Overview.
Chapter 7 marks a turning point in the Book of Isaiah.
Chapters 7 – 12 are known as the Book of Immanuel. Chapter 7 commences this work with Messiah’s miraculous birth. Verse 14 “Behold the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall calls His name Immanuel.”
The same section (chapters 7 – 12) also contains a series of prophecies related to Judah’s political entanglements with other nations, aimed at calling Judah back to faith in Adonai.
Concerning the historical context, we see here events in Isaiah’s lifetime. Firstly, there is the threat to Judah from Ephraim (the northern kingdom) in alliance with Syria (Aram). Then there is the devastation (short of annihilation) suffered by Judah at the hands of Assyria. These threats to Judah’s security brought great fear to the king and the people of Judah.
Chapter 6 dealt with events up to King Uzziah’s death. In chapter 7, we leap forward four years to the reign of King Ahaz (736 – 716 BC).
Verses 1 –8 record how Ephraim and Syria became allies to conquer Jerusalem. We see a prophecy over the failure of this attack and the captivity of Ephraim by Assyria: “in sixty-five years Ephrain will cease as a people.” There are also prophecies concerning the Babylonian captivity and the later establishment of a glorious kingdom. We see Adonai’s goodness in promising deliverance and in giving Ahaz the offer of a sign which should have led the wicked king to repent.
We can find details of this period in the history of Judah in 2 Kings chapter 16 and 2 Chronicles chapter 28.
Ahaz was twenty years of age when he became king. He reigned for sixteen years in Jerusalem but “he did not do what was right in the sight of God, as his father David had done.” He made his son pass through the fire and he burned incense on the high places.
Ephraim and Syria came against him and so later did the Edomites. So, Ahaz begged Tiglath-Pileser, king of Assyria for help. He took the gold and silver from the Temple and other treasures and sent them to Assyria. But still the Assyrians did not help him.
The distress of Ahaz led him to become increasingly unfaithful to the Lord, sacrificing to the gods of the various countries which had defeated him.
Verse 1 and 2.
“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. 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 by the wind.”
These verses concern the invasion of Judah by the forces of Ephraim and Syria. Although Judah suffered defeats, this prophecy confirms that the enemy forces would fail in their objective in taking Jerusalem; they “could not prevail against it.”
The “house of David” refers to Ahaz, the king of Judah, and to Adonai’s eternal covenant with his ancestor, David, which promised an eternal seed, throne and kingdom (2 Samuel 7: 16 and Psalm 89: 20 – 37).
Nevertheless, Ahaz and the people were deeply disturbed. And indeed, despite the failure of this attack, Judah was no more secure. Assyria went up against Syria and was becoming an increasing threat.
Isaiah’s purpose in these verses was to call the people back to faith in Adonai.
Verses 3 and 4.
“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, 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.”
Isaiah was to take with him to meet Ahaz, his son Shear-Jashub; whose name means “a remnant shall return”. This name may not have meant much at the time, but it is an object lesson in Adonai’s faithfulness to His people. It speak of the coming exile but then the salvation of the remaining faithful. All of which would take place long after the death of Isaiah.
Ahaz was to be found at the aqueduct when he was to meet with Isaiah. He may have been checking on the security of Jerusalem’s water supply in case of siege.
“Fuller’s Field” was where the people stretched out clothes to bleach in the sun.
Isaiah’s message to Ahaz was one of comfort. The two arrogant kings, Rezin and Pekah, were in the sight of Adonai merely “stubs of smoking firebrands”. They were spent forces; brands pulled out of the fire and very nearly extinguished. They were no threat.
Verses 5 and 6.
“Because Syria, Ephraim, and the son of Remaliah have plotted evil against you, saying, “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 …”
The plotting of Syria and Ephraim to attempt as allies to conquer Jerusalem, was of course no secret to Adonai. He sent his prophet, Isaiah, to make known the situation to Ahaz.
The “son of Remaliah” was Pekah, king of Ephraim.
Their plan was to conquer Jerusalem and set up a puppet king, “the son of Tabel”. This man is otherwise unknown. Some commentators say “Tabel” means “good for nothing”. Clearly it was planned to make this controllable, incompetent man, head of the nation of Judah.
Syria and Ephraim did not achieve their objective and when Syria was engaged in Judah, Assyria took its opportunity to advance on it.
Verses 7 and 8.
“… thus says the Lord God: “It shall not stand, nor shall it come to pass. 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.”
Adonai’s word to Ahaz is that the plots of Syria and Ephraim will fail, as do all of mankind’s plans that oppose the will of Adonai. As sure as Damascus is Syria’s chief city, Ephraim will be conquered within sixty-five years and taken captive by Assyria.
Hosea 4: 17.
“Ephraim is joined to idols, let him alone.”
After the Assyrian captivity, there was the importation of foreign settlers into Ephrain from 670 BC.
2 Kings 17: 6.
“In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria took Samaria and carried Israel away to Assyria, and placed them in Halah and by the Habor, the River of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes.”
2 Kings 17: 24.
“Then the king of Assyria, brought people from Babylon, Cuthah, Ava, Hamath, and from Sepharvaim, and placed them in the cities of Samaria instead of the children of Israel, and they took possession of Samaria and dwelt in its cities.”
The Assyrian practice of relocating peoples and mixing populations, was designed to break down ethnic distinctions and to reduce the risk of rebellions. The people settled in Ephraim became known as Samaritans.
The accuracy of these prophecies would give credence to future prophecies, concerning the Babylonian exile, the future return and the restored kingdom. It was evidence of Adonai’s goodness and gave Ahaz a sign which should have led the wicked king to repent.
Verse 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.”
Again, it is, “as sure as the head of Ephrain is Samaria”; reflecting the certainty of what is to follow.
The “you” is plural; the prophet was speaking to Ahaz, the royal family and the nation. But it is Ahaz who must make the immediate decision. He could trust the Lords’s word, or experience a hardening of his heart and eventually fall into the hands of his enemies.
Of course, Isaiah had been told that the outcome of his prophecies would be the hardening of the people’s hearts (chapter 6: 9, 10).
“Believe” and “established”; the Hebrew terms used here, derive from the word “aman” (Strong’s 539), which can mean “faithful” or “built up”. It is from the root that we get our word “Amen”.
To believe requires knowledge of the word of Adonai, accepting it and placing trust in the Lord to keep it. Believing in the Lord is the key to receiving His promises;
John 14 :1.
“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.”
Verses 10 – 12.
“Moreover the Lord spoke again to Ahaz, saying “Ask a sign for yourself from the Lord your God; ask it either in the depth or in the height above.” But Ahaz said, “I will not ask, nor will I test the Lord!”
The Lord invited Ahaz to ask for a sign. This can only be an action by Adonai to encourage Ahaz in faith.
The “sign” likely pertains to the prediction in verses 7 – 9 concerning the demise of Ephraim. Surely this is something which would have been welcomed by Ahaz. An open choice was put to Ahaz for the sign, “either in the depth or in the height above.” He could please himself.
So, why on earth would Ahaz turn down such an offer?
We can dismiss his claim that in his humility, he did not want to “test the Lord”. This was feigned humility.
More likely, the wicked and arrogant Ahaz had made up his mind that his best bet was the deal with Assyria, and he wasn’t for shifting. He would sort out his own problems, thank you very much!
Verse 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.”
Since Ahaz had refused to choose a sign, Adonai would give His own sign for the many.
It is “the Lord Himself” who will give the sign. “Lord” speaks of the sovereignty of Adonai and of His great control over all His creation. The addition of the pronoun “Himself” adds an absolute certainty to the impending “sign”.
Some commentators suggest that the Lord’s sign was to be a comfort the frightened Ahaz indicating that the Syrian and Ephraim plot would be unsuccessful. His son, Hezekiah, acting on the advice of Isaiah, would successfully resist the onslaught of Assyria. But this of course could only be a partial fulfilment.
The Hebrew word translated “virgin” is “almah” (Strong’s 5959) which means a young woman of marriageable age. An alternative word would be “bethulah” (Strong’s 1330), but this may be used of a younger person not ready for marriage. Additionally, “almah” suggests a young woman who has not yet known a man. Note here that the Hebrew term is “ha-almah” (the virgin). Of course, this indicates that Adonai had a particular woman in mind.
This is clearly the virgin birth of Messiah which would occur long after Ahaz’s time and is indicated as this Son will be called “Immanuel” which Matthew 1: 23 tells us means “God with us.”
Verses 15 – 17.
“Curds and honey He shall eat, that He may know to refuse the evil and choose the good. 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. 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.”
The opening phrase is “curds and honey”: this food can be contrasted with the bread and wine consumed in better times. These simple foods symbolise the decimation of the land by foreign invaders especially the Assyrian invasion.
The “child” could have reference also to Isaiah’s son, Shear-Jashub whose name means “a remnant will return”. This refers to the exile and could be a first fulfilment of Isaiah’s prophecy about the Messiah. This son of Isaiah is referred to as a “sign” in chapter 8: 18.
“Here I am and the children whom the Lord has given me! We are for signs and wonders in Israel from the Lord of hosts, who dwells in Mount Zion.”
The maiden-born son will live in poverty until he reaches the age of accountability. But before he reaches that age, the lands of Ephraim and Syria will be “forsaken by both her kings” and thus the alliance which Ahaz and the people feared would come to nothing. But Adonai will punish Judah through the invasion of Assyria. Not only did the Lord use Assyria to judge Ephraim, but He would use them to invade Ahaz’s dominion of Judah. The coming of the Assyrian king was the beginning of the end for Judah, and it would lead eventually to captivity in Babylon.
Verses 18 and 19.
“And it will 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. 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.”
The invading armies are likened to swarming insects blanketing Judah; a situation fulfilled by Assyria. Egypt was full of flies and Assyria was a country known for beekeeping.
These insects represent the armies from powerful countries which the Lord would summons to overrun Judah. The devastation prophesised here began in the days of Ahaz and reached its climax when Babylon conquered Judah. Problems of invasion continued long after and will carry on until Messiah returns to establish His kingdom.
Not even the inaccessible places (“desolate valleys” or “clefts in the rocks”), will be free from these invading armies.
Verse 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.”
The Assyrians were the Lord’s “hired razor”, to shave and disgrace the entire body of Judah. This shaving is a symbol of humiliation.
It is a “hired” razor, as this refers to Ahaz’s foolish attempts to save himself from the alliance of Ephraim and Syria by paying Assyria for help. This merely invited Assyria to attack by showing his weakness.
Verses 21 and 22.
“It shall be in that day that a man will keep alive a young cow and two sheep; so it shall be, from the abundance of milk they shall give, that he will eat curds; for curds and honey everyone will eat who is left in the land.”
In this future time of trouble (“in that day”), all the people will be able to save from their large herds will be “a young cow and two sheep”. And on these they will depend for basic subsistence.
The land will be so depopulated and impoverished that the limited fare of curds and honey (cf. verse 15) will feel like an “abundance”.
The foreign invasions will cause changes in the agricultural economy, from the cultivation of crops to a pastoral economy. There will be too few people to work the land and no guarantee that any planted crops will be harvested. This will be a time of great poverty.
Verses 23 – 25.
“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. With arrows and with bows men will come there, because all the land will become briers and thorns. 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.”
The productivity of the land will be greatly reduced in the period of Adonai’s judgment. This land, which would have previously produced bumper crops, will no longer be used for arable farming but only fit for animals to graze. The repetition of the phrase, “thorns and briers” is to emphasis this fact.