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Isaiah 9-12 Deep Diving Bible Study

 

Good Morning, Siblings! 
Today’s readings are Isaiah 9-12

Click here to read today’s passages on BibleGateway.

Rabbit Trails 

Today, the lines between history and prophecy are blurring even more! There is so much happening in these chapters that it’s hard to find single points to focus on so today I’m going to dance around among several points. 

In reading today’s passages I see a lot of prophecy that is being fulfilled in our time but one thing I’ve found is that the Father reveals and conceals in His own time, for His own good purposes, and according to His wisdom.
So what may seem like history to some may seem as prophecy being fulfilled to others, and what may seem current to some may appear as a far off impossibility to the person standing next to them.

Remember: He reveals and conceals in His own time, for His own good purposes, and according to His wisdom.

Have you ever wondered how a fellow Believer can see something so entirely different from how you see it – especially when both of you are dedicated readers of the Word?
It could be that the Father has revealed something to one of you and not revealed it to the other, and hidden something from one of you and not hidden it from the other – for His own good purposes and according to His wisdom.
So don’t be so quick to judge a brother or sister’s stance on a current situation. If you see in their life that they are walking in the way of the Father, it could be that He is using one or both of you to help advance His plan and part of that plan means He needs to limit or increase knowledge in a certain area or of a certain event or situation.

Realizing this has kept me from thinking I was crazy-cat-crazy on more than one occasion!

“The secret things belong to YHWH our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.” Deut 29:29

Chapter 9  Gets even further into some serious Messianic prophecy! Bear in mind this book was written about 700 years before Messiah was born.

Isaiah 9:10 Many believe that this verse is a prophecy that was fulfilled with the Sycamore tree that was felled on 9/11 and replaced with a Cedar tree. That tree was named the Tree of Hope and it died recently. No matter how much care and attention was given, they could not save it. If you are interested in this rabbit trail, there are a lot of articles and such about it on the internet – make sure you read at least a few so you don’t just end up with one person’s opinion.

Random note: “For all this his anger has not turned away, and his hand is stretched out still.” is repeated at the end of verses 9:12, 9:18, 9:21. and 10:4.

Isaiah 9:17 tells us more of the state of this culture and society. While our western mindsets may be put off by reading that YHWH is not going to have compassion on the fatherless and widows, we need to pay special care as to the reason why. “Everyone is godless and an evildoer”. These were not your run of the mill citizens. As much grace and compassion as YHWH shows to His children, to the thousandth generation, we have to take that into account when we see Him declare every single person in a group to be godless and evil.

Isaiah 9:19 gives us a fuller picture of the culture. While the wrath of YHWH is burning against them, they themselves act as fuel to the fire, showing no compassion to one another in their evil state. Have you see this lately? I sure have. When the Father allows us to see these things happening around us they serve as both a reminder and warning that we must be at His feet daily lest we be swept away with the current of evil roaring through our world.

Isaiah 9:21 This is a statement regarding infighting among brethren, warring among themselves, and together they will be set against Judah and some people see the lost tribe of Ephraim as representative of the church today.
In the past several years I’ve come to agree with that but time will tell. Keep in mind that being right 100% of the time is a privilege that belongs only to YHWH. 

Sidenote: We will often see “House of Jacob” and “Remnant of Jacob” along with “House of Israel” and “Remnant of Israel”. Remember that Israel’s name was Jacob until YHWH changed it to Israel. Also recall that anyone grafted in through Messiah is considered Israel spiritually throughout the Bible. (Romans 11 covers this, as do other verses we will read)

Isaiah 10:20-27  There is a lot to be concerned with in this book but always, the Father reminds us that there will be a remnant who return to Him and who He will gather beneath His wings. I take great comfort in the passage below.

The Remnant of Israel Will Return

20 In that day the remnant of Israel and the survivors of the house of Jacob will no more lean on him who struck them, but will lean on the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, in truth. 21 A remnant will return, the remnant of Jacob, to the mighty God. 22 For though your people Israel be as the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them will return. Destruction is decreed, overflowing with righteousness. 23 For the Lord God of hosts will make a full end, as decreed, in the midst of all the earth.

24 Therefore thus says the Lord God of hosts: “O my people, who dwell in Zion, be not afraid of the Assyrians when they strike with the rod and lift up their staff against you as the Egyptians did. 25 For in a very little while my fury will come to an end, and my anger will be directed to their destruction. 26 And the Lord of hosts will wield against them a whip, as when he struck Midian at the rock of Oreb. And his staff will be over the sea, and he will lift it as he did in Egypt. 27 And in that day his burden will depart from your shoulder, and his yoke from your neck; and the yoke will be broken because of the fat.” Isaiah 10:20-27

Isaiah 11:1 As you read this, recall that In Matthew chapter 1 we read in the genealogy of Messiah that He was a direct descendant of Jesse, who was the father of King David.

At the beginning of Isaiah 11, we see a prophecy that, to us, sounds like it is speaking of Messiah. However, many people see this as referring to King David. In truth, it could be condensed to fit King David in many ways and if your vision was limited by your current knowledge I can easily see how that would be the narrative that made the most sense. However, this is a great example of why it is more important to know the word itself rather than someone’s interpretation of the word. Many of the Pharisees fell victim to focusing more in the interpretation rather than the word and that is why they did not recognize Messiah when He came. He didn’t meet their idea of what Messiah would look like, act like, and do.

Today, all the rage is studying Revelations as many feel we are living in the end times and they want to point at specific events and place them in the context of the Bible as great “aha!” moments. However, we need to keep in mind that most of what we read about in Revelation was written by a man who was doing his best to describe visions of the future. We will read of great iron beasts, multiple headed creatures, etc. To a man of that time, I imagine a lot of modern military equipment could fit that description.

Am I saying that is what John was referring to? No. I’m not. I’m simply saying that if we read a book of future prophecy and try to apply it to things in our world today, we greatly risk falling into the trap of focusing more on the interpretation of the Word than we do knowing the Word itself. We need to know the Word and be open to how YHWH will manifest it. That way, we will be able to recognize prophecy coming true in its purest form, rather than risk rejecting the hand of YHWH because He didn’t behave in exactly the way that our hard headed, thick necked, western brains decided He should.

Isaiah 11:12-14 References a GREAT reconciliation of Jews and Gentiles. Recall who some believe Ephraim represents as you read this. If you’re looking for understanding of these verses, Romans 11 does offer a great deal of clarity and explanation.
This is a prophecy that many see coming true in our time as those who call upon the name of YHWH are reconciled together.

Y’all, miracles are happening and many reading this are playing an active part in that. This is a bit much to put here and I’m not comfortable going into detail in short statements and without a one-on-one opportunity to show you Scripture and explain, but suffice it to say that each of us, in different ways, are fulfilling prophecy in returning to the Father.

Isaiah 12:2 is so beautiful and I have to tell you something really special that makes it even more so.

“Behold, God is my salvation – I will trust and will not be afraid” ~Isaiah 12:2

-Guess what the Hebrew word for salvation is? Yeshua
-Guess what Yeshua is?
The actual name that Jesus was called and answered to in His time here on earth.
Salvation, literally, is His name.

Behold, God is my Yeshua – I will trust and not be afraid.

When this is said in Hebrew by those who don’t know who our Messiah is for a time (as foretold), they are saying our Messiah’s name. They don’t recognize it because He is mostly known by His Greek name rather than His Hebrew name, but all the more reason for us to know it and use it. Once the Father puts all the pieces of the puzzle in place for them, they will recognize His name as one that has crossed their lips countless times in this context. Behold, YHWH is my Yeshua – I will trust and not be afraid. Reading the rest of this chapter just drives this concept of Yeshua home all the more.

We must not get haughty with this, though, because we are missing pieces to the puzzle as well. And I do believe we will be pretty surprised when we find that the brethren who are missing the pieces we hold – are holding the pieces we are missing.


Test everything, hold tight to what is good.~ 1 Thess 5:21

We are saved by Grace alone: Obedience is not the root of our salvation, it is the fruit!

May YHWH bless the reading of His Word!