10.1 Woe unto them that decree unrighteous decrees, and that write grievousness which they have prescribed; 10.2 To turn aside the needy from judgment, and to take away the right from the poor of my people, that widows may be their prey, and that they may rob the fatherless! 10.3 And what will ye do in the day of visitation, and in the desolation which shall come from far? to whom will ye flee for help? and where will ye leave your glory? 10.4 Without me they shall bow down under the prisoners, and they shall fall under the slain. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still. 10.5 O Assyrian, the rod of mine anger, and the staff in their hand is mine indignation. 10.6 I will send him against an hypocritical nation, and against the people of my wrath will I give him a charge, to take the spoil, and to take the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets. 10.7 However he doesn't believe I send him, neither does his heart think so; but it is in his heart to destroy and cut off nations not a few. 10.8 For he says, Are not my princes altogether kings? 10.9 Is not Calno as Carchemish? is not Hamath as Arpad? is not Samaria as Damascus? 10.10 As my hand has found the kingdoms of the idols, and whose graven images did excel them of Jerusalem and of Samaria: 10.11 Shall I not, as I have done unto Samaria and her idols, so do to Jerusalem and her idols? 10.12 Wherefore it shall come to pass, that when the Lord has performed his whole work upon mount Zion and on Jerusalem, I will punish the fruit of the stout heart of the king of Assyria, and the glory of his high looks. 10.13 For he said, By the strength of my hand I have done it, and by my wisdom; for I am prudent: and I have removed the bounds of the people, and have robbed their treasures, and I have put down the inhabitants like a valiant man: 10.14 And my hand has found as a nest the riches of the people: and as one gathers eggs that are left, have I gathered all the earth; and there was none that moved the wing, or opened the mouth, or peeped. 10.15 Shall the ax boast itself against him that hews with it? or shall the saw magnify itself against him that holds it? as if the rod should shake itself against them that lift it up, or as if the staff should lift up itself, as if it were no wood. 10.16 Therefore shall the Lord, the Lord of hosts, send among his fat ones leanness; and under his glory he shall kindle a burning like the burning of a fire. 10.17 And the light of Israel shall be for a fire, and his Holy One for a flame: and it shall burn and devour his thorns and his briers in one day; 10.18 And shall consume the glory of his forest, and of his fruitful field, both soul and body: and they shall be as when a standard bearer fainted. 10.19 And the rest of the trees of his forest shall be few, that a child may write them. 10.20 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the remnant of Israel, and such as are escaped of the house of Jacob, shall no more again stay upon him that smote them; but shall stay upon the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, in truth. 10.21 The remnant shall return, even the remnant of Jacob, unto the mighty God. 10.22 For though thy people Israel be as the sand of the sea, yet a remnant of them shall return: the consumption decreed shall overflow with righteousness. 10.23 For the Lord GOD of hosts shall make a consumption, even determined, in the midst of all the land. 10.24 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD of hosts, O my people that dwell in Zion, be not afraid of the Assyrian: he shall smite thee with a rod, and shall lift up his staff against thee, after the manner of Egypt. 10.25 For yet a very little while, and the indignation shall cease, and mine anger in their destruction. 10.26 And the LORD of hosts shall stir up a scourge for him according to the slaughter of Midian at the rock of Oreb: and as his rod was upon the sea, so shall he lift it up after the manner of Egypt. 10.27 And it shall come to pass in that day, that his burden shall be taken away from off thy shoulder, and his yoke from off thy neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing. 10.28 He is come to Aiath, he is passed to Migron; at Michmash he hath laid up his carriages: 10.29 They are gone over the passage: they have taken up their lodging at Geba; Ramah is afraid; Gibeah of Saul is fled. 10.30 Lift up thy voice, O daughter of Gallim: cause it to be heard unto Laish, O poor Anathoth. 10.31 Madmenah is removed; the inhabitants of Gebim gather themselves to flee. 10.32 As yet shall he remain at Nob that day: he shall shake his hand against the mount of the daughter of Zion, the hill of Jerusalem. 10.33 Behold, the Lord, the LORD of hosts, shall lop the bough with terror: and the high ones of stature shall be hewn down, and the haughty shall be humbled. 10.34 And he shall cut down the thickets of the forest with iron, and Lebanon shall fall by a mighty one. |
Woe to them that decree unrighteous laws — laws of oppression.
Revelation tells us oppressive laws will be enacted in the last days.
Woe to us all when people are no longer considered equal but once again must serve those who have control over them. Confiscation of property is a common method to humble those who will not bow to the tyranny of an oppressive system. Revelation tells us death will be decreed against all who will not worship the image and the beasts. They will try to rob us of more than material possessions and our earthly life, they will try to rob us of eternal life.
Many will join the oppressive confederacy, yet what will they do in the day when desolation comes? They have turned from following God and then, without Him, they fall with the slain.
But, at the present, God's hand is still outstretched. Today, harden not your hearts in rebellion, today accept Christ as Lord in your life!
How important it is for God's people to be right with their Lord! Those who turn their backs on God will have no one to turn to when God sends His judgments. Without God they have no defense. Their money and material goods will not help them then.
They refuse to buy the gold, the eye ointment and the white robe, so they have no protection against deception, they seek to escape the oppression by alining themselves with the popular concepts, just as Israel tried to do by siding with Assyria against Damascus, but Assyria turned against them. So many Adventists seek to be approved by the mainline Churches to escape being peculiar and singled out for ridicule, but the escape is only temporary, when the
plagues fall Rev. 15-16, and God's judgments come, they will have no protection.
God's justice is not a respecter of person's. All false worship will eventually be cut off. It does not
matter what their idols be — material things or ideas and philosophies. Professing Christians as well as
those who make no profession and are outright sinners — all will face judgment.
When God has performed his work of purifying His people, He will punish the stout hearts and high looks of the oppressive powers.
Assyria felt they were king over kings and could do as they pleased. In the last days the religious power that claims to be in the place of Christ upon earth will do as they please. But Christ is Kings of Kings, he will send the plagues upon the oppressors and protect His faithful.
Just because one power apparently gains victory over many people does not make them supreme
and independent of God, or favored by God.
Historically Assyria conquered all of Israel and Judea and it seemed impossible for Jerusalem to
withstand the huge army. Yet when King Hezekiah completely trusted in the Lord — in just one night an
angel smote 184,000 Assyrian soldiers and delivered Jerusalem.
In the last days it will seem like the forces of evil are running rampant — nothing can stop them — but
God will put a stop to them! The light of Israel shall be for a fire — Christ is the light — for His faithful
followers it means deliverance, for their enemies it means destruction.
The Remnant
The remnant: God's true people will no longer look to worldly sources for their direction, they put their
trust in God. They have turned from every idol that binds them to earth and worship "Him that made
heaven and earth"
Only a small group remain faithful. Though Christians are as numerous as the sands of the sea, only a
few will be saved.
The crises will come. The Lord has decreed it. There is a limit beyond which He will no longer delay His
judgments. He will complete the work in righteousness.
God assures His faithful remnant. Don't be afraid . . . even though the wicked appear to be winning the
war...
Just a little longer and deliverance will come.
He will cause the enemy to turn on each other, just like He did the Midianites.
The power of the oppressor will be broken. God's people are delivered. A remnant will return to the Mighty God, they will not depend on any earthly power or earthly kingdom
Notice that in all these passage there is a "determined end". This is important to know, for the enemy of our souls will try to counterfeit God's deliverance and try to lure use into trusting in an earthly kingdom— this will be an almost overwhelming deception.
Yes, God will deliver His people, but Isaiah, in this chapter makes it clear that we MUST NOT DEPEND ON ANY EARTHLY SYSTEM but depend on the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, IN TRUTH.
May we be among those who wait for that deliverance, without being swept into any counterfeit solutions. May we declare, when we see Him coming,
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Isaiah 5--The Wild Grapes
Isaiah 8--The Confederacy
Isaiah 9--The Sabbath and the New Covenant
Isaiah 11--Jesus Our Messiah and Judge