altogether.

But so long as you are still here, then you have the opportunity to change.  But that has to come from your own decision to change and then actually do it, and then actually keep on that path of change, lest you drift back into your spiritual faults and the judgments resume.

All anti-God, anti-truth, anti-Christ, anti-spiritual attitude, anti-Gods mandates attitudes are a form of arrogance and evil pride.  They have no strength in themselves and their only accomplishment is in their being crushed to oblivion.

All of your difficulties in this life, assuming that you are an unbeliever, are designed for one thing and one thing only.  And that is to get your eyes on Christ and to the point of faith for salvation.

Once you have believed, then all of your difficulties in life are designed for one of two things.

First, if you are negative toward Gods mandates and purpose, then they are to get you to repent and onto a daily study path so that you can learn and grow up in your spiritual life.

And second, if you are on track, then those difficulties are there to reinforce your spiritual growth, to help you keep your eyes on Gods purpose and your inadequacy without Him, to help you keep your arrogance in check and otherwise promote and propel your advancement to spiritual maturity.

How do you know if your difficulties are suffering for punishment or suffering for blessing?

Well, that depends on your compliance or lack of it, with Gods design for the spiritual life.

God has laid out a specific process for spiritual function.

Do you confess your sins on a regular basis in order to get yourself into fellowship?

Do you pursue a daily study under instruction?

Do you listen or read and learn, and then ponder what you have learned?

Do you memorize verses, in order to help your learning retention?

Do you pray on a regular basis?  Do you even know how to pray?

Do you apply the moral spiritual principles of life to your own daily life?

Do you support Gods teaching and spiritual process?

Or.

Are you selfish, self-centered, greedy, know more than God knows, opinionated, prone to discord, have a better plan for yourself, indifferent toward Gods rules and procedures, critical of others rather than self, figure that you know enough already, are better able to teach yourself, and so forth.

Self-examination is a part of Gods process, and if you can do that objectively then you can know where you stand in Gods plan and process.

If, however, you are subjective and not open to the truth of yourself, then you will never arrive at the right conclusion regarding yourself.

Gods hand is always stretched out, executing some form of action.  Whether it is to help or to discipline, really depends on you.

Isaiah 9:20

Copyright Ó 2013 J. Neely

Isaiah 9:20ues

http://www.dailybiblestudy.org

20 And he shall snatch [gazar] on the right hand, [yamiyn] and be hungry; [ra`eb] and he shall eat ['akal] on the left hand, [samo'wl] and they shall not be satisfied: [saba`] they shall eat ['akal] every man ['iysh] the flesh [basar] of his own arm: [zarowa`]KJV-Interlinear

20 And they slice off what is on the right hand but still are hungry, And they eat what is on the left hand but they are not satisfied; Each of them eats the flesh of his own arm. NASB

The state of faction and discord, division and conflict will be great.

The right is typically symbolized as that which is respected, that which provides.

The left is typically symbolized as that which is subordinate, that which is provided for.

Eating of ones own flesh indicates self-destruction, from internal strife.

So, people will take from that which is provided, will take that which is provided to others, and still are not satisfied, still will want more and more, never content, never satisfied, never attaining any semblance of personal satisfaction or happiness.

Selfishness and disloyalty will reign supreme as the chief attributes of humanity.

When Bible doctrine is ignored, when Bible doctrine is not learned as it is supposed to be learned, understood as it is supposed to be understood, applied to ones daily life as it is supposed to be applied to ones daily life, then the absence of all of this results in internal discord in oneself, and that overflows into ones relationships with others.

There is no loyalty to others, for those for whom you have responsibility, and especially for those of whom you do not know such as strangers or neighbors.  It becomes an, everyone for himself mentality.

Most folks grow up in a family setting where these things are taught, and youngsters learn the basics of manners and empathy for others at a very young age.  These things are ingrained in their learning and knowledge for life.

When the family setting breaks down, then that early learning breaks down and children grow up with dysfunctional attributes for life.  But still they can learn eventually, because these things exist within society.  That learning requires conscious effort and good decisions on their part, however.

Add Bible doctrine to the mix and anyone is capable of turning their own life around if they are so inclined.

But, when that final generation of history comes onto the scene, when the Rapture occurs and all restraint is removed from this world, then society on the whole will have virtually no incentive, no standards by which to guide them, except their own conscience.

And a mind that is inclined toward bad, will produce and promote only bad.  Without structure and standards, then bad is the only thing in view and the only thing desired.  The end result will be the worst decline in society ever.

And so Isaiah uses the impending destruction of the northern kingdom, to outline what will be the standard for those final days of history, and the ultimate decline of humanity.

Isaiah 9:19

Copyright Ó 2013 J. Neely

Isaiah 9:19ues

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19 Through the wrath [`ebrah] of the LORD [Yahovah] of hosts [tsaba'] is the land ['erets] darkened, [`atham] and the people [`am] shall be as the fuel [ma'akoleth] of the fire: ['esh] no man ['iysh] shall spare [chamal] his brother. ['ach] KJV-Interlinear

19 By the fury of the Lord of hosts the land is burned up, And the people are like fuel for the fire; No man spares his brother.  NASB

When people break the law, they are dealt with through a legal due process and punished accordingly.  Crime is a transgression against that which is lawful.

In the greater spiritual world, all transgressions against truth, are a criminal act, as it were.  All transgressions against truth, regardless of whether they are from do-gooder self-righteousness, or from acts of crime, are punishable by means of divine justice.

In this temporal world, criminal or social misbehavior can be relative from generation to generation, from culture to culture, from geographical region to geographical region, from person to person.  There is no real standard by which to gauge crime by, except for legal documents, laws, regulations, and even social or cultural traditions.

But in the greater realm, there is an absolute standard, which is called truth.  And it is by that standard that God applies justice, fairly and equally to all since time began.  And, that will never change.

The fury of the Lord, is the application of justice against all transgressions, of every type imaginable.

The greatest transgression of all is the indifference toward truth, for lack of the knowledge of truth, leads to only one destination, which is evil and ultimately judgment.  And people lack truth for only one reason, which is because they simply do not learn it, because they are not interested in it, because they are comfortable with what they already think they know, and believe that to be good enough.

If your current beliefs serve your purpose in life, then you are in deep trouble.  Because when you start learning truth, then you soon discover that you can never learn it all, because it is so vast.  And that should be sufficient to drive you to want to learn more and more, and that requires from you, a daily study for the rest of your life.

But of course you have to want to abide by Gods truth, which includes His mandates, principles and so forth.  You cannot pick and choose what truth you will or will not use in your life.

Unfortunately, most folks do not want to commit to that approach for learning.  They, again, are comfortable or prefer what they have and feel it to be sufficient.  And of course there are those who could care less and are driven by their many lusts.

The Lord of Hosts, is Jesus Christ.  Hosts, is a reference to large groups, many groups arrayed for battle.  And Jesus Christ is the General of the many armies of history and beyond.  His power and resources are infinite and cannot be compared to anything in this world.

A land darkened, is a land under Gods judgment.

People are the source fuel of that darkness and destruction.  People commit sins.  People are indifferent toward truth.

The rocks and trees and grass and animals do not sin.  Only people sin.  Only people reject God and truth.

And as a result of sin, trouble in every sense of the word, entered into this world.

In the Garden, life was perfect until sin. Then, every flaw, every problem, every sin, every transgression, every handicap, every limitation on human attributes, all came out of that single sin and spread to the entire human race.

When people are so spiritually low, then they will not care for even the basic human structures, such as family.

Everyone will turn against their own brother.  No family, no loyalty, no charity, no empathy.  The only thing that will exist will be, me first, and everyone else is expendable.

In history, humanity has seen many cycles of human behavior.  But in the last generation, the Tribulation generation, the worst of the worst of human character will become unrestrained and manifest.  And as Isaiah is one of the best resources of documentation of prophecy of those final days, here we can see the prophecies of the ultimate judgment against evil.  And it will not be a pretty sight.

If you have believed in Christ, then you will not see that era.  Only those who remain unbelievers when the Rapture occurs, will be the unfortunate ones who will live and experience those dark final seven years.

And of course we do not know when that historical event will occur.

But you do know, you and now, and whether or not you will become enlightened with truth by pursuing and using a daily study, or whether you prefer the company of the stubble of humanity, and add yourself to the fuel for discipline or judgment.

Isaiah 9:18

Copyright Ó 2013 J. Neely

Isaiah 9:18ues

http://www.dailybiblestudy.org

18 For wickedness [rish`ah] burneth [ba`ar] as the fire: ['esh] it shall devour ['akal] the briers [shamiyr] and thorns, [shayith] and shall kindle [yatsath] in the thickets [cabak] of the forest, [ya`ar] and they shall mount up ['abak] like the lifting up [ge'uwth] of smoke. [`ashan] KJV-Interlinear

18 For wickedness burns like a fire; It consumes briars and thorns; It even sets the thickets of the forest aflame, And they roll upward in a column of smoke. NASB

Evil is the policy of Satan. 

Wickedness is the action of evil, the thoughts, activities, intents, attitudes and so forth.

These cover the entire realm of cosmos diabolicus, or the plan of Satan that includes all that is anti-God, anti-truth, and make up all of the corruption that this universe has been exposed to since his original fall.

When people live outside of the fellowship sphere, the environment in which believers are mandated to live within, then their lives are driven by evil and their productivity (wood, hay, and stubble) is nothing more than wickedness.  This includes all manner of criminal activity and social arrogance in every form imaginable.

When believers live within the fellowship sphere, then their lives are directed by doctrine and their productivity (gold, silver, and precious stones) is defined as divine good.

Divine good maintains high value and is the basis for divine favor and reward.

The productivity of evil is destined for burning and total destruction, and has no value.

And wickedness burns as a raging fire out of control.  First the tender of dry shrubs and weeds and such, smolder and smoke and kindle.  Then they spark into a fire that consumes other shrubs and weeds and grasses and spreads rapidly to greater objects of burnable material such as trees and buildings.

The shrubs are the people who turn to evil and reject God and truth, and in their destructive fire, the whole realm of national and social structure is burned down in an out of control crashing heap of fire and smoke and ash.

This verse describes a society that is out of control, and the result of that failure is horrendous disaster.

Isaiah 9:17

Copyright Ó 2013 J. Neely

Isaiah 9:17ues

http://www.dailybiblestudy.org

17 Therefore the Lord ['Adonay] shall have no joy [samach] in their young men, [bachuwr] neither shall have mercy [racham] on their fatherless [yathowm] and widows: ['almanah] for every one is an hypocrite [chaneph] and an evildoer, [ra`a`] and every mouth [peh] speaketh [dabar] folly. [nabalah] For all this his anger ['aph] is not turned away, [shuwb] but his hand [yad] is stretched out still. [natah] KJV-Interlinear

17 Therefore the Lord does not take pleasure in their young men, Nor does He have pity on their orphans or their widows; For every one of them is godless and an evildoer, And every mouth is speaking foolishness. In spite of all this His anger does not turn away, And His hand is still stretched out. NASB

When a society has turned away from truth, it inevitably turns away from all of the fundamental principles that God has in place to secure and sustain society.

This does not apply only to violations in crime or lascivious behavior, it includes even more so, toward violations of the fundamental principles of establishment. These include alternate life styles that reject concepts of marriage and family and parenting, of social philosophies that violate principles of liberty and freedom and choice, of principles of privacy giving way to gossip and maligning and judging, of religious alternatives that reject the very fabric of truth, of failures in individual responsibility and accountability.

The young men, refers to the youth and vigor of a nation going into the next generation.  When the present is evil the future is even more corrupt.

Mercy is Gods grace in action.  Grace is favor, and when God favors you, He does things in abundance for you.  When God withholds His actions, then His favor ceases and you are left on your own.  This comes from continued rejection of God.

Widows and orphans are symbols of the helpless of society.  They have no one to turn to and nowhere to go.  And when God turns his back even on them, then even they, the helpless have become so vulgar and corrupt, that demonstrates that society on the whole has gone far too far off the path or truth.

Every mouth speaking folly, is the collective attitudes and thought processes of society.  When truth is not known, then stupidity is the norm, and when stupidity is the norm, then society is nothing more than a collection of the blind leading and following and chasing after blindness.

And for all of these things, Gods anger, which is language of policy, the policy of judgment and justice, continues and continues and continues.  His hand stretched out, is that policy of continued application of divine policy.

Isaiah 9:16

Copyright Ó 2013 J. Neely

Isaiah 9:16ues

http://www.dailybiblestudy.org

16 For the leaders ['ashar] of this people [`am] cause them to err; [ta`ah] and they that are led ['ashar] of them are destroyed. [bala`] KJV-Interlinear

16 For those who guide this people are leading them astray; And those who are guided by them are brought to confusion. NASB

To err, ‘ta ah,’ means to be deceived, to stray, to stagger, to wander.

Led, ‘ashar,’ means to be straight, right, happy, to go forward, honest, proper, to guide.

Destroyed, ‘bala,’ means to be devoured, to be swallowed down as in a whirlpool.

And so a slam against the leadership of a following public, does not cast the blame entirely on the leadership, because the public allows itself to be led, with eyes wide open.  Both are at fault.

The error is society, comes from the leadership of society. Bad leadership leads to a wandering away from truth and therefore into a delusional and false direction.

To be led in this situation is a people that are happy and pleased to be led in the manner in which they are being led.  They see the false, and choose the false, and are satisfied with the false.  It appeals to their inner desires, which is sin nature driven.

Even though the leadership deceives due to the various lust drives within themselves, and for that they are condemned, but also the followers enjoy and like the deceptions being offered, so they are likewise condemned for their subscription to the deceit.

Anyone who has doctrine, can see and discern between the true and the false.  However, when there is no interest in doctrine, then there is by default, no interest in truth, and therefore no interest in the difference.  Only the enticements of the false are in view and that is what pleases and satisfies the follower.

Leaders want power, control, authority, attention, approbation.  They are delusional with regard to their position and ability.

Followers want something for nothing, benefit without responsibility.

Both easily put away that which is true and right, in exchange for that which is false and wrong.

Destruction pursues and swallows up both.

Isaiah 9:15

Copyright Ó 2013 J. Neely

Isaiah 9:15ues

http://www.dailybiblestudy.org

15 The ancient [zaqen] and honourable [paniym], [nasa'] he [huw'] is the head; [ro'sh] and the prophet [nabiy'] that teacheth [yarah] lies, [sheqer] he is the tail. [zanab] KJV-Interlinear

15 The head is the elder and honorable man, And the prophet who teaches falsehood is the tail. NASB

Those who are old and distinguished, educated or credentialed, these are the head, the leaders, the ones who presume themselves as the elite and all knowing.

And among the lesser in society, regardless of status academically or economically, whether middle class or stricken with poverty, of all that could be considered as the tail or hind end of society, it is those that preach and teach lies that are the very bottom of society.

Lies come in all sorts or scenarios.  From the academics of education to the philosophies of science, to the politics of social reform, to the gossips of the neighborhood, all are evil to the core.

Anyone and everyone who rejects correct Bible doctrine as the basis of their core beliefs, it is they who are the rot of society and not the heroes, the twisted views of life and not the solutions, the source of self-destruction and not the change for success.

Man is full of plans, none of which will ever work.  Man looks for solutions in the things in life, improvements in things, and they are irrelevant to the core problem of mans soul.

Man will attempt to destroy others when they perceive being cheated or slighted in some way. 

Man does not look to God and the important matters of their own soul, which will impact their entire eternal destiny.

When the top to the bottom of society are corrupt, then what would you expect to happen next?

Isaiah 9:14

Copyright Ó 2013 J. Neely

Isaiah 9:14

http://www.dailybiblestudy.org

14 Therefore the LORD [Yahovah] will cut off [karath] from Israel [Yisra'el] head [ro'sh] and tail, [zanab] branch [kippah] and rush, ['agmown] in one ['echad] day. [yowm]KJV-Interlinear

14 So the Lord cuts off head and tail from Israel, Both palm branch and bulrush in a single day. NASB

Head and tail, typically denotes those of rank, the head, and those of lesser or no rank, the tail.

Branch and reed, denotes the strong, the branch, and the weak, the reed.

One, indicates a single unit, an uninterrupted event, short, swift.

Day, can refer to a twenty-four hour day, a short space of time, sunrise to sunset, and can be modified by some other term, such as the word, single, used before it.

Never in history has Israel fallen in a single day. Their prior destructions occurred over the space of several weeks and months and even years, and came with ebbs and flows of an aggressive invasion.

However, in the Tribulation, when the anti-christ launches his surprise attack against the Middle East, then that invasion, from all sides, will occur with blinding and lightning speed.

No one will be spared.  All will be affected.  Those who are the rich, the famous and the powerful, will be swallowed up in the onslaught.  Those who are the common, the nobodies, the weak, the poor, the unhealthy and such, will be swallowed up in the onslaught.

No one will be spared, especially those who have ignored the warnings that have been issued by Isaiah and the scriptures.

Those who do heed the scriptures, will be spared, if they obey the command to leave for the safety of the mountains and rural areas, before the invasion begins, and continue in hiding until the Second Advent. 

But that number will most likely be few. After all, in our day of technology and the conveniences of home, who is likely going to leave for the inconveniences of a cave and no utilities?  And if these things do not occur for yet another century, then how much more will the conveniences of modern technology be, over and above the inconveniences of pioneering in the rough?

Even in our current day, most folks won’t even yield to the mandates of a daily study.  Something that is really not that inconvenient to ones life. How much more difficult will it be to leave ones home for an indefinite period of time while the whole world is falling apart?

Isaiah 9:13

Copyright Ó 2013 J. Neely

Isaiah 9:13

http://www.dailybiblestudy.org

13 For the people [`am] turneth [shuwb] not unto him that smiteth [nakah] them, neither do they seek [darash] the LORD [Yahovah] of hosts. [tsaba'] KJV-Interlinear

13 Yet the people do not turn back to Him who struck them, Nor do they seek the Lord of hosts. NASB

When people turn away from truth, then God issues judgments or chastisements or punishments, most of which are inherently related to the evil being produced.

Evil produces its own punishment.

And in the case of people who reject truth, they do in fact by default reject the scriptures.  Thus they do not study, do not learn, and fail to understand what exactly their flaw is, because they refuse to see it.

People become hardened and obstinate when they reject truth.  This leads to the rejection of changing their ways or attitudes.  This leads to more and more punishments.

Truth does not change, therefore truth does not yield to popular belief or pressure.

The collective opinions of humanity are not enough to change how God or truth operates.  And certainly the individual efforts of an anti-God attitude are not sufficient to change how God will deal with you.

So, this verse states clearly, reject God, reject truth, and punishments in whatever form, will fall into your life.  Continue in your stubbornness and the punishments will not yield as though they have been frustrated or defeated, but will continue until such time as you do in fact change, or until the end of your life here in this world.

If you do not know what rejection of God or truth means, then you are most likely in rejection.

The only way that you can know anything, is to be taught, to learn, and that requires a study, a daily study of the scriptures, which of course is our subject of interest.

To pursue life on your own, to avoid the obligations that God places on you both in your spiritual life as well as in your temporal life, is simply further proof of your obstinacy toward truth.

God is truth, and to reject one is to reject the other.  And in rejecting either, is a pursuit of evil, which in turn has its own built in punishments, that keep on coming.

It isn’t rocket science, but when you see so many people worldwide, that cannot seem to figure it out, or better stated, are not interested in figuring it all out, then it makes you wonder, why?

Isaiah 9:12

Copyright Ó 2013 J. Neely

Isaiah 9:12

http://www.dailybiblestudy.org

12 The Syrians ['Aram] before, [qedem] and the Philistines [Palishtiy] behind; ['achowr] and they shall devour ['akal] Israel [Yisra'el] with open mouth. [peh] For all this his anger ['aph] is not turned away, [shuwb] but his hand [yad] is stretched out still. [natah]KJV-Interlinear

12 The Arameans on the east and the Philistines on the west; And they devour Israel with gaping jaws. In spite of all this His anger does not turn away, And His hand is still stretched out. NASB

The Syrians were led by Rezin, and despite an alliance between the Samarians and the Syrians, against Judah, they were still enemies.

When evil allies itself with evil, there is no such thing as honor between evil partners.

The Philistines were peoples that lived to the south and west along the Mediterranean coast, but too, Philistine is a name derived from the region known as Palestine which means, The land of the Philistines.   It in general refers to all non-Hebrew people in the region.

Samaria had enemies without on all sides as well as enemies within.

That was the case back in Isaiah’s day, and it will be the case in the Tribulation. It is even the case today as there are many nationalities living within every country in the Middle East.

And here is the importance of this verse. All of the enemies of Samaria, are in fact enemies of God and truth, even though Samaria itself has turned against God and truth.

And their attitude is one of ravenous hatred and hunger for the destruction of truth.  There is no interest in what is right or just, and when the flood gates are opened wide then the invading armies will take at will with no concern for the victims.

But, God is still there.  And even though justice has to be handed out, Gods hand, or grace, is still extended to any and all who turn, legitimately turn, to Him.

On the Cross, Jesus had no one to turn to, and that was by design.  But in life, we all have God to turn to at any moment during our life.

Isaiah 9:11

Copyright Ó 2013 J. Neely

Isaiah 9:11

http://www.dailybiblestudy.org

11 Therefore the LORD [Yahovah] shall set up [sagab] the adversaries [tsar] of Rezin [Ratsiyn] against him, and join [cakak] his enemies ['oyeb] together; [cakak] KJV-Interlinear

11 Therefore the Lord raises against them adversaries from Rezin, And spurs their enemies on, NASB

Therefore, is a summation of purpose and intent and result.  The northern nation of Israel, generally called Samaria or Ephraim, was to be judged because of their spiritual indifference and violations of truth.

They had sought the lies off the world, rather than the truth of God.  They pursued the enticements of the world and desired the lures of history, rather than the plan and promises of God.

And so because of the flirtations that Samaria had with evil, they would find themselves in a trap between evil and evil. 

The Syrians, whose leader was Rezin, which were on the eastern boundary, and the Philistines, a general term for foreign peoples, located on the other side of Samaria, or from the west, mentioned in the next verse.

When you ignore Gods word in your life, and that includes most people who are simply indifferent and do not take any of the Bible seriously, as well as people who try to take the Bible too seriously and pursue their own self defined interpretations, then the result is a life in evil.

There is only one source of truth and that truth can only be learned in an academic environment while in spiritual fellowship.

Most folks who present themselves as Christian, assume that they can be self-taught from hearsay, tradition, or emotional justification.  That is not learning doctrine.  Their opinions take precedence over doctrine.

And in either case, evil chosen, will live within evil surroundings.  And surrounded on all sides by evil, means only one result, disaster.

And as the Lord sets up people, simply means that they set themselves up, by themselves.  The Lord merely knows that when you choose evil, then evil will result and will come and get you.

The adversaries, means the princes of Rezin.  The adversaries of Samaria, find their leadership example and pattern in Rezin.  Rezin is evil.  Those who align with him are evil. Samaria chose evil and looked to evil for a partner.

All of this was designed to rise against Judah, which is symbolic of rising against God and truth.

These enemies will join, meaning they will rise up and pursue their enemy with an agitated and wild commotion.  They will pour down in to Samaria with enthusiasm and violence.

When you reject God, and reject His design for your life, and ignore your spiritual responsibilities, then you are only inviting evil in whatever form, to come and devour you and your life. And whose fault will that be?

Isaiah 9:10

Copyright Ó 2013 J. Neely

Isaiah 9:10

http://www.dailybiblestudy.org

10 The bricks [labenah] are fallen down, [naphal] but we will build [banah] with hewn stones: [gaziyth] the sycomores [shaqam] are cut down, [gada`] but we will change [chalaph] them into cedars. ['erez] KJV-Interlinear

10 "The bricks have fallen down, But we will rebuild with smooth stones; The sycamores have been cut down, But we will replace them with cedars."  NASB

The attitude continues with spiritually negative people.  They assume they are better than what they actually are.

They over compensate within their own minds despite all of their flaws.

And ultimately they are delusional, never learning, never figuring it all out.

Bricks are made of mud and clay and will waste away over time.

Hewn stones are a more solid material for construction and will last a much longer time than mud bricks.

Sycamores are abundant but less desirable than cedar trees.  Cedar is more beautiful, endures better, has a fresher scent.

And so the people of Ephraim knew very well the dismal and decaying state of their country.  And especially after it has been destroyed.  But their arrogance continues and their belief is that they can still, on their own, and without Gods help, do better – stone instead of brick, cedar instead of sycamore wood.

We will build. We will change them.

And all that they change is the material, or rather presume that they will be around to make that change.  And the change in the material of construction will be sufficient to improve their lives overall.

Now, since Adam was created, mans soul has not changed.

Your soul and mine, have human life, mentality, emotion, a frame of reference, categorical thinking, memory centers and so forth.  But too, we all have the sin nature ingrained not in our soul, but in our physical bodies.

What has changed in that regard from Adam’s time up to our current time?  Nothing.

We all sin.  We all have weaknesses.  We all require instruction and learning and understanding.  We all have our basic wants and needs.

Eve sinned because of her indifference.  She simply did not pay attention.  Adam paid attention but knowingly rejected Gods warning.  Both were guilty of arrogance.  Cain committed murder. And so the sin activity continued from way back then, up to our current day.  Not much has changed in the human soul in all of our history.

Technology has certainly changed from mud to steel, from walking to flying, from speaking to the internet.

So we have certainly improved on our bricks of life, but those bricks and technological improvements have not changed the human soul.  We can just do things faster, but we all still lack the basic ingredients in the soul that are necessary for eternity.

And so, Bible doctrine is what Adam needed, and it is what you need too.

All of the silk or cotton or electronic gadgets that you have, will not improve your self-completion as a person, because that requires a transformation of your soul, which is internal within you.

Isaiah 9:9

Copyright Ó 2013 J. Neely

Isaiah 9:9

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9 And all the people [`am] shall know, [yada`] even Ephraim ['Ephrayim] and the inhabitant [yashab] of Samaria, [Shomarown] that say ['amar] in the pride [ga`avah] and stoutness [godel] of heart, [lebab] KJV-Interlinear

9 And all the people know it, That is, Ephraim and the inhabitants of Samaria, Asserting in pride and in arrogance of heart: NASB

Both Ephraim and Samaria, are the tribe and capital of the northern kingdom, and the people that live there and follow the general consensus of the public opinions prevalent there.

Namely, the general anti-God attitude first, in rejecting the chosen leadership of David, and thereafter choosing their own line of leadership.  And second, in their departure from God, as symbolized by their separation from Judah, as a separate nation, not Gods chosen nation, but their own self chosen nation.

In their pride and stoutness of heart, is a phrase that indicates the ingrained attitude of self-confidence, self-resourcefulness, self-direction, self-lifestyle, all of which are separate and apart from God and Gods divine plan.

And the people shall know, is not an ‘I told you so.’  It is a statement of fact.

God has given to all, the warning of the judgments that are coming due to their negative spiritual attitude, and general indifference toward God.

And if you notice, from all of our bible studies, it is not really God who judges, but it is people who get themselves into trouble by ignoring truth.

In the case of Israel, they rejected truth.  And truth includes many things such as the principle studying in order to learn and prepare.  No preparation means defeat.  No military, means defeat.  No freedom means limited opportunity.  No liberty means too few decision makers which leads to limited innovation, limited prosperity, and so forth.

Lack of truth means weakness and weak choices, and dependence on something else.  Combine these two things with arrogance, which is really the foundation of all anti-truth attitudes, and you become a slave to something else, namely sin, such as greed, selfishness, and so forth.

The northern kingdom was greedy and overestimated their strength and ability.  They relied on Syria to bolster their strength, and both went down to defeat.  Judah relied on Assyria for their strength and was double crossed and defeated. 

Neither of the Israelite nations were strong, and to bolster their weakness, they turned to weakness and failed.

Their arrogance and stoutness of heart, made them blind to their own weaknesses, overestimating their own wisdom, and thus leading them to failure.  And in this case, that failure ended up in severe suffering for many.

Your arrogance and stubbornness in not pursuing your daily studies, can and will lead you to failure that may affect this life, but certainly will affect your eternal life. If you overestimate the value of your self-will, then you automatically underestimate the value of Gods will, and you always lose.

Isaiah 9:8

Copyright Ó 2013 J. Neely

Isaiah 9:8

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8 The Lord ['Adonay] sent [shalach] a word [dabar] into Jacob, [Ya`aqob] and it hath lighted [naphal] upon Israel. [Yisra'el] KJV-Interlinear

8 The Lord sends a message against Jacob, And it falls on Israel. NASB

The tone of the rest of the chapter now changes for the promise and certainty of God, to threats and warnings from God.

There are two kingdoms within the nation.  The northern kingdom made up of ten of the tribes, which assumed the name of Israel, and the southern kingdom called Judah.

Isaiah usually calls the northern kingdom Ephraim or Samaria, indicating the tribe, Ephraim, and the capital city, Samaria as the seat of power and government of that northern kingdom.

The nature of the nation is traditionally derived from its capital, its leaders, and so forth.

Judah, which is the southern kingdom, remained loyal to the line of David, while the northern kingdom rejected that line and went with another line of royalty in its leadership.

The line of David is of course the line of the Messiah. So rejecting the line of David is the same as rejecting the promised Messiah out of that line.

The northern kingdom was the first to reject the promised line of David, and they were the first to fall to invading enemies.

The southern kingdom eventually will reject the truth of the scriptures and the way of the proper spiritual life, and will fall into the legalism system of Judaism, over the next several centuries, and they will be the second to fall to enemies.

So the reference to Jacob here, designates the promised line, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and Jacobs name will be changed to Israel, the designated name of the nation, Israel.

But as Jacobs name is used, too, that precedes the changed name of Israel or the chosen nation, and leans toward the nation of the Hebrews, which is the genetic nation, not the spiritual nation.

This is the drifting away of the people back to their roots as Hebrews, which is a rejection, though subtle, of Gods promises, in a reliance on ancestry rather than on the spiritual promise.

And so the northern kingdom rejected the line of David and thus they rejected the Messiah, while the southern kingdom rejected the scriptures by substituting their own version of a messiah, namely legalism through Judaism.

These warnings are directed at all people, through specifically both kingdoms of Israel, for both rejecting by means of unbelief, and through rejection by means of substitutionary belief systems.  And this covers all forms of religions and philosophies and cults and so forth.

As goes the nation of Israel, so goes the world.  As goes attitude toward Jesus Christ and doctrine, so goes the repercussions of that attitude.

The word for Lord, ‘Adonay,’ is the proper use of the name.  The people refused the use Gods name and word in its proper sense.

God sent a word, or truth, and that was rejected or ignored by all.  People invent their own systems of belief through asceticism or lasciviousness, both of which are a rejection of truth.

Isaiah 9:7

Copyright Ó 2013 J. Neely

Isaiah 9:7

http://www.dailybiblestudy.org

7 Of the increase [marbeh] of his government [misrah] and peace [shalowm] there shall be no end, [qets] upon the throne [kicce'] of David, [David] and upon his kingdom, [mamlakah] to order [kuwn] it, and to establish [ca`ad] it with judgment [mishpat] and with justice [tsadaqah] from henceforth even for [`ad] ever. [`owlam] The zeal [qin'ah] of the LORD [Yahovah] of hosts [tsaba'] will perform [`asah] this. KJV-Interlinear

7 There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, On the throne of David and over his kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness From then on and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will accomplish this.  NASB

Increase, ‘marbeh,’ means great, greatness, expansion.

End, ‘qets,’ means extremity, border, utmost.

As a result of the Messiah’s rule, his government and rule and peace will know no end.  It will be limitless without boundaries, without restriction.  It will be infinite and contained by nothing.

The throne of David, designates the dynasty from which the Messiah will descend.  This makes clear, that this Messiah, is a descendant of David, a man, not from some other human genealogy, not of some other invented religion.

And upon his kingdom, relates to all who are a part of Gods kingdom.  This does not limit itself to Jews only, but too all who will be ruled by the Savior as a part of his kingdom, that is without limit or boundary.

To order it, means to establish and to set it or make it firm and permanent.

To establish, means to construct on a solid foundation, unmovable, perpetual, and enduring.

With judgment, means that Gods kingdom will be established with justice and righteousness.  Whereas most if not all other human kingdoms have come out of sin or injustice or out of the overthrow of others and so forth. 

Gods kingdom will be established with perfect fairness and justice and truth.

And forever.  This not only means for all of eternity, but also supports the principle that the ruler, being man, is also God, and able to rule forever.

The zeal of the Lord, indicates the mind set of God, the intent of Gods plan, the objective which benefits people who fall into line with Gods plan.  Zeal means jealousy or intended purpose.

God is so consumed with His own plan of truth, that this result will be accomplished with certainty.  God will never deviate from his divine plan, nor abandon it.

The Lord is the designation of the second person of the Trinity, the Son of God, who is identified with and is the same as the Messiah, the Savior, the infant male child who is to be born and was born, a descendant of David, who will be the ruler over the Kingdom of God, his own kingdom, established by himself.

He will perform this, means just that.  God will accomplish this plan in all of its detail and design and purpose without exception.  And on this all believers can rely and know and have assurance that they too will have a destiny just as God has designed.