Day 163: Isaiah 9-12

Yesterday I was thinking about how God says He will use the evil Assyrians to carry out His punishment on the Israelites. The Assyrians, by all accounts, were a savage people. But when God is finished using them for His purposes they will receive what they deserve...

When the Lord has finished all his work against Mount Zion and Jerusalem, he will say, “I will punish the king of Assyria for the willful pride of his heart and the haughty look in his eyes. For he says:
   “‘By the strength of my hand I have done this,
   and by my wisdom, because I have understanding.
I removed the boundaries of nations,
   I plundered their treasures;
   like a mighty one I subdued their kings. (10:12-13)

I couldn't help but notice that the reason they were being punished wasn't simply for their barbarism but for their pride. They took the credit for what they had done and thought it was because of their power and wisdom...but they were just a tool in the hand of the living God. It's an easy trap to fall into...to think we are the master designer when the reality is we're just a tool.

In the midst of prophesying destruction God makes sure to give the message of hope...

Therefore this is what the Lord, the LORD Almighty, says:
   “My people who live in Zion,
   do not be afraid of the Assyrians,
who beat you with a rod
   and lift up a club against you, as Egypt did.
Very soon my anger against you will end
   and my wrath will be directed to their destruction.” (10:24-25)

Knowing a little of the history of what happens...that the Assyrians destroy Israel and Judah and take the Jewish people captive but eventually the Assyrians are then overrun by the Babylonians who inherit the Jews as captives...knowing this makes it a little easier to understand the prophecies made before any of it happens. But I think that if you heard it at the time it was given...before any of it came about...it would be very hard to understand what was going to happen. The only thing you would probably understand for sure was that you had really messed up and that God was angry at you enough that He was going to make something really bad happen to you. I think this may be our difficulty in reading prophecies of the end times. The only thing we can understand for sure is that God is in control...He will eventually win and when all is said and done we will be with Him. The details, however, are a little foggy until after it all plays out.

A couple more prophecies that are interpreted in the NT as referring to Jesus:

For to us a child is born,
   to us a son is given,
   and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
   Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
   Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the greatness of his government and peace
   there will be no end.
He will reign on David’s throne
   and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it
   with justice and righteousness
   from that time on and forever.
The zeal of the LORD Almighty
   will accomplish this. (9:6-7)

 A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse;
   from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.
The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him—
   the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
   the Spirit of counsel and of might,
   the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the LORD—
and he will delight in the fear of the LORD. (11:1-3)