God is Compassionate, So His Anger Does Not Cease (Isaiah 9:8–21)

 

God is Compassionate, So His Anger Does Not Cease (Isaiah 9:8–21)

The latter part of Isaiah 9 is quite different from the earlier part. The first part speaks of the birth of a child—the coming of the Prince of Peace—as a great hope for humanity. But the latter part highlights the wrath of God. However, this wrath stems from His compassionate love.

When does the Lord’s anger stop? The prophet Isaiah asked, “Lord, how long?” And the Lord answered,

“Until the cities lie ruined and without inhabitant,
until the houses are left deserted and the fields ruined and ravaged,
until the Lord has sent everyone far away
and the land is utterly forsaken.” (Isaiah 6:11–12)

What is the spiritual meaning of this? It shows that no human being in the flesh has any merit to receive God’s grace of salvation. It reveals that the flesh must die. Spiritually, “desolation” represents the death of the person in the flesh.

In truth, the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross was a substitutionary death that redeemed the sin of the world—meaning, the death of the person in the flesh. This occurred spiritually through faith.

“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.” (Galatians 2:20)

Through this, God's wrath is finally satisfied, and peace is made in Christ. No one is worthy to receive grace.

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.” (Ephesians 2:8)

So then, if we have received salvation through faith in Christ, we must continue to live by faith. Living by faith means to eat and drink the flesh and blood of Christ—depending entirely on the Lord Jesus Christ from beginning to end. For in Christ, the wrath of God has already ceased. Instead, His great light has shone upon us, and that light continues to shine in our hearts in Christ.

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  now 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. (Isaiah 9:8–12)

God sent the prophet Isaiah to call His people to return to Him. Until that day comes, God disciplines and refines the people of Israel. That day refers to the coming of the Messiah, the Christ of God, who shines God’s great light. Until the day of repentance and return, the wrath of God does not stop. This is because of their hardness and disobedience.

But if they do not repent until the end, they will face judgment. They did not receive God’s discipline with humility; rather, they resisted and responded with arrogance. They boasted that they would rebuild what was torn down. Because of this, God stirred up their enemies—the Arameans and the Philistines—to consume Israel. Yet even then, “His anger is not turned away, his hand is still upraised.” (Isaiah 9:12)

“Edom may say, ‘Though we have been crushed, we will rebuild the ruins.’ But this is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘They may build, but I will demolish. They will be called the Wicked Land, a people always under the wrath of the Lord.’” (Malachi 1:4)

Because of His compassionate love, God does not cease His discipline until the sinner comes to Him for salvation. For if one continues in stubborn disobedience, they will ultimately fall into the inescapable fire of hell. That is why God continually sounds the warning and desires that they turn back to Him. Yet anyone who listens to the Lord’s invitation and returns will be forgiven of all sins and receive abundant grace of salvation.

God also spoke of His compassionate love through the prophet Jeremiah:

“5 Then the word of the Lord came to me. 6 “He said, ‘Can I not do with you, Israel, as this potter does?’ declares the Lord. ‘Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, Israel. 7 If at any time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be uprooted, torn down and destroyed, 8 and if that nation I warned repents of its evil, then I will relent and not inflict on it the disaster I had planned. 9 And if at another time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be built up and planted, 10 and if it does evil in my sight and does not obey me, then I will reconsider the good I had intended to do for it.’” (Jeremiah 18:5–10)

God also revealed His compassionate love through the prophet Joel:

“12 “Even now,” declares the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.” 13 Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity. 14 Who knows? He may turn and relent and leave behind a blessing—grain offerings and drink offerings for the Lord your God. (Joel 2:12–14)

But the People Have Not Returned to Him

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.” (Isaiah 9:13-17)

Even though God kept calling them in mercy and love and warning them over and over again, they hardened their hearts even more. They didn’t return to Him or seek Him. It’s a heartbreaking reality. God never desires that anyone should perish. Just as in the days of Noah, when God saw how corrupt mankind had become, He even regretted that He had made human beings on the earth, and His heart was deeply troubled (Genesis 6:6).

Isaiah also cried out in sorrow in chapter 1:

“4 Woe to the sinful nation, a people whose guilt is great, a brood of evildoers, children given to corruption! They have forsaken the Lord; they have spurned the Holy One of Israel and turned their backs on him. 5 Why should you be beaten anymore? Why do you persist in rebellion? Your whole head is injured, your whole heart afflicted. 6 From the sole of your foot to the top of your head there is no soundness—only wounds and welts and open sores,
not cleansed or bandaged or soothed with olive oil.” (Isaiah 1:4-6)

So God, in a single day, suddenly cut off their head and tail, palm branch and reed. The head referred to the high-ranking officials, and the tail referred to the false prophets. The kings, priests, and rulers were in league with the false prophets and committed all kinds of evil, disobeying the holy word of God. Because of the disobedience of the kings and the deception of the false prophets, the people lost their godliness and spoke irreverently. God did not take delight even in the young men, nor did He show compassion to the orphans and widows.

This stands in contrast to the merciful character of God who doesn’t even break a bruised reed and who shows compassion to orphans and widows. Why was it different here? Because they had become utterly corrupt from head to tail. They held God in contempt and treated His commandments with disrespect. God does not look at outward appearances—He sees the heart. Anyone who comes to God with a broken and contrite heart will be washed clean and declared righteous by His merciful grace.

Yet, even then, the Lord’s anger was not turned away; His hand was still upraised.

God never gives up. That’s because His merciful love never changes. God’s holy love for His people is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He doesn’t want anyone to be lost—He wants everyone to be saved and enter heaven.

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: 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.” (Isaiah 9:18-21)

Their wickedness rose like fire to the heavens. Fire is an image of God’s judgment. Because of His wrath, the land burned and the people became like kindling for the fire. Compassion and affection vanished. People did not spare even their own brothers—they caused harm instead. Hunger became so severe that they even resorted to cannibalism (2 Kings 6:27–28). Tribal conflicts arose, and they even joined forces to attack Judah. All of this came because of God's righteous anger.

Yet for all this, the Lord’s anger was not turned away; His hand was still upraised.

The Lord’s outstretched hand means His mercy has not ceased. The Apostle Paul quoted Isaiah in Romans 10:

“But concerning Israel he says, ‘All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and obstinate people.’” (Romans 10:21)

God is holy—He cannot tolerate evil. That’s why His wrath remains against those who do evil and refuse to repent. But when people turn back and repent, He always forgives.

The prophet Jonah went to the violent and rebellious city of Nineveh and proclaimed just five Hebrew words: "Forty more days and Nineveh will be overthrown." From the king to the animals, everyone fasted in sackcloth and ashes, and turned to God. God spared the city for another hundred years. God truly is a God of mercy. Jonah got angry when God chose to save Nineveh, but God used that moment to teach Jonah about His gracious love and mercy.

“And should I not have concern for the great city of Nineveh, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left—and also many animals?” (Jonah 4:11)

God saved Rahab, the prostitute of Jericho, who feared the Lord after hearing about the plagues in Egypt and the parting of the Red Sea. She risked her life to hide and protect the two Israelite spies.

God also blessed Jacob, who wrestled with a man all night and turned back to the Lord. God renamed him Israel, meaning "he struggles with God,” or “God prevails.” It signifies that Jacob finally turned away from his own schemes and turned to God in desperation. This was the moment of Jacob that after all those years of struggles he came to God for true help!

So, what is repentance? It means dying to oneself completely—because the flesh is totally corrupt and unacceptable before God. The flesh rejects God. That’s why the New Covenant in Christ is this: “Nothing coming from me, everything coming from Him.” Because we are declared righteous in Christ, we now live—not by our own strength, but by His power and authority forever. God prevails!

April 24, 2025
Buffalo Livingstone Church ©2025, David Lee Ministries ©2025 – All Rights Reserved.
Scripture quotes are from the NIV.