Isaiah 9:8-21: a reflection

8The Lord sent a word into Jacob, and it falls on Israel. 9All the people will know, including Ephraim and the inhabitants of Samaria, who say in pride and in arrogance of heart, 10“The bricks have fallen, but we will build with cut stone. The sycamore fig trees have been cut down, but we will put cedars in their place.” 11Therefore the LORD will set up on high against him the adversaries of Rezin, and will stir up his enemies, 12The Syrians in front, and the Philistines behind; and they will devour Israel with open mouth. For all this, his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still. 13Yet the people have not turned to him who struck them, neither have they sought the LORD of Armies. 14Therefore the LORD will cut off from Israel head and tail, palm branch and reed, in one day. 15The elder and the honorable man is the head, and the prophet who teaches lies is the tail. 16For those who lead this people lead them astray; and those who are led by them are destroyed. 17Therefore the Lord will not rejoice over their young men, neither will he have compassion on their fatherless and widows; for everyone is profane and an evildoer, and every mouth speaks folly. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still. 18For wickedness burns like a fire. It devours the briers and thorns; yes, it kindles in the thickets of the forest, and they roll upward in a column of smoke. 19Through the LORD of Armies’ wrath, the land is burned up; and the people are the fuel for the fire. No one spares his brother. 20One will devour on the right hand, and be hungry; and he will eat on the left hand, and they will not be satisfied. Everyone will eat the flesh of his own arm: 21Manasseh eating Ephraim and Ephraim eating Manasseh, and they together will be against Judah. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.

Isaiah describes a people who meet God's discipline with defiant self-confidence. When their bricks fall, they say, we will rebuild with cut stone; when their sycamores are cut down, we will plant cedars. Rather than humbling themselves and asking what God might be saying through the setback, they respond with proud self-reliance, determined to rebuild bigger and better on their own. And the sorrowful refrain repeats: yet the people did not turn to him who struck them, nor seek the LORD.

Notice the proud response to setback: defiant self-confidence rather than humble return. The fallen bricks and cut sycamores were, in part, God's discipline, meant to turn the people back to him. But they did not turn; instead they met the setback with a boast, we will rebuild greater on our own, refusing to humble themselves or seek God. Their pride turned the discipline into an occasion for more self-reliance, not for return; they did not turn to the one who struck them.

That is a proud response we can share when setbacks come. When things go wrong, when we suffer a setback that may be God's discipline, we can respond as this people did, with defiant self-confidence, determined to rebuild on our own, refusing to humble ourselves or ask what God might be saying. But such a response misses the purpose of the setback, which may be to turn us back to God. When a setback comes, do not meet it merely with proud determination to rebuild on your own; humble yourself, and ask what God might be saying, and turn to him. Do not, like this people, respond to the discipline that would turn you back to God with a defiant self-reliance that refuses to turn. Let setbacks humble you and turn you to God, rather than harden you into a prouder self-reliance; turn to him who allows the setback, rather than boasting that you will rebuild greater on your own.

Lord, Isaiah describes a people who met your discipline with defiant self-confidence, saying, the bricks have fallen but we will rebuild with cut stone; and the sorrowful refrain repeated, yet the people did not turn to him who struck them. Show me that proud response, which I can share when setbacks come. When things go wrong, when I suffer a setback that may be your discipline, I can respond as this people did, with defiant self-confidence, determined to rebuild on my own, refusing to humble myself or ask what you might be saying. But such a response misses the purpose of the setback, which may be to turn me back to you. When a setback comes, keep me from meeting it merely with proud determination to rebuild on my own; help me humble myself, ask what you might be saying, and turn to you. Do not let me, like this people, respond to the discipline that would turn me back to you with a defiant self-reliance that refuses to turn. Let setbacks humble me and turn me to you, Lord, rather than harden me into a prouder self-reliance; help me turn to you who allow the setback, rather than boasting that I will rebuild greater on my own.