UNDERSTANDING THE COMPLEX BOOK OF ISAIAH by John David
FOREWORD TO ISAIAH 8.
To confuse his enemies, Isaiah sends a message in code to the faithful godly remnant of Judah and their descendants. Using indirectness; transposition of pronouns; in additioned metonyms to disguise and protect that which he writes in his book, even this Book of Isaiah in holy writ.
The reader needs first to understand that Isaiah’s wife was the nameless prophetess who bore his two sons: Shearjashub and Mahershalalhashbaz, the latter being a portentous sign. But this sign was nowhere near as significant as the sign of a virgin birth of a Saviour: Immanuel. This was fulfilled over 700 years later at the birth of Christ Jesus, the son of David, and the Son of God. The Gospels describe it in St. Matthew and St. Luke. Isaiah’s second born son would signify the disappearance of Pekah in Samaria (Israeli rebel tribes)and Rezin in Syria. The power of their kingdoms would never recover and Tiglath-Pileser would abduct and deport captives from Samaria, Syria and the Trans-Jordan Jews, but he would be unsuccessful in routing Jerusalem at that time as Isaiah predicted. Before the toddler Mahershalalhashbaz would begin to talk Assyria would sack the Syrian capital Damascus and vanquish Samaria. (Isa. 8:4)
Isaiah places both signs together, and almost merges the two together. However, second sign would come to pass in the immediate future, but the first more than 700 years later. The Assyrian empire would be superseded by the Chaldean one of Babylonia. In 612 BC the Assyrian capital of Nineveh was sacked by Babylon. Later at the end of Judah’s kingdom the Jerusalem captives would be taken by Nebuchadnezzar to Babylon (50 miles south of modern Baghdad) leaving a ruined city, to a small Jewish remnant and the prophet Jeremiah: Isaiah’s successor.
REVIEW:
Samaria allied with Syria besieged Jerusalem only to be turned away by a miracle. Both kingdoms would be overpowered by Assyria shortly afterwards. Ahaz had called for help from Assyrian might to help resist Pekah and Rezin. But God intervened through the prayers of Isaiah and outside help was not needed. The city was filled with fear and many wanted a confederacy to survive the multiple attacks from different neighbouring nations. Isaiah had exhorted them to trust in God rather than a military alliance.
Foreword, footnotes, headings and subheadings are by John David.
ISAIAH 8.
King James Version of the Bible. Public Domain ex biblegateway.com
ISAIAH CALMS BESIEGED JERUSALEM.
1 Moreover the Lord said unto me, Take the a great roll, and write in it with a man’s pen concerning Mahershalalhashbaz.
2 And I took unto me faithful witnesses to record, Uriah the priest, and Zechariah the son of Jeberechiah.
3 And I went unto the prophetess; and she conceived, and bare a son. Then said the Lord to me, Call his name Mahershalalhashbaz.
4 For before the child shall have knowledge to cry, My father, and my mother, the riches of Damascus and the spoil of Samaria shall be taken away before the king of Assyria.
ISAIAH URGES AHAZ TO TRUST GOD NOT ASSYRIAN ARMIES.
5 The Lord spake also unto me again, saying,
6 Forasmuch as this people refuseth the waters of Shiloah that go softly, and rejoice in Rezin and Remaliah’s son;
7 Now therefore, behold, the Lord bringeth up upon them the waters of the river, strong and many, even the king of Assyria, and all his glory: and he shall come up over all his channels, and go over all his banks:
ISAIAH WARNS ASSYRIAN AFFILIATION WILL DESTROY THEM.
8 And he shall pass through Judah; he shall overflow and go over, he shall reach even to the neck; and the stretching out of his wings shall fill the breadth of thy land, O Immanuel.
9 Associate yourselves, O ye people, and ye shall be broken in pieces; and give ear, all ye of far countries: gird yourselves, and ye shall be broken in pieces; gird yourselves, and ye shall be broken in pieces.
10 Take counsel together, and it shall come to nought; speak the word, and it shall not stand: for God is with us.
11 For the Lord spake thus to me with a strong hand, and instructed me that I should not walk in the way of this people, saying,
12 Say ye not, A confederacy, to all them to whom this people shall say, A confederacy; neither fear ye their fear, nor be afraid.
13 Sanctify the Lord of hosts himself; and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread.
14 And he shall be for a sanctuary; but for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offence to both the houses of Israel, for a gin and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
15 And many among them shall stumble, and fall, and be broken, and be snared, and be taken.
16 Bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples.
17 And I will wait upon the Lord, that hideth his face from the house of Jacob, and I will look for him.
18 Behold, I and the children whom the Lord hath given me are for signs and for wonders in Israel from the Lord of hosts, which dwelleth in mount Zion.
ISAIAH WARNS JERUSALEM: IDOLS WILL NOT HELP
19 And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and that mutter: should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to the dead?
20 To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.
21 And they shall pass through it, hardly bestead and hungry: and it shall come to pass, that when they shall be hungry, they shall fret themselves, and curse their king and their God, and look upward.
22 And they shall look unto the earth; and behold trouble and darkness, dimness of anguish; and they shall be driven to darkness.
FOOTNOTES.
Isaiah 8: 6.
“the waters of Shiloah’ allude to the pool of Siloam (John 8:7) a reservoir within Jerusalem’s wall. Shiloah may have been a pun on Shiloh a once godly centre of the priests and prophets in the early days of settlement in Palestine which the faithful remnant always supported even in apostate times. Rezin was the Syrian king whom with king Pekah (Remaliah’s son) was crushed by the Assyrian who in a later campaign besieged and invaded Jerusalem. This attack up the river bed and under the city wall is described in Isaiah 8:8-9.
Isaiah 8: 8.
The prophet ends his brief description of the coming Assyrian attack upon Jerusalem, addressing his words to God, whom he calls the Saviour: “thy land, O Immanuel”. I.e. God is my witness.
Isaiah 8:18.
One sign was Isaiah’s firstborn child, who marked the moment of Assyria’s sacking of Damascus. The second born was a time marker for the capture of Israel (Ephraim) in the north. The prophet was instructed to record both on his manuscript journal for posterity. But a far greater sign was that of the prophecy of Immanuel’s birth coinciding therewith. Judah would also be imminently waylaid by Assyria. (Isaiah 8:8)
Isaiah 8:21.
The prophet describes the absolute fear of Judah’s citizenry as it awaits Tiglath-Pileser’s attack, having already destroyed Damascus and captured Samaria.
