ISAIAH
Prophecies concerning the Nations
Judah and Israel
Chapter 7
TO BE REVISED
Isaiah was sent to King Ahaz of Judah (7:1-9)
Chapters 7 to 12 have been called "the book of Immanuel" because of their clear prophecies about Christ.
Joatham succeeded his father Uzziah as king, and did what was right in the eyes of the Lord. He reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem, but the people still corrupted (2 Chronicles 27). There was no prophecy by Isaiah recorded in his book during this period.
Isaiah back to narrative during the reign of Ahaz, the successor of Jotham. This became idolatrous, and this prophecy begins at a time when Syria and the Kingdom of Israel (Ephraim) made an Alliance against the Kingdom of Judah and threatened Jerusalem.
Isaiah and his son Sear-Forth left to King Ahaz .. at the end of the aqueduct of the upper pool, in Neither field road. Maybe the King had gone there to ensure the safety of the city's water supply. Neither field was where the people spread their freshly washed clothes to bleach in the Sun.
The Lord in his long-suffering, assured to Ahaz, through the Prophet Isaiah, that there was nothing to fear. The Kings of Israel and Syria (Rezin and Remaliah's son) were no more than "pieces of smoldering kindling." Although these allies intended to frighten and dominate Judah, to put on it the son of Tabeel, his plan would not be realized. (The Syria and Israel came to invade Judah, but the pressure was lifted when the Assyrians advanced). Rezin was the Governor of Damascus and this city controlled Syria; within 65 years Ephraim (Israel) would be broken into pieces and there would be people. Samaria, ruled by the son of Remaliah, would govern Ephraim (see 2 Kings 17 greeting).
The sign of Emmanuel (7:10 -25)
The Lord instructs Ahaz to ask for a sign, on earth or in the heavens, that Syria-Israel Alliance would not prevail against Judah. Not wanting to abandon their faith in Assyria to its protection, Ahaz refused, with humility and feigned piety.
When the Lord asked Ahaz to ask for a sign and stated that, as a guarantee of the fulfillment of his word, give it "down in the depths" (perhaps a reference to necromancy which Ahaz would be adept) "or in the heights" (in heaven), he replied "I will not ask or put the Lord to the test". It was an act of mercy on your part, and received the rebuke of the Lord through the response of Isaiah, "Hear now, o House of David: Little is afadigardes men, who still afadigareis my God? " It would make it impossible for that God grant mercy upon repentance and restoration?
Even dissatisfied with the attitude of the King, a representative of the House of David, Isaiah told you yourself would give him a sign of your choice and a sign of the range that would extend to events far beyond the time of Ahaz and bring the fulfillment of prophecies and promises relating to the "House of David". Ahaz and men like him would have no participation in the blessings and glories of the fulfilment of the signal.
This was the sign "Behold, a Virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel."
How many prophecies, this seems to have had a realization early (in the days of Ahaz) and later, the complete compliance (at the first advent of Christ). Verse 4 points infallibly to Christ, the son of the Virgin whose name implies that he is the Emmanuel, God-with us. The words "Behold" in Isaiah, always present something relating to future circumstances. The choice of the word almah (to Virgo) is significant, because it distinguishes it from bethulah (living with parents, whose marriage is not imminent); denotes that is ripe and ready for the wedding.
The different situations related to prophecy are such that compliance is only possible as recorded in Matthew 1:22, 23, and Luke 1:31 -35. A striking feature of the prophecies of the Old Testament is that they bind events separated by time. The conditions more immediately applicable to Assyria under subsequent powers were developed successively, culminating with the Roman, in which Emanuel was born. The circumstances described by Isaiah as being prevalent on earth continued up to and on the day of Emanuel.
This signal would be "deep" by Emmanuel ("God with us", or, as in the original order, "with us is God"). Would Someone condescending in becoming man, and go to the depths of vicarious trial and death. It would also be "in the heights" because Emanuel is "true God" (see Isaiah and Isaiah 7:11 8:10). "The different situations related to prophecy are such that compliance is only possible as found in Matthew 1:22, 23, and Luke 1:31 -35.
"Butter and honey to eat, when he hears reject evil and choose the good." (Isaiah 7:15). That's indicative of impoverishment. Thickened milk and honey were the food of the wandering in the desert. Of course they weren't the only food items, but there was little variety and relative scarcity. These were the conditions during the childhood of Christ, running away and coming back from Egypt and living in Nazareth without any luxury. ". for love of you became poor." (2 Corinthians 8:9).
The desolation began in the time of Ahaz. The two Kings of Syria and Israel, whose Ahaz was afraid, were dominated by the Assyrians. This was followed by his attack on Judah (Isaiah 7:17), and despite the recovery that was granted in the reign of Hezekiah, it was only provisional. The Egyptians ("the flies") and the Assyrians ("bees") jointly devastated Earth, fulfilling Isaiah 7:18 and 19. The King of Assyria is cited as a "razor rented" (Isaiah 7:20). Ahaz had determined to hire him for help. God would rent (sarcasm is worthy of note) for destruction.
With this "razor" Judah would be clipped to be humiliated. Both the head, as the hair of the feet would be fleeced and his beard plucked, indicating, respectively, the removal of Royal authority, the national independence and the priesthood. Shave the hair of the body was a kind of purification in Israel: the Nazarite (separate person with voting for the service of the Lord) had to shave his head if it were contaminated (numbers 6:9); the leper had to shave all the hair, beard and eyebrows when healed (Leviticus 14:9); the Levite had to pass the knife over your entire body to purify (numbers 8:7).
As a result of the destruction caused by domestic enemies, would be no poverty; rather than abundance of milk, thickened milk only, or curd and wild honey; instead of a flourishing vineyard, "briers and thorns." As the hills previously dug with spades, they would be abandoned for fear of briers and thorns, and is only useful as pasture for cattle and sheep.
R David Jones
Next Page >
< Previous Page
Isaiah Sent to King Ahaz
1 Now it came to pass in the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, king of Judah, that Rezin king of Syria and Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, went up to Jerusalem to make war against it, but could not prevail against it.
2 And it was told to the house of David, saying, "Syria's forces are deployed in Ephraim." So his heart and the heart of his people were moved as the trees of the woods are moved with the wind.
3 Then the LORD said to Isaiah, "Go out now to meet Ahaz, you and Shear-Jashub your son, at the end of the aqueduct from the upper pool, on the highway to the Fuller's Field,
4 and say to him: 'Take heed, and be quiet; do not fear or be fainthearted for these two stubs of smoking firebrands, for the fierce anger of Rezin and Syria, and the son of Remaliah.
5 Because Syria, Ephraim, and the son of Remaliah have plotted evil against you, saying,
6 "Let us go up against Judah and trouble it, and let us make a gap in its wall for ourselves, and set a king over them, the son of Tabel"—
7 thus says the Lord GOD: "It shall not stand, Nor shall it come to pass.
8 For the head of Syria is Damascus, And the head of Damascus is Rezin. Within sixty-five years Ephraim will be broken, So that it will not be a people.
9 The head of Ephraim is Samaria, And the head of Samaria is Remaliah's son. If you will not believe, Surely you shall not be established." ' "
The Sign of Immanuel
10 Moreover the LORD spoke again to Ahaz, saying,
11 "Ask a sign for yourself from the LORD your God; ask it either in the depth or in the height above."
12 But Ahaz said, "I will not ask, nor will I test the LORD!"
13 Then he said, "Hear now, O house of David! Is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will you weary my God also?
14 Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.
15 Curds and honey He shall eat, that He may know to refuse the evil and choose the good.
16 For before the Child shall know to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land that you dread will be forsaken by both her kings.
17 The LORD will bring the king of Assyria upon you and your people and your father's house—days that have not come since the day that Ephraim departed from Judah."
18 And it shall come to pass in that day That the LORD will whistle for the fly That is in the farthest part of the rivers of Egypt, And for the bee that is in the land of Assyria.
19 They will come, and all of them will rest In the desolate valleys and in the clefts of the rocks, And on all thorns and in all pastures.
20 In the same day the Lord will shave with a hired razor, With those from beyond the River, with the king of Assyria, The head and the hair of the legs, And will also remove the beard.
21 It shall be in that day That a man will keep alive a young cow and two sheep;
22 So it shall be, from the abundance of milk they give, That he will eat curds; For curds and honey everyone will eat who is left in the land.
23 It shall happen in that day, That wherever there could be a thousand vines Worth a thousand shekels of silver, It will be for briers and thorns.
24 With arrows and bows men will come there, Because all the land will become briers and thorns.
25 And to any hill which could be dug with the hoe, You will not go there for fear of briers and thorns; But it will become a range for oxen And a place for sheep to roam.
Isaiah chapter 7