2. Measurement by God's standard 9:8-10:4

This section of the book focuses on the Northern Kingdom, and it ties in with the section immediately preceding concerning the Messiah (9:2-7). It explains why Ephraim's plans against Judah would fail. They would not fail because of Ahaz's alliance with Assyria but because God would frustrate them. Ephraim would not go into captivity because she lacked sufficient military strength but because she failed to measure up to the standard God had set for her. This standard lay in the area of moral rectitude rather than military resources.

This section, a poem, consists of four strophes each ending with the refrain, "In spite of all this His anger does not turn away and His hand is still stretched out"(vv. 12, 17, 21; 10:4). The progression of thought is from pride to flawed leadership to selfishness to social injustice.

 The pride of Ephraim 9:8-12

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.

 The corruption of Ephraim's leaders 9:13-17

9:13-14 Since the Lord's discipline of the nation would not cause her to repent, He would cut off her leadership abruptly and suddenly. This would make her see her need of Him clearer. Isaiah described the totality of leadership as the head and tail of this national animal. Some leaders were eminent, as the erect palm branch, while others were lowly, like the bowing bulrush.

9:15-16 By the head, Isaiah meant the leading person, and by the tail, the false prophet. The leaders were leading the people astray by strengthening their self-confidence rather than urging them to trust Yahweh. Typically this results in leaders saying and doing things only to lengthen their own tenure in positions of power.

9:17 Therefore the Lord would not give the young men success in battle nor would He take care of the defenseless at home. The people's corruption had descended to disregarding God, doing evil, and saying right is wrong and wrong right. Consequently judgment would proceed.

 The selfishness of everyone 9:18-21

9:18 Wickedness is not a little misguided playfulness but rebellion against God's order for life.¹²⁶It proceeds from a little fire to a raging inferno because, like fire, wickedness has an insatiable appetite.

9:19 The Lord of armies uses human sin to consume sinners, and people consume one another trying to satisfy their own desires.

9:20-21 They even consume themselves to satisfy themselves. The tribes of Israel were consuming each other for the same purpose, even brother tribes like Ephraim and Manasseh that had come from one father, Joseph (cf. Judg. 12:1-6). The Hebrews described the members of their own tribe or family as their arm because they supported and sustained them. Whereas Judah had defended his brothers in the days of the patriarchs (Gen. 44:18-34), now the descendants of Joseph were trying to destroy the descendants of Judah. For this reason God's hand of judgment was still extended against Ephraim.

 The oppression of the helpless 10:1-4

10:1-2 The Ephraimite leaders were using their positions to deprive the needy of their rights and to obtain what the poor had for themselves. They were evidently favoring legislation that resulted in these ends as well as perverting the justice that was in place in the Mosaic system. The situation was so bad in Israel that the Lord had to abandon His customary defense of the defenseless.

10:3-4 When God brought Ephraim into judgment she would have nowhere to hide and no one to protect her (cf. Matt. 24:45-51). Then she would be the needy without defense or recourse. For the fourth time, God promised that he would judge Ephriam (cf. 9:12, 17, 21).

Ephraim had more reason to fear God than she had to fear Assyria. Yahweh would discipline her because of her pride, corrupt leadership, selfishness, and oppression of her vulnerable citizens. She would not suffer defeat because of military inferiority but for moral inadequacy.