Is. 7:1 And it came to pass in the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, king of Judah, that Rezin the king of Syria, and Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, went up toward Jerusalem to war against it, but could not prevail against it.
This chapter is introduced with a time marker—in the days of King Ahaz, an evil king who reigned for 16 years, the third king under whom Isaiah ministered. The kings of Syria and Israel decided to form an alliance and attack Jerusalem, but they were unable to conquer it. (See 2Kings 16 and 2Chronicles 28)
The following verses describe events leading up to this attack.
Is. 7:2 And it was told the house of David, saying, Syria is confederate with Ephraim. And his heart was moved, and the heart of his people, as the trees of the wood are moved with the wind.
“the house of David” = Ahaz
When Ahaz was told about the alliance between Syria and Ephraim/Israel/the Northern Kingdom, he became afraid, as did the people of Jerusalem.
Is. 7:3 Then said the LORD unto Isaiah, Go forth now to meet Ahaz, thou, and Shearjashub thy son, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool in the highway of the fuller’s field;
Is. 7:4 And say unto him, Take heed, and be quiet; fear not, neither be fainthearted for the two tails of these smoking firebrands, for the fierce anger of Rezin with Syria, and of the son of Remaliah.
“fuller’s field” = where the people spread their freshly washed clothes to bleach in the sun (from the Believer’s Bible Commentary)
God instructs Isaiah to take his son, Shearjashub, and go and meet Ahaz at a specific place. Shearjashub’s name means “a remnant will return.” Isaiah is to tell Ahaz not to be afraid.
The word for smoking again implies anger. The word for firebrand indicates a poker for gathering embers. Rezin and Pekah are pictured going away (the view is from their behind) angry that their efforts have been unsuccessful.
It is always important to understand that God’s perspective is that of already knowing the outcome. When God says that we have no reason to fear, we have no reason to fear. Knowing that Ahaz would take matters into his own hands and make a league with the king of Assyria instead of believing Him, God had Isaiah prophesy, using his son to picture the truth that “a remnant will return” even though Judah would suffer great loss.
Is. 7:5 Because Syria, Ephraim, and the son of Remaliah, have taken evil counsel against thee, saying,
Is. 7:6 Let us go up against Judah, and vex it, and let us make a breach therein for us, and set a king in the midst of it, even the son of Tabeal:
Is. 7:7 Thus saith the Lord GOD, It shall not stand, neither shall it come to pass.
Is. 7:8 For the head of Syria is Damascus, and the head of Damascus is Rezin; and within threescore and five years shall Ephraim be broken, that it be not a people.
Is. 7:9 And the head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is Remaliah’s son. If ye will not believe, surely ye shall not be established.
I think what God is saying through Isaiah is that He is totally aware of the plans of the kings of Syria and Ephraim to divide Judah between them and make it subservient to them. No matter what their plans are, God is not going to allow them to accomplish their purpose. In fact, He is reminding Ahaz through Isaiah that these kings are just men.
“If ye will not believe…” – If Ahaz refuses to believe God, the foundations of his own kingdom will crumble; but Judah will not fall prey to Syria and Ephraim. In fact, Ephraim will disappear as a nation within 65 years. I was listening to Joe Focht recently, and he pointed out that 65 years later they were carried off as captives by Assyria and captives from other nations were brought in to replace them. This actually established the origin of the Samaritans.
Is. 7:10 Moreover the LORD spake again unto Ahaz, saying,
Is. 7:11 Ask thee a sign of the LORD thy God; ask it either in the depth, or in the height above.
God even tells Ahaz that He will give him a sign to confirm His promise and give Ahaz confidence. Ahaz can even pick the sign, any sign.
Is. 7:12 But Ahaz said, I will not ask, neither will I tempt the LORD.
Ahaz was not ignorant of God’s word.
Deuteronomy 6:16 “You shall not put the LORD your God to the test…
Interestingly enough, he was ready to give credence to words of God from the past, but ignore the word of God given directly to him. Also, if God gives you specific instruction, it would be a matter of honoring him with obedience and not a matter of tempting Him.
Is. 7:13 And he said, Hear ye now, O house of David; Is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will ye weary my God also?
God sees right through him. Ahaz has less regard for God than he does his fellowman.
Is. 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
Ahaz’s response doesn’t change God’s purpose one iota.
Isaiah 14:24 The LORD of hosts hath sworn, saying, Surely as I have thought, so shall it come to pass; and as I have purposed, so shall it stand.
Ahaz may not be willing to ask for a sign, but God is going to give a sign anyway. This is a bit hard to understand. This is supposed to be a sign to confirm that what God says is going to come to pass. The sign that is given is in reference to the birth of Messiah, Who will be born of a virgin and Whose name will be Immanuel (God with us), Who will be the ultimate deliverer of His people. We know this because of the revelation of the Holy Spirit through Matthew.
Matthew 1:22-23 Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.
I have heard in the past that these verses have a double reference applying to Isaiah’s son as well as the Messiah. This brings up a whole other group of questions. Isaiah’s wife is not a “virgin”; that would not be a sign. The rabbis who translated the Septuagint interpreted this word to refer to an unmarried girl. The sign of the Messiah would be a sign to the “house of David” and to the nation as a whole confirming God’s promises, but it would not serve as a sign regarding the events being discussed with Ahaz. Help!
Thought - The fact that God is promising to send Immanuel, God with us, through a supernatural birth is a promise that necessitates the existence of the Jewish people as a nation at the time of His birth. In other words, God’s promise is a sign because His word never fails.
I was checking out one of my favorite web sites, www.gracethrufaith.com, and Jack Kelley gave one of the best explanations for this problem passage I’ve read:
“Reading Isaiah 7 & 8 together helps to understand the context, because this is one of the so-called dual fulfillment prophecies. When an important prophecy had a long-range fulfillment, the Lord would often provide a short-term partial fulfillment to confirm the long-range complete one. A good example is Isaiah 9:6 "Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given and the government will be upon His shoulders ..." and so on. Of the entire prophecy, only the child was born and the Son given. The rest awaits fulfillment during the Millennium, but the fact that the child was born confirms that He'll one day rule the world.
“So it is with Isaiah 7:14. There would only ever be one virgin birth and it was of critical importance to all mankind, so God provided a partial fulfillment in the birth of a son to Isaiah and his wife (Isaiah 8:3) saying that before the baby was old enough to know right from wrong, the Assyrians would attack. Sure enough when he was about two years old the Assyrians came and conquered Aram and the Northern Kingdom. This confirmed the long-range prophecy of a virgin-born Messiah who would be God in the flesh.
“It's Isaiah's son, by the way, who was most likely named Immanuel. (He was also given a ceremonial name, Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz.) Scoffers point out that if Isaiah 7:14 had to do with the Lord's birth, then Jesus should have been named Immanuel. They apparently don't realize that Immanuel means "God with us" and Jesus literally is "God with us."
“They also claim that the Hebrew of Isaiah 7:14 doesn't really require a virgin birth, only that a young woman give birth. But this is because there would only ever be one virgin birth and Isaiah's wife couldn't be the short-range fulfillment if it required a virgin. He had to use a word that would include both.”
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Is. 7:15 Butter and honey shall he eat, that he may know to refuse the evil, and choose the good.
Is. 7:16 For before the child shall know to refuse the evil, and choose the good, the land that thou abhorrest shall be forsaken of both her kings.
The use of the pronoun he seems to refer back to the child Immanuel. Chapter 8 seems to connect the child Immanuel with Isaiah’s future son that he was told to name Mahershalalhashbaz (as described in the above quote).
Is. 7:17 The LORD shall bring upon thee, and upon thy people, and upon thy father’s house, days that have not come, from the day that Ephraim departed from Judah; even the king of Assyria.
Isaiah continues his message from the Lord. The Lord is going to cause His people to experience something they have never experienced since the time that they had separated into two kingdoms. They would be conquered----by the King of Assyria. The one Ahaz trusts instead of the LORD will be the one that causes great suffering in the land of Judah.
Is. 7:18 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the LORD shall hiss for the fly that is in the uttermost part of the rivers of Egypt, and for the bee that is in the land of Assyria.
Not only will Judah suffer at the hands of Assyria, they will also suffer at the hands of Egypt. They had experienced the sting of Egypt in the past. God is always in control. As God, Sovereign in the universe, He uses the choices and actions of others to serve His purposes.
Is. 7:19 And they shall come, and shall rest all of them in the desolate valleys, and in the holes of the rocks, and upon all thorns, and upon all bushes.
I think this verse is saying that the whole of the land of Israel will feel the sting of these invaders.
Is. 7:20 In the same day shall the Lord shave with a razor that is hired, namely, by them beyond the river, by the king of Assyria, the head, and the hair of the feet: and it shall also consume the beard.
This verse is indicating that the Lord will make Israel desolate (shave it bald) by using a hired hand/a servant, the king of Assyria. Though Ahaz had hired the king of Assyria to protect him, God would use that same king to inflict judgment against Judah. All levels of society will be affected—the head (the leaders and mighty men), the hair of the feet (the lowliest in society), and the beard (the aged).
Is. 7:21 And it shall come to pass in that day, that a man shall nourish a young cow, and two sheep;
Is. 7:22 And it shall come to pass, for the abundance of milk that they shall give he shall eat butter: for butter and honey shall every one eat that is left in the land.
When this time of judgment comes, the cows and goats will no longer produce sweet milk in abundance; those left in the land will have to settle for curdled milk or butter and scavenge for honey.
Is. 7:23 And it shall come to pass in that day, that every place shall be, where there were a thousand vines at a thousand silverlings, it shall even be for briers and thorns.
Where there were once many fruitful vines that brought in great profit, the land will only produce briers and thorns.
Is. 7:24 With arrows and with bows shall men come thither; because all the land shall become briers and thorns.
Is. 7:25 And on all hills that shall be digged with the mattock, there shall not come thither the fear of briers and thorns: but it shall be for the sending forth of oxen, and for the treading of lesser cattle.
It would seem that the Lord is saying that where the land was once friendly and productive for man, it would now be a place only fit as a dwelling place for oxen and cattle. Men will only hope to profit from it through their skill in hunting with the bow and arrow. God’s judgment will be thorough.
Is. 8:1 Moreover the LORD said unto me, Take thee a great roll, and write in it with a man’s pen concerning Mahershalalhashbaz.
Is. 8:2 And I took unto me faithful witnesses to record, Uriah the priest, and Zechariah the son of Jeberechiah.
The Lord is continuing to talk to Isaiah. Isaiah is to take a large scroll and write what God has told him about his next son, Mahershalalhasbaz, “making speed to the spoil; he hastens to the prey.” This is evidently the son being referenced in verse 16 of chapter 7. As is often the case in prophecy, I believe there is a merging of distant and near events regarding the sign being given. Isaiah obeys and asks two trusted, dependable witnesses to assure the truth and timing of the written record—Uriah the priest and Zechariah the son of Jeberechiah. This could be the Zechariah mentioned in Chronicles who taught Uzziah about the Lord.”
2Chronicles 26:5 And he sought God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding in the visions of God: and as long as he sought the LORD, God made him to prosper.
Is. 8:3 And I went unto the prophetess; and she conceived, and bare a son. Then said the LORD to me, Call his name Mahershalalhashbaz.
Is. 8:4 For before the child shall have knowledge to cry, My father, and my mother, the riches of Damascus and the spoil of Samaria shall be taken away before the king of Assyria.
After getting the information recorded and witnessed, Isaiah gets his wife pregnant. She then bears a son, and he is given the name designated by God. Verses 4 and 16 of chapter 7 are basically saying the same thing. The illustration simply means that Syria and Israel will be conquered by Assyria while the child is still a baby—before he is even able to say mommy and daddy.
The Bible Knowledge Commentary states that Isaiah made this prophecy in 734 BC and that this prophecy was fulfilled in 732 BC.
Is. 8:5 The LORD spake also unto me again, saying,
Is. 8:6 Forasmuch as this people refuseth the waters of Shiloah that go softly, and rejoice in Rezin and Remaliah’s son;
Is. 8:7 Now therefore, behold, the Lord bringeth up upon them the waters of the river, strong and many, even the king of Assyria, and all his glory: and he shall come up over all his channels, and go over all his banks:
Is. 8:8 And he shall pass through Judah; he shall overflow and go over, he shall reach even to the neck; and the stretching out of his wings shall fill the breadth of thy land, O Immanuel.
The Lord speaks to Isaiah again and compares the advent of the Assyrian king and his armies with the waters of a great and mighty river. Like a flood his attack on Syria and Ephraim will spill over to include Judah. He seems to be saying that since the people of Judah are rejecting God’s provision and protection in Jerusalem and would choose to follow the way of their brethren in Israel by trusting men and idols, He will allow the chaos and destruction of the king of Assyria and his armies to get right to the gates of Jerusalem, its capital. Only because God decrees it will Judah eventually be spared.
Is. 8:9 Associate yourselves, O ye people, and ye shall be broken in pieces; and give ear, all ye of far countries: gird yourselves, and ye shall be broken in pieces; gird yourselves, and ye shall be broken in pieces.
Is. 8:10 Take counsel together, and it shall come to nought; speak the word, and it shall not stand: for God is with us.
Isaiah now seems to be speaking to the peoples round about Judah, and from the Hebrew seems to be referencing those peoples who would wish Judah harm. He is warning them that no matter how they arm themselves or reinforce their strength, they are doomed to failure as to bringing harm to Judah. The plans and devices of men are nothing when opposing God (“el” – the Almighty), and God has chosen to protect Judah at this time.
Is. 8:11 For the LORD spake thus to me with a strong hand, and instructed me that I should not walk in the way of this people, saying,
Is. 8:12 Say ye not, A confederacy, to all them to whom this people shall say, A confederacy; neither fear ye their fear, nor be afraid.
Strong - vehemence (usually in a bad sense):—force, mightily, repair, sharply.
Instructed - to chastise, literally (with blows) or figuratively (with words); hence, to instruct:—bind, chasten, chastise, correct, instruct, punish, reform, reprove, sore, teach.
Confederacy - an (unlawful) alliance:—confederacy, conspiracy, treason.
It sounds like the Lord is speaking to Isaiah very forcefully with the intent to chasten/teach him. He is not to respond to circumstances in the same way that most of the people of Judah were responding. They were responding in fear to this treasonous confederacy of Israel with Syria against their brethren in Judah. (This is a wonderful picture of how a parent should teach his child the truth and about faith in God—with a firm, guiding hand.)
Fear is a result of a lack of faith. Christians should respond to threats far differently than unbelievers.
Is. 8:13 Sanctify the LORD of hosts himself; and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread.
The LORD of hosts, God Almighty, is the One that should be set apart as the One that Judah should fear if they choose to disobey Him. Jesus states this same truth in the book of Matthew.
Matthew 10:28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
As I was listening to this section of scripture again, I got the thought that God was basically saying: Don’t be afraid of the confederacy of other nations against you. Let them be afraid of your confederacy with the Lord.
Is. 8:14 And he shall be for a sanctuary; but for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offence to both the houses of Israel, for a gin and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
Is. 8:15 And many among them shall stumble, and fall, and be broken, and be snared, and be taken.
The Lord is still speaking to Isaiah and assuring him that He will be his sanctuary, his place of refuge and protection. For Judah and Israel as a whole, however, the Lord will prove to be a rock that causes them to trip, be struck down, brought to ruin. He will be the one that causes the people to be trapped, captured. Many of the people will fall and be crushed and/or taken captive. Why? Because they choose to reject Him as their God.
“stone of stumbling…” – These are the very words used of Jesus by the Apostle Peter—yet another declaration of the unity of Father and Son.
1Peter 2:5-8 Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded. Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.
Is. 8:16 Bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples.
At first I thought Isaiah was continuing in his poetic style of repetition. After looking at the Hebrew for specific words, I don’t think so. He’s telling Isaiah to bind up, shut away (put in safekeeping) these words of warning from God as well as the written copy of the Torah and the commandments. Put them in the safe care of those who follow me.
That is part of our duty as believers. We are to ensure that God’s word is taught and entrusted to as many believers as possible to provide that truth to as many generations as Jesus chooses to delay His coming.
Is. 8:17 And I will wait upon the LORD, that hideth his face from the house of Jacob, and I will look for him.
Isaiah is content to wait on the Lord, even though he is aware that the Lord has turned His face away from His people for a while. Isaiah knows that it is not forever. He will continue to wait with expectation for God to return His people to a place of blessing.
I loved Guzik’s thoughts regarding waiting upon the LORD: “Waiting on the Lord is not passive inactivity. It means to wait on the Lord as a waiter would wait on a table. It means to be totally attentive to the Lord, focused on His every move, and responsive to His every desire.”
Is. 8:18 Behold, I and the children whom the LORD hath given me are for signs and for wonders in Israel from the LORD of hosts, which dwelleth in mount Zion.
Isaiah = the salvation of the Lord
Shearjashub = the remnant shall return
Mahershalalhashbaz = making speed to the spoil; he hastens to the prey
The names of Isaiah and his sons served as living signs and testimony to the people, as did Isaiah’s words of prophecy and warning to them. They would be constant reminders of the truth of God’s word. Although He would appear to be absent as far as His people were concerned when they faced the coming judgment, God is still claiming Jerusalem, Mt. Zion, as his dwelling place. Our actions do not change God’s purposes.
Is. 8:19 And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and that mutter: should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to the dead?
Is. 8:20 To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.
Isaiah warns the people regarding seeking sorcerers or those who conjure up ghosts to get advice (e.g., Saul and the witch of Endor). Instead they should seek God for wisdom and advice. In fact, God had commanded the people through Moses not to do such things.
Deuteronomy 18:9–12 When thou art come into the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations. There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD: and because of these abominations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee.
Why would one go to the dead to get help for the living? One should seek the truth of God through His word (at this time the Pentateuch, the Psalms etc.) and through His chosen messengers, e.g., Isaiah. Anyone who speaks a word that doesn’t agree with the truth of God’s written word and the message of His chosen messengers is speaking lies.
What is it about us that makes us so ready to believe supernatural things that are associated with Satan and his followers rather than God and His word and His prophets? God’s words of prophecy have been proven time and again, and Satan’s followers have been disproved so many times. We are so ready to believe the unbelievable (e.g., the universe with all its complexities began with a big bang) and so slow to accept the truth of logic and reason (this creation demands intelligence, a creator, a designer). We are so quick to rely on ourselves or others and so slow to place all our trust and hope in the Lord.
Lord, please help me to grow so dependent on You that I don’t take a step without You moving my foot, that I don’t say a word that wasn’t placed there by You, that I don’t think a thought that doesn’t come from Your heart to mine.
Is. 8:21 And they shall pass through it, hardly bestead and hungry: and it shall come to pass, that when they shall be hungry, they shall fret themselves, and curse their king and their God, and look upward.
When the people of Israel and Judah suffer their predicted judgment, they will become weak and hungry. They will blame their king and their God for their pain and hunger.
We never seem to want to give God the credit for the good times; we want to take credit for ourselves. We always want to blame God for the bad times and never want to assume any responsibility in connection with those times.
Is. 8:22 And they shall look unto the earth; and behold trouble and darkness, dimness of anguish; and they shall be driven to darkness.
During this time of judgment, the people will be brought to a position of hopelessness and utter despair (which is when we are usually finally ready to listen to the Lord and seek Him).