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Ephraim in Isa. 11: 13 stands for the whole ten tribes of Israel, but we must not forget
that Ephraim itself was also engaged in strife within the kingdom of Israel as well.
"Syria is confederate with Ephraim" (Isa. 7: 2).
"The head of Ephraim is Samaria" (Isa. 7: 9).
"The drunkards of Ephraim shall be trodden under feet" (Isa. 28: 3).
The reunion of the tribes is set forth in symbol in Ezek. 37:, and Ephraim is there
used to represent the whole ten tribes (verse 16).
The tongue of the Egyptian sea that is to be utterly destroyed (Isa. 11: 15) refers to
"that arm of the gulf of Suez which was parted in the Exodus" (Birks). This is to
disappear when the movements that are to shake the earth take place. The "river" is the
river Euphrates--the word used for the Nile is Yeor (Isa. 7: 18); Nahar refers to the
Euphrates (Gen. 15: 18). In that day men shall go over dryshod into the land of promise,
even as Israel did "in the day that he came up out of the land of Egypt" (Isa. 11: 16).
We now come to the concluding section--Isa. 12:, a chapter that might well be
entitled "The Song of Salvation". Anger is turned away and Israel is comforted. God is
their salvation, and the Lord Jehovah their strength and song. The passage ends on the
exultant note:
"Cry out and shout, thou inhabitant of Zion: for great is the Holy One of Israel in the
midst of thee" (Isa. 12: 6).
with which we may compare the concluding words of Ezekiel:
"And the name of the city from that day shall be, The Lord is there" (Ezek. 48: 35).
So concludes the first glorious section of this wonderful prophecy. We have much
land to be possessed before we can call Isaiah our own, but we trust the reader's interest
has been quickened, and that his hope and faith will be encouraged as we go on to learn
more of the wonderful ways of God.