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While Isaiah’s vision of God’s royal Savior breaking into the present darkness is certain, the present darkness must first be dealt with. God must purge the sinful rebellion of his people.
This section is punctuated by the fourfold occurrence of the sentence, “Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away, his hand is still upraised.” It is an ominous refrain that leaves little doubt as to the Agent of the impending destruction.
Because the northern kingdom rejected the earlier prophetic message, God would now bring judgment on them. From east and west the enemy has come, yet Israel has foolishly persisted in its pride. Thus God’s hand of judgment continues to be lifted up.
The events of the preceding verses seem to reflect the historical situation of 732-725 B.C., i.e., the initial invasion of the northern kingdom. It is severely attacked but not completely destroyed. Samaria, the capital, is still standing. It is an appropriate time for repentance, but the people are unwilling to do so. Therefore God will cut off the leading (and now only) city of the country. Indeed, in 722, Samaria is completely destroyed. Because the wickedness has spread like fire over parched ground, so will the judgment.
Isaiah returns to the woe sayings he began in ch. 5. This is not a misplaced woe saying, as is often suggested. Rather, the prophet brackets the Syro-Ephraimite crisis with woe sayings as if to say to his people Judah and Jerusalem, “If you will not listen to me, then at least learn from the devastation that has come to your fellow countrymen of the northern kingdom who were themselves destroyed because of their refusal to obey God.” The message that God sent against Jacob (9:8) was a message to Judah. And the ominous phrase “His hand is still upraised” (10:4) suggests that God did not let Israel escape; neither will he let Judah.
Isaiah returns (10:1-4) to the theme of injustice and oppression that concerned him in ch. 5. The day of reckoning is drawing near, and there will be no place to hide.