The LORD’s Anger Against Isra’el
9:8 to 10:4

There are three more sections left in the book of Immanuel. Isaiah himself set the stage for the remaining three sections back in Chapter 8 verse 18. Here am I, and the children the LORD has given me. We are signs and symbols in Isra’el from ADONAI-Tzva’ot, who dwells on Mount Zion (8:18). His name and the names of his sons were signs and symbols to Judah. In this section (9:8 to 10:4) the prophet develops the theme: Quick to plunder, swift to the spoil. That is the name of his son Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz. In this second section (10:5 to 34) he develops the theme: A remnant will return. That is the name of his son Shear-Jashub. In the third section (11:1 to 12:6) he develops the theme: The LORD is salvation, which is the name of Isaiah.

Before we look at this, go back to 2:9, which reads: So man will be brought low and mankind humbled – do not forgive them. Remember in the first five chapters, Isaiah began to develop points that he intended to expand on later. Therefore, this section, 9:8 to 10:4, is an expansion of 2:9.

In this section Isaiah describes Isra’el being brought low and being humbled by the use of a four-stanza poem. It details the dreadful consequences of spiritual adultery that the northern kingdom would succumb to. All four stanzas end with the phrase: yet for all this, His anger is not turned away, his hand is still upraised. To see the link click the first stanza Cq – The LORD Has Sent a Message Against Jacob (9:8-12); the second stanza is Cr – The LORD Will Cut Off the Head and the Tail (9:13-17); the third stanza is Cs – Manasseh Will Feed On Ephraim (9:18-21); and the final stanza is Ct – Woe To Those Who Make Unjust Laws (10:4). Earlier we were told that a great light, of 9:2, would not come until darkness had reached its greatest point. This section, then, deals with the increase of that darkness.

When we think of Ha’Shem’s anger we must avoid two pitfalls. First, we must avoid thinking, “Oh, that’s just an old fashioned misunderstanding of things.” We know better; Jesus is really a God of love.” This is dangerous because both the TaNaKh and the B’rit Chadashah are equally inspired and both display ADONAI’s love and anger. Yeshua Messiah Himself became terribly angry on several occasions (Luke 11:37-54, Luke 12:4-5; John 2:13-22). In fact, love and anger are two sides of the same coin.

Secondly, we must avoid thinking that whenever we suffer, YHVH must be angry with us. If a drunk driver swerves onto the sidewalk and kills my child, that is not a sign God is angry with me. Finally, we should also avoid the idea that the anger of the LORD in the Bible is simply a metaphor for the bad things that happen to us in our lives. Take gravity, for example. Falling is just the way things are. The ground is not angry with you if you step out of a twenty-third story window and fall to the ground. There is a difference between God’s love and His anger. He is love, and He gets angry. That is, love is a part of His being. Thus, He is not some tyrant with a hair-trigger temper. The one consistent description of ADONAI in the TaNaKh is that He is compassionate, gracious and slow to anger (Exodus 34:6; Numbers 14:18; Nehemiah 9:17; Psalm 86:15, etc). At the same time, He cares as much about what we do with our lives as any loving father.

So, does God get angry? Yes He does, but it is not the selfish anger of a sinful human. Nor is it the temper tantrum of an overbearing heavenly monarch who will not permit His lowly subjects to do what they want. It is the heartbroken response of an Artist who watches His creations doing things that are not only a violation of His original dream, but are a violation of their very natures.³⁵

He Will Reign on David’s Throne
9: 7

He will reign on David’s throne DIG: On what basis will Messiah reign on David’s throne? When will that begin? What does it mean that there will be no end to the increase and peace of His reign? How will Christ reign on David’s throne? Who will make it happen? What is the difference between zeal and jealousy? What follows the thousand-year millennial Kingdom? How is it assured?

REFLECT: Where will you be when David’s throne is reestablished? What will it mean to you personally? What kind of a world will it be then? How will it be different? If you are a believer, how does it make you feel to know what great lengths the LORD has gone to prepare a place for you (John 14:1-4)? When times get tough, how does it help you get through the day? How will you feel living in the eternal City of Tziyon?

The gospels reveal a Jewish expectation, during the life of Messiah, which a divine King would reign on the throne of David. In fact, He was executed on the charge that He claimed to be King of the Jews, thus implying political and military rebellion against Rome (Mark 11:10, 15:2a and 26). The request of James and John for seats on His left and right suggests that the apostles viewed Jesus’ Kingdom in terms of political authority and social supremacy (Mark 10:35-45). Furthermore, the question posed by the disciples in Acts 1:6 indicates a nationalistic understanding of His Kingdom. Jesus Himself was well aware of the popular expectations surrounding the Davidic Messiah.

Although Yeshua accepted the Davidic sonship of the Messiah, during His First Coming, He rejected the nationalistic and militaristic ideas of the Son (or descendent) of David that were so much a part of Jewish expectation. Interestingly, He never claimed to be the son of David. Even Yeshua’s answer to the question Pontius Pilate put to Him regarding His kingship was vague in the original Aramaic (Mark 15:2b). The most natural interpretation of Jesus’ reluctance in this matter is that He wished to avoid any tendency on the part of the Jewish nation to see Him as primarily a military leader who would overthrow Rome (Luke 22:47-53, John 6:15, 18:33-38). (Like the other prophets, Isaiah was not aware of the great time gap between Messiah’s two Comings). However, this will all change at His Second Coming. At that time there will be no ambiguity. Who He is will be completely obvious, because He will reign on David’s throne and over His Kingdom, establishing and upholding it. He will reign from the Most Holy Place in Jerusalem for a thousand years (see the commentary on The Life of Christ, to see link click Db – The Nine Missing Articles in Messiah’s Coming Temple).

There are four components of Isra’el’s final restoration, and each one is based on a specific covenant (see the commentary on Revelation Fj – My Chosen People Will Inherit My Mountains). The fourth component is the reestablishment of the throne of king David, which is based on the Davidic Covenant (Second Samuel 7:11b-16; First Chronicles 17:10b-14). The Messiah holds three offices: prophet, priest and king. However, He does not function in all these offices simultaneously. Rather, the functioning of these three offices is to be carried out in a chronological sequence. During His first ministry on earth, at His First Coming, Yeshua functioned in the office of a prophet. But this ceased at the time of His death. Since His death and resurrection, and until He returns, He is functioning in the office of a priest. This ministry will cease at the Second Coming. Yeshua has never yet functioned in the office of a king. For Him to do so, there must be the reestablishment of the throne of David upon which He will sit to rule as King over Isra’el and King of the world (Psalm 89:3-4, 29, 34-37; Jeremiah 33:17-26; Amos 9:11-12). This ministry will begin at the Second Coming. The promises that ADONAI made to Isra’el have not been forgotten. Isra’el is yet to enjoy all the promises of the four unfulfilled, unconditional covenants, each of which points respectively to the four components of Isra’el’s final restoration.

Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end (9:7a). Once again it is clear that Isaiah has the far eschatological future in mind. This Person will not be a king among kings in Isra’el. More accurately, He will be the final King, the King to end all kings. This is why Isaiah foresees the ideal Davidic sovereign. ADONAI has not rejected His ancient promise to David, but the fact that the promise was made did not legitimize everything that one of David’s descendants, such as Ahaz, might do. But what it does mean, as with the nation of Isra’el, is that YHVH will work in history to keep His promise and His integrity at the same time. There will be One who establishes the throne of David on the basis of justice and righteousness as opposed to cruelty and intimidation. At that time, it will be quite clear that God is with us (Cb – The LORD Himself Will Give You A Sign), not only in deliverance from the threat of the Syria-Isra’el alliance (Bx – The Hearts of Ahaz and His People Were Shaken), but in an endless rule of justice, righteousness and peace.

Isaiah acknowledged that the reason Messiah will reign on David’s throne and over his Kingdom, establishing and upholding it (9:7b), is the zeal of ADONAI-Tzva’ot. It will only happen because He will accomplish it (9:7d). The coming of the millennial Kingdom, and then the Eternal Order (see the commentary on Revelation Fq – The Eternal State), after it, depends on Ha’Shem, not Isra’el. He promised it, and He is a promise keeper. Without His sovereign intervention there would be no kingdom of Isra’el.

Zeal and jealousy are two sides of the same coin. Both speak of concern for someone that long to be first place in their life. Jealously, as it is used today, depicts someone who is petty, self-centered, and unreasoning. Zeal, however, portrays a consuming concern for the other person’s best interest and a burning desire to protect them. One is positive and noble, while the other is negative and small-minded. The LORD’s zeal for His wife is both just and righteous (see my commentary on Revelation Ft – Come, I Will Show You the Bride, the Wife of the Lamb). Even though she was unfaithful to Him, “Return, faithless people, declared the LORD, for I am your husband” (Jeremiah 3:11-20), He redeemed her (Hosea 3:1-5) even though she had committed spiritual adultery (Hosea 1:2).

With justice and righteousness Messiah will uphold David’s throne from that time on and forever (9:7c). His rule will have no end (Samuel 7:14, 27; Micah 4:7; Luke 1:33; Revelation 11:15). The messianic Kingdom itself lasts for one thousand years. Yet, according to the promises of God’s Covenant with David (Second Samuel 7:5-16), there was to be an eternal dynasty, an eternal City (see my commentary on Revelation Fu – The New Jerusalem had a Great, High Wall with Twelve Gates), and an eternal throne. The eternal existence of the dynasty is guaranteed because it ends in the eternal person of Yeshua Messiah. However, the eternal existence of the throne and the Kingdom must also be assured. The Millennial Kingdom will end after a thousand years. But God’s Kingdom will continue forever and ever into the Eternal State, because Jesus will continue to rule on David’s throne.

He Will Be Called Wonderful Counselor
9: 6

He will be called wonderful counselor DIG: What expectations would you have if you first heard Isaiah pronounce it? What type of ruler would you expect to arise? How would his future rule and counsel compare with past alliances and plans (see 8:7-10)? Look up the New Covenant Scriptures that confirm the messianic prophecy written of here by Isaiah (Matthew 1:1, 3:13-17; 4:12-17; Luke 1:34-35, 76-79; John 3:16; 14:9-10; Hebrews 1:1-3). What does this do to your faith?

REFLECT: Of the titles given here, which fit Jesus, as you know Him? What is the purpose of His reign in your life or in the world? When has He been a wonderful Counselor to you? Sometimes our imperfect earthly fathers have not been all that we had hoped or protected us in a way that we needed to be protected. Has there been a time when He has been an Everlasting Father to you in your time of need?

This is the third in the series of verses opening with ki, or for clauses. There is joy because God has delivered us from oppression, and He does that because He has brought an end to war. But how will He do that? This verse gives us the answer – the birth of a child.

As for the human origin: For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders (9:6a). A child is born refers to something of natural birth. The implication is that this child, a son, was to be born into the nation of Israel (to us) as one of the Covenant people. In Isaiah’s day the leaders of Judah were incapable of governing the nation, but Messiah will govern with wisdom and righteousness. His people will be delivered when His shoulders accept the burden of rule.

As seen below, medieval Jewish commentators, resisting the common messianic claims of Christians, argued that all this was simply in recognition of the birth of the crown prince Hezekiah (to see link click Iy – The Death of the Suffering Servant), and therefore, was only a simple royal birth hymn. However, this view flies in the face of the chronology of Hezekiah’s birth. Even more seriously, it is evident from the language here that no merely human king could possibly accomplish everything that is being spoken of. This is clearly Yeshua Messiah.³³

The sages teach that the kingdom of Ephraim, destroyed by the Assyrians in the reign of Ahaz, passed over to Hezekiah when Assyria was showing signs of weakness. He was thus the first ruler, since the days of the division of the kingdom in the reign of Rehoboam, to combine the entire nation both in the north and the south as in the days of David and Solomon.

God’s truth, however, is not merely in the sphere of ideas; ultimately, it is meant to take on human form (Malachi 2:17 to 3:1; Colossians 1:15, 19-20, 27). This person will also be a child, and we cannot help but notice that the childish aspect of the deliverer is important to Isaiah, for it appears again in 11:6, 8 and implied in 7:3, 14; 8:1-4, 8, 18). There are two important emphases upon this child. First, it emphasizes that the divine ruler will not merely be God, but although having divine attributes, will have the most human of all arrivals upon the earth, namely, birth from a woman. He will be both human and divine (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Af – The Memra of God). But secondly, there is a paradox. How will God deliver the world from egotism, war, cruelty and intimidation? By being more egotistical, more warlike, crueler and more intimidating? Without doubt, ADONAI is powerful enough to demolish His enemies in an instant, yet again and again, when Isaiah comes to the heart of deliverance, a childlike face peers out at us. The LORD is strong enough to defeat His enemies by becoming vulnerable, transparent and humble. It is the only hope the human race has for turning hostility into friendship. Isn’t that true in your own life?

Even though the son is of natural birth, He is at the same time of divine origin. Uniquely the gift of God, He is the Son of Psalm 2:1-12. In fact, the expectation of the entire nation was that the One who would be born to rule over them in justice and righteousness would possess divine attributes. It seemed to have a remarkable similarity with the Immanuel prophecy (7:14-8:22). Somehow a virgin-born son would demonstrate that God is with us. And He will be called, literally, one will call his name. The name of a person sums up character, it defines the person. The perfection of this King is seen in His qualification for ruling.

Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace (9:6b). In English the term wonderful counselor by itself does not point to divinity. But the Hebrew language has certain words that are used exclusively for God. For example, the word create is a word used exclusively for God. No man is ever called wonderful (Judges 13:18; Isaiah 25:1, 28-29). At any rate, these are the names Isaiah uses:

Wonderful Counselor (28:29): literally, wonder of a counselor, and the people will gladly listen to Him as the authoritative One. In the messianic Kingdom many people will be anxious to hear Messiah teach God’s ways (2:3) as He rules and reigns from the Temple in Jerusalem (Ezeki’el Chapters 40-48). The vast majority of the eighty times that wonderful is translated from the Hebrew word pala, its noun pele or its adjective pilei, it refers to God and His mighty works. It is the nearest word a Hebrew has to the idea of supernatural. This Counselor will bring supernatural wisdom that fulfill Isaiah’s earlier promise that He would restore Israel’s judges as in days of old, their counselors as at the beginning (1:26a). His supernatural wisdom would stand in stark contrast to Ahaz, whose decisions ruined his people; but would also transcend Solomon’s earthly wisdom (First Kings 4:29-34). So this Counselor is a wonder, because His counsel goes beyond mere human wisdom.

Mighty God (10:21): His relationship to His subjects, Isaiah understood that the Messiah was to be God. Some have suggested that el gibbor, or mighty God simply means “a godlike person” or a hero. But when you look at the entire book that Isaiah wrote, he obviously meant more than that. He had already spoken of the Messiah doing what no other person in the history of the world had been able to do (for example 9:5-7). Isaiah understood that the Messiah was to be God in every sense of the word. In fact, every time el gibbor appears elsewhere in the Bible there is no doubt that it refers to God (Deuteronomy 10:17; Jeremiah 32:18; Isaiah 10:21). This King will have ADONAI’s true might about Him, a power so great that He will take whatever the Adversary can dish out (53:2-10, 59:15-20, 63:1-9).

Everlasting Father (63:16): Many people are puzzled by this title, because the Messiah, God’s Son, is distinguished in the Trinity from God the Father. How can the Son be the Father? Several things must be noted in this regard. First, the Messiah, being the second Person of the Trinity, is in His essence, God. Therefore, He has all the attributes of God including being eternal. Since God is One (even though He exists in three Persons), the Messiah is God. Second, the title Avi’ad, or Everlasting Father is an idiom used to describe the Messiah’s relationship to time, not His relationship to the other members of the Trinity. He is said to be everlasting, just as God (the Father) is called Ancient of Days (Dani’el 7:9). The Messiah will be a fatherly ruler. Third, perhaps Isaiah had in mind the promise to David about the foreverness of the Kingdom (see the commentary on the Life of David Ct – The LORD’s Covenant with David), which God promised would come through David’s line. The Messiah, a descendant of David, will fulfill this promise for which the nation had been waiting.³⁴

Prince of Peace (26:3 and 12): It is appropriate that this title, Sar Shaolm, should come as the climax of His attributes. The verb peace, salem, means to be whole, or complete. Prince corresponds to our idea of being an administrator. This Prince, then, complete in Himself, at one with God and His people, administers the benefits of peace, or wholeness, through His compassionate rule. This will be the fulfillment of the Messianic Kingdom: He will rule from sea to sea and from the River, to the ends of the earth. The desert tribes will bow before Him and His enemies will lick the dust. The kings of Tarshish and of distant shores will bring tribute to Him; the kings of Sheba and Seba will present Him gifts. All kings will bow down to Him and all nations will serve Him (Psalm 72:8-11). Somehow through Him will come the reconciliation between God and man that will make possible the reconciliation between mankind (Isaiah 53:5, 57:19, 66:12; Luke 2:14; John 16:33; Romans 5:1; Hebrews 12:14). It is ADONAI who plans the future (9:1), shatters the foe (9:5) and keeps His promises (9:7).

If our greatest need had been information, God would have sent an educator. If our greatest need had been technology, the LORD would have sent us a computer analyst. If our greatest need had been money, ADONAI would have sent us an economist. But since our greatest need was forgiveness, God sent us a Savior.

For to Us A Child Is Born
9: 6-7

For to us a child is born DIG: How does Isaiah define Messiah? What expectations would this arouse in you if you heard Isaiah pronounce it? What type of Son or Ruler would you expect to arise? How would this be different than in the past? How would it make you feel?

REFLECT: How does the B’rit Chadashah interpret what this prophecy means (see Matthew 4:12-17; Luke 1:32; John 8:12)? Of the titles given here, which fit Yeshua best as you know Him? How does He reign in your life?

The end of war lies in the coming of a Person. Here Isaiah spoke of the Deliverer who will achieve the changes in the nation that the prophet had been speaking. Messiah’s coming would lead the nation into joy and prosperity, which had been missing for years and years. His coming will fulfill the promises of Abraham and David about the messianic Kingdom. Once again we see the child motif (7:14-16, 8:1-4 and 18, 9:6). He will grow up to be the Deliverer (9:7), not a sign of deliverance, but the Deliverer Himself. He will achieve the changes needed for the nation to prosper both materially and spiritually.

For us a Child is born, to us a Son is given, and the government will be on His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over His kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this (Isaiah 9:6-7). The messianic Kingdom will be administrated through an absolute monarchy with a definite chain of command and lines of authority. The absolute monarch will be Yeshua Messiah. The delegated authority will be split into two branches: a Jewish branch of government and a Gentile branch, each in turn having a chain of command (see the commentary on Revelation, to see link click Fi – The Government of the Messianic Kingdom).

Yeshua the Messiah will rule as King. That Jesus Christ will sit upon the throne of David (Jeremiah 23:5-6, 33:14-17) in Jerusalem (Psalm 24:7-10), and rule Isra’el and all the Gentile nations of the world (Isaiah 9:6-7; Zechariah 14:9) is clear from both the TaNaKh (Psalm 2:6-8) and the B’rit Chadashah (Luke 1:30-33).

Justice, holiness, and righteousness will characterize His reign so that the innocent will receive justice and the guilty will be condemned (Psalm 72:1-19). He will rule as a sovereign monarch with a rod of iron (Revelation 12:5, 19:15), and in the power of the Ruach ha-Kodesh (Isaiah 11:1-5). Thus, Christ will be both King of Isra’el and King of the world.

There will be a Gentile branch of government (20:4-6). Both Gentile believers that were raptured before the Great Tribulation and the Tribulation martyrs who were the souls seen under the golden altar of incense in heaven (6:9-11), will rule with Christ during the Millennium. The martyrs were beheaded either because they refused to worship the beast or his image, or they refused to take his mark on their forehead or on their right hand. Therefore, the Church and the Tribulation martyrs will co-reign with the messianic King over the Gentile nations (see the commentary on Revelation Fc – The Sheep and the Goats). They will be Messiah’s representatives and carry out His decrees to the nations. With Him, they will rule with a rod of iron (2:27, 12:5, 19:15).

Because the Jews are to be regathered in the Land of Isra’el and possess it once again, all the Gentile believers will live in the Gentile nations where they will carry out their ministry of ruling with a rod of iron. They will visit Isra’el, visit Jerusalem and worship in the messianic Temple, but they will live and minister among the Gentile nations.

During the messianic Kingdom, the different Gentile nations will have kings over them. All kings will bow down to Christ and all nations will serve Him (Psalm 72:11). These kings will have their natural bodies, while the believers ruling over them will have their resurrected bodies. While the kings will have dominion over the various nations, they themselves will be under the authority of the Church and the Tribulation martyrs. Accordingly, in the Gentile branch of government, the chain of command will be from Christ to the Church and Tribulation martyrs, to the kings of the Gentile nations, and finally, to the Gentile nations themselves.

There will be a Jewish branch of government. The absolute monarchy of Messiah will extend to Isra’el as well as to the Gentile nations. But directly under Jesus, having authority over all Isra’el, will be the resurrected David, who will be given the dual titles of king and prince. He will be a king, because he will rule over Isra’el (Jer 30:9; Ez 34:23-24, 37:24-25; Hosea 3:5), and he will be a prince, because he will be under the authority of Messiah. The Gentile nations will have kings, and Isra’el will have a king. The difference is that the Gentile kings will have their natural bodies, while David will have his resurrected body.

On two occasions, Jesus promised the twelve apostles that they would rule over the twelve tribes in the messianic Kingdom (Mathew 19:28; Luke 22:28-30). We have no idea which apostle will rule over which tribe. The answer to that question will have to wait until the millennial Kingdom comes.

In addition to King David and the twelve apostles, there will be others simply identified as princes. So the King, the Lord Jesus Christ, will reign righteously, and princes will rule justly (Isaiah 32:1 NASB). These princes will be in positions of authority, and their character will be righteous (Ezeki’el 45:8). The resurrected Zerubbabel could very well be among those future princes (Haggai 2:20-23).

Judges and counselors will also be appointed in the messianic Kingdom. ADONAI, says: I will restore your judges as in days of old, your counselors as at the beginning. Afterward you will be called the City of Righteousness, the Faithful City (Isaiah 1:26). This position of authority will be particularly connected to the City of Jerusalem. These judges and counselors will be responsible for ruling justly. There will be no travesty of justice in the millennial Kingdom.

The final link in the chain of command of the Jewish branch of the Messianic government is that Isra’el will rule over the Gentiles. This was part of God’s promise to Isra’el, “For ADONAI your God will bless you, as He promised you – you will lend money to many nations without having to borrow, and you will rule over many nations without their ruling over you” (Deuteronomy 15:6 CJB). Ruling over the Gentiles will be part of Isra’el’s reward for obedience. Moshe said: If you listen closely to what ADONAI your God says, observing and obeying all his commands which I am giving you today, ADONAI your God will raise you high above all the nations on earth (Deuteronomy 28:1 and also see 28:13 CJB).

In addition to the statements found in the Torah, the Prophets also describe Isra’el’s future ruling over the Gentile nations. For ADONAI will have compassion on Jacob – He will once again choose Isra’el and resettle them in their own land, where foreigners will join them, attaching themselves to the house of Jacob. Peoples will take and escort them to their homeland, and the house of Isra’el will possess them in the land of God as male and female slaves. They will make their captors captive and rule over their oppressors (Isaiah 14:1-2 CJB also see Isaiah 49:22-23 and 61:6-7).

Therefore, the chain of command in the Jewish branch of the messianic government will be from Messiah, to King David, to the twelve apostles, to the princes, to the judges and counselors to the nation of Isra’el, who will rule over the Gentile nations.

For as in the Day of Midian’s Defeat
9: 4-5

For as in the day of Midian’s defeat DIG: How does Isaiah describe the effects of the dawning light in verses 3 to 5? In the context of the Assyrian threat, what does this light mean (see 10:26-27)? What will be the light? How is He defined in verses 6 and 7? If Isaiah is describing the end of warfare, why is he talking about boots and garments? Where does this battle take place? Who is the first casualty of the battle? Who wins the battle? What is His title? What happens to the enemy?

REFLECT: Has YHVH done some amazing things in your life? How has He shattered some of the yokes that burden you? What is one yoke that you desire to have Him shatter now? How can you help others throw off their yokes? Does this ultimate Campaign and battle seem cruel or just? Vindictive or righteous? Does the title of the victor surprise you? Does such a One give you comfort, or impart fear? Can you imagine such a time when there will be no more war? What would it be like? What will it be like to live in such an era?

Now the immediate cause of rejoicing is explained (9:3). The increased future joy of Isra’el in the Messianic Kingdom will be the supernatural work of God. His act of deliverance will be similar to the day of Midian’s defeat (Judges 7:1-24; Isaiah 10:26). This is the first explanation of the hope just described (9:1-3). Facing impossible odds, Gideon and his people discovered that in God, weakness is turned into strength (Second Corinthians 12:9-10). They watched in amazement as God used them to bring deliverance (Judges Chapters 6 through 8). Thus, given the character and power of ADONAI, Isaiah points to those events as evidence that the picture he presents of the nation’s deliverance is entirely possible.

The Ruach ha-Kodesh combines that imagery of both the exodus and Gideon’s victory into one act of deliverance at the Second Coming. Speaking about God’s future restoration of the nation in the Millennial Kingdom, the prophet prophesied about the coming Messiah when he said: You have shattered the yoke that burden’s them, the bar across their shoulders, and the rod of their oppression (9:4). Isaiah looks back to Egypt and the exodus when he mentions the yoke (Leviticus 26:13), burdens (Exodus 1:11, 2:11, 5:4-5, 6:6-7), and oppressor (Exodus 3:7, 5:6 and 10-14). Then he couples that with Gideon and the defeat of Midian. It was a victory brought about through an insignificant mediator (Judges 6:15), in such a way that it could only be the work of ADONAI (Judges 7:2-14), but involving and benefiting Naphtali and Zebulun (Judges 6:35). The yoke is suffering endured; the rod is suffering inflicted. The contrast communicates totality. All suffering will be over. The redeemed will enter Zion with singing, and everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away (Isaiah 35:9b-10).

All suffering will be at an end when the LORD returns to set up His Kingdom. The Assyrian emperors loved to tell how they imposed their heavy yokes upon the people they captured. Here Isaiah looks off to a day when One mightier than the Assyrians of this world will break those yokes to pieces. He calls to us and says: Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light (Matthew 11:28-29).

The LORD’s people will enjoy the fruits of victory that they did not win. It is the Messiah who will be victorious by ending all oppression. But how will He do that? By putting an end to the warfare, which is the basis of all oppression. ADONAI will not replace oppression with greater oppression; nor will He substitute warfare with greater warfare. Instead, He will do away with all wars.

The figure Isaiah uses to illustrate the elimination of war is a powerful one. For every warrior’s boot used in battle and every piece of clothing rolled in blood will be destined for burning, it will be fuel for the fire (9:5). He uses the lesser to show the greater, and in doing so, gives us the complete picture. If the boots and the pieces of clothing of the soldiers will be burned, we can be assured that not only will the weapons will be destroyed, but also the soldiers who used them. The soldiers’ boots that shook the earth will be silent. The pieces of their clothing, mixed with their own blood, will one day feed the flames.

Revelation 19:17-20 deals with Messiah as the righteous warrior, for we see Him defeating Satan’s armies in what is often called “the Battle of Armageddon,” but in reality, is the war of The Great Day of God Almighty. Armageddon means Mount of Slaughter. This war will take place in a single day, and the battle of Armageddon will be just one of the battles of that war. Actually, this war will encompass more than just the Valley of Megiddo (Jezreel). It will cover practically all of the land of Palestine. The battle starts at Bozrah (to see link click Kg – The Second Coming of Jesus Christ to Bozrah) and will continue all the way back to the eastern walls of Jerusalem which overlook the Kidron Valley, also known as the Valley of Jehoshaphat.

Among the very first casualties of the battle will be the antichrist himself. Having ruled the world with great power and spoken against the true Son of God, the counterfeit son will be powerless before Christ (Habakkuk 3:13-14). The ease with which the Messiah will slay the antichrist is described by Paul in Second Thessalonians 2:8, And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming. The one who has claimed to be God, the one who has been able to perform all kinds of miracles, signs and wonders, the one who exercised all authority of Satan as he ruled the world, will be quickly dispensed with by the word of the Righteous Warrior.

After the death of the antichrist, the slaughter of his army will continue. The commander of the Lord’s army (Joshua 5:15) will continue marching through the Land in indignation, as if treading the winepress of His wrath, causing blood to be sprinkled on His clothing. Zechariah 14:12-15 describes the manner in which this massive army will be destroyed. This carnage will continue all the way back to Jerusalem, coming to an end in the Valley of Jehoshaphat as Joel 3:12-13 states. The nations that gathered against the Jews (Joel 3:9-11) will now find themselves being slaughtered by the King of the Jews. The blood from this encounter with the living God will run about one mile wide and one hundred and eighty miles long, from the Valley of Jezreel in the north of Isra’el, to Bozrah in the south and will literally reach to the horses’ bridles (Revelation 14:20). A sea of humanity will become a sea of blood. It will practically cover the length of Isra’el, and when this battle comes to an end in the Valley of Jehoshaphat, so does the seventh stage of the Campaign of Armageddon (see Kh – The Eight Stage Campaign of Armageddon).

At that time, the implements of warfare will be destroyed (2:2-4). He will do away with wars so they will not be needed. He makes war cease to the ends of the earth; He breaks the bow and shatters the spear; He burns the shields with fire. Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth (Psalm 46:9-10). But how will He do that?

He Will Be Called the Prince of Peace
9: 4-7

The Child born of the virgin is the son of David, but He is also the Son of God. The majority of His ministry was in Galilee, but He was enthroned as King on a cross in Jerusalem. By taking on Himself the sin and oppression, the horror and tragedy of this world, He was able to give back righteousness and freedom, hope and fulfillment. In fact, it is hard to think of any other way in which the contradictions of Isaiah 9:1-7 could have been resolved but through the Son of God, Yeshua Messiah. The significance of this passage for us comes down to this: Have we allowed the child-King to take over the government of our lives? Only then can we know the benefits of God with us. Only when we give this child-king our love and allegiance can we have the light, the honor, the joy, and the abundance that He offers to us.³²

He Will Honor Galilee of the Gentiles
9: 1-3

He will honor Galilee of the Gentiles DIG: From 8:19-22, what do you think Isaiah meant by the darkness in which people walk? What suffering had Zebulun and Naphtali (in the northern kingdom of Isra’el) experienced? How does the New Covenant interpret what this prophecy means (Mt 4:12-17; Jn 8:12)?

REFLECT: Jesus said that in this world you will have trouble (John 16:33). So even with this trouble in your life, can you find hope in the midst of gloom and distress? What is the joy of the LORD like for you? How does the presence of God give meaning to your life? What do you have to be thankful for today?

Suddenly, in the midst of this darkness, comes deliverance and joy, the future glory of Galilee. The extreme devastation of the Assyrian invasion, especially in the northern kingdom of Isra’el, will give way to bright glory. When every human attempt to bring light had failed, then God brought His light, not because He had to, not because humanity figured out a way to force Him, but merely out of His own grace. Here Isaiah reaches the climax of the section begun in 7:1.

Nevertheless, a time will come when there will be no more darkness, and gloom will be a thing of the past (9:1a). The gloom and distress of the northern kingdom of Isra’el came because of divine discipline. The word distress (musaq) reflects the word translated fearful (suqa). Isaiah saw his prediction of darkness begin to unfold. The darkness and distress were real, but, as always, we have a choice of how we react to it. We can either sink into despair or rise with hope. Isaiah insists that hope can be found in the midst of gloom. How? Even though our present circumstance is all darkness, we can say no to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope – the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ (Titus 2:12-13).

The area between the Sea of Chinnereth and the Mediterranean north, or the Jezreel Valley, had always been something of a melting pot, with Hebrews, Canaanites, Arameans, Hittites and Mesopotamians all living there. This was where Israel met the Gentile world, and why it was called Galilee of the Gentiles. Isaiah noted that in the past God had humbled Israel when He allowed the Assyrian king Tiglath-Pileser III to conquer the northern kingdom (9:1b), or the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali in 732 BC (Second Kings 15:29 and 17:24). Then the Assyrians brought conquered people from Babylon, Cuthah, Avva, Hamath and Sepharvaim to replace the Israelites. They took over Samaria and lived in its towns (Second Kings 2:24).

But Isaiah said that in the future, God will honor Galilee of the Gentiles (9:1c). There were more than two tribes that settled in Galilee, but he chose to name Zebulun and Naphtali. In the outworking of Immanuel in history, why are these two tribal territories picked out? Why not Asher or Issachar; they were also in Galilee? The reason is this, Capernaum, which was in Naphtali, and Nazareth, which was in Zebulun were the two cities associated with Jesus’ upbringing and early ministry. Therefore, His presence and His ministry certainly honored those areas and made them distinct. During the life of Messiah, the rabbis viewed Galilee in general, and Nazareth in particular, with extreme contempt (John 1:46 and 7:52).

Isaiah continued to prophesy that Zebulun and Naphtali would be honored by the way of the sea (see my commentary on Genesis, to see link click Lh – Zebulum Will Live by the Seashore and Become a Haven for Ships), along the Jordan River (see the commentary on Genesis Lm – Naphtali is a Doe Set Free that bears Beautiful Words). The way of the sea was an expression that referred to the western shore of the Sea of Galilee. This also is a major area of Christ’s ministry. Along the Jordan River is also mentioned and refers to the east bank of the Jordan where Jesus had an extensive ministry as well (Matthew 4:12-17).

The darkness would give way to light. Throughout the Scriptures, ADONAI’s presence is equated with light (Second Samuel 22:29; Job 29:3; Psalm 139:11-12; Isaiah 42:16; First John 1:5). The people walking in, or living out their lives, in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned (9:2). Isaiah describes the effect of the Messiah on the northern part of Israel in typical Hebrew parallelism. The people were in darkness (8:22) and in the shadow of death. Then they saw a great light and light dawned on them. They did not produce it nor were they responsible for it. Where they had been groping in darkness, now they would find themselves blinking in the light. All these events were in the future, yet all the verbs are in the perfect tense (an action that was brought to completion and whose effects are felt in the present). Isaiah, even in the uncertainty of his own time, could look into the future and describe events with the certainty of completed actions. Neither spiritists nor mediums could do that (8:19-22). They could not explain the origins of the earth, let alone the end of it (41:21-24). But God could give that kind of insight to His prophet Isaiah. Matthew also applied this passage to Christ, who began His preaching and healing ministry in Galilee (Matthew 4:15-16).

Now the immediate cause of the rejoicing is explained. Speaking to God, Isaiah said on behalf of the nation: You have enlarged the nation and increased their joy; they rejoice before You as people rejoice at the harvest, as men rejoice when dividing the plunder (9:3). They rejoice because the LORD has freed them. Isaiah spells out the future messianic glory as a result of the coming of the Light. The Light will increase their joy like the joy at the harvest or the joy of winning a battle and dividing the plunder. Joy is another emphasis of Isaiah’s, mentioned two dozen times in the book.

What Isaiah deals with here are the basic fears of people and he says that in place of fear there is joy. However, it is important to see that the real source of joy is Yeshua. It is before Him that they (and we) rejoice (Second Samuel 6:16; Psalm 27:4 and 6). The truth is that apart from the presence of God, who gives meaning to life, all other joys in this world are merely dust and ashes. You have made known to me the path of life; You will fill me with joy in Your presence, with eternal pleasures at Your right hand. (Psalm 16:11).

Why Consult the Dead on Behalf of the Living
8: 16-22

Why consult the dead on behalf of the living DIG: How had Judah gotten into such a mess both politically and spiritually? How does Isaiah respond to Judah’s rejection of his message? How is his family a sign and a symbol from the LORD (see 7:3, 14 and 8:3)? How does Isaiah bring out the contrast between mediums and spiritists to God? What should the people be seeking? What “blackout” will result from their refusal to do so?

REFLECT: The nation of Judah was looking to Isaiah and his family to represent God. Who do you think is looking at you as God’s representative? You personally might be the only person that represents God in that person’s life. Does that mean you have to be perfect? What does it mean? Is it a dark day for you right now? What is the only way out of that darkness? What does the rise of occultism and spiritism tell you about people’s spiritual hunger today? What would Isaiah say to those involved in it? What kind of spiritual food have you been eating lately?

This was a dark time for the nation of Judah both spiritually and politically. Aside from a small believing remnant, she was in rebellion against God. Having been warned not to follow the way of this people (8:11), Isaiah reaffirmed his dependence on God. For this is what ADONAI said to me: Bind up the testimony and seal up the Torah among My disciples (8:16). The Torah is the first five books of the TaNaKh, and the testimony is the words of the prophets. By binding up the testimony and sealing up the Torah, Isaiah was in effect inscribing it on the hearts of the believing remnant. God’s presence was with this remnant, and its attitude was one of quiet trusting and waiting. There are times in our lives that we have to wait on the LORD before He can bless us. For in the act of waiting we acknowledge our helplessness and complete dependence upon Him. In Isaiah’s day, the believing remnant was faithful in the midst of the darkness.

During that time the believing remnant said as one unified voice: I will wait for ADONAI, who is hiding His face from the house of Jacob, a common metaphor of the Bible for God’s displeasure. It was no surprise to them that God was withholding His blessing from the nation. Ahaz alienated the favor of the LORD for the nation. Isaiah and the believing remnant were not immune from the resulting darkness, but within that darkness they had the light of faith. Opposed to the faithless nation, however, they declared: We will put our trust in Him (8:17). Their attitude was that they would wait and look for the LORD (Romans 8:25; First Thessalonians 1:3b). Looking in the sense that He will fulfill His word. Just as they learned from the Torah and the prophets (8:16), a characteristic of the believing remnant was, and is, faith.

Even with God withholding His blessing at that time, Isaiah still had confidence in Him, knowing that he and his two sons were signs to the nation. The prophet spoke for himself, when he said: Here am I, and the children ADONAI has given me. We are signs and symbols in Isra’el (here meaning the southern kingdom of Judah and the northern kingdom of Isra’el as a whole) from the LORD of heavens armies (8:18a). Consider the meaning of these divinely appointed names. Each name held significance for the nation’s future. Only by listening to ADONAI’s word through Isaiah – reinforced by the signs and symbols that Isaiah and his sons represented – would the light dawn for Isra’el. All three of their names were important. In 9:8 to 10:4 he used the name Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz, meaning quick to plunder, swift to spoil to illustrate the Lord’s anger against Isra’el. In 10:5 to 34 he uses the name Shear-Jashub, meaning a remnant will return to illustrate that a remnant would indeed return. And in 11:1 to 12:6 he uses Isaiah, meaning the LORD is salvation to illustrate the salvation of God.

The last thing Isaiah points us to is the fact that we have faith in the One who dwells on Mount Zion (8:18b). The LORD never goes back on His promises. He chose Zion for His dwelling and in the far eschatological future, when the final restoration of Isra’el takes place: Then you will know that I, the LORD your God, dwell in Zion, My holy hill. Jerusalem will be holy; never again will foreigners invade her (Joel 3:17). Thus, this gave Isaiah and the believing remnant an objective assurance of faith, just as he and his son’s names were subjective assurance.

The believing remnant themselves were evidence that ADONAI’s face would not be hidden forever. He was still dwelling in Jerusalem, His holy hill (2:2). They were proof that the coming turmoil and devastation of the Babylonian Captivity was ultimately temporary. The same is true for the believing remnant today. Jesus still sits at the right hand of the Father interceding for us (Romans 8:34) because Satan accuses us before ADONAI day and night (Revelation 12:10). We are evidence that His face will not be hidden forever and the wickedness of this world is ultimately temporary. Messiah says to us today: Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with Me, and I will give to everyone according to what they have done. I Am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End (Revelation 22:12-13).

Most people want to know the future. The reading of horoscopes, whether western astrology or Vedic (or Hindu astrology), are enormously popular today. There are daily horoscopes available in newspapers, free telephone horoscope lines, and many horoscope websites. Mediums and spiritists provide psychic and tarot card readings, biorhythms, runes (the alphabet of mystery), and they all claim to be able to direct your love life, your finances and your future. This whole underbelly of the spiritual world in effect says, “In the dark? Get enlightened here with us! See the future!” The Jews living in Judah during Isaiah’s lifetime had the same fondness for spiritual adultery.

Even people in Judah were lured into the pagan practice of worshiping mediums and spiritists. They specialized in trying to contact the dead by using unintelligible ecstatic utterances. They also sought out direction by using animal intestines and studying the stars. The original meaning and purpose of astrology had been completely corrupted by the world (see the commentary of Genesis, to see link click Lw – The Witness of the Stars). Today, the more things change, the more they stay the same. The occult, witchcraft, and spells abound, while Harry Potter is a worldwide phenomenon. The appetite of our society for the occult today is ravenous.

For those who did not have the faith of Isaiah and the believing remnant, the temptation to turn to Spiritism was overwhelming. The revival of superstition is always connected with the loss of faith. When men tell you to consult mediums and spiritists, who whisper and mutter, should not a people inquire of their God (8:19a)? Again, Isaiah speaks of the people’s sinful behavior. There is a warning against consulting with mediums and spiritists, especially in view of the pending devastation that will be coming upon Judah. To speak to the dead on behalf of the living was clearly against the Torah. Moshe had written: Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritists or who consults the dead (Deuteronomy 18:10-12; also see Leviticus 19:31; 20:6). Consequently, if we refuse the Ruach ha-Kodesh who asks for our belief in Him, sooner or later we must have the spirits, who appear to ask for nothing, but in reality, they intend to make us slaves.

Because of the occultic practices, especially the ecstatic utterances that comes out of the occult, they whisper and mutter, not giving a clear and reliable prophecy. They were unclear ecstatic sounds. Their prophecies were always general, never specific, so their prophecy could be fulfilled no matter what happened. Both verbs mock the antics of the mediums and expose the absurdity of turning from the plain Word of God to mumbo-jumbo. The sad declension from my people (3:12) to this people (6:9 and 8:12) exposes their devotion to fortune-tellers and messages from the dead.

By their actions they claimed that the dead possessed greater powers and superior knowledge to the living. But the Bible does not back that up. The TaNaKh teaches us that leaving their bodies behind, the dead can only be mere shadows of what they were before (14:10). The dead prophet Samuel knew no more in death than he did in life when talking with king Sha’ul (see the commentary on the Life of David Bv – Sha’ul and the Medium at Endor).

Ancestor worship was rampant during Isaiah’s day. Therefore, the Holy Spirit asked: Why consult the dead on behalf of the living (8:19b)? We have some examples of this whispering and muttering giving the people unclear prophecies. The Spartans declared war on the Athenians and the Greeks went to the priestesses in the temple at Delphi to find out what they should do or not do. The Spartans came to them and asked, “Should we go to war against the Athenians?” The priestesses decreed, “Yes, go and fight!” The Spartans went and fought and lost. So they went back to the women and said, “You told us to go fight, and we lost.” They answered, “We never told you to go fight and win. We merely said, ‘Go fight.’ ”

Here is another example. Cresous, the King of Lydia, was opposed by a rising threat in the east, King Cyrus of the Medo-Persain Empire, and he wanted to know if he should attack Cyrus. When he consulted the Oracles at Delphi they said, “If you go fight Cyrus, a great king will fall.” He went off to fight Cyrus and lost. The great king that fell was Cresous. This was an example of whispering and muttering. They only gave general prophecies, never anything specific, so they could not be proven wrong.

In modern times, Spiritism started with the French teacher and educator Hippolyte Léon Denizard Rivail, whose pen name was Allen Kardec. He is known today as the systematizer of Spiritism for which he laid the foundation with the five books of the Spirit Codification. More recently, a self-proclaimed psychic medium named John Edward (McGee) became a celebrity with his television show, “Crossing Over.” He uses channeling and “spirit guides” to supposedly communicate with the dead. He even wrote a book called: Answers from the Other Side. And while he professes only to be helping bereaved relatives and friends, God’s message is the same today as it was during Isaiah’s lifetime: Why consult the dead on behalf of the living?

Next the Spirit of God told those living in Judah that the proper source of the authority in their lives was not the dead, but the living Word of God. It was not the occult and the hidden things of Satan, but the revealed Word of God, the Torah and the testimony of the prophets. There is no hope outside of what the LORD has spoken. Every utterance, however seemingly spiritual, which fails to agree with the Scriptures, is only darkness without light. If they do not speak according to this Word, they have no light of dawn (8:20). If it does not conform to Scripture, no matter how exciting it might be, it has no spiritual light. This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of the light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed (Yochanan 3:19-20). The psalmist was very wise when he said: Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path (Psalm 119:105).

ADONAI will eventually judge mediums and spiritists and those who consult them. Here Isaiah again reiterates the darkness to come will end in judgment in the near historical future. The land of Judah would be devastated in 586 BC when the Babylonians destroyed the Temple and sent the people of Judah into captivity. King Nebuchadnezzar took the best and the brightest back to Babylon. Dani’el and others would sit on the banks of the Euphrates Rives for seventy years trying to figure out what happened. But a few of the weakest and downtrodden were left in Judah. Depressed and hungry, they will roam through the Land; when the Babylonians were finished deporting the rest of their countrymen, they will become enraged and, looking upward, will curse their king Ahaz and their God for bringing judgment upon them (8:21).

Interestingly enough, we see the same thing in the far eschatological future. The reaction of those who hate God for His judgment is the same, no matter what age they live in. Revelation tells us that Men will gnaw their tongues in agony and curse the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, but they will refuse to repent of what they had done (see the commentary on Revelation Ef – The Fifth Angel Poured Out His Bowl on the Throne of the Beast, Plunging His Kingdom Into Darkness). The end result will be hopelessness and separation from the LORD (see the commentary on Revelation Fo – The Great White Throne Judgment).

No matter where they look, they find no help. How can those who are in distress and darkness like themselves help anyone else? Then they will look toward the earth and see only distress and darkness and fearful gloom, and they will be thrust into utter darkness without hope (8:22). All the verbs in 8:21-22 are singular because judgment, like salvation, is individual and personal. Those who depend upon the world for solutions to their problems only multiply their darkness. These people are springs without water and mists driven by a storm. Blackest darkness is reserved for them (Second Peter 2:17). Ironically, those who look to the dead for answers will be forced to join them!

So the problem of the occult is nothing new. It was widespread even during the days of Isaiah. But today we need to remember that there are only two kinds of spiritual food. There is angel’s food or devil’s food; and if you aren’t eating one, you’re eating the other.

A Stone that Causes Men to Stumble
and a Rock that Makes Them Fall
8: 11-15

A stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall DIG: From 7:2-4 and 8:6, what is the way of this people that YHVH told Isaiah not to follow? How does what they fear contrast with what Isaiah fears? What effects do these fears have on the way each acts? On God’s response?

REFLECT: What fears could motivate your agnostic friends to consider God: Job loss? A lost child? Emotional blackout? Serious illness? If you have no agnostic friends, why is that? From watching your life this week, what would someone say it means for you to fear God? How is Jesus both a sanctuary and a stumbling block (see Romans 9:33 and First Peter 2:6-8)? Which is He right now to you?

The LORD had promised to be with His people, saying: God is with us (8:10b). But, many in the northern kingdom of Isra’el and the southern kingdom of Judah refused to believe He would keep His promise. Isaiah declared: For this is what ADONAI said to me, speaking with a strong hand (8:11a CJB). Evidently God’s inspiration was especially intense and direct to Isaiah at that time. These verses were written to the believing remnant; however, Immanuel would become a stone that causes those of no faith to stumble and a rock that makes unbelievers fall (8:14b). There are both negative aspects and positive aspects to this prophecy.

The negative aspect was that both houses of Isra’el should not follow the way of this people of no faith. He commanded them, “Do not call conspiracy everything that these people call conspiracy; do not fear what they fear and do not dread it” (8:11b-12). For the second time (8:5) God gives Isaiah special revelation by speaking in the ear of the prophet. Specifically there were two things he should not do.

First, neither Isaiah nor the remnant should be intimidated by cries of conspiracy. They should not follow the crowd and join forces with the Assyrians against the northern confederacy. Because they would not go along with the crowd and follow King Ahaz, they will be accused of treason and betrayal. Secondly, Isaiah should not fear what they fear. What do they fear? Syria and Isra’el. God said not to be afraid of them and Isaiah had already prophesied what would happen to them (7:15-17).

But there is a positive aspect of the message. The LORD of heaven’s armies is the One you are to regard as holy, He is the One you are to fear, He is the One you are to dread (8:13). Once again there are two parts. First, the LORD is the one to be set apart for worship because He is holy. Secondly, the LORD is the proper object of fear, meaning the proper object of our reverence, trust, worship, obedience and service (Proverbs 1:7, 9:10, 10:27, 14:27, 15:33, 15:33, 19:23).

Today we do not hear much about the fear of the LORD. In this “feel good” world we want to think that God will accept us no matter what we believe or how we act. Nothing could be further from the truth. Of course, we think, we need to try to do our best, but since we will always sin anyway, we need not expect too much from ourselves. How far this is from the thinking of Isaiah. God told His people to stop worrying about what the Assyrians, the Syrians, and the Israelites are going to do and to start worrying about what He is going to do. This is not to say that we should live in utter terror that ADONAI is going to kill us because He doesn’t like the way we are thinking or acting. Jesus tells us that we are worth more than the sparrows or the lilies He cares for so much. So what does fear of the LORD mean for us? It means we have to reorder our priorities. Instead of asking how we can please ourselves, we must ask how we can please God. Instead of spending all our time worrying about how to take care of ourselves, we ought to be asking how well we are living the life of the One who called us to be holy as He is holy (First Peter 1:15-16). If we pay attention to this calling we can trust God to care for us in far better ways then we can ourselves.³¹

The next passage is very unique because it spells out Immanuel’s relationship to the Jewish people. To those who believe, Immanuel will be a sanctuary, or a place of safety (8:14a). But for both houses of Isra’el, those who do not believe, Immanuel will become a stone that causes them to stumble and a rock that makes them fall (8:14b). Many times when the word rock is used in the TaNaKh, it pictures Messiah (Genesis 49:24, Exodus 17:6, Numbers 20:8, Deuteronomy 32:4, 13, Second Samuel 22:2, Psalm 18:2, 19:14, 40:2, 61:2, 92:15, Isaiah 26:4).

The phrase both houses of Isra’el is the origin of the false “Two-House” theory which teaches many Gentiles, unknown to themselves, are actually the descendants of the “Lost Ten Tribes.” The reason that they are so inwardly drawn to Torah and to a Torah life-style is because they actually have the soul of an Israelite – they are the descendants of the Northern Tribes of Isra’el. It is therefore imperative that the truth of their identity be received, and they began to live and act as the people they actually are: the descendants of physical Isra’el. They believe that only those congregations or communities who affirm this belief are furthering God’s plans to unite Isra’el and Judah into one nation of Isra’el in the last days. So, in reality, this faulty “Two House” theory is just another flavor of Replacement Theology (see the commentary on Galatians Ak – The Hebrew Roots Movement).

This prophecy came true because Immanuel became a stumbling block for the people of Jerusalem. He became a trap and a snare (8:14c). With itching ears, the people of Judah would continue to listen to Ahaz, while refusing to listen to Isaiah. Therefore, they continued down the path to destruction. Ahaz represented the house of David and Isaiah prophesied to him, “The LORD will bring on you and your people and on the house of your descendent King David a time unlike any since Ephraim broke away from Judah – He will bring the king of Assyria” (7:17).

Many of them will stumble; they will fall and be broken, they will be snared and captured (8:15). The attitude we take toward God will determine how we experience Him. To those who revere and obey Him, He becomes a place of refuge and peace. But to those who reject Him, He becomes a stone to stumble and fall over. He does not change. If you make a place for Him, He will make a place for you. I love those who love Me, and those who seek Me find Me (Proverbs 8:17; Jeremiah 29:3; Deuteronomy 4:29). Once you believe that, then you can know that whatever happens to you comes from One who is both all-powerful and always good.

Paul and others (Matthew 21:44; Luke 2:34; First Corinthians 1:23: First Peter 2:4-8), referred to Israel’s unbelief of Yeshua Messiah, by saying: What then shall we say? That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith; but Isra’el, who pursued a law of righteousness, has not attained it. Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the “stumbling stone,” As it is written: “See, I lay in Zion a stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall, and the one who trusts in Him will never be put to shame (Romans 9:30-33). Thus, Isaiah’s message followed a common thread in the TaNaKh. God promised to bless those who would believe in and obey Him, but would discipline those who would reject Him.

As Simeon said in the Temple at Jesus’ dedication: This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Isra’el (see the commentary on The Life of Christ, to see link click Au – Jesus Presented in the Temple). How accurately that prophecy would be fulfilled years later. Jesus and His ministry became a stone that caused mankind to stumble, and a rock that made them fall (Isaiah 8:14b). The First Coming of Jesus caused a division among the Jews of the world. Some rose because of Him, because they believed, and many fell because of their lack of faith. Simeon prophesied that Jesus would be a sign that will be spoken against, and for the nation of Israel that has been true to this very day. Once again, this concept is started in Luke and completed in Acts. There is a constant division in Isra’el (Acts 14:1-2, 28:23-24).

It is interesting to note that Jews, then and today, do not see Yeshua in this passage at all. They see it as referring to Isaiah himself. The rabbis teach that the prophet had been instructed by God to hold firmly to his principles, and thus enable him to stand out alone, disregarding all dangerous, though popular, demands or tendencies.

We need to remember that the same sun that hardens clay also melts wax. Therefore, the choice is ours today. The same Son, in His unchanging nature, is both a sanctuary and a rock that makes people fall. It depends on how we respond to His holiness.

Mighty Floodwaters: The King of Assyria
8: 5-10

Mighty floodwaters: the king of Assyria DIG: What do the waters of Shiloah in Jerusalem and the River Euphrates in Assyria represent? What then is the meaning of Judah rejecting Shiloah and rejoicing over Rezin (see 7:1), resulting in a sweeping flood? Why does Judah prefer Assyrian help over God’s as they face this crisis (see Second Kings 16:7-9)? Why would idolatry lead to destructive political alliances? Is O Immanuel a cry of despair or hope? Why? What is the prophet’s hope for Judah, even as he considered the coming siege from Assyria (see Chapters 36-37)? To whom is this prophecy addressed? Why? What is different about the way God with us is written here than the other times in the Book of Immanuel? Why is it different? What did it mean to Judah?

REFLECT: How has the LORD been like a gently flowing stream to you? When has your choice of allies resulted in a flood of overwhelming trouble? When has the LORD stopped the flood of your wrong choices from overwhelming you? What Rezins and rivers do people today flee from? Which ones affect you? What intrigue do you have in your life today? Do you thrive on activity or do you like serenity? But regardless of the busyness or quietness of your life, where is your resting place? Can you look back on your life and remember a time when you can say that God was with you in the midst of your troubles?

The same sign of Maher-Shala-Hash-Baz (8:1) that was a testimony of ADONAI’S faithfulness was also a sign of destruction to those who did not believe (7:18-25). He disciplines those He loves. As Solomon wrote: My son, do not despise the LORD’s discipline and do not resent His rebuke, because the LORD disciplines those He loves, as a father the son he delights in (Proverbs 3:11-12; Hebrews 12:6). The more of God’s revelation we receive, the more responsibility we have to obey it. Of all people, Judah should have known that. So Judah who delighted over the destruction of her enemies learned, to her dismay, that Maher-Shala-Hash-Baz applied to her as well.

The LORD spoke to Isaiah again, saying: This people has rejected the gently flowing waters of Shiloah (8:5-6a). This people is an expression used of Judah, in 28:14 for example, but it refers to a foreign power in 23:13, and to Isra’el in 9:16. The context must decide the interpretation. Because the Assyrian domination of Isra’el in Chapters 6 and 7 foreshadows its domination of Judah in Chapter 8, the natural sequence refers to Judah. The people of the southern kingdom are condemned for rejecting the gently flowing waters of Shiloah. Those waters were a spring that fed into the pool of Shalom, within Jerusalem’s walls. It was a very smooth flowing, quiet stream. Shiloah was Jerusalem’s water supply until the time of King Hezekiah (Second Kings 20:20; Second Chronicles 32:30). It came into Jerusalem from the Gihon Spring. Gihon was the site of King David’s coronations (First Kings 1:33-34 and 45).

And when the people of Judah saw the destruction of Syria with its king Rezin, and the downfall of the northern kingdom of Isra’el with its leader Pekah, the son of king Remaliah, they rejoiced (8:6b). Of all people, they should have known better. Solomon had written: Do not gloat when your enemy falls; when he stumbles, do not let your heart rejoice, or the LORD will see and disapprove (Proverbs 24:17-18a). But Judah did not heed the words of ADONAI, and rejoiced at their defeat at the hands of Assyria.

Therefore there were consequences. In light of Judah’s choices, ADONAI was about to act. Isaiah prophesied: The LORD was about to bring against them the mighty floodwaters of the Euphrates River, which ran through Assyria. In other words, God would bring against them the king of Assyria with all his pomp (8:7a) In the doctrine of the remnant there is a contrast between noisiness and quietness. The quiet flowing waters of Shiloah that would save them are contrasted with the noisy floodwaters that would destroy the people of Judah. Whenever a flood is pictured in the Bible symbolically, it always refers to an army. Instead of trusting ADONAI, they trusted the Assyrians. Sometimes you need to be careful about what you ask for because you just might get it. Judah’s payment for placing her trust in Assyria was the mighty vengeance of the Assyrians.

God’s judgment would eventually come to Assyria (10:5-15) because it was not outside His rule. The floodwaters only go where He directs them (8:8a) and to the extent that He allows them (8:8b). Consequently Assyria would not stop its advance when it fulfilled promises made to Ahaz to end the northern threat (Second Kings 16:7-9), but would then attack Judah also. This, and later behavior (Second Kings 18:13-25), gave Assyria a deserved reputation that Isaiah would never forget (33:1).

These mighty floodwaters will overflow all its channels, run over all its banks and sweep on into Judah (8:7b-8:8a). And because they rejoiced so readily over the fall of Syria and Isra’el (in fulfillment of the prophecy of Isaiah in Chapter 7), Assyria would sweep on into Judah, swirling through it and reaching up to the neck (8:8b). Even though Assyria was able to overrun 46 fortified cities, they would fail to take Jerusalem, the head of the nation. Isaiah then changes figures of speech and pictures Assyria as a giant bird whose wings will cover the entire land.

Its outspread wings refer to the extending floodwaters that will cover the breadth of the land of Judah. However, the floodwaters do not cover the head and drown the victim, and the bird of prey looms but does not kill. It was as if ADONAI had said, “This far, but no further.” The final blow against Judah (6:11-13) would come from Babylon as seen in the book of Jeremiah, not Assyria. But in the final analysis, Judah would be saved. Why? Because she was so wise or powerful? No, because of Immanuel.

Your Land, O Immanuel (8:8d). This message was given to Immanuel (God [is] with us). Isaiah had used that word (7:14) when he told Ahaz that a boy, soon to be born, would be a sign that the nation would not perish at the hands of Syria and Isra’el. Now the Assyrians would try to destroy the land of Judah.

Ultimately, Immanuel owned the Land and was the One Assyria attacked. Therefore, the word of Immanuel assured His hearers that He had not forgotten His covenant people and would be with them. Sin always takes us further than we want to go and costs us more than we wanted to pay, and that was certainly the case with Judah. She made a deal with the devil, and Assyria almost destroyed her. Ahaz thought he could use Assyria for his own ends. That sounds like us doesn’t it? We think we can control our favorite sin, which, if left unchecked, only comes back to ravage us. Just like Judah.

Throughout Isaiah’s ministry Judah was threatened by superior powers and here, under the influence of the Ruach ha-Kodesh, he meditates on the fact that where the LORD is, there is security. We are reminded of Psalm 46:7 that affirms: the LORD of heaven’s armies is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.

The tone shifts dramatically in these verses. It seems like the thought of Assyria in Immanuel’s Land had changed his perspective. He saw beyond Judah’s near historical defeat to the far eschatological victory. Yes, at that time she might be the pawn of the Gentile nations, her sins may have driven her further into their web of deceit than she realized. In the final analysis, however, all their plots and schemes would only align themselves with God’s will.

Therefore, this is a message to the nations. In the TaNaKh, whenever the word nations is used, it always means Gentile nations. These nations are in distant lands. Raise the war cry, you nations, and be shattered! Listen, all you distant lands. Prepare for battle, and be shattered! Prepare for battle, and be shattered (8:9)! The Hebrew word be shattered is a second imperative and often expresses an outcome that it is inevitable. For emphasis, this verse stresses the unavoidable three different times. It is a warning that any conspiracy to do away with the House of David will be thwarted. Yes, Judah was the pawn of other nations. Her sins had plunged her into the midst of their plotting schemes. But Isaiah warned: Devise your strategy, but it will be thwarted; propose your plan, but it will not stand (8:10a). When all was said and done, all their plots would not stand. Even though they might raise the war cry, it wouldn’t matter. They could make all the noise they wanted (again we see the contrast between noisiness and quietness regarding the believing remnant), but all their efforts would not succeed because of the promise made regarding Immanuel and the prophecy contained in 7:14.

Why will the plotting schemes not succeed? Because the House of David could not be reduced to a point of insignificance until the birth of the virgin-born Son, the stump of Jesse. A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit (to see link click Dc – A Shoot Will Come Up From the Stump of Jesse). The point is that not until the glorious House of David is reduced to what it was in Jesse’s day, nothing but a cut down stump, will the Messiah appear. At that point the Davidic dynasty had lost its power and glory.

So the great truth of Chapters 7-9 is that because of Immanuel, God was with Judah. That great truth separated Judah from all other nations in the world. Because God has promised to be with His people, they were to have faith in Him no matter how bad their circumstances. He would not desert them. Therefore, the nations would not succeed because God was with Judah. This is the third time God with us is mentioned (7:14, 8:8 and 8:10b) in the Book of Immanuel (7:1 to 12:6), but this time the word is written: God is with us.

It is hard to overstress the significance that God is with us. The world seeks to be with God. The Biblical view, however, reverses the process. God is distinct from His world. This means that it is impossible for people to find God on their own. He had to take the first step and come to us through Yeshua Messiah, thus bringing us into fellowship with Himself (John 3:13, Romans 10:6, Second Corinthians 4:6, Colossians 1:15-20).

The LORD had promised to be with His people, but many in both Isra’el and Judah refused to believe He would keep His promise. I am sure that there were times, with the enemy bearing down on them, that Judah did not feel that God was with them. But He was. What does it mean when we say God is with us? Does it mean that everything is going to turn out well for us? No, it doesn’t. To confirm that all we have to do is remember the Babylonian Captivity (see the commentary on Jeremiah Gu – Seventy Years of Imperial Babylonian Rule), the destruction of Jerusalem (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Mt – The Destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple on Tisha B’Av in 70 AD), or the Holocaust. Indeed, all who want to live a godly life united with the Messiah Yeshua will be persecuted (Second Timothy 3:12 CJB). What it does mean is that God is with us in the midst of our troubles.

We have just as much controversy, intrigue, rumors, and turmoil as Isaiah did in his day, and the LORD continues to be our secret of contentment today. When we choose God as our sanctuary rather than our stumbling block, then we can truly rest in the safety of Immanuel. He is still with us today.

The Sign of Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz
8: 1-4

The sign of Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz DIG: What do the names of Isaiah’s two sons symbolize in the context of Chapters 7 and 8? What did this second son’s name mean? Why was it significant? To whom was it directed? Why was Isaiah’s wife called a prophetess?

REFLECT: How does the LORD communicate with you today? How can you be sure that what you are being told is reliable (Second Timothy 3:16)? In what ways do you simply walk in obedience to God without being sure of where you will end up? Who is watching you walk with ADONAI? Your children? Your spouse? Your co-workers? In what ways are you a positive model for them? How do you react when you slip up?

The Assyrian domination of the northern kingdom of Isra’el in Chapters 6 and 7 foreshadow its domination of the southern kingdom of Judah in Chapter 8. Isaiah had already prophesied about the fall of the Syrian-Isra’el alliance (7:4-17). Now he gives another prophecy about the same event. Like Chapter 7, the prophecy involves the birth of a baby, this time to Isaiah’s wife, a prophetess. God allowed this prophecy to be witnessed by several important people to prove to the northern kingdom of Isra’el once again that Isaiah was speaking for the LORD and His words were reliable.

The LORD said to His prophet, “Take a large scroll and write on it with an ordinary pen: Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz” (8:1). Isaiah used a large scroll as a visual aid to help the people understand his prophecy. He was to write the name of his soon-to-be-born son even before he was born. This would point to the certainty of the birth. The name Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz is the longest personal name in the Bible. It means quick to plunder, swift to spoil. Soldiers would shout these words to one another as they defeated their enemy. Isaiah’s listeners would remember his prophecy of the fall of the Syrian-Isra’el alliance and would understand the significance of his son’s name. Those two nations would be plundered and the Assyrian army would take their spoil.

Isaiah wrote the words he was told on the scroll. Not until the boy was born did he himself fully understand the significance of what he had done. Isaiah simply walked in obedience, a model for the people of God.

YHVH said He would call in two witnesses (Numbers 35:30; Deuteronomy 17:6 and 19:5) who could confirm that His words were true. He then called Uriah the priest and Zechariah son of Jeberekiah because they were faithful or reliable witnesses (8:2). In what sense were Uriah and Zechariah reliable or faithful? They were not faithful in the sense of being faithful to the covenant of God. But they were faithful witnesses for God in the sense that these were not men who would side with Isaiah against Ahaz; they would side with Ahaz against Isaiah. In other words, because they would tend to be anti–Isaiah rather than pro-Isaiah, they were reliable witnesses. When Isaiah’s prophecy did come true, they could testify that Isaiah prophesied truthfully about it beforehand. The first sign, then, was this impressive large scroll.

Then I went to the prophetess and she conceived and gave birth to a son (8:3a). Nine months later we see the second sign, and it is a living one. The living witness, Isaiah’s second son, will now replace the lifeless, large scroll. And the LORD said to me: “Name him Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz” (8:3b). Like Immanuel, the boy possessed four names. But he foreshadowed doom, whereas the Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father and Prince of Peace (9:6b), focuses on hope. The naming of the son communicated the message that God’s word is sure and can be trusted. After the birth of his son, Isaiah probably knew that he must call his wife a prophetess, because she had literally been the bearer of the Word of the LORD. If she was a prophetess in her own right; however, we have no biblical record of it.

For before the boy knows how to say “My father,” or “My mother,” the wealth of Damascus and the plunder of Samaria will be carried off by the king of Assyria (8:4). Before the child could say two syllable words, my father or my mother, Assyria would plunder both Damascus (Syria’s capital city) and Samaria (Israel’s capital city). Most children can say those words before, or soon after, they are one year old. As a result, the boy would serve as a time-indicator of what his name foreshadowed.

The king of Assyria mentioned here was Tiglath-Pileser III. In 734 BC he marched down the Israeli seacoast as far as the Egyptian border. Egyptian aid was then cut off. In 733 BC Isra’el lost Galilee, the Transjordan (Second Kings 15:29), Megiddo and other cities. Only the swift submission of Hoshea gave the northern kingdom of Isra’el a few more years. When Damascus and Samaria fell in 742 BC, Judah should have turned to God as Isaiah had told her to do. But Uriah the priest, one of the two witnesses, followed Ahaz’s orders and changed the Temple worship to mirror the pagan worship that had been practiced in Damascus (Second Kings 16:10-16). Apparently he was an influential priest and the nation followed him into spiritual adultery with tragic results.

Failure to listen to the LORD has dire consequences. Those consequences may come quickly or they may be delayed, but they will come. God, however, is merciful and gives us warning in advance. His warnings may come in different ways to different people. There is no formula. But we do need to be attentive. Make Him your best Friend, communicate with Him daily, and be in the Word. He may speak loudly or He might possibly come with a gentle whisper (First Kings 19:12), but He promises that you will find Him. YHVH tells us: I love those who love Me, and those who seek Me will find Me (Proverbs 8:17).

The Birth of Immanuel
8:1 to 9:7

This section is closely related to the previous chapter. It concerns the same event, namely, the deliverance from the Syria-Isra’el alliance, and the subsequent Assyrian invasion that would eventually extend to Judah. Chapter 7:1-25 included several negatives – Ahaz’s rejection of God’s Word through Isaiah, Ahaz’s continued unbelief, and the difficult times that would come to Judah. This section, from 8:1 to 9:7, focuses on a positive note; the nation would be delivered and this deliverance would picture another Deliverer, who will bring an even greater deliverance in the future.³⁰ Here, Isaiah calls us to believe that God is at work in human history. He calls us to trust in Him to work all things for the good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28). We don’t need to worry about current events. This is not to say we should take no interest in them, but rather we shouldn’t be overwhelmed with anxiety about them. We should focus on our relationship with ADONAI and pleasing Him. Then we can walk in confidence.

In That Day the LORD Will Whistle
7: 18-25

In that day the LORD will whistle DIG: What images does Isaiah use here to show what Assyria will do to Judah? Which one is the most graphic to you? Why does Ahaz refuse to listen to Isaiah? Who causes this attack to take place? What did shaving the head and hair on the face signify? What does the phrase: In that day mean? Why was the abundance of milk not a good sign? What would the Land be good for? Almost two decades later, what kind of a decision did another king of Judah make? How was it different?

REFLECT: Where have you seen the sovereignty of God in your life? When was the last time you refused to listen to the LORD, only to face a crisis? What did you learn from that experience? How can you try to help others not make the same mistake? Can you remember the last time you were humiliated? When was the last time you were down-and-out because of some bad decisions you made? Did you ever have a second chance to turn the situation around? How did you handle it? Why?

These verses answer the question, “How will the coming days be unlike any since the division of the nation (7:17)?” The answer is a grim one. In that day the LORD will whistle, or signal, for the armies of Judah’s enemies to blanket the Land like swarms of bees or flies. The Judeans will be disgraced in defeat. The countryside will be so depopulated that there will be no one to eat the produce of the few remaining animals or to cultivate the once fertile hills. The Land will return to wilderness. Had Ahaz been able to believe that ADONAI is indeed present with His people, it need not have been so. But because he trusted something less than God, that object of trust now becomes the instrument of the very devastation he dreaded.²⁹

God governs this world of ours. He shapes the destinies of nations, controls the course of empires, and determines the limits of dynasties. Individually, the LORD has established His throne in heaven and His kingdom rules over all (Psalm 103:19). Consequently, ADONAI used the nations of the world to discipline Isra’el. That was Isaiah’s message before the Assyrian invasion, and about one hundred years later it would be Jeremiah’s message to Judah before the Babylonian captivity (see the commentary on Jeremiah, to see link click Gu – Seventy Years of Imperial Babylonian Rule). Both were ignored, with dire consequences.

Earlier, Isaiah had depicted the LORD whistling for those at the ends of the earth. Saying, here they come, swiftly and speedily to devastate the land of Judah (5:26)! Now He specifies which nations those were. They were Assyria from the north, and Egypt from the south. Throughout its history, Isra’el has been caught between the civilizations of the Nile and the Mesopotamian valleys, each wanting to obtain her for their own advancement.

Because the nations of the world are controlled by the sovereignty of ADONAI, here He calls for them. In that day of judgment for Ahaz and the southern kingdom of Judah, the LORD would whistle for flies from the distant streams of Egypt. The annual flooding of the Nile River brought swarms of flies and the word streams in Hebrew is a technical word for Egypt’s irrigation canals. In other words, Egyptian soldiers were seen as numerous and bothersome as flies. And He would also whistle for bees from Assyria (7:18), which was well known for its beekeeping expertise. In other words, the Assyrian soldiers were as vicious as bees. Both the flies and the bees are metaphors for the swiftness of movement of the Egyptian and Assyrian hosts. The Egyptians and the Assyrians will battle each other, but the battleground will be Judah.

They will all come and settle. The Hebrew verb naha, which is used sixty-three times in the TaNaKh, always has the meaning given here, which is to settle or swarm. Their armies would be like flood waters, settling wherever they wanted. This would be frightening news to the Jews. Isaiah was saying that Judah would be swarming with Egyptians and Assyrians. They would be everywhere, even in the hardest to find places. The Land of Judah offers many such places; in the steep ravines and in the crevices in the rocks, on all the thornbushes and at all the water holes (7:19). But it will be impossible to escape from the invaders. Thinking that God would never allow His people or His Temple to be violated (see the commentary on Jeremiah Cc – False Religion is Worthless), the Jews living in Judea would indeed be shaken as the trees of the forest are shaken by the wind when the invasion came (7:2).

Isaiah stresses again that the invasion by Assyria will not be her own decision. She will merely be a tool in the hands of the sovereign LORD. This concept was basic to Jewish survival. If they believed, as was commonly thought at the time, that when one country conquered another it meant that the gods of the victors had defeated the gods of the conquered people, then they were doomed because their God was so small. However, if they could believe the LORD of heaven’s angelic armies (CJB) when He said: Whoever touches you touches the apple of My eye (Zechariah 2:8), then they could survive any attack that would come.

In that day, which would shortly come to pass, the LORD told king Ahaz that he would use a razor hired from beyond the Euphrates River as judgment for Judah’s unbelief. With a change in metaphor, Assyria is compared to a razor. More than likely, this is an ironic comment on Ahaz’s alliance with Assyria. He had entered into a covenant with Assyria, who would first, like a razor, viciously attack the northern kingdom of Isra’el and Syria. But little did he know that shortly afterward that same cutting razor, in the hands of ADONAI, would turn on him and his kingdom of Judah.

Ahaz probably tried to keep his alliance with the Assyrian king Tiglath-pileser a secret. Therefore, Isaiah shocked the king of Judah when he confronted him with the knowledge of the secret pact with the king of Assyria. As a true prophet of God, the secrets of the Almighty were his also. Humanly speaking, nothing could be hidden from him that the LORD wanted revealed. So it was with the alliance with the razor from beyond the River.

Isaiah informs king Ahaz that God would use that razor to figuratively shave your head and the hair on your legs, literally feet, and to take off your beards also (7:20). After the Assyrians defeated the Egyptians, they will shave Judah herself. That was the twist. The very one that Ahaz hired to shave Isra’el and Syria, will end up shaving Judah on the head, the beard and the hair on the face. In the Near East shaving one’s hair and beard was a sign of humiliation or deep distress (Job 1:20; Isaiah 15:2; Jeremiah 47:5 and 48:37; Ezekiel 7:18; Amos 8:10; Micah 1:16). So the contrast between head and feet, the visible and hidden body hair, express the totality of the humiliation, the indignities heaped on a subject people.

Humanly speaking, Judah will have no honor left. In a similar fate, French women who were known to have consorted with German soldiers during World War II had their heads shaved and were shamed in a public display of disloyalty.

Isaiah describes the deplorable condition of the Land after the invader had left his mark upon it. In that day, a man will keep alive a young cow and two goats (7:21). This represents a time of judgment on the nation of Judah. The phrase, in that day, is often used to refer to the time of extreme judgment in the Great Tribulation just before the Messiah returns (as in 4:2). But sometimes as we see here, it refers to the near historical judgment at the end of a particular time period. Here it refers to the judgment to come on the nation of Judah very soon.

And because of the abundance of the milk they give, he will have curds to eat. All who remain alive in the Land will eat curds and honey (7:22). Agricultural activity ceased, primitive conditions returned, and the survivors of the storm and strife were living precariously on the produce of their flocks. The abundance of milk was a troubling factor, not a good one. With so many animals dying, a farmer’s young cow and two goats would have no young to nurse; therefore, the milk (and curds from it) would be plentiful for the people. Honey would also be abundant because wild flowers would grow in the deserted fields and bee swarms would be more common. All this would fulfill the sign given to Ahaz by Isaiah (7:15) that he will eat curds and honey. Although Ahaz, through his human wisdom and political maneuvering, had plunged the nation into despair, God was still with His people. The survivors, although few, would be provided for.

In that day, in every place where there were a thousand vines worth a thousand silver shekels, there will be only briers and thorns (7:23). In addition, the farmers would have no crops because the farmland was destroyed. The vineyards would be ruined along with the farmland and only briers and thorns, would grow.

Judah would revert to wilderness. Men will go there with bow and arrow, for the Land will be covered with briers and thorns (7:24). To go there without any protection would be to invite attack from wild animals. The only thing the Land would be good for was hunting. Because it was covered with briers and thorns no farming was possible.

As for all the hills once cultivated by the hoe, you will no longer go there for fear of the briers and thorns; they will become places where cattle are turned loose and where sheep run (7:25). The land would only be good for grazing cattle and sheep. In 7:23-25 the devastation of the crops is seen. The farmers would have no crops because of the ruined farmland. That which was productive becomes only useful for hunting wild game or grazing by cattle and sheep, but not for planting. The vineyards would be ruined along with the cultivated land, and only briers and thorns, mentioned three times here, would grow.

There is a fascinating sequel to this story that will be fulfilled almost two decades later. Go back and read 7:3 again. A specific spot is mentioned where the confrontation took place between Isaiah the prophet, and Ahaz the king. At that one spot Ahaz was given the option. Trust in God or trust in Assyria. Ahaz made the wrong choice and ended up under the Assyrian yoke. Later he dies and his son, Hezekiah, becomes king. Hezekiah was still laboring under the Assyrian yoke for which his father was responsible. Against Isaiah’s advice and prophecies, Hezekiah rebelled against the Assyrians, and the Assyrians raided the Land. Forty-six cities were destroyed by the Assyrian invasion. Then only Jerusalem was left. Sennacherib sent his field commander with a large army from Lachish to King Hezekiah at Jerusalem. Then the commander stopped at the aqueduct of the Upper Pool, on the road to the Washerman’s Field (36:2). At the very place where Ahaz made the fatal choice of putting Judah under the Assyrian yoke, the field commander of the Assyrian army confronted Hezekiah. But the son made the right decision that his father did not make. Hezekiah made the decision to trust ADONAI, and He delivered Hezekiah and Jerusalem, just like He had wanted to do if Ahaz had acted in faith (Chapters 36 and 37).

He Will Eat Curds and Honey
7: 15-17

He will eat curds and honey DIG: What was the sign and to whom was it given? What do you make of the curds and honey imagery? What is the age of accountability? What does that mean? How does this sign fit the crisis? Instead of peace, what will happen once Israel and Syria are out of the picture? What was the root cause of Ahaz’s error? What possible reasons can you think of that would explain why he would be so completely disinterested in God’s offer of a miraculous sign?

He will eat curds and honey REFLECT: Since Ahaz was a bad king all along, what does it mean to you in your life that the LORD would still desire to give him a sign of His mercy? Where do you get your wisdom, knowledge and understanding from? Who do you trust, worship, and obey? The world or the LORD? What evidence do you have of that in your life? Why was Ahaz a fool? What can you learn from his mistakes?

Most people in this life avoid any accountability for their actions. Some make excuses, many blame others, while most just avoid, or, as a last resort, postpone. Ahaz was no different. He had made a horrific decision to trust in the world and not to trust in ADONAI; tragically, the only One who could really save him. He had demonstrated his lack of faith by rejecting a confirming sign of Isaiah’s prophecy (7:12). Therefore, the LORD gave him two signs (whether he wanted them or not). First, the House of David would be preserved (7:13-14), and secondly, he would not be dethroned (7:15-16), but would continue to live under Assyrian domination (7:17).

In 7:10-14, Isaiah used both the Hebrew singular or plural form of you, to tell us who he is talking to, or about. In 7:10-12 he uses the singular form and was talking to Ahaz, then in 7:13-14 he uses the Hebrew plural form of you to let us know that he was referring to the House of David. Here in 7:15-17, however, Isaiah reverts back to the Hebrew singular you, because he wants to indicate that he was talking once again to Ahaz.

The king needed something that would serve as a definite sign that the prophecies of Isaiah would be fulfilled in his lifetime (7:7-9). The virgin birth was an assurance to the House of David and Ahaz would understand that he would not be dethroned. As far as God was concerned, He was honoring the position of the one who sat on the throne of David, and not honoring Ahaz personally. But the sign needed to have some historical significance to him personally. A miracle that was going to happen seven centuries later would have no meaning to him. Here the definite article is important again; it is not a boy, but the boy. Before the boy, a specific person, is old enough to make moral choices, the two kings of the confederacy will be laid waste. So the prophecy given by Isaiah will be fulfilled in a very short period of time, which is part of the test of a prophet.

But before the boy knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right, the land of the two kings you dread will be laid waste (7:16). The word used here cannot refer to a newly born child, it was a young boy. When we look at the immediate context we find that there is a boy mentioned back in 7:3; when Isaiah was told to meet Ahaz, God also told him to bring his son Shear-Jashub. There was a specific reason why God told Isaiah to bring his son along. While the Son born to the virgin would be a sign to the House of David, Shear-Jashub was a sign to Ahaz. And before Shear-Jashub is old enough to make moral choices, the two kings will not be a threat to Ahaz.

For Jews, 7:16 serves as an age of accountability, or the mental capability to know right from wrong, to make a decision to trust in Yeshua Messiah and be immersed into the mikveh as the bible teaches (Matthew 28:19).

Isaiah prophesied that his son, Shear-Jashub was a sign to king Ahaz (7:3). He will eat curds and honey until he knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right (7:15). Within about three years, or nine months for the pregnancy and a couple of years, the boy would know the difference between right and wrong have the ability to make moral choices. At that time, Isaiah said, the land of the two kings Ahaz dreaded would be laid waste and the northern alliance between Isra’el and Syria would be broken (7:16). Not surprisingly, history proved this to be true. Pekah was attacked and assassinated by his countryman Hoshea (Second Kings 15:29-30), and Rezin (Second Kings 16:9) was put to death by Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria.

Honey was and is frequently mixed with various forms of milk products and used upon bread. When traveling, Arabs often take leather bottles full of honey for this purpose. It is considered very palatable, especially by the children (not to newborn infants). Butter is also mentioned in connection with honey in Second Samuel 17:29, Job 32:13, and Song of Solomon 4:11. We find in Proverbs 25:16 and 27 allusions to the disagreeable consequences of eating too much honey, and it is possible that experience had proved the oily nature of the butter a corrective to the sweetness of the honey. Honey and oil are named together in Deuteronomy 32:13.²⁸

Ahaz was at the crossroads of his life. Isaiah had said to him, “If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all.” Now Ahaz deliberately rejected that prophecy. Just because God had assured him that the two kings would fail in their attempt to divide Judah, it did not mean that Ahaz himself would escape the consequences of his actions. Isaiah went on to tell Ahaz that because he lacked faith, he himself would suffer. The LORD will bring on you and on your people and on the house of your father a time unlike any since Ephraim broke away from Judah – He will bring the king of Assyria (7:17). Ahaz was the one who aligned Judah with Assyria to begin with. As a result, God basically said, “You want Assyria. I am going to give you Assyria.” Once the Assyrians subjugated Syria and Isra’el, they would continue southward and subjugate Judah as well. Had Ahaz believed God, the confederacy would have been broken and Judah would have been freed from the Assyrian domination. But he did not. As a result, Ahaz and Judah continued to pay tribute to Assyria (Second Kings 16:7; Second Chronicles 28:21), worship Assyrian gods (Second Chronicles 28:22-25), and live under their control. As a final indictment against this evil king, Ahaz was buried in Jerusalem, but not in the tombs of the kings (Second Chronicles 28:27).

Isaiah said that God would bring an invasion unlike any since the ten northern tribes (here called Ephraim), broke away from the two Southern tribes of Benjamin and Judah in 931 B.C. He will bring the king of Assyria. There were four other invasions against Judah since the start of the Kingdom. The first invasion was by Shishak (First Kings 14:25-26; Second Chronicles 12:2-9). A second invasion was by the Ethiopians (Second Chronicles 14:9-15). A third invasion was by the combined forces of Moab and Ammon (Second Chronicles 20:1-30), and a fourth invasion was by the combined forces of Philistines and Arabs (Second Chronicles 21:16-17). Yet this invasion by the Assyrians, led by Tiglath-Pileser, would be worse than all of them.

By risking everything, Ahaz had gambled that the Assyrian military prowess would save both him and Judah. But in doing so, he bet against God, the only One who could truly protect him and the nation. In the last analysis, Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria came to him, but he gave him trouble instead of help. Ahaz took some of the things from the Temple of the LORD, from the royal palace, and from the princes and presented them to the king of Assyria, but that did not help him (Second Chronicles 28:20-21).

King Solomon had warned that the fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge (Proverbs 1:7a). The problem with King Ahaz was that he feared the king of Assyria more than he feared the King of Kings (Revelation 19:16). The fear of the LORD appears 11 times in Proverbs, and fear the LORD occurs 4 times. Beginning is the Hebrew or resit, which means the start. Thus, one cannot gain knowledge of spiritual things by starting at the wrong point by refusing to fear the LORD. In other words, to recognize God’s character and respond by revering, trusting, worshiping obeying and serving Him. Resit also means the capstone or the essence. The essence of true knowledge is the fear of the LORD. Apart from Him, we are ignorant of spiritual things (Romans 1:22; Ephesians 4:18; First Peter 1:14).

In contrast to those who fear God and have knowledge, fools despise wisdom and discipline (Proverbs 1:7b). In the Hebrew, despise or buz, means to hold in contempt, to belittle or to ridicule. It is used 7 other times in Proverbs 6:30, 11:12, 13:13, 14:21, 23:9 and 22, 30:17. Of the three Hebrew words translated fool in Proverbs: ksil is characterized by a closed mind, nabal refers to one who lacks spiritual perception, and ewil is an illustration of someone who is arrogant. This was a clear picture of Ahaz. He was arrogant, lacked spiritual perception, and had a closed mind to what Isaiah was saying. In short, Ahaz was a fool.

You and I were born into that darkness. Many people don’t believe that. In fact, in a Barna poll 74 percent of Americans said that people were born neither good nor bad. That illustrates how thick the darkness is. We don’t realize how lost and helpless we naturally are, even though God’s Word plainly says: Surely I have been a sinner from birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me (Psalm 51:5).

The LORD Himself Will Give You A Sign
7: 13-14

The LORD Himself will give you a sign DIG: What is the sign that the LORD will give to Ahaz despite his refusal to ask for one? How is Matthew 1:23 the ultimate fulfillment of this prophecy (see the commentary on the Life of Christ, to see link click Ap – Joseph Accepts Jesus as His Son)? What does Immanuel mean? Why is that important?

REFLECT: How has the LORD gone the extra mile with you in your life? When has He shown extraordinary grace and patience with you? How did you respond? Why? When have you not responded and suffered the consequences? What did you learn from that experience? Is there anything you can do now to help others?

At the heart of our earthly existence, our heavenly Father wants the best for us. Even a sinful human father normally wants the best for his children, let alone, our perfect heavenly Father! He will go the extra mile to give us a chance to repent and be saved. The apostle Peter would say it like this: He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance (Second Peter 3:9b). But ADONAI will not take away our free will to reject Him. We can say no to God and make it stick. This dynamic is clearly seen here in Ha’Shem’s dealing with king Ahaz.

The LORD graciously sent His prophet Isaiah to Ahaz, king of the southern kingdom of Judah, to offer an authenticating sign so that he might believe and the nation would be saved. But after Ahaz’s stubborn refusal to ask for a sign to confirm the LORD’s prophecy, Isaiah said to him, “Hear now, you house of David! Is it not enough to try the patience of men? Will you try the patience of my God also?” (7:13).

Here Isaiah was no longer addressing Ahaz alone; the prophet was addressing the house of David. Every you in 7:10 through 12 is singular and addresses Ahaz, but every, you in these two verses is in the plural, addressing the sign to the house of David. Therefore, because of the king’s skepticism, the sign Isaiah was giving was not to Ahaz individually, but to the house of David collectively. The human house of David was finally without hope; it has tried God’s patience too far. In fact, YHVH was worn out from trying to get this nation to act in faith during this crisis. The change from your God in 7:11 to my God here is ominous. Isaiah seems to be saying that Ahaz had rejected the very One who would have supported and established him. As a result, no longer can the prophet speak of your God, now it is only my God, who is evidently foreign to Ahaz. Sha’ul had a similar experience in his life (First Samuel 15:26-30). From this point on, however long it should take for this human Jewish dynasty to come to a complete collapse, the only hope is in ADONAI’s provision.

As a result of Ahaz’s refusal of an immediate sign during his lifetime, Isaiah looked about 700 years into the future and prophesied: The LORD Himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a Son, and will call Him Immanuel, meaning God with us (7:14). If the king of Judah would not ask for a sign, God, in His sovereignty, will give him one anyway. It is impossible to determine if this was the sign YHVH intended to give had Ahaz asked, or whether it was especially given in light of his refusal to ask. At any rate, it is the one he received. It confirmed Isaiah’s earlier promise in 7:4-9, but it also verified the foolishness of not trusting in that promise. That the positive side would have applied had the king of Judah received the sign in faith lends some weight to the idea that this was the intended sign. Had Ahaz received it in faith, Immanuel would have appeared to vindicate the House of David. As it was, He was to appear as a shame. They had not believed, so they received the just result of that unbelief. Nevertheless, ADONAI, in His faithfulness to His own promise, would raise up from the wreckage a true Son of David.

The demonstrative article therefore is an active participle. Isaiah uses this phrase 43 times in his book. With the exception of 48:7 every time it is used, it is referring to the future. It could be referring to something past, present, or future. By itself, it does not necessarily require a future interpretation. In the Hebrew however, if the word is used with the Hebrew active participle, it is always interpreted as a future event. And the phrase will give birth to is an active participle. So this is a future event.

Now let us look at the Hebrew word virgin. Na-tor-ah is generally translated by the word girl. It is used of virgins and non-virgins. In the case of a virgin, one example is used in First Kings 1:2, and in the case of a non-virgin, an example is used in Ruth 2:6. For most women the word for a virgin is bet-to-la, which in classical Hebrew refers to a single girl without reference to age. However, in most cases in classical Hebrew it is used of a virgin. But because the word is not always clearly a virgin, sometimes after using the term they have to use a descriptive phrase to point out that they mean virgin (Genesis 24:16; Judges 21:12). So bet-to-la means a single girl of any age. Now with that knowledge, we come to the word that is used in Isaiah, the word almah. The basic meaning of almah is a young virgin. It never refers to someone who is old. It is never used of a married woman. In the other Semitic languages, the root word always means virgin. There is no debate on this. In addition, in the Septuagint the word used is tarthenos, which is the word used for a strict virgin.

As far as how it is used in the TaNaKh, it is only found in seven places: Genesis 24:43 in reference to Rebekah where it states that she is a virgin; Exodus 2:8 in reference to Miriam the sister of Moses; Psalm 68:25 which deals with young virgins worthy to participate in a religious procession; Song of Songs 1:3 referring to women who are worthy to be desired; Song of Songs 6:8 where there is a contrast with two other groups, queens, concubines, and virgins beyond number. Queens were legal wives and their main function was to produce royal children to the throne. The concubines served the king sexually. Virgins were prospective concubines; Proverbs 30:18-19 contrasts the virgin with the adulteress in Proverbs 30:20; and finally, the passage here, Isaiah 7:14. In each reference, while some passages are clearly virgins, even the unclear passages at least allow for virginity. But nowhere does it refer to a married woman.

Because of the fact that the word virgin cannot refer to a married woman, only an unmarried woman, there are only two options when interpreting this passage. Either you have a virgin birth or an illegitimate birth. Illegitimate births are very common, no miracle there. Likewise a virgin getting married and giving birth to a child is very commonplace. Not only that, but it is YHVH doing this so you have moral problems if you associate God with something illegitimate. The entire context of the passage begs for a virgin birth. The emphasis is that in her virginity she will conceive, and that is the miracle.

The article does not mean a virgin; it means the virgin. In Hebrew grammar the usage of a definite article, when against something specific, has two rules. First, it would refer to a woman already mentioned in the immediate context. There has been no woman mentioned in the immediate context. Secondly, would be the law of previous mention. This is when some event or some person had become so familiar in the minds of the people that when the event or person is mentioned, everybody knows what or who is being discussed. For example when you say, “the Exodus”, the Jews know what you are talking about. That is similar to this passage. However, there is no woman to go to in the previous context. There must be a specific woman in the minds of the people, so if it said the woman everyone would know which woman was being referred to. Has there been such a previous mention? Yes, in Genesis 3:15. What Isaiah is doing is explaining the mystery of this passage. The Bible teaches that the Messiah’s seed, or offspring, will come after the woman, which goes contrary to all Biblical systems and principles of Jewish law. And now Isaiah explains why it is necessary. The reason Christ will have to be born after the offspring of the woman is because there is no man involved. He will be born of a virgin, and: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means God with us (Matthew 1:23).

There is something else in this verse. The sign was to be a boy named Immanuel. When parents name a child, it shows the thinking of the parents. The parents’ hopes and aspirations for the child can be seen in the meaning of the name they choose. Maybe it will be true, and maybe it will not be true. In Scripture, when Elohim names a child, it becomes true. And the character of this child is literally, God with us. Concerning Immanuel, there is a certain flow in the context. In Chapter 7 He is to be born, in Chapter 9 He will be viewed as having already been born, and in Chapter 11 He is reigning. By the time you get to the end of 7:9, the king of Y’hudah has been given a specific promise. The first part of the promise is that the two kings of the confederacy are doomed to failure. That does not guarantee the establishment of Ahaz personally; that would take faith on his part. But as far as the House of David there is no threat to it, the promise will remain.

What does it mean for us today that God is with us? The God of the universe is able to have a personal relationship with us. Before Christ, the Holy Spirit was not a permanent indwelling for each believer in the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The Ruach would come and go. That is why David said: Have mercy on me, O God. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me (Psalm 51:1 and 11). But with the coming of Messiah, God with us has taken on a whole new dimension. Now God lives inside of us. This is what Jesus had in mind when He said that the Ruach would indwell the apostles (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Kr – The Holy Spirit Will Teach You All Things). His Tabernacle was no longer in the center of the twelve tribes (see the commentary on Exodus Ep – The Camp of the Twelve Tribes of Isra’el), but in the human heart itself.

This means we can live without fear. If YHVH lives in us through the power of the Ruach HaKodesh, then neither the condemnation of our past sins nor the power of present temptation can defeat us. If God is for us, who can be against us (Psalm 56:9; Romans 8:31)? Nothing that anyone can do to us can ultimately hurt us because Immanuel has conquered death. God with us would be a great truth even if Christ had not come. But it would only be an incomplete hope. There would always be the grave, the single most inescapable reality of human experience. But Messiah has gone with us all the way, even into the tomb. And having gone in with us, He can bring us out with Him. Immanuel!²⁷

Many large cities have computerized warning signs to alert drivers to hazards ahead. I recall one occasion when I was on the freeway and a sign told me, “Accident ahead – major delay.” There was no other reason to believe there had been an accident, but I heeded the warning anyway and got off at the next exit to take another route to my destination. Returning about an hour later in the other lane, I found the sign had told the truth. There was a terrible traffic jam by that time and cars were lined up for miles. The new sign had provided a timely warning and saved me a great deal of time by letting me know what was ahead. Seven-hundred years before the coming of Messiah, the prophet Isaiah told God’s people what was ahead for them. The prophet didn’t have a computer or giant billboards, but he had the Holy Spirit and was able to predict the coming, character, and style of Christ.

Ask the LORD Your God for a Sign
7: 10-12

Ask the LORD your God for a sign DIG: Why did Ahaz have to be spoken to again? Who was speaking to him the second time? What was the purpose of the sign? What were the limitations the LORD put on this sign? Ahaz was known as an evil king, so what do you make of his response here? Is this unbelief or humility? What was his alternative plan (Second Kings 16:7-9)?

REFLECT: How does God communicate best with you? A still small voice? Art? Worship? Through Scripture? Nature? Or something else? When God the Holy Spirit comes to convict you of your sin, does He have to come back again and again, or do you repent quickly? How do you recognize His voice when He comes to you? Ahaz masked his lack of trust in God with false humility. What examples have you seen of people covering up their sin with a veneer of virtue? How does Ahaz’ refusal serve as a warning to you? Read Isaiah 7:12 and Exodus 17:1-7. How could one use Scripture to attempt to justify their own sinful nature?

Ahaz is now challenged to give God a chance to prove His trustworthiness. He was willing to strengthen the king’s faith through a sign of deliverance. As happens often in the TaNaKh, one time the prophet speaks as if he were the LORD, and another time, as is the case here, the LORD speaks as if He were the prophet. Hezekiah had asked for a sign when Isaiah prophesied of his recovery and fifteen additional years of life. The prophet gave him the sign he asked for by causing the shadow cast by the sun to go backwards ten steps instead of forwards (38:1-8).

The last time Isaiah met King Ahaz, the prophet brought along his son Shear-Jashub, whose name meant a remnant will return. By bringing his son as an object lesson, it gave Ahaz a chance to believe in God, and not in his political savvy. But if Ahaz ever got the message, he ignored it completely. Here Ahaz is spoken to again, this time by ADONAI. The stakes were being raised; the LORD was going to make Ahaz an offer he couldn’t refuse.

Therefore, as a means of strengthening his faith, ADONAI spoke to Ahaz, saying: Ask the LORD your God for a sign (7:10a). When ADONAI or the LORD is used in a compound word with Elohim or God, it points us to His relationship to mankind or to the Nation. In this case, ADONAI spoke to Ahaz, so this compound name emphasizes His relationship to the king of Judah. If Ahaz would ask for a sign, its fulfillment would be a demonstrable miracle that would confirm God’s spoken word. The king could choose any miracle his heart desired, whether in the deepest depths of in the highest heights (7:10b-11). This is a figure of speech called a merism, where two extremes are mentioned with the intention to include everything in between. Other examples of merism would be: hook, line and sinker, or lock, stock and barrel. Previously, Isaiah had told Ahaz that the northern invasion that he feared so much would not happen (7:7-9). Here, with any sign of his choosing, he would have visible confirmation that Isaiah’s words were truly from ADONAI.

The word sign is used a total of 79 times in the Bible; Isaiah uses it 11 of those times. When we look at all 79 passages we see that it is used three different ways. First, it is used in the sense of heavenly bodies; the stars are used for navigation (Genesis 1:14). Secondly, it is used in the sense of positive proof. Not the miraculous, but merely positive proof (Exodus 3:13). Here YHVH speaking to Moshe says: I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain. Now that in and of itself is no miracle, but it did serve as a sense of positive proof. Thirdly, it is also used in the sense of the miraculous (Exodus 4:6-9).

Every you in 7:10 through 12 is singular and only applies to Ahaz. Isaiah is emphatic: ask the LORD your God. The prophet puts Ahaz to the test. Although he invites Ahaz to test God, it is really the king himself who is being tested. ADONAI said: If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all (7:9B). Will he respond to the words by believing in God and standing firm, or will he reject them? Undoubtedly, as the king of Judah, he had given lip service to the idea of faith, but now he must act upon it or deny it.

What will it take for Ahaz to believe the prophecy that has just been given? God was offering Ahaz anything he wanted. He could ask for a sign in heaven, a sign on the earth, or whatever it was going to take to convince him that this prophecy was really going to come true and He would make it happen. Unfortunately, there is never enough proof for unbelief.

Trying to appear religious, in whatever form it takes, is one of the great trappings of human existence. Quite naturally, human pride wants to look good to others, and some people think they know what will appear as being pious. During the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said: When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full (Matthew 6:5). The Bible teaches us: In every town in Judah Ahaz built high places to burn sacrifices to other gods, he set up altars at ever street corner in Jerusalem, even in the Temple itself (Second Chronicles 29:22-27). Therefore, King Ahaz was one of those hypocrites, trying to act religious, while courting the devil.

Even though ADONAI offered Ahaz a sign to confirm the reliability of His spoken word, it was useless. The king did not want to be convinced because his mind was already made up. The way the word sign is used here, the context of the sign was to produce faith in Ahaz (and from what we know of Ahaz that would take a miracle). But Ahaz did not want such a sign. Why? He was going to trust both his personal future and his nation’s fate to Assyria. Any sign provided by Isaiah would only be an embarrassment to him, so he attempted to avoid the dilemma with an appeal to piety.

He made a choice, which indicated his skill at diplomacy and quick thinking. The king of Y’hudah said: I will not ask; I will not put the Lord to the test (7:12). Now doesn’t that sound spiritual! He was actually appealing to a passage in Deuteronomy 6:16 that says: Do not test the Lord your God as you did at Massah. So to the casual onlooker Ahaz made it appear that he did not have a problem with too little faith, but rather he possessed such a deep faith that he did not want to ask for evidence. The real sin of putting the LORD to the test is refusing to trust Him and His past faithfulness unless He prove Himself trustworthy over and over again. Nevertheless, the whole dynamic of the confrontation between YHVH, His prophet and Ahaz changed when the offer of a sign was made. From ADONAI’s point of view, nothing is more important than that His promises are met with trust.

Ahaz alluded to Scripture, just as the Adversary did when tempting Messiah (see my commentary on The Life of Christ, to see link click Bj – Jesus is Tempted in the Wilderness). Similar to others before and after him, the king of Judah took Deuteronomy 6:16 out of context when confronted by Isaiah. Because if the sign God was offering Ahaz really took place, it would require him to change his pro-Assyrian plans. He would have to stop trusting in Assyria and start trusting in ADONAI. For that reason alone he rejected the offer. It is always the same throughout all of history. Evidence cannot create faith; it can only confirm it. Where there is no faith, evidence is merely unwelcome, something to be explained away. There is never enough proof for unbelief.

The Judean king demonstrated the real danger of an outward religious appearance without faith. It is having the form of godliness but denying its power (Second Timothy 3:5), or missing the substance of the relationship with the LORD. Piety is the by-product, not the end product. Is going to church or messianic synagogue good? Is having a daily devotion good? Is avoiding lust, greed and self-indulgence good? Is moderate, inoffensive speech good? Is regular, significant giving to the cause of Messiah good? Is integrity in all one’s dealings good? The answer to all these are “of course.” But do any of them really demonstrate faith in ADONAI? The answer is “no.”

In fact, these things can be deadly substitutes for faith in the One True God. If I rely on any of these to get to heaven, I am building my house on the sand (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Dy – The Wise and Foolish Builders). Faith in the LORD is surrendering to the love of YHVH demonstrated to us in God with us. The good works in our lives are merely an expression of the relationship with Immanuel, not substitutes for it, as was the case with Ahaz.²⁶

As pious as his words sounded, King Ahaz was doing the work of the Ancient Serpent by quoting Scripture for his own purposes; thus without realizing it, he revealed his unbelief. This was his moment of decision. For him and for the nation . . . there was no turning back.

The Sign For Ahaz
7: 10-17

Faced with the threats of Syria and the northern kingdom of Isra’el, Ahaz had an opportunity to trust ADONAI for deliverance. Instead he trusted Assyria, his worst enemy. The result was, as Isaiah predicted, that Assyria herself overran the Land, almost conquering Jerusalem. But that would not alter God’s ultimate plan. Assyria was but a tool in His hand, and out of the destruction that she would precipitate in would emerge a larger opportunity for the LORD to demonstrate Himself trustworthy; that would be Judah’s restoration from captivity.

If ever Y’hudah is to become the servant nation, through whom ADONAI chose to manifest Himself to the world (2:2-5; 12:4-6; 43:8-21; 60:1-3), then the most basic truth she must learn is that ADONAI can be trusted, whereas the nations cannot. If she continued to refuse dependence upon God, while attempting to depend on the nations, then she would have neither message nor hope. But if she really encountered a God who is greater than all the nations combined, and who can in fact be depended upon in every situation, then she would have something to declare. This is the issue introduced in Chapter 7 and carried on through Chapter 39. Would Judah recognize that to depend upon the nations is to lose her distinct mission to them, whereas refusal to depend upon them is to become a blessing to them? Until a person, or a nation, is convinced of ADONAI’s complete trustworthiness, they cannot lay aside the lust for their own security and become God’s servant.

In these verses Isaiah gives two specific signs: one sign was for Ahaz, and the other sign was for the house of David. Thus, it is important that we see the interplay between the house of David as a whole, and the individual Ahaz in particular. In Hebrew, there is a difference between a plural you and a singular you. For instance, if I use the word you in English, it could mean only the individual you or all of you because we do not distinguish the difference. But the Hebrew language does; there is one form for a singular and another for a plural. In 7:10-12, every you is singular and applies to Ahaz. In 7:13-14, every you is plural and applies to the house of David, with the virgin being the sign to them. In 7:15-17, every you reverts back to the singular and applies to Ahaz, with the boy being the sign to him.

Again, one of the emphases which ties The Book of Immanuel together is the use of children, with Shear-Jashub in 7:3, Immanuel in 7:14 and 8:9, Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz in 8:3, Isaiah’s children in 8:18, and the royal Child in 9:5. The point is that if God’s people would change and see His light then the child Immanuel could deliver them from their enemies.

Lastly, when interpreting prophecy, it is important to understand the difference between double fulfillment and double reference. Double fulfillment says that one verse applies to both the near historical event and the far eschatological (or end times) event. But double reference refers to one person or event in one verse, followed by a second person or event in another verse blended together in such a way that they form one picture. This is true of the prophecies concerning the First and Second Coming of Yeshua the Messiah such as Zechariah 9:9 and 10. While Zechariah 9:9 talks about Messiah’s First Coming (see the commentary on The Life of Christ, to see link click Aq – The Birth of Jesus), Zechariah 9:10 talks about His Second Coming (see Kg – The Second Coming of Jesus Christ to Bozrah). Sometimes people do not see the 2,000-year parenthesis between the two verses.

Take Your Son Shear-Jashub to Meet Ahaz
7: 3-9

Take your son Shear-Jashub to meet Ahaz DIG: Why did ADONAI command this seemingly unimportant boy to accompany his father on this critical confrontation? Is this the place for a boy to be? How did Shear-Jashub become an object lesson for King Ahaz? What was Isaiah’s purpose here in going to see King Ahaz? What was the LORD trying to accomplish? What did two smoldering stubs of firewood represent? But in what way had Ahaz already taken a step that would prove his undoing? What was God trying to accomplish in His words through Isaiah? Who was He responding to? Did Elohim get through to king Ahaz? What happened as a result?

REFLECT: Is there anything that God wants you to change so that you will be able to see what He is trying to teach you? How open are you to change? Have you been willing to change things in the past? Do you resist it, or embrace it? Make a list of things you have changed in the past year. If you really thought the LORD wanted you to change something big in your life, could you do it? What situation are you facing that frightens you now? What forces are involved? On a scale of 1 to 10, how trusting of God are you in that situation? What makes it difficult for you to trust the LORD in such fearful times? When have you found that following your solution to a problem, rather than His, only made the problem worse? If Ahaz did not trust YHVH, he had no future. Have you ever made any decisions in your life on your own strength that affected your future negatively? How did you turn it around? How can you use your experience to help others? Where does your security lay?

At this point a message is given to Ahaz. He was evidently investigating Jerusalem’s water supply in preparation for the coming siege when Isaiah met him. This is a turning point for both Ahaz personally, and Judah nationally.

Then the LORD said to Isaiah His prophet, “Go out, you and your son Shear-Jashub, to meet Ahaz at the end of the aqueduct of the Upper Pool, on the road to the Washerman’s Field” (7:3). Isaiah, accompanied by his son, is directed by God to meet Ahaz outside the City. The Washerman’s Field, or Fuller’s Field, was on the western side of Tziyon, where there is still an Upper Pool (Second Chronicles 32:30). The Upper Pool was a reservoir that held water from the Gihon Spring, close to Yerushalayim. The fullers, or the cleaners and thickeners of woolen fabrics, carried on their occupation near this pool. The road, which ran past this Washerman’s Field, was the one that leads from the western gate to Joppa. This was the same exact location where, thirty-three years later, Sennacherib’s field commander would hurl insults at King Hezekiah’s Jewish delegation (36:2).

King Ahaz was there, on the west side of Yerushalayim, outside of the gates preparing for the coming of a second siege by checking the water sources and supplies. For until the time of Hezekiah (22:1-4), the City of David received its water supply over ground from the upper Gihon pool and was therefore more vulnerable. Without water, the City could not hope to endure a siege for more than a few days. It was there that the LORD instructed Isaiah to go and meet Ahaz.

And in addition, Isaiah is told to bring his son Shear-Jashub, whose name means a remnant will return. It is a name with two possible meanings: the noun comes first for emphasis, but does it mean only a remnant . . . or a guaranteed remnant . . . ? Was the name of the boy a threat of doom or a promise of survival? Isaiah was so sure it was both, unbelief that would destroy his people and trust that would save them, that he made both names a reality by bringing his son as an object lesson for the mighty king of Judah. If Ahaz got the significance of the message, he surely paid no attention to it.

One of the emphases which ties the Book of Immanuel together is the use of children, with Shear-Jashub in 7:3; Immanuel in 7:14 and 8:9; Maher-shalal-hash-baz in 8:3; Isaiah’s children in 8:18; and the royal child in 9:5. The point is that if God’s people would change and see His light, then the child Immanuel could deliver them from their enemies.

Isaiah and his son Shear-Jashub met King Ahaz on the west side of Jerusalem, outside of the gates preparing for the coming of a second siege by checking the water sources and supplies. The prophet was trying to comfort the king by telling him, “Be careful, keep calm, and don’t be afraid or lose heart” (7:4a). This was a warning to the king not to take any action that would separate himself from the LORD. He needed to be calm, and in reality, Isaiah was telling him to do nothing.

King Ahaz, however, had in mind to do plenty. He was going to play the clever politician by entering into a covenant with Assyria as his security against his two previous allies (Second Kings 16:7-9). This is exactly what Isaiah was warning Ahaz not to do! It was as if Ha’Shem was saying to the king of Judah, “Do not trust the noisy Assyrians, but trust in the quiet confidence of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.” There was going to be a contrast between the quiet and the noise. This contrast is consistent throughout the book as a motif in reference to the remnant of Y’hudah.

Isaiah saw the situation differently than Ahaz. With a stinging metaphor, Isaiah showed Ahaz he had nothing to fear. King Rezin of Syria and Pekah, the son of Remaliah, king of Isra’el, might display flaming anger, but they were merely two smoldering stubs of firewood (7:4b). Their lives would soon end. Like firewood, they would be burned up and gone in no time. Both men died two years later in 732 B.C. They had done all the damage to Judah that they were going to do. They would not be allowed to do any more. They had ravaged Judah, but they would not be allowed to take Yerushalayim.

If only Ahaz could be persuaded to stop playing politics. Assyria would crush the northern kingdoms and ADONAI would preserve Judah – as He ultimately did (37:36-37). But if Ahaz continued to rely on what he thought was his own political insight and yoke himself with Assyria, he will have bitten off way more than he could chew!

The conspiracy itself is found in the next two verses. From a strictly human point of view Ahaz had a right to be terrified. Syria and Pekah, son of the king of Isra’el, have plotted your ruin, saying: Let us invade Judah. Let us tear it apart and divide it among ourselves, and make the son of Tabeel king over it (7:5-6). Syria and Isra’el, whose capital was in Ephraim, threatened to invade Y’hudah, split it between the two conquering nations, and set up a puppet king. In fact, Tabeel did set up a dynasty of sorts later. We read in Ezra 4:7 that a couple of centuries later the descendants of Tabeel were enemies of the people of Judah and Jerusalem.

As I stated earlier, Isaiah likes to play with words. Here, he takes the name Tabeel, rewords one vowel pattern and changes the meaning of his name. In Hebrew, ta-va-ale means God is good. So by changing one basic vowel, ta-va-ul, his name changes to good for nothing. So this House of Tabeel was good for nothing.

Nonetheless, God’s message through His prophet was very clear. In effect He was saying, “Do not panic. Trust in Me.” Similar words were spoken to Joshua when he faced the impossible task of succeeding Moshe and conquering the land of Canaan: Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you (Deuteronomy 31:6). In all of this the question is clear. Is salvation by faith or works? Will Ahaz be saved politically by trust in God or by his supposedly astute political insight? This is no less true for our political leaders today than it was then. But it is just as true on a personal level. Salvation by works is just as doomed today as it was then. Only faith/trust/belief in Messiah saves.

Previously, Pekah, the ruler of the northern kingdom of Isra’el, or Ephraim, had threatened to invade Judah along with his ally Syria (Isaiah 7:6). Here, the LORD responds to that threat. The two northern kings had arrogantly announced their plan; now the King, ADONAI Elohim, would announce His plan.

YHVH was trying to change Ahaz’s perspective. If there was no one who sits enthroned about the circle of the earth (40:22a), then we are at the mercy of evil men (40:27). But if there is such a Protector, then we need not fear what such men can do to us (see my commentary on Isaiah, to see link click Hh – But Those Who Hope in the LORD Will Renew Their Strength). The two northern invaders’ concerns were merely local, but God’s scope is the entire universe. If Ahaz could believe that, his perspective would change radically and the house of David would truly be established.

Ha’Shem announced through His prophet that the conspiracy of Syria and Isra’el against Judah was doomed to fail. ADONAI Elohim said that the attack would not take place, it would not happen (7:7). The emphasis here is that all Remaliah’s son (God despised him so much that He would not even call him by his name, Pekah, as in 7:1) will ever be is king over Isra’el; he will be no more than that. In other words, He would never be king over Tziyon.

The next two verses form a six-line poem. For the head of Syria is Damascus, and the head of Damsacus is Rezin. Within sixty-five years Ephraim will be too shattered to be a people. The head of Ephraim is Samaria and the head of Samaria is only Remaliah’s son. If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all (7:8-9). In lines 8ab and 9ab the country, Syria and Ephraim (or the northern kingdom of Isra’el) is traced to its capital, Damascus and Samaria, and its king, Rezin and Remaliah’s son.

If Ahaz refused to believe in Elohim he had no future. In lines 8cd and 9cd three conclusions are drawn. First, there was common sense. Why are you afraid of these two seemingly powerful nations? If you trace them back to their leadership, who are you really afraid of, only Rezin and Remaliah’s son, who were merely big fish in a small pond? Secondly, there was implication. If Syria and Ephraim could be traced back to their capitols, what about Judah? Its capital is Jerusalem with its King David, the City of ADONAI where he choose to dwell (First Kings 11:13); and after him, King Solomon sat on the LORD’s throne (Second Chronicles 29:23); all backed by God’s own words directly from the mouth of His prophet, “It will not take place, it will not happen” (7:7). Wasn’t that enough? Thirdly, there was warning. Ephraim choose the non-existent security of military alliance with Assyria, but time would expose the foolishness of her decision.

Isaiah’s prophecy came true. The Assyrian army fell upon the coalition and destroyed both of them. In 732 BC, Tiglath-pileser destroyed Syria and her capital Damascus. True to Isaiah’s prophecy, Judah escaped the fate of the northern kingdom of Isra’el. In 722 BC, because of renewed rebellion, Tiglath-pileser’s successor, Shalmaneser V (726-722 BC), marched into the northern Kingdom, overran her lands in Galilee and the Transjordan, and turned them into three Assyrian provinces.

Isaiah prophesied that Isra’el would not be a people within 65 years. This prophecy was given in 735 BC and the northern Kingdom fell in 722 BC. That was only 13 years later, not 65, so how could this prophecy be true? The answer lies somewhere else. Although Sargon II was the Assyrian king that defeated the northern kingdom of Isra’el militarily, it was actually Esarhaddon, a later Assyrian king, who took the Jews out of Isra’el (Ezra 4:2), and brought people from Babylon, Cuthah, Avva, Hamath and Sepharvaim and settled them in the towns of Samaria in 670 BC (Second Kings 17:22-24; Second Chronicles 33:11). So 735 BC to 670 BC is exactly 65 years! This is the exactness of the Book of Immanuel.

Elohim had purposed to accomplish what He had announced through the mouth of His prophet. The destruction of the two invaders from the north was going to happen regardless of what Ahaz believed or disbelieved. But as for the king of Y’hudah personally, Isaiah challenged him to believe what he was telling him, “If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all” (7:9b). Once again the prophet plays with one letter, ta-ahmenu to ta-ahmanu; with one little shift of the vowel pattern is the difference between having faith, and not standing at all. An English equivalent would be something like: If in God you do not confide, then in power you will not abide. If in God you do not believe, then a blessing you will not receive. Only through trusting in the present and ultimate reality of ADONAI Elohim is any real security possible.

King Ahaz could have faith that the LORD would fulfill both predictions: that Isra’el would be shattered sixty-five years later and that in his day the northern confederacy (Syria and Israel) would not overpower Judah. If he did not believe both predictions, then he too would not stand at all. If Ahaz saw Elohim, then he would not see Pekah and Rezin; but if he looked to Pekah and Rezin, all he could see was Assyria as his false deliverer. The choice was his . . . he stood at the point of no return.

The Hearts of Ahaz and His People Were Shaken
7: 1-2

The hearts of Ahaz and his people were shaken DIG: The events here occur in Ahaz’s reign, some ten years after those of Chapter 6 (Second Kings 16:5-18). What two kingdoms were going to invade Y’hudah and why? What was their fatal mistake? Who was the king of Judah at that time? What did Isaiah prophecy to him? Why didn’t he heed what the prophet said? What did he do instead? What were consequences for the two invaders, Ahaz and the House of David?

REFLECT: King Ahaz’s first deadly decision was ignoring the Word of the LORD from the mouth of His prophet Isaiah. What is your belief about the Word? Is it God’s letter to you? Is it something to base you life on? Or is it merely of human origin to be taken with a grain of salt? Secondly, Ahaz entered into a close relationship with Assyria that involved idol worship. Is there anyone who you are intimately involved with, socially, politically or economically, that is a friend with the world (Second Corinthians 6:14-17a; James 4:4)? How did it work out for Ahaz?

At the time Isaiah was written, Ahaz, son of Jotham, the son Uzziah, was the king of Judah (7:1a). Of the four Judean kings under which Isaiah prophesied, Ahaz was easily the most wicked. The reason he was so uniquely wicked is that he tried to combine the idol worship of the high places and the golden calf, with the worship of Baal and Molech. It is important to understand that what Isaiah is about to prophecy was rooted in, and grows out of, real historical events. Prophecy and history have a symbiotic relationship here. The prophecy is meaningless apart from an adequate understanding of its historical context, and the historical context is necessary to understand the prophecy.

Since Isra’el lay at the intersection of three great empires, Egypt, Assyria, and Babylon, it experienced frequent wars. At this time the Assyrian Empire was beginning to assert itself in the area of Judah and Isra’el. When Assyrian king Tiglath–pileser turned westward, the smaller nations in his path tended to group themselves into coalitions to defend themselves. King Rezin of Syria, known in the Hebrew as Aram, formed one such coalition with Pekah, son of King Remaliah of the northern kingdom of Isra’el. But they soon realized that their confederacy was not strong enough and they pressured the southern kingdom of Judah to join with them. But Judah, under King Ahaz, refused.

When diplomacy failed to entice Judah, Syria and Isra’el decided on a strategy to invade Judah and do away with Ahaz. Therefore, King Rezin of Syria and Pekah son of Remaliah, king of Isra’el, marched up to fight against Judah (7:1b). They inflicted heavy casualties (Second Chronicles 28:5-8), but they could not overpower her (7:1c). A second invasion followed (Second Chronicles 28:17-18), and the northern powers threatened to replace King Ahaz with a puppet king, the son of Tabeel (Isaiah 7:6).

If Syria and Isra’el had stopped with only wanting to kill Ahaz they may have been able to succeed. However, they were also determined to do away with the house of David once and for all. For that reason, Ahaz is described as the house of David, for the Davidic Covenant was being threatened (Second Samuel 7:5-16). They wanted to set up a new dynasty, with the House of Tabeel upon the throne in Jerusalem that would have been more favorable to an alliance against the Assyrian menace. Therefore, what happens in Chapters 7 through 12 needs to be viewed in light of that threat to Ahaz, but more importantly to the House of David. Ahaz’s next move would determine the future of David’s line.

Although it is not mentioned here, something else lies in the background: When Ahaz was told that Syria had allied itself with the northern kingdom of Isra’el, with its capital in Ephraim, the hearts of Ahaz and his people were terrified (7:2a). This prompted Ahaz’s decision to appeal to Assyria for help (Second Kings 16:7-9). We do not know whether the decision had yet been acted upon when ADONAI sent Isaiah to confront Ahaz, but surely it was at least under consideration. The situation abounded with ironies. It was probably the advance of the Assyrian Empire that prompted Syria and Isra’el to unite and try to force Judah into a defensive coalition with them; Assyria hardly needed to be urged and paid a great sum to do what she had been planning to do all along. Furthermore, the real threat to Y’hudah’s independence was not Syria or Isra’el, but Assyria, whom Ahaz was inviting to be an ally. Yet Ahaz could not see the long-term issues. He could only see the short-term view, and he was about to pay the full price for his shortsightedness.²⁵

The decision of Ahaz to appeal to Assyria had spiritual implications as well as political ones. The only way Assyria would help Judah was to have a covenant with her. As a result of Ahaz’ policy, Judah was compelled to undertake the obligations of a normal vassal, which involved the paying of tribute and the recognition of Assyria’s gods in the Jerusalem Temple. Ahaz was also obligated to appear before Tiglath-pileser in Damascus and to pay homage to the Assyrian gods at a bronze altar that stood there. A copy of this altar was then made and set up in the Jerusalem Temple (Second Kings 16:10-16 and Second Chronicles 28:22-24). It was a humiliating position and not likely to win the approval of the people of Judah; however, Judah was spared military occupation and loss of her territory by Assyria. When Isaiah challenged Ahaz to trust in God, it backed Ahaz into a corner. He needed to either commit himself to Assyria, and in effect deny YHVH, or he must commit himself to God and leave Assyria in His hands. We know which one he chose, and all because of an attack that was doomed before it began!

There is the initial attempt to do away with Ahaz and the attack against Y’hudah is by the army of Israel alone. But this initial attempt fails. The Israelite and Syrian armies split. Isra’el went against Jerusalem while the Syrians went south against the city of Elath. The Syrians were successful in taking Elath, and after the conquest the armies of Syria and Isra’el then combined for a joint attack against the southern kingdom of Judah.

The prospect of such formidable enemies caused the people of Judah to be shaken. The House of David refers to the royal family or the court. The king’s name is not mentioned. “A wicked man,” declares a rabbinic tradition, “does not deserve the honor of being named.” At any rate, the House of David is an expression for the king and his courtiers, much like the White House is for the president of the United States and his staff. But ironically, it is the House of David that was shaken. This shaking was due to a lack of faith and trust in the Scriptures. Second Samuel 7:11-17, First Chronicles 17:10-15, Psalms 89:1-4 and 19-37 all detail the content of the Davidic Covenant. Had Ahaz been able to trust in the LORD and His promised Covenant with David, he would not have been afraid, and the nation would have followed his lead. Because of his lack of faith, however, the hearts of Ahaz and his people were shaken, as the trees of the forest are shaken by the wind (7:2b).

The Sign of Immanuel
7: 1-25

These verses speak of the difference between God’s long-term view and our short-term view of our lives. The short-term view will always plunge us into fear and instability, just as it did Ahaz. The king could only see the immediate danger and therefore thought that he would find a way out by entrusting himself to what was a much greater danger – Assyria. If he had taken the time to listen to ADONAI’s perspective on the matter, he would have known that the extreme measures he thought he had to take were in fact unnecessary. Because he refused to trust the LORD and look at the situation from God’s perspective as Isaiah urged him to do, he was ruled by fear and made a tragic decision. Decisions made out of fear will almost always be disastrous ones. Decisions that grow out of the calmness borne of trust, however, can be thoughtful and reasoned.²⁴ Isaiah prophesied about a child to be born who, in some way, would relate to the nation’s deliverance. The birth of the baby, to be named Immanuel, would have great significance for the line of David.