Class Notes on Isa 7:1-17

Isaiah 7:1-2 When Ahaz son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, was king of Judah, King Rezin of Aram and Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel marched up to fight against Jerusalem, but they could not overpower it.

2 Now the house of David was told, “Aram has allied itself witha Ephraim”; so the hearts of Ahaz and his people were shaken, as the trees of the forest are shaken by the wind. NIV

a Or has set up camp in

• A lot of time has passed since Isaiah 6
• The power and glory of Judah is fading
  • Assyria is rising
• Tiglath-pileser III became king of Assyria in 745 BC
  • Rezin of Syria paid money to Assyria for a time
  • Rezin tried to form an alliance of small nations against Assyria
    • Ahaz refused
    • Rezin and Israel (Pekah), also Edom and Philistines, attacked and had some early success
• What do we know of Ahaz?
  • "He did not do what was right in the eyes of the Lord"
  • He worshipped the Baals
  • He sacrificed his sons in the fire
  • He worship Aram's god

• What was Ahaz and the people's response to the news of the two kings?
  • Shaken, as in fear, or the stagger walk of a blind man
  • Hebrew could also mean wavering heart, ie., what do we do? Do we seek God or since there does not appear to be any answer, do we seek another solution? What do we do? Isaiah previous prophecy of God not listening (Isa 5) probably does not help (if they even remembered it)

• Why was Ahaz so afraid of King Rezin and Pekah?
  • He was previously defeated by Rezin at Elath (2 Kings 16)
  • Pekin, in one day, killed 120,000 soldiers of Judah (2 Chron 28)

2 Chron 28:17-19 The Edomites had again come and attacked Judah and carried away prisoners, 18 while the Philistines had raided towns in the foothills and in the Negev of Judah. They captured and occupied Beth Shemesh, Aijalon and Gederoth, as well as Soco, Timnah and Gimzo, with their surrounding villages. 19 The Lord had humbled Judah because of Ahaz king of Israel,b for he had promoted wickedness in Judah and had been most unfaithful to the Lord. NIV

b That is, Judah, as frequently in 2 Chronicles

• What also was happening?
  • Edomites and Philistines were attacking
  • Judah was surrounded on all sides and losing battles right and left

• So Ahaz is surrounded. He is afraid or wavering. God does not seem to answer. What was Ahaz's response?
  • Let's first see what God says to him, and then view his reponse

Isaiah 7:3-9 Then the Lord said to Isaiah, “Go out, you and your son Shear-Jashub,b to meet Ahaz at the end of the aqueduct of the Upper Pool, on the road to the Washerman’s Field. 4 Say to him, ‘Be careful, keep calm and don’t be afraid. Do not lose heart because of these two smoldering stubs of firewood—because of the fierce anger of Rezin and Aram and of the son of Remaliah. 5 Aram, Ephraim and Remaliah’s son have plotted your ruin, saying, 6 “Let us invade Judah; let us tear it apart and divide it among ourselves, and make the son of Tabeel king over it.” 7 Yet this is what the Sovereign Lord says:

“‘It will not take place, // it will not happen, // 8 for the head of Aram is Damascus, // and the head of Damascus is only Rezin. // Within sixty-five years // Ephraim will be too shattered to be a people. // 9 The head of Ephraim is Samaria, // and the head of Samaria is only Remaliah’s son. // If you do not stand firm in your faith, // you will not stand at all.’” NIV

b Shear-Jashub means a remnant will return.

• There are a couple things about what God tells Isaiah to do which seem curious, do you see them?
  1. He tells him to take his son, Shear-Jashub (who name means a remnant will return)
  2. He tells him to meet at a spot which will later be famous for Sennacherib's field commander hurling insults at Israel

• What is God's message to Ahaz?
  • These two are smoldering stubs of firewood, suggested of going out, and also smelling
  • Not to worry (be calm and not afraid)
  • In 65 years, Ephraim will be shattered

• When is Ephraim destroyed?
  • 722BC, only 12 years later
  • 65 years later, a final deportation and importation of foreigners will affectively destroy the country

• Before we get to Ahaz's response, we need to look at God's question to the king next

Isaiah 7:10-12 Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz, 11 “Ask the Lord your God for a sign, whether in the deepest depths or in the highest heights.”

12 But Ahaz said, “I will not ask; I will not put the Lord to the test.” NIV

• God tells Ahaz to ask for a sign, but Ahaz refuses, why?
  • He does not want to put the Lord to the test. But the scripture says not to test the Lord in regards to complaining (Deut 6 16). In this case, God asks for a test
  • He does not want to believe in God. If he asks for a test and sees it fulfilled, he might have to change his life or lifestyle

• So, with his kingdom crumbling about him, what does he decide to do?
  • He sought outside help, he did it in his own strength
    • 2 Kings 16:7-8 Ahaz sent messengers to say to Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria, “I am your servant and vassal. Come up and save me out of the hand of the king of Aram and of the king of Israel, who are attacking me.” 8 And Ahaz took the silver and gold found in the temple of the Lord and in the treasuries of the royal palace and sent it as a gift to the king of Assyria. NIV
  • He sought other spiritual solutions (Aram's god seem to work better than Judah's)
    • 2 Kings 16:10-12 Then King Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria. He saw an altar in Damascus and sent to Uriah the priest a sketch of the altar, with detailed plans for its construction. 11 So Uriah the priest built an altar in accordance with all the plans that King Ahaz had sent from Damascus and finished it before King Ahaz returned. 12 When the king came back from Damascus and saw the altar, he approached it and presented offeringsb on it. (b Or and went up) NIV

• APPLICATION: What is our response to struggles? To waver in our belief, to put all our strength into a solution, to find another religion, or to wait upon our God in faith

Isaiah 7:13-17 Then Isaiah said, “Hear now, you house of David! Is it not enough to try the patience of men? Will you try the patience of my God also? 14 Therefore the Lord himself will give youc a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, andd will call him Immanuel.e 15 He will eat curds and honey when he knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right. 16 But before the boy knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right, the land of the two kings you dread will be laid waste. 17 The Lord will bring on you and on your people and on the house of your father a time unlike any since Ephraim broke away from Judah—he will bring the king of Assyria.” (c The Hebrew is plural. d Masoretic Text; Dead Sea Scrolls and he or and they.  e Immanuel means God with us.) NIV

• There is a possibility we have a double meaning in this verse(typically not a good hermeneutical practice). The word virgin can mean both virgin or sexually pure before marriage. For the prophecy to relate to Isaiah's time, it might be understood as a recently married young woman
• Viewing from Ahaz's perspective, how long would it be before the two kings are laid waste?
  • Less than three years (nine months plus around two years)
  • Actually, Aram is killed two years later. Pekah is assassinated by Hoshea about the same time frame

• Obviously, Matthew interprets this verse with a double meaning
  • Matt 1:22-23 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23 "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel"—which means, "God with us." NIV

• APPLICATION:
  • Why does God allow trouble into our lives?
    • We are free to choose our own actions
    • It is a consequence of sin in the world
    • Because he wants us to draw near to him
  • But where do we turn to in times of trouble?