For I once favored you, bringing you out of Egypt and defeating the Amorites before you, granting you their land, and selecting prophets from your sons and consecrated individuals from your young men. Yet you offered wine to my consecrated ones and commanded the prophets, "Do not prophesy." Therefore, like a cart burdened with straw that creaks as it moves, I, unable to bear your sins any longer and delivering you like combustible material, will cry out, "The swift will lack the strength to flee." This refers to Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, who previously sought refuge in Egypt. This is not merely addressing the rulers themselves but their families and descendants.
When it speaks of "the strong shall not maintain his might," it refers to Baasha, who was fierce in battle. Likewise, "the stout shall not save his life" pertains to Omri. The phrase "he that shooteth an arrow shall not stand" likely alludes to Jehu, the son of Nimshi, who struck down Joram, king of Israel. "The swift-footed shall not be saved" refers to Menahem, who hastened in vain to appease the king of Assyria, and "he that sitteth on a horse shall not save his life" concerns Pekaiah, son of Remaliah, who ravaged much of Judah alongside Aram in the time of King Ahaz.
Only Hosea, the last king of the ten tribes and a leader striving to call his wayward people back to God, will flee in that day, ultimately unarmed, as he witnessed the downfall of the ten tribes. This understanding reflects Jewish tradition as it has been passed down to us.
Returning to our interpretation, God warns that a cart bearing hay shall spin under them, signifying that their hay, which has not been stored up, will be consumed by fire. This is the hay referenced by the prophet who states, "Let them be as grass upon the earth, which withers before harvesting," and "all flesh is grass." As for the straw, its destruction is lamented by the prophet, who exclaimed, "I am in distress, for I was like a harvester of straw during the harvest."
These are the hay and straw that the Apostle mentions: "wood, hay, straw; each work will be revealed in the fire." The cart in motion symbolizes the prophetic word in Isaiah, where the Moabites are said to be trampled as if under chariots, and the promise of being made like a new chariot wheel, able to crush mountains.
After the mountains are destroyed, the swift will find no power to escape. Just as Paul reminds us, "Do you not know that all competitors in the race run, but only one receives the prize?" And he further cautions that victory is determined "not by willing or running, but by God’s mercy."
Thus, when referring to those who boast of strength, it signifies reliance not on God's grace but on their might. The statement, "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and reject the understanding of the prudent," implies that not every intellect will persist, particularly that of those who pride themselves in their wisdom absent God's guidance.
The stout or warrior who cannot save himself signifies one lacking the complete armor of God, possessing some defensive elements but not the faith needed for spiritual battle. Such a warrior, not equipped for the Lord's fight, cannot claim, "Blessed be the Lord my God, who trains my hands for war and my fingers for battle."
Even those who oppose God wield bows but are powerless against the Lord's arrows; as Isaiah proclaimed, "I am like a polished arrow in the quiver of the Lord." David too spoke of the wicked, who set their traps to strike at the righteous.
The prophet warns that the crafty will not find salvation, for those who rely on their own intellect and oratory instead of God will stumble and fall. Neither shall the one on horseback escape, as those who overlook the truth of divine aid will perish, only to hear that while some trust in chariots and others in horses, we shall remember the name of the Lord our God.
The steadfast in heart shall flee, and this statement can be interpreted as either one who has shed the old self and burdens of sin or, conversely, one who has lost the garment of Christ. As the Apostle exhorts us to "put on Christ," those devoid of this divine covering will find their strength insufficient in the day of battle. Lacking the entirety of the Apostle's armor, they will flee from their adversaries, unable to stand firm.
THEOSIS