Isaiah 27:8 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Measure by measure, by exile you contended with them; he removed them with his fierce breath in the day of the east wind.

NIV: By warfare and exile you contend with her— with his fierce blast he drives her out, as on a day the east wind blows.

NASB: You contended with them by banishing them, by driving them away. With His fierce wind He has expelled them on the day of the east wind.

CSB: You disputed with Israel by banishing and driving her away. He removed her with his severe storm on the day of the east wind.

NLT: No, but he exiled Israel to call her to account. She was exiled from her land as though blown away in a storm from the east.

KJV: In measure, when it shooteth forth, thou wilt debate with it: he stayeth his rough wind in the day of the east wind.

NKJV: In measure, by sending it away, You contended with it. He removes it by His rough wind In the day of the east wind.

In this section, Isaiah describes the difference between the godly wrath experienced by Israel and the wrath poured out on other nations. God's ultimate plan for Israel is restoration. Their ultimate fate is to be like a thriving vineyard that will fill the world with her fruit. Yes, the Lord has used the empires of the world to bring judgment on His unfaithful people. But He has brought even harsher judgment on those empires. All have either been erased or will be one day.

The Lord's judgment of His people, His discipline (Hebrews 12:7), is measured out precisely to fit Israel's guilt. It is severe but limited to keep the nation from vanishing completely. God deals out His judgment "measure by measure," by means of their exile. His goal is always to bring His people back to Himself in genuine repentance, never to end them permanently.

It's not that the Lord's discipline was easy. Isaiah compares the judgment of the Lord to a scorching desert wind. It removed His people from the Promised Land, blowing them into exile to atone for their faithlessness to Him.

Isaiah 27:7–11 explains that the nations used by the Lord to punish Israel will themselves be judged. He will measure out punishment for their sin and idolatry, and for their crimes against His people. This will serve as a form of symbolic atonement, as the pagan altars are destroyed. God will have no compassion for those who oppose Him.

This passage often uses the phrase "in that day" referring to the end times when the Lord reigns on earth as king. Then, the Israelites will be fully restored. Their "fruit" will fill the world. The nations God used as tools to judge His people will themselves be judged, but much more harshly. Defeats will happen in the meantime, but the Lord will only measure out enough discipline to trigger Israel's repentance. There will be no compassion for those who refuse to repent. He will bring all His people home to worship Him in Jerusalem in the end.

Isaiah 27 completes a section (Isaiah 24—27) about the time when the Lord will make all things right. That description begins with the Lord's judgment of the earth (Isaiah 24:1) and ends with the redemption and restoration of Israel (Isaiah 27:6). The nations God used to judge Israel will themselves be judged. The next section of Isaiah focuses on God's scathing words for those who opposed Him, including the failed leaders of Israel and Judah.

Isaiah is among the most important prophetic books in the entire Bible. The first segment details God's impending judgment against ancient peoples for sin and idolatry (Isaiah 1—35). The second part of Isaiah briefly explains a failed assault on Jerusalem during the rule of Hezekiah (Isaiah 36—39). The final chapters predict Israel's rescue from Babylonian captivity (Isaiah 40—48), the promised Messiah (Isaiah 49—57), and the final glory of Jerusalem and God's people (Isaiah 58—66).

Accessed 11/21/2024 9:56:15 AM