THE OTHER CHRISTMAS READING
Opening Prayer
Gracious God, the depths of your love for me are beyond my comprehension. I am so grateful that you choose to use me for your glory.
Read ISAIAH 9:8–21
The Lord’s Anger Against Israel
8 The Lord has sent a message against Jacob;
it will fall on Israel.
9 All the people will know it—
Ephraim and the inhabitants of Samaria—
who say with pride
and arrogance of heart,
10 “The bricks have fallen down,
but we will rebuild with dressed stone;
the fig trees have been felled,
but we will replace them with cedars.”
11 But the Lord has strengthened Rezin’s foes against them
and has spurred their enemies on.
12 Arameans from the east and Philistines from the west
have devoured Israel with open mouth.
Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away,
his hand is still upraised.
13 But the people have not returned to him who struck them,
nor have they sought the Lord Almighty.
14 So the Lord will cut off from Israel both head and tail,
both palm branch and reed in a single day;
15 the elders and dignitaries are the head,
the prophets who teach lies are the tail.
16 Those who guide this people mislead them,
and those who are guided are led astray.
17 Therefore the Lord will take no pleasure in the young men,
nor will he pity the fatherless and widows,
for everyone is ungodly and wicked,
every mouth speaks folly.
Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away,
his hand is still upraised.
18 Surely wickedness burns like a fire;
it consumes briers and thorns,
it sets the forest thickets ablaze,
so that it rolls upward in a column of smoke.
19 By the wrath of the Lord Almighty
the land will be scorched
and the people will be fuel for the fire;
they will not spare one another.
20 On the right they will devour,
but still be hungry;
on the left they will eat,
but not be satisfied.
Each will feed on the flesh of their own offspring[a]:
21 Manasseh will feed on Ephraim, and Ephraim on Manasseh;
together they will turn against Judah.
Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away,
his hand is still upraised.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 9:20 Or arm
New International Version (NIV)Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
There are times when everything seems to be against us. Like a cruel game of dominoes, the pieces of life seem to fall down, despite our best efforts. Remember and reflect: God is for us, not against us.This uncomfortable passage is connected to one of the most popular readings of Christmas time (9:2–7). But this is the other reading, the one that is rarely heard. The earlier words of comfort had given way to judgment. The focus had shifted. The first seven verses of the chapter were addressed to people groups who felt abandoned; although they walked in darkness, a great light was about to shine upon them. But this reading speaks of judgment.
These verses were addressed to the northern kingdom of Israel, established after civil war around 930 BC. After the death of Solomon and the accession of his son, Rehoboam, the unity of the kingdom dissolved into warring factions. Ten tribes formed the new nation of Israel, leaving Judah and Benjamin as the only tribes in the south.
But why this unremitting judgment? Part of the answer appears in verse 9: their national characteristic was pride and arrogance. Instead of seeking the Lord and affirming the covenant he made with them, they had courted new political friends. If pride comes before a fall, then Israel’s collapse would be deadly. How might these verses speak to our own times?
Apply
Are there areas in your life where you need the Lord’s strength to be made known in your weakness, where you need to know his great light breaking over you?
Closing prayer
Almighty God, I look to you for wisdom to do your will, for strength to follow your commands. I need you to be first in all that I do.
Book and Author Intros
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