Isaiah’s prophecy merged the crises of the current situation with future expectation. The prophet spoke to his own contemporaries about resolutions expected soon while the same predictive message of God’s purpose ultimately takes place in the distant future.
Such is the mystery of God who is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. That dependable sameness blends the past, present and future together to better comprehend God’s gracious long-term purpose for this world and his eternal kingdom. God’s plan for Israel began with Abraham.
When Israel would reject the covenant relationship in rebellion, God would change the immediate strategy and leadership but keep his same purpose for his chosen people.
Isaiah clearly understood the message God had given him with which to confront Ahaz. When Ahaz rejected God and his word, God, in his omniscience, revealed to Isaiah his plan was more far reaching than the immediate and universal rather than national. Isaiah spoke not only to his own day but in a much broader application to all times and all nations.
The prophet gave Ahaz a sign from God: “The virgin shall be with child and will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel” (7:14). Deliverance would come concurrently through a remnant (4:2-6) but ultimately and completely through Christ some seven centuries later.
Scholars suggest this section was written by one of Isaiah’s disciples. In 7:3, Isaiah is mentioned in the objective case (“to Isaiah”) and the section is written in narrative rather than poetry.
In any environment, sin-cursed or grace-cured, there are temptations that threaten a life of faith. Threats may develop from financial insecurity such as unemployment or recessions, health and death issues, calamities such as accidents and natural disasters, divorce, international tension, God’s call on one’s life, immorality, neighborhood blight, industrial pollution, church fights and a thousand other things.
A Christian’s response should always be faith in the guidance of God rather than natural carnal instinct or worldly wisdom. God has promised (Romans 8:28) to work all things for good regardless of the catastrophic circumstances. The wisdom of God always is better than the wisdom of man.
Learning to act in faith on truth as revealed by our Lord is essential for the church’s ministry in confronting the immorality and injustice of our time and circumstances. Do we, as Christians, genuinely accept the Bible as God’s word? Is it possible for America to suffer similarconsequences as Israel because of the deepening crises of rejection of faith and righteousness?
Prophesy that fits the eternal purposes of God has lasting consequences regardless of who is king. Prophesy of the Old Testament inevitably points to the Messiah, Christ Jesus.
The impending threat to faith (Isaiah 7:1-2)
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The political and military environment was turbulent and threatening as one nation after another moved against weaker targets in the struggle for power and dominance. The house of David, one time united, had degenerated into two nations, Israel (or Ephraim) and Judah. Each would form an unholy alliance with a pagan nation in order to battle each other as enemies.
About 735 to 732 B.C., Judah, ruled by king Ahaz, was threatened by Aram, or Syria, led by King Rezin, and Israel, led by King Pekah. The coalition sought to force Judah to merge with them in revolting against the more dominant power, Assyria. Their intent was to replace Ahaz with a puppet king, the son of Tabeel (7:6), who would, by arrangement, join the coalition.
The consequences were so frightening “the hearts of Ahaz and his people were shaken, as the trees of the forest are shaken by the wind” (v. 2). Rather than joining them, Ahaz turned to Assyria for an alliance he assessed to be better. His decision to do so was counter to the advice of Isaiah.
The choice was a disaster and impacted Judah’s history for generations to follow. When Ahaz refused, Israel and Syria moved against Jerusalem but was unable to take the city. The failure was due to the approaching forces of Assyria but also, and more importantly, the hand of God.
Fear of military might, expectation of painful carnage, along with his pagan worship, obscured the spiritual reasoning of Ahaz to protect Judah in this time of crisis. Ahaz already had turned from following God and embraced foreign idol gods. 2 Chronicles 28:1 states: “He did not do what was right in the eyes of the Lord.” Ahaz became an immoral and wicked ruler, turned his back upon Jehovah and his righteousness, sacrificed his own son in pagan worship, permitted the pagan religions, such as Baal worship, into Judah and desecrated the temple. His mind, heart and ears were not tuned to Jehovah, so Ahaz placed his faith in the military power of Assyria.
Any rational person can discern the direction of his or her faith in times of stress and threat. Will such discernment intensify the truth of God’s word and bring obedience or fade into the distance, commandeered by misdirected trust?
Critical decisions without faith (Isaiah 7:3-12)
Decisions engage our faith, making faith extremely critical. Where we place our faith guides our actions and our destiny. This truth is obvious in the following decisions by Ahaz.
God had promised through Isaiah the deliverance of Judah from her enemies. Isaiah did not flinch as the messenger, nor question his message given him by Jehovah God. The Lord instructed Isaiah to take his son, between 7 and 9 years old, and approach Ahaz at the “Upper Pool.” The son, Shear-jashub, meaning “a remnant shall return,” was present, no doubt, to confirm, illustrate and reinforce Isaiah’s prophecy.
Ahaz already had sought the alliance with Assyria (2 Kings 16:7-8) and Isaiah confronted him again with the message to rely upon God rather than Assyria. Isaiah’s message regarding the military threat of Syria and Israel was this: “It will not take place; it will not happen” and “If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all” (vv. 7 and 9). The intentions of the enemy would not come to pass but, instead, Israel would soon “be too shattered to be a people” (v. 8).
The warning is clear, and just as clear is the response of King Ahaz. Ahaz acted on what he believed but would find his faith in Assyria rather than God. His decision would bring Israel to her knees but would not deter the ultimate purpose of God. “To stand firm” would have reflected a faith that was a complete commitment to God in the impending crises.
There is a powerful immediate and long-term lesson to learn from this. Faith makes the person. One becomes what he believes. Isaiah saw the future, but Ahaz saw mostly the immediate. Without changing his belief system, he had no basis to trust in the truth from God Almighty or to see the place of the nation Israel in the plan of God. The consequences were disastrous and, to be sure, always will be.
Both the evil and the good would go through the coming judgment upon Judah, but a remnant would survive and emerge as a nation again. God’s judgment and God’s covenant promise are both seen in the remnant, the continuing source for the coming of the Messiah.
God is long suffering and gracious. When Ahaz turned aside to follow his course to seek alliance with Assyria, God spoke again through Isaiah with another offer, “Ask the Lord your God for a sign, whether in the deepest depths or in the highest heights” (v. 10), meaning there would be no heavenly or earthly limit on the nature or occurrence of this divine sign.
Asking for a sign would have demonstrated Ahaz’s faith and allow God to prove himself. Again, Ahaz refused to place his faith in God by refusing to ask for this sign. Perhaps in mockery, he side steps the opportunity by responding, “I will not ask; I will not put the Lord to the test.” Don’t confuse me with the facts, my mind is made up. The course is set. Judah paid the price for Ahaz’s staunch unfaithfulness and blatant rejection of Isaiah’s message and, consequently, God’s word and plan for Judah.
A prophetic sign for faith (Isaiah 7:13-14, 16)
The use of “then” (v. 13) suggests a secondary result with significant consequences. The following message was given to “the house of David” and was the sign of a son, born to a young woman (virgin), who would be named Emmanuel, meaning “God with us!” The Bible does not identify this woman and child until the birth of Christ (Matthew 1:23). Matthew uses the Greek term for “virgin” regarding the pre-conception status of Mary. God’s plan through the Holy Spirit provided a miraculous entry of Christ, the Messiah, the Son of God, into the world of humanity.
The fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy unites the Old and New Testament into a powerful witness to the purpose of God to provide salvation through grace by faith for all mankind. Faith that is patient (v. 13) will be realized and faith that is practiced will be justified (Matthew 1:23).
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