9:1.
“Nevertheless the dimness shall not be such as was in her vexation, when at
the first he lightly afflicted the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali,
and afterward did more grievously afflict her by the way of the sea, beyond
Jordan, in Galilee of the nations.”
Taylor
translates this verse, “Nevertheless, that time of darkness and despair
shall not go on forever. Though soon the land of Zebulon and Naphtali will
be under God’s contempt and judgment, yet in the future these very lands -
Galilee and Northern Trans-Jordan, where lies the road to the Sea, will be
filled with glory.”
The New
English Bible
renders it,
“For there is no escape for an oppressed people. For, while the first
invader has dealt lightly with the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali,
the second has dealt heavily with Galilee of the Nations on the road beyond
Jordan to the sea.”
All the OT
oppressors of Israel were but forerunners of Rome, who in AD 70, under
Titus, sacked Jerusalem, and carried multitudes into captivity, the few who
escaped being scattered among virtually all the other nations, where they
remained until 1948, when they began returning under the British mandate
which restored them Palestine as their homeland.
9:2.
“The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell
in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.”
The great
light was the Lord Jesus Christ, He Himself declaring, “I am the light of
the world,” John 8:12.
Though the
prophet was speaking about 700 years before Christ, he used the prophetic
perfect present tense because the fulfillment of his words was as certain as
though already accomplished.
The “land of
the shadow of death” was Palestine, but in a broader context it describes
this world over which Death reigned until the Lord by His own vicarious
death vanquished the power of death.
9:3.
“Thou hast multiplied the nation, and not increased the joy: they joy before
thee according to the joy in harvest, and as men rejoice when they divide
the spoil.”
“not” is
generally recognized as being a wrong translation, for the context, and
virtually every other translation, make it clear that God had
increased the joy. He had multiplied the nation, and caused them to rejoice
with the same joy as is exhibited when an abundant harvest is gathered in,
or when victory in battle has yielded much spoil.
9:4,
“For thou hast broken the yoke of his burden, and the staff of his shoulder,
the rod of his oppressor, as in the day of Midian.”
Taylor’s
translation reads, “For God will break the chains that bind His people and
the whip that scourges them, just as He did when He destroyed the vast host
of the Midianites by Gideon’s little band.”
For details of
Gideon’s victory, see Judges chapter 7, Gideon being a type of Christ, and
his miraculous victory over the Midianites foreshadowing that of Christ over
Satan and all his hosts at Calvary, the Lord’s victory being beautifully
described by the hymnist,
In weakness
and defeat
He won the
mead and crown,
Trod all His
foes beneath His feet
By being
trodden down.
9:5.
“For every battle of the warrior is with confused noise, and garments rolled
in blood; but this shall be with burning and fuel of fire.”
The ASV
renders this “For all the armor of the armed man in the tumult, and the
garments rolled in blood, shall be for burning, for fuel of fire,” and the
NEB translates it, “All the boots of trampling soldiers and the garment
fouled with blood shall become a burning mass, fuel for fire.”
This continues
to point metaphorically to the Lord’s great victory at Calvary, which
resulted in the utter defeat of Satan and the powers of darkness, their ultimate
end being to be cast into the eternal torment of the awful lake of fire, see
Revelation 20:10.
9:6.
“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government
shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful,
Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”
The child is
Christ, His coming into the world as a child pointing not just to His
incarnation, but to His complete identification with humanity. A child is
the link by which a parent’s life is continued through succeeding
generations, and relative to believers our link with Christ ensures the
eternal continuance of our life with Him in heaven. And what vistas are
opened to us in that one stupendous fact! We are the children of Him Whose
name is Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, the
Prince of Peace! And because He will live for ever, so will we live with
Him, being possessed of His life, and His nature, see Hebrews 2:13, “...
Behold I and the children whom God hath given me,” and again 1 John 4:17,
“... as He is so are we in this world.”
Wonderful
describes His person and also His work. Counselor speaks of His
perfect wisdom as Governor, not just of the earth, but of the universe.
The mighty God declares His omnipotence. The everlasting Father
tells us of His eternal paternal care for those who become His children by
trusting Him as Savior and Lord. The Prince of Peace describes Him as
the One Who not only gives to believers present peace that passes all
understanding, but Who will also bring eternal peace to all creation, "He,
having made peace by the blood of His cross," Colossians 1:20.
9:7.
“Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the
throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it
with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever.”
This looks on
to the millennial reign of Christ which will follow the seven years of the
now imminent Tribulation. During that glorious thousand-year era a literal
descendant of David will sit on the throne in Jerusalem as Christ’s regent,
exercising dominion over the whole world, while the Lord Jesus Christ will
be ruling from the heavenly Jerusalem.
That the king
on the throne in Jerusalem during the Millennium will be Christ’s regent,
and not the Lord himself, is made clear by the fact that that prince will
offer sacrifices, see Ezekiel 46, something the Lord Jesus Christ, having
offered himself without spot to God once, will never do again, see Hebrews
10:12-14, “But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for
ever, sat down on the right hand of God; from henceforth expecting till his
enemies be made his footstool. For by one offering he hath perfected for
ever them that are sanctified.”
9:8.
“The Lord sent a word into Jacob, and it hath lighted upon Israel.”
The
Amplified Bible
renders this, “The Lord has sent a word against Jacob [the ten tribes] and
it has lighted upon Israel [the ten tribes, the kingdom of Ephraim].
As has been
discussed already, when the name Jacob is used the message relates to the
flesh; but when the name Israel is used, it has reference to the spirit.
The present use of both names therefore, indicates that this message
concerned believer and unbeliever alike, and reminds us that believers are
sometimes called upon to share in the general suffering resulting from God’s
chastisement of unbelievers; His correction being designed to bring the
unconverted to repentant faith in Christ; and at the same time to test and
strengthen the faith of believers, as it is written, “Wherein ye greatly
rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through
manifold temptations: that the trial of your faith, being much more precious
than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found
unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ,” 1 Peter
1:6-7.
9:9.
“And all the people shall know, even Ephraim and the inhabitant of Samaria
(meaning guardianship), that say in the pride and stoutness
(arrogance) of heart,”
9:10.
“The bricks are fallen down, but we will build with hewn stones: the
sycomores are cut down, but we will change them into cedars.”
In spite of the punishment with which they had been visited, the
people boasted that they would build even more magnificent buildings than
those that had been destroyed, using hewn stones instead of bricks; and
cedarwood instead of cheaper timber. Divine chastisement had been wasted,
for they had failed to perceive God’s voice in what had befallen them.
Nor has
anything changed. Today’s world refuses to see His hand, or hear His voice,
in natural disasters, for example; and with the same arrogant pride that
motivated His rebellious earthly people long ago, they simply erect more
magnificent structures than those He has destroyed. For example, the small
minority that has dared to suggest that the appalling destruction of The
World Trade Center, and the virtual destruction of New Orleans, might be
God’s judgment upon the wickedness of today’s society, has been ridiculed
and scorned.
He who sees in
these catastrophes foreshadowings of those that will devastate the world in
the now imminent Great Tribulation, is much more likely to be judging
rightly than are those who refuse to even consider such a possibility.
9:11.
“Therefore God shall set up the adversaries of Rezin against him, and join
his enemies together;”
9:12.
“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.”
Israel’s folly in looking to Rezin for aid is declared in the fact that
God was going to destroy Rezin by bringing against him the Syrians and the
Philistines who would then swallow up Israel. Nor would even this appease
Jehovah’s anger. The provocation offered by Israel’s alliances with heathen
nations warranted still greater punishment. The lesson being taught in all
of this is that which is declared explicitly in 2 Corinthians 6:14-17, “Be
ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath
righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with
darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? Or what part hath he
that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God
with idols? For ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I
will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they
shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate,
saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and
will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the
Lord Almighty.”
9:13.
“For the people turneth not unto him that smiteth them, neither do they seek
the Lord of hosts.”
In spite of
the chastisement that was meant to turn them back repentantly to God for
blessing, they stiffened their necks and hardened their hearts all the
more. And so is it still: the more God chastises an unbelieving world, the
more it rebels against Him. And regrettably multitudes of those who profess
to be believers present the same rebellious response to His chastisement.
9:14.
“Therefore the Lord will cut off from Israel head and tail, branch and rush,
in one day.”
9:15.
“The ancient and honorable, he is the head; and the prophet that teacheth
lies, he is the tail.”
The “head”
represents those in government, from the highest to the lowest, while
“branch and rush” describes the greatest to the least of the ordinary
citizens. (A rush is a small worthless reed that grows in poor damp soil).
In one day God would cut off the whole nation; and as has been discussed
already, all the past near-complete destructions of Israel point to the one
which is still future, but very near: that of the coming Great Tribulation,
relative to which it is written, “For then shall be great tribulation, such
as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall
be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be
saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened,” Matthew
24:21-22.
Today’s
equivalent of the OT false prophets are the false teachers with which
apostate Christendom swarms.
9:16.
“For the leaders of this people cause them to err; and they that are led of
them are destroyed.”
The NT
counterparts of the OT leaders who misguided the people, are
the elders and
teachers who carry on the same iniquitous work in the churches of
Christendom; and only he who is spiritually blind will fail to comprehend
the extent to which, under their guidance, the great apostate church has
become a travesty of the true Church, and with the same fatal results: their
blinded dupes who think they are on the narrow way to heaven, are instead on
the broad and crowded road to destruction: hell and the lake of fire.
9:17.
“Therefore the Lord shall have no joy in their young men, neither shall have
mercy on their fatherless and widows: for everyone is an hypocrite and an
evildoer, and every mouth speaketh folly. For all this his anger is not
turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.”
This
description of Israel’s hypocrisy and evildoing is exactly the same as that
which applies to present-day apostate Christendom; and as the evildoing of
OT Israel provoked God’s wrath, so does that of today’s professing, but
apostate church.
“... his hand
is stretched out still” means not that He was extending mercy, but that His
hand was raised ready to strike in anger.
9:18.
“For wickedness burneth as the fire: it shall devour the briers and thorns,
and shall kindle in the thickets of the forest, and they shall mount up like
the lifting up of smoke.”
As a fire in a
thicket of briers spreads quickly setting ablaze the whole forest, and
sending up huge clouds of smoke that blot out the sun, so had Israel’s sin
also spread, overshadowing the land with a pall of evil that obscured the
light of the knowledge of God. Only spiritually blind eyes will fail to see
that the same symbolic picture portrays today’s Christendom.
9:19.
“Through the wrath of the Lord of hosts is the land darkened, and the people
shall be as the fuel of the fire: no man shall spare his brother.”
The portrait
continues to be of Israel’s deeper descent into the darkness of an immoral
abyss; and the same symbolic picture might well be labeled, “Today’s
apostate Christendom.”
“... the
people shall be as the fuel of the fire,” declares the truth that the
people’s wickedness had made them the objects of Divine wrath; and who will
deny that the people of this present age are to be charged with the same
folly!
“... no man
shall spare his brother,” describes a hardhearted selfishness virtually void
of personal pity. The description fits today’s society, nor should anyone
be misled by the activity of the social welfare organizations which minister
to the needs of the destitute. The activity is as impersonal as that of a
machine. There is no personal pity. It is simply a tool for the prevention
of the lawlessness to which some are driven by want.
9:20.
“And he shall snatch on the right hand, and be hungry; and he shall eat on
the left hand, and they shall not be satisfied; they shall eat every man the
flesh of his own arm.”
This continues
the picture of society in rebellion against God, and therefore callously
indifferent to the state of others, with the result that misery hangs like a
pall over everything. Every man’s eating the flesh of his own arm is a
dramatic metaphor
emphasizing
the absence of filial affection; and while the ultimate application is to
conditions in the coming Great Tribulation, there is abundant evidence that
that same baleful blight is already working in society, and indicating the
imminence of the Great Tribulation.
9:21.
“Manasseh, Ephraim;
and Ephraim, Manasseh: and they together shall be against Judah. For all
this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.”
The literal
internecine tribal warfare that existed in Israel, points not only to that
which has existed between the nations even to the present: it speaks also of
that which has ravaged the Church through the two thousand years of her
existence, and which continues today, to God’s displeasure and dishonor, His
desire being expressed in the words, “Behold, how good and how pleasant it
is for brethren to dwell together in unity,” Psalm 133:1, His exhortation
being, “I ... beseech you that ye walk worth of the vocation wherewith ye
are called, with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing
one another in love; endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond
of peace,” Ephesians 4:1-3.
It is
instructive to note also that the warfare of Manasseh and Ephraim was
against Judah, which means praise, i.e., worship. The divisions
within the Church have destroyed the spirit and form of scriptural worship,
with the result that the travesty which now passes for worship is as far
from the Divine ideal as is night from day. All of the divisions within the
Church have provoked God’s anger; and “his hand ... stretched out still”
means not that it is extended in blessing, but in wrath because of the
schisms which have rent the professing church into a thousand warring
factions.
