A Message to Ahaz
The historical context of these prophecies involved Assyria’s...
The historical context of these prophecies involved Assyria’s rise to power and the alliance between Syria and Israel as enemies of Judah (7:1–2; see 2 Kgs 16:5). Assyria became God’s rod to punish Syria, Israel, and Judah (Isa 7–10).
At one point in his reign, Ahaz found...
At one point in his reign, Ahaz found himself in a crisis. The leaders of Syria and Israel attacked Judah. They planned to replace Ahaz and force Judah to join them in their resistance against Assyria. Ahaz responded by calling Assyria in to help him (2 Kgs 16:7–10), thus refusing Isaiah’s challenge to trust the Lord instead (Isa 7:12). Although the Assyrians squelched the alliance of Syria and Israel, leading to the eventual downfall of both those nations, they also soon set their sights on total domination of Judah.
In this long section of the book, the...
In this long section of the book, the nation of Israel was confronted with a vision of God, similar to how Isaiah was confronted in ch 6.
1Now in the days that Ahaz son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, was king of Judah, Rezin king of Aram† marched up to wage war against Jerusalem. He was accompanied by Pekah son of Remaliah the king of Israel, but he could not overpower the city.
2When it was reported to the house of David that Aram was in league with Ephraim,† the hearts of Ahaz and his people trembled like trees in the forest shaken by the wind.
3Then the LORD said to Isaiah, “Go out with your son Shear-jashub† to meet Ahaz at the end of the aqueduct that feeds the upper pool, on the road to the Launderer’s Field, 4and say to him: Calm down and be quiet. Do not be afraid or disheartened over these two smoldering stubs of firewood—over the fierce anger of Rezin and Aram and of the son of Remaliah. 5For Aram, along with Ephraim and the son of Remaliah, has plotted your ruin, saying: 6‘Let us invade Judah, terrorize it, and divide it† among ourselves. Then we can install the son of Tabeal over it as king.’ 7But this is what the Lord GOD says:
‘It will not arise;it will not happen.8For the head of Aram is Damascus,and the head of Damascus is Rezin.Within sixty-five yearsEphraim will be shattered as a people.9The head of Ephraim is Samaria,and the head of Samaria is the son of Remaliah.If you do not stand firm in your faith,then you will not stand at all.’”The Sign of Immanuel
10Again the LORD spoke to Ahaz, saying, 11“Ask for a sign from the LORD your God, whether from the depths of Sheol or the heights of heaven.”
12But Ahaz replied, “I will not ask; I will not test the LORD.”
13Then Isaiah said, “Hear now, O house of David! Is it not enough to try the patience of men? Will you try the patience of my God as well? 14Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin† will be with child and give birth to a son, and will call Him Immanuel.†
By the time this child is old enough:...
- By the time this child is old enough: The crisis involving the alliance of Syria and Israel against Judah was in 734 BC; by 732 BC Damascus, capital of Syria, was destroyed, and the northern kingdom, Israel, was defeated.
- choose what is right and reject what is wrong: This was to happen by the age of 12, when a child was held responsible as an adult. In 722 BC, Israel went into exile.
- he will be eating yogurt and honey: The land would be so depopulated that these delicacies would be available to all.
15By the time He knows enough to reject evil and choose good, He will be eating curds and honey. 16For before the boy knows enough to reject evil and choose good, the land of the two kings you dread will be laid waste.
Judgment to Come
17The LORD will bring on you and on your people and on the house of your father a time unlike any since the day Ephraim separated from Judah—He will bring the king of Assyria.”
The repetition of in that day referred to...
The repetition of in that day referred to the yet future day of the Lord. Judah would experience the judgment already announced by Isaiah as a foretaste of an even greater judgment to come: exile in Babylon (586–538 BC).
18On that day the LORD will whistle to the flies at the farthest streams of the Nile and to the bees in the land of Assyria.
19And they will all come and settlein the steep ravines and clefts of the rocks,in all the thornbushes and watering holes.20On that day the Lord will use a razor hired from beyond the Euphrates —† the king of Assyria—to shave your head and the hair of your legs, and to remove your beard as well. 21On that day a man will raise a young cow and two sheep, 22and from the abundance of milk they give, he will eat curds; for all who remain in the land will eat curds and honey.
Farmers faced near total disaster. Fertile agricultural fields...
Farmers faced near total disaster. Fertile agricultural fields (lush vineyards) would revert to wild grazing lands dominated by worthless plants (briers and thorns; see 5:6).
23And on that day, in every place that had a thousand vines worth a thousand shekels of silver,† only briers and thorns will be found. 24Men will go there with bow and arrow, for the land will be covered with briers and thorns. 25For fear of the briers and thorns, you will no longer traverse the hills once tilled by the hoe; they will become places for oxen to graze and sheep to trample.