Isaiah explained that because the Northern Kingdom had not turned to Him for safety but to an alliance with Syria, He would not defend her from her enemy.123
". . . thesin for Isaiah, the source of all other sin, is the pride which exalts humanity above God, which makes God but a tool for the achievement of our plans and dreams."124
9:8 The prophet announced that God had pronounced a message (Heb. dabar, word) of judgment against the Northern Kingdom. It had all the force of Yahweh's sovereign power behind it, but it would come subject to Ephraim's continuing on the course it presently pursued.125
9:9a Everyone in Ephraim and Samaria would know the truth of God's word.
9:9b-10 These people had demonstrated their pride by claiming that if some things were destroyed by invaders they would replace them with better things. They planned to overcome any disaster through their own work rather than by looking to the Lord for help.
9:11-12 Because of this pride Yahweh would raise up strong adversaries from the northeast and the southwest, the Syrians and the Philistines (cf. Num. 20:12; 2 Sam. 11:27). He would teach them that they could not overcome these enemies on their own and needed His salvation. Yet in spite of these judgments the Lord's anger would still be against Ephraim and His hand of judgment would be stretched out against her because she would not repent.
