I was excited to write about Isaiah 11 tonight, but in reading from chapter 9 (the last post) to 11, I decided that I had to mention three verses in chapter 10. I am motivated to do this for four reasons: 1) This brief word of hope captures the essence of what I see throughout Isaiah 1-12. 2) The primary prophecy here is developed at length in the second half of the book, and its mention here supports the unity (and unified message) of Isaiah. 3) This passage confirms the traditional understanding of Isaiah 9:6. 4) I may finally be able to pull of a short post in this series.
In the midst of declarations of God’s judgment upon Israel, Isaiah inserts yet another glimmer of hope. As it is brief and important, I quote it in full here.
Isaiah 10:20-22 (ESV) “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.”
The first thing to note is that, like the prophecies we looked at in chapters 1, 6, 7, and 9, the immediate expectation for Israel is judgment, but there is a glimmer of hope. Isaiah reveals a long dark tunnel, but there is always a light at the end. Though the nation is cut down like a tree, a stump remains (Isa 6:13). Though the nation is overrun by Assyria, Immanuel is born (Isa 7:14). Though the land be in thick darkness, a great light will shine (Isa 8:22-9:2). Here, though most of the people are wiped out, a portion will survive.
Second, the major theme of Isaiah 40-66 is the return of Israel. As I intend to show later, the prophet describes both a physical return to the land (under Cyrus) and a spiritual return to the Lord (under the Servant). But as is Isaiah’s habit, he first introduces the idea briefly before later expanding it. The glimmer of hope here is that not everyone will perish. Four times in three verses the word “remnant” is used to foretell a return to the land. Even though the “land” aspect is not stated explicitly, it is clear from the context (physical exile) and all of Israelite thought that restoration requires their presence in the land God promised to them. More important to clarify, though, is that Israel will return to the Lord spiritually. They will no longer trust the one who struck them – that is, Assyria. Remember that Ahaz refused to trust the Lord, and instead sought out the Assyrians for deliverance. In the future, Hezekiah will trust Babylon, only to learn that Judah will be carried off by them. At this time in the future, however, Israel will rely completely on the Lord. How this will be so is developed in chapters 49-55, as well as in Jeremiah.
Extra: this is the first time that the idea of a remnant returning is explicitly explained in Isaiah, but one like me who is so fascinated with the way that Isaiah references himself and builds upon ideas simply cannot avoid noting that Isaiah’s first son is named Shear-jashub, which means “the remnant will return” (Isa 7:1). This exact phrase (“shear jashub”) is used in verse 21 and verse 22. The idea of a “remnant” is good or bad depending upon how you are looking at it. If you think that Assyria will save you and you ‘ll weather the storm, being told that only a remnant will survive is not encouraging. But if you recognize the sin of the nation and realize destruction and exile is fair punishment (Isa 10:22b), the “remnant” idea is a blessed hope.
Third, the remnant will return to the “mighty God.” This is the same phrase used to describe the royal child born in Isaiah 9:6. In the context of Isaiah 10:20-21, it is clear that “mighty God” is the “Holy One of Israel.” While I would not argue that the divine nature of the messianic king would have been widely recognized in Isaiah’s day, with the coming of Christ, it becomes quite easy to see that this is what the prophet intended.
I love the book of Isaiah. A tough read but a good one. I like how you describe a remnant of survivors as a “blessed hope.” Most people would look at that as bad news that only a remnant will return but when you trust God and accept that the punishment is just…..That is when you can start to see the blessings in the small things. I know that I do not deserve God’s love and that what I truly deserve is the punishment that Jesus endured on the cross for me. I am forever greatful to Him for taking my place. Great Post! I feel inspired to read Isaiah again.