Assyrian Invasion Prophesied
1Then the LORD said to me, “Take a large scroll and write on it with an ordinary† stylus: Maher-shalal-hash-baz.† 2And I will appoint for Myself trustworthy witnesses—Uriah the priest and Zechariah son of Jeberekiah.”
3And I had relations with the prophetess, and she conceived and gave birth to a son. The LORD said to me, “Name him Maher-shalal-hash-baz. 4For before the boy knows how to cry ‘Father’ or ‘Mother,’ the wealth of Damascus and the plunder of Samaria will be carried off by the king of Assyria.”
This prophecy connects the sign of Maher-shalal-hash-baz with...
This prophecy connects the sign of Maher-shalal-hash-baz with the sign of Immanuel (8:8, 10).
5And the LORD spoke to me further:
6“Because this people has rejectedthe gently flowing waters of Shiloahand rejoiced in Rezinand the son of Remaliah,7the Lord will surely bring against themthe mighty floodwaters of the Euphrates —†the king of Assyria and all his pomp.It will overflow its channelsand overrun its banks.8It will pour into Judah,swirling and sweeping over it,reaching up to the neck;its spreading streams will coveryour entire land, O Immanuel!†
God’s plan to rescue his stubborn people would...
God’s plan to rescue his stubborn people would ultimately be fulfilled. God planned to destroy Assyria, just as he does every other proud nation that rejects him or boasts in its own power.
A Call to Fear God
This text reveals the heart of Isaiah’s message....
This text reveals the heart of Isaiah’s message. The issue was fear of the Lord versus fear of people (see 7:9; 8:6). When an individual fears people, the Lord becomes a trap and destruction is certain (cp. Prov 29:25; see “Fearing People” Theme Note). For those who fear the Lord, he becomes a sanctuary; their salvation is assured.
11For this is what the LORD has spoken to me with a strong hand, instructing me not to walk in the way of this people:
12“Do not call conspiracyeverything these people regard as conspiracy.Do not fear what they fear;†do not live in dread.†13The LORD of Hosts is the Oneyou shall regard as holy.Only He should be feared;only He should be dreaded.14And He will be a sanctuary—but to both houses of Israela stone of stumbling and a rock of offense,†to the dwellers of Jerusalema trap and a snare.15Many will stumble over these;they will fall and be broken;they will be ensnared and captured.”
The command to preserve Isaiah’s teaching suggests that...
The command to preserve Isaiah’s teaching suggests that it was harshly received by his contemporaries, who might have wanted to snuff it out. Faithful disciples safely preserved the prophet’s messages.
18Here am I, and the children the LORD has given me† as signs and symbols in Israel from the LORD of Hosts, who dwells on Mount Zion.
Darkness and Light
Isaiah contrasts his counsel with that of his...
- Isaiah contrasts his counsel with that of his ungodly contemporaries. Isaiah’s message gives light, whereas the message of the spiritists led to darkness and death.
- Mediums used various means of divination, including summoning the dead, in the attempt to determine the future (see 19:3). God had banned these useless activities (47:9; Deut 18:9–11).
19When men tell you to consult mediums and spiritists who whisper and mutter, shouldn’t a people consult their God instead? Why consult the dead on behalf of the living? 20To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, they have no light of dawn.
21They will roam the land, dejected and hungry. When they are famished, they will become enraged; and looking upward, they will curse their king and their God. 22Then they will look to the earth and see only distress and darkness and the gloom of anguish. And they will be driven into utter darkness.