Isaiah 8:1
I. (Chapters 1-39) Condemnation
A. (Chapters 1-12) Prophecies against Israel and Judah
1. \\#Isa 1:1-31\\ God’s Case Against Judah
2. \\#Isa 2:1-5:30\\ Israel’s Condition Described
3. \\#Isa 6:1-13\\ Isaiah’s Call
4. \\#Isa 7:1-12:6\\ Israel’s Choice
a. \\#Isa 7:1-25\\ King Ahaz’s Choice
b. \\#Isa 8:1-9:7\\ The People’s Choice - Isaiah’s fourth message
continues. In the last chapter, King Ahaz made his choice to
choose alliances with other nations over trust in God. In
this chapter, the people make the same choice.
(1) \\#Isa 8:1-8\\ A Message of Mahershalalhasbaz
(2) \\#Isa 8:9-15\\ A Message of Trust
(3) \\#Isa 8:16-22\\ A Message of Choice
I. \\#Isa 8:1-9:7\\ The People’s Choice
A. \\#Isa 8:1-8\\ A Message of Mahershalalhasbaz
1. Mahershalalhashbaz will be another of Isaiah’s sons (the first being
mentioned in \\#Isa 7:3\\). As God used Shearjashub to deliver a
message to King Ahaz, so God will use Mahershalalhashbaz to deliver
a message to the people.
2. \\#Isa 8:1-3\\ God used Isaiah’s life to give a message.
a. \\#Isa 8:1\\ It appears that Isaiah first made a ROLL and either
wrote on it the Hebrew word or the prophecy that is associated
with the word, MAHERSHALALHASBAZ.
b. \\#Isa 8:2\\ Then Isaiah took two witnesses to confirm that he
wrote the ROLL and gave the prophecy before any of the events
of the prophecy came to pass.
c. \\#Isa 8:3\\ Last, Isaiah goes into his wife, who is a prophetess,
and they conceive a son, giving him the name that was written on
the ROLL months earlier.
3. \\#Isa 8:1\\ "a great roll" - The word for ROLL does not mean a scroll
in this case but a tablet or stone object. Likewise the word for PEN
means chisel or engraving tool. The object that Isaiah is writing
upon is not a book but more like a billboard. The message he
carves on it will be available for all who pass by to see.
4. \\#Isa 8:1, 3\\ "Mahershalhasbaz" - Either is one of Isaiah’s sons when
the sign is made or, more likely, will be soon \\#Is 7:3, 18\\. The
name is several phrases rolled into one name.
a. Maher-Shalal - "Make speed to the spoil"
b. Hash-baz - "Hasten to the prey"
c. Isaiah’s son and the ROLL together would be a message to all,
even to King Ahaz to whom the message was begun in the last
chapter. The message was that if Israel and Judah did not change
their ways, they were marked for destruction by the impending
enemy introduced in the last chapter, Assyria.
5. \\#Isa 8:2\\ "Uriah the priest and Zechariah" - Isaiah selects two men
to be witnesses that he gave the prophecy before the Assyrians attacked
Israel or Judah. The fact that the men are mentioned by name indicates
there may be some meaning to their names. Of course each of the men
would have had the best testimony, but it is interesting that each
name shares a truth about God.
a. URIAH means "Jehovah is my light."
b. ZECHARIAH means "Jehovah remembers."
c. JEBERECHIAH, Zechariah’s father, means "Jehovah blesses."
d. The names would be a subtle message to the Jews to turn to Jehovah.
6. \\#Isa 8:4\\ The point of the prophecy is twofold.
a. One aspect was the making of a public sign is to notify everyone
of what was to happen to the nations. Isaiah had already given
the message to the king, but the ROLL informed the common people
of the coming judgment as well.
b. "For before the child shall have knowledge" - Another was to give
an approximate time for when the judgment would begin.
(1) THE CHILD spoken of was Mahershalalhashbaz.
(2) BEFORE THE CHILD is old enough to CRY (the word seems to mean
to speak), DAMASCUS (the capital of Syria) and SAMARIA (the
capital of Israel) will be looted by Assyria. Since most
children develop a vocabulary by two years old, the judgment
could not be far off.
(3) Isaiah is believed to have started his ministry around 740
BC and Assyria conquered Israel in 722 BC. We are not
given an exact date for this message but it would fall in
between the two dates and should be around 719 to 720 BC.
7. "Damascus… Samaria shall be taken away before the king of Assyria"
This is the second time that Isaiah mentions the imminent judgment
to be brought by Assyria \\#Isa 7:17-20\\.
8. \\#Isa 8:6\\ "waters of Shiloah" - This is a quiet stream which flowed
out of Gihon Springs near Jerusalem’s walls into the Pool of Siloam.
The water provided to Jerusalem its necessary supply. God was
declaring that Judah and Israel had refused God and His provisions.
Instead, they desired what men, REZIN (king of Syria) and REMALIAH’S
SON (Pekah \\#Isa 7:1, 5\\, king of Israel), could offer.
9. "this people refuseth" - Previously, God had given King Ahaz an
opportunity to trust Him and a choice to do so or not, but all of
the responsibility did not belong to Israel’s leader alone. THIS
PEOPLE also REFUSED to trust God and follow His commandments. While
there are some dictatorial governments who force their people down
a contrary path, this was not Israel’s case. God had given to Israel
a wicked government because that it is what the people wanted.
1Samuel 8:5 And said unto him, Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in
thy ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.
10. \\#Isa 8:7\\ "waters of the river, strong and many" - As God used the
symbolism of flowing water in the last verse to represent His
provision, now He uses the image of a great, raging river to
represent Assyria.
11. "he shall come up over all his channels, and …banks" - The river
flowing out of its CHANNELS and BANKS is a picture of Assyria
conquering land not previously belonging to it.
12. \\#Isa 8:8\\ This mighty river shall "pass through Judah" … reaching
"even to the neck…."
a. Water coming up to the NECK is enough to cause great fear,
distress, and even destruction, but since one could still breathe,
it does not have to kill.
b. This was a message to Judah that they would survive the Assyrian
assault, although suffering much from it.
13. \\#Isa 8:9\\ "stretching out of his wings shall fill… thy land" -
Assyria will defeat and remove the northern kingdom but after FILLING
up the land of Judah, they will leave it.
14. \\#Isa 8:9\\ "O Immanuel" - God calls the land of Israel, the land of
Immanuel, the name already given for the coming Messiah \\#Is 7:14\\.
Immanuel means "God with us" and by calling Judah this name, God is
telling them that they will survive the Assyrian attack only because
God is with them to show them mercy.
B. \\#Isa 8:9-15\\ A Message of Trust
1. \\#Isa 8:9-10\\ God speaks to those who would come against Israel.
a. \\#Isa 8:9\\ God warns the nations that if they join themselves
together, that is ASSOCIATE YOURSELVES, they will be destroyed.
This is a specific warning to Israel and Syria, but the notion is
that all confederacies against God’s people will end in defeat.
While God does give His people into the hands of their enemies
for judgment from time to time, no nation or group of nations
should ever suppose that God will not protect Israel and
annihilate those who come against Israel in His time.
b. \\#Isa 8:10\\ "Take counsel together" - God challenges Judah’s
enemies to make their best plans for they will COME TO NOUGHT.
c. \\#Isa 8:10\\ "for God is with us." - It seems strange how God can
use a people to chastise Judah, but, at the same time, protect
Judah from these nations excessive wrath. It demonstrates
that God is in complete control no matter where the judgment
originates.
2. \\#Isa 8:11-12\\ God speaks to Isaiah
a. \\#Isa 8:11\\ "For the Lord spake… to me with a strong hand" - God
spoke very strongly to Isaiah that he was not to give to the
people the message that they wanted to hear.
b. \\#Isa 8:12\\ "Say ye not, A confederacy" - The people’s desire which
Isaiah was not to support was that Judah should join with other
nations to repel their attackers. Some in the land were calling
for Judah to make such an alliance with Assyria to repel Israel and
Syria while others were calling for them to join with Israel and
Syria in repelling Assyria. God’s point is that Judah should place
their trust in Him to protect them, not in other kingdoms.
3. \\#Isa 8:13-15\\ God gives Judah a choice.
a. \\#Isa 8:13\\ If you are going to fear anyone, fear the Lord.
(1) "Sanctify the Lord" - Separate yourself unto Jehovah!
(2) "let him be your fear" - Fear Jehovah, not man’s
conspiracies.
(3) "let him be your dread"
b. \\#Isa 8:14\\ "And he shall be… a sanctuary" - If Judah would fear
the Lord instead of making a league with Assyria, Jehovah would be
their SANCTUARY, that is, their haven of rest and security.
c. \\#Isa 8:14\\ "stone of stumbling… rock of offence… a gin" - If not,
to both Israel and Judah, the Lord will be a stumbling stone to
bring them down.
d. \\#Isa 8:15\\ "And many… shall stumble" - The results of not
trusting and obeying the Lord will be catastrophic. MANY shall
fall in both Israel and Judah.
e. The notion is that Judah is to trust only in the Lord and
not in other nations. They are to stay true to the Lord.
C. \\#Isa 8:16-22\\ A Message of Choice
1. \\#Isa 8:16\\ "Bind… seal" - Close up this prophecy for it is certain.
2. \\#Isa 8:17-18\\ Isaiah had made his choice:
a. \\#Isa 8:17\\ "I will wait upon the Lord" - Isaiah will look to the
Lord, who presently had turned from Israel (HIDETH HIS FACE),
but who Isaiah knows would fulfill this prophecy of deliverance
if Ahaz and Judah will do right.
b. \\#Isa 8:18\\ "I and the children - Isaiah and his children (whom he
had and named according to God’s messages) serve as a sign to
what will happen in Israel if the wrong choices are made.
c. \\#Isa 8:18\\ "Mt Zion" - Mount Zion was the ruling district of
Jerusalem. It is also where the Lord dwelt, meaning the Lord is
was Ruler over the affairs of Israel.
3. \\#Isa 8:19-22\\ Israel’s choice
a. \\#Isa 8:19\\ The people are rejecting Isaiah’s message and turning
to those with "familiar spirits."
(1) God asks, "Why inquire of the dead for the living?" Then He
commands, "Seek your God."
(2) The fact that those Israel is turning to are dead, indicates
things didn’t turn out so well for them the first time
around.
b. \\#Isa 8:20\\ "if they speak not according to this word… there is
not light in them." - If those spirits differ from God’s Word, it
is because they are wrong.
c. \\#Isa 8:21-22\\ Those who follow the wrong choice, shall go
"bestead and hungry."
(1) \\#Isa 8:21\\ They will CURSE THEIR KING. This message is
related to the prophecy given King Ahaz in the last
chapter. Ahaz might have thought the choice he made would
make him more popular with the people. He was wrong.
(2) "and curse… their God" - Even though Israel made the wrong
decision, they would hate God for the judgments He brought
upon them.
(2) \\#Isa 8:22\\ "and behold trouble and darkness, dimness" - They
shall have trouble, darkness, and dimness.
(3) \\#Isa 8:22\\ "they shall be driven to darkness" They shall be
driven into that darkness; that is, the darkness of sin,
bitterness, and affliction. This closing line is the
opening thought for the next chapter’s prophecy.
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