Apostasy and the returning remnant
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¶ Woe unto them that decree unrighteous decrees, and that write grievousness
which they have prescribed;
2 To turn aside the needy from judgment, and to take away the right from the poor of my people, that widows may be their prey, and that they may rob the fatherless! 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? 4 Without me they shall bow down under the prisoners, and they shall fall under the slain. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still. |
1
- Woe to them Scanning through the next verses, we see a
time of apostasy of God's people. They would go into captivity by Assyria,
then Babylon. After living under Roman rule for a time their apostasy would
turn from man made idols to oppressive man-made rules.
2 - Turn ... needy from judgment For example, lu1802, mr1240. 3 - Visitation ... desolation The Jewish nation would be hurt by Assyria, but in the greater picture would suffer and be made desolate for rejecting their Messiah mt2337. |
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O Assyrian, the rod of mine anger, and the staff in their hand is mine
indignation.
.6 I will send him against an hypocritical 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. 7 Howbeit he meaneth not so, neither doth his heart think so; but it is in his heart to destroy and cut off nations not a few. .8 For he saith, Are not my princes altogether 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, and 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? |
5
- Assyrian, the rod God uses situations to punish and thus
draw us to see our need for Him. The actions of the Assyrians were wicked.
God did not make them sin. It was their choice which He permitted to help
people see their own sin. See on 2ki1718.
Also is0720.
6 - Send ... against an hypocritical... See pr2101. At this time Samaria had already been subdued so reference is to Judah. 6 - Charge ... take spoil The Lord sent Assyria against Israel and Damacus is0804 as well as against Judah. 7 - He [Assyria] meaneth not The Assyrian king and associates were not intending to carry out the will of the almighty God. Satan had inspired their cruelty and conquest. 9 - Calno as Carchemish Assyria had a vast empire. The city of Calno (or Calneh built by Nimrod ge1010) had been taken in 738. And Carchemish "on the Euphrates. Taken afterwards by Necho, king of Egypt; and retaken by Nebuchadnezzar: by the Euphrates (Jer 46:2) (JFB)." |
| 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 saith, By the strength of my hand I have done it, and by my wisdom; for I am prudent: and I have removed the bounds of the people, and have robbed their treasures, and I have put down the inhabitants like a valiant man: 14 And my hand hath found as a nest the riches of the people: and as one gathereth eggs that are left, have I gathered all the earth; and there was none that moved the wing, or opened the mouth, or peeped. |
12
- Zion "the royal residence, the court, princes and nobles;
as distinguished from 'Jerusalem,' the people in general." (JFB)
13 - I am prudent The Assyrian monarch sees his success as a result of his own wisdom and not on God. |
| 15 Shall the axe boast
itself against him that heweth therewith? or shall the saw magnify itself
against him that shaketh it? as if the rod should shake itself against
them that lift it up, or as if the staff should lift up itself, as if it
were no wood.
.16 Therefore shall the Lord, the Lord of hosts, send among his fat ones leanness; and under his glory he shall kindle a burning like the burning of a fire. |
15
- Shall the axe boast? Compare the story of the clay and
the potter is2916.
15 - Shaketh it That is, moves it back and forth in cutting. 16 - Fat ones As a metaphor, "fat," indicates prosperity de3120 or "fertility" ge2728 or "wealth" je0528 or "strength" ps7831 or insensitivity ps11970, is0610. The literal meaning of "fat" is used to describe sacrifices le04. Apparently the leanness sent by the Lord in the present verse indicates that the soldiers would no longer be strong. |
| 17 And the light of
Israel shall be for a fire, and his Holy One for a flame: and it shall
burn and devour his thorns and his briers in one day;
18 And shall consume the glory of his forest, and of his fruitful field, both soul and body: and they shall be as when a standardbearer fainteth. 19 And the rest of the trees of his forest shall be few, that a child may write them. |
17
- Israel be for a fire Wicked are destroyed
by light and truth re1915.
18 - Holy one ... shall burn and devour Evil people are often seen as proud trees to be destroyed ez3103-18, da0410-26, is3027-33. 19 - Rest ... few An example is the loss of Sennacherib's army at the gates of Jerusalem. The few who remained could be counted by a child is3736.. |
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¶ And it shall come to pass in that day, that the remnant of Israel,
and such as are escaped of the house of Jacob, shall no more again stay
[rely] upon him that smote them; but shall stay upon the LORD, the Holy
One of Israel, in truth.
.21 The 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, yet a remnant of them shall return: the consumption decreed shall overflow with righteousness. 23 For the Lord GOD of hosts shall make a consumption, even determined, in the midst of all the land. |
20
- Remnant ... escaped Some would escape the Assyrian invasion.
21 - Remnant Those who return from times of apostasy are the few who are left. 22 - Israel be as sand Some would escape. See the promise ge2217, ge3212. |
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¶ Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD of hosts, O my people that dwellest
in Zion, be not afraid of the Assyrian: he shall smite thee with a rod,
and shall lift up his staff against thee, after the manner of Egypt.
25 For yet a very little while, and the indignation shall cease, and mine anger in their destruction. .26 And the LORD of hosts shall stir up a scourge for him according to the slaughter of Midian at the rock of Oreb: and as his rod was upon the sea, so shall he lift it up after the manner of Egypt. .27 And it shall come to pass in that day, that his burden shall be taken away from off thy shoulder, and his yoke from off thy neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing. |
24
- The Assyrian Sennacherib leading his army in continuing
conquest.
25 - Indignation ... cease Punishment from God. 26 - Lord ... stir up a scourge "In is0904 Isaiah had referred to breaking the oppressor's rod as in the days of Midian. jg0719-25. |
| 28 He is come to Aiath,
he is passed to Migron; at Michmash he hath laid up his carriages:
.29 They are gone over the passage: they have taken up their lodging at Geba; Ramah is afraid; Gibeah of Saul is fled. 30 Lift up thy voice, O daughter of Gallim: cause it to be heard unto Laish, O poor Anathoth. 31 Madmenah is removed; the inhabitants of Gebim gather themselves to flee. .32 As yet shall he remain at Nob that day: he shall shake his hand against the mount of the daughter of Zion, the hill of Jerusalem. |
28 - He is come to The Assyrian v24. The mention of various towns marks the conquest. For Gibeah See map, north of Jerusalem. |
| .33
Behold, the Lord, the LORD of hosts, shall lop the bough with terror: and
the high ones of stature shall be hewn down, and the haughty shall be humbled.
34 And he shall cut down the thickets of the forest with iron, and Lebanon shall fall by a mighty one. |
The theme continues into the next chapter. |
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