These are the original teaching notes from this passage.
- Send me…
- Seeing the Lord…
- King Uzziah [Azariah] was one of EIGHT good kings from Judah – II Chronicles 26:16
- But when he DIED [bad end] – Isaiah looked UP – and saw the THRONE of God…
- Surrounded by SERAPHIM – who worshiped the Triune LORD – HOLY [x3]
- Isaiah was UNDONE – because he knew he was a SINNER [unclean]
- But one of the SERAPHIM took a coal from the ALTAR [incense] to touch his LIPS…
- By his CONFESSION [repentance] – he had been FORGIVEN – I John 1:9
- Sent by the Lord…
- Isaiah heard a voice ask – who will go for US [plural]
- He quickly replied – SEND me – the only qualification for being used by God…
- The LORD commanded [imperative] Isaiah to GO – tell the people to LISTEN…
- But He warned him – they would NOT understand – because of their FAT hearts…
- Because if they did SEE and HEAR – their hearts would be HEALED [test] – Matthew 13:14-15
- When Isaiah asked HOW long he should tell a people who would NOT listen…
- God told him – until there was NO [אִין] one left to preach to!
- Seeing the Lord…
- 1st – Coming war… vs. 1-9
- 1st – King Ahaz… vs. 1
- Bad king…
- Now it came to pass in the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham – son of Uzziah – king of Judah!
- King AHAZ [12th king of Judah] ruled Judah from 735-715 B.C.
- He was the son of JOTHAM [good king] – grandson of UZZIAH [good king]
- But he became a WICKED king – who even sacrificed his children to MOLECH – II Kings 16:3
- TWO possibilities why he REJECTED the God of his father and grandfather…
- FIRST – the PROSPERITY of Judah under GODLY Uzziah and Jotham…
- Because he grew up in a RICH country – he NEVER learned to depend on the LORD…
- The name AHAZ means to GRASP [אָחַז] – grab ahold of things…
- SECOND – his father JOTHAM – did not pass on his relationship with God!
- Teaching kids…
- We are taught by the world that we should give the BEST for our kids…
- But the WORLDLY idea of what is best – is things that DO not last [money – things]
- Ironically those things we think are a BLESSING – might keep them from Jesus [prosperity]
- Dads listen – our children will NOT accidentally learn to follow Jesus…
- We have to CHOOSE to train them up to KNOW the LORD!
- Ephesians 6:4 – “Fathers… bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.” [NIV]
- 2nd – Defeated… vs. 1-2
- Wicked kings… vs. 1
- Rezin king of Syria and Pekah the son of Remaliah – king of Israel.
- An alliance of TWO kingdoms came against Ahaz and Judah…
- King REZIN [firm] – who was the king of SYRIA [Damascus]
- King PEKAH [open] – WICKED king who ruled Israel from 752-732 B.C. – II Kings 15:28
- PEKAH came to power by murdering PEKAHIAH son of MENAHEM…
- MENAHEM had become king by murdering king SHALLUM [only reigned for a month]
- SHALLUM became king by murdering king ZACHARIAH – II Kings 15:10
- Needless to say – it was NOT necessarily a good things to be the KING [short lives]!
- Shaken… vs. 1-2
- [They] went up to Jerusalem to make war against it – but could not prevail against it.
- It was told to the house of David saying: Syria’s forces are deployed in Ephraim.
- His heart – and his people – were moved as the trees of the woods are moved with the wind!
- These TWO armies [Israel and Syria] set out to go to WAR with JUDAH …
- When JUDAH heard about the alliance – they were SHAKEN [sequential] to the core [לֵבָב]
- SHAKEN – like [כְּ] when trees are blown by the WIND [רוּחַ]
- God delivered JUDAH into their hands – because of the sins of AHAZ – II Chronicles 28:5-15
- They killed 120 THOUSAND soldiers of JUDAH in one day [more than any day in WW2]
- ISRAEL then took 200 THOUSAND women and children captive from JUDAH as slaves…
- But a prophet named Oded [restorer] – came to ISRAEL and rebuked them…
- God had allowed them to defeat JUDAH because He was angry with them…
- But ISRAEL was not innocent – and was provoking God to come against them!
- 3rd – Do not fear… vs. 3-4
- The Remnant… vs. 3
- 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 Fullers Field!
- All of JUDAH had FALLEN – only Jerusalem was still standing…
- As AHAZ tried to find HELP – any ANSWER to this existential threat…
- [Sequential] – then the LORD [יְהוָה] commanded ISAIAH to go and meet with him…
- ISAIAH was to bring his SON [שְׁאָר יָשׁוּב] – a REMNANT [שְׁאָר] will RETURN [יָשׁוּב]
- He was to meet AHAZ by the UPPER pool [AHAZ was preparing the city for a siege]
- In ancient times when an invading army came against a walled city [like Jerusalem]
- The most important thing was to PROTECT the WATER source…
- Hezekiah [son of Ahaz] would carve a TUNNEL for the Gihon spring – II Kings 20:20
- Just smoke… vs. 4
- 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 the son of Remaliah!
- ISAIAH was to command [imperative] AHAZ to WATCH [שָׁמַר] and be QUIET [שָׁקַט]
- He was NOT [אַל] to let [jussive] himself FEAR or be fainthearted…
- Because the ANGER of REZIN and PEKAH [son of Remaliah]
- Was all SMOKE and no FIRE – nothing to be concerned about!
- FEAR is NOT a response – it is a choice – we choose based on what we are looking at…
- If we are looking at our CIRCUMSTANCES – then we choose to be AFRAID…
- If we look to the Lord – then we by FAITH – have nothing to FEAR!
- 4th – End of Israel… vs. 5-9
- The plot… vs. 5-6
- 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.
- Because [כִּי] – even though SYRIA and EPHRAIM [Israel] have plotted EVIL…
- They wanted to go UP to JUDAH [Jerusalem] – and break through [hiphil] the WALL…
- Then replace AHAZ with their own KING – the son of TABEL – God [אֵל] is good [טֽוֹב]
- The truth… vs. 7-9
- 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.
- The head of Ephraim is Samaria – and the head of Samaria is Remaliah’s son!
- In spite of what MEN said – and what their PLANS were….
- The MASTER [אֲדֹנָי] – who is the LORD [יְהוָה] said [perfect]
- Their plan would NOT [לֹא] stand – it would NOT [לֹא] happen…
- Because [כִּי] – SYRIA is only as strong as its CAPITOL [Damascus] – and its KING [Rezin]
- SYRIA would fall to ASSYRIA and REZIN killed – that same year [732 B.C.] – II Kings 16:9
- ISRAEL [Ephraim] – was only as strong as its CAPITOL [Samaria] – and its KING [Pekah]
- Pekah would die that year – and SAMARIA fall TEN years later…
- Only SIXTY FIVE years after Isaiah gave these words – they would cease to exist as a people!
- ISRAEL was conquered by ASSYRIA in 722 B.C. – II Kings 17:6
- The king of Assyria [Shalmaneser] took all of Israel captive to foreign lands [diaspora]
- Over the next 55 years – they would be absorbed into other cultures…
- And the TEN northern tribes would be lost to History – dispersed among the nations!
- The challenge… vs. 9
- If you will not believe – surely you shall not be established!
- JUDAH would NOT fall – instead SYRIA and ISRAEL would be conquered…
- But if AHAZ looked at the CIRCUMSTANCES [two armies at his gates]
- It would be HARD [if not impossible] to believe that…
- He had to choose to have [hiphil] FAITH [אָמַן] in the WORD of the LORD…
- IF [אִם] not [לֹא] – THEN [כִּי] he [specifically] would NOT be [niphal] saved [אָמַן]!
- This is a HUGE challenge that EVERY person has to face…
- Who do we CHOOSE to listen to – where do we put our FAITH…
- If we look at our CIRCUMSTANCES – listen to the PLANS of men [who are going to fall]
- Then it should come as NO surprise – that we also are NOT going to succeed…
- But if we put our FAITH in the WORD of the LORD – who is the MASTER [אֲדֹנָי]
- Then we have the CONFIDENCE that everything will turn out RIGHT in the END!
- 1st – King Ahaz… vs. 1
- 2nd – Immanuel… vs. 10-25
- 1st – The proof… vs. 10-13
- Ask the Lord… vs. 10-11
- 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!
- God did NOT leave it there – He had MORE to say to AHAZ…
- Because AHAZ needed to have FAITH – God would give him a SIGN [אוֹת]
- He just had [imperative] to ASK the LORD [יְהוָה] his God [אֱלֹהֶיךָ] for PROOF…
- ANYTHING – from the depth of HELL [שְׁאוֹל] to the HIGHEST height – and God would do it!
- We believe the SUN will rise tomorrow morning…
- Not because we have great FAITH – it is because it is always FAITHFUL!
- God does NOT ask us to have incredible FAITH…
- Instead He continually shows Himself as FAITHFUL – He NEVER fails us…
- And if we are HONEST – and look back at His record – we know it…
- Therefore when He gives us a PROMISE – we can be CERTAIN He will keep it!
- Testing God… vs. 12
- But Ahaz said: I will not ask. Nor will I test the LORD!
- AHAZ was quick to REJECT the idea – he would NOT [לֹא] test the LORD [יְהוָה]
- This seems like it might be the RIGHT answer…
- Because we are commanded NOT to TEST the Lord – Deuteronomy 6:16
- Even Jesus when He was TEMPED by satan – jump off the pinnacle of the TEMPLE…
- Would quote from this very VERSE – we should NOT tempt the LORD – Matthew 4:7
- Weary God… vs. 13
- Then he said: Hear now O house of David!
- Is it a small thing for you to weary men – but will you weary my God also?
- Yet ISAIAH rebuked AHAZ – commanding him to LISTEN [imperative]
- He was from the house of DAVID – who obeyed the WORD of the LORD…
- Did he think it was NOT enough to EXHAUST [hiphil] men with his FALSE piety…
- Now he wanted to IRRITATE [hiphil] the God of ISAIAH as well [no longer his God]!
- Like PETER who refused to EAT unclean animals – Acts 10:14
- It is NEVER a good idea to think we can say NO to the command of God!
- Too often people use the Bible as a way to EXCUSE their disobedience…
- Picking and choosing what verse to follow – rather than simply LISTENING to the LORD!
- 2nd – The Sign… vs. 14-16
- The virgin… vs. 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 would NOT obey the command of God…
- Therefore [כֵּן] – the MASTER [אֲדֹנָי] would chose a SIGN [אוֹת] for him…
- BEHOLD – the [הָ] VIRGIN shall get pregnant – and give birth to a SON…
- VIRGIN [עַלְמָה] – the word just means a YOUNG woman [not necessarily a virgin]
- The name of this SON – would be IMMANU [with us] EL [God]
- Quite possibly [debated] the CHILD was the SON of the prophet – Isaiah 8:4
- Choose good… vs. 15-16
- 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!
- This CHILD – would grow up eating BUTTER and HONEY [rich foods]
- In a time when the city was BESIEGED [Syria and Israel] – this was unthinkable…
- But [כִּי] – BEFORE he was old enough to KNOW [יָדַע] what tastes GOOD or BAD [six months]
- Both KINGS that AHAZ feared would [niphal] be defeated [and not by him]
- This would be the PROOF that God was with Judah [Immanuel]!
- It is estimated that there are FOUR babies born every SECOND…
- I love that God uses something as COMMON as a women having a baby…
- Something that literally happens every SECOND – as the PROOF that He is FAITHFUL…
- The point is POWERFUL – it is NOT hard to see that God keeps His WORD!
- Dual fulfillment…
- Often Bible prophecies have DUAL fulfillment [makes them challenging]
- This was fulfilled in the days of Isaiah – showing God is faithful – even to a WICKED king…
- He was with His people – protected them from their enemy – gave them VICTORY…
- But the same prophecy also looked forward to Jesus – Matthew 1:23
- Notably the word in LXX [παρθένος] does mean VIRGIN!
- 3rd – Rise of Assyria… vs. 17-25
- Judgement… vs. 17
- The LORD will bring the king of Assyria upon you and your people and your fathers house.
- Days that have not come since the day that Ephraim departed from Judah!
- The LORD [יְהוָה] would do SOMETHING not seen since ISRAEL left JUDAH – I Kings 12:16
- Which up to that point had been the most DEVASTATING event in their history…
- God would BRING [hiphil] the King of ASSYRIA upon AHAZ [עָלֶיךָ]
- They would come against JUDAH [people] – and the line of David [house]!
- Pointing to the fact the trouble would span generations [Hezekiah]
- Which might seem ODD – having just promised IMMANUEL [God with us]
- But AHAZ did NOT just refuse to ask for a SIGN – he turned his back on God…
- Instead of trusting in the WORD of the LORD – he went to the King of ASSYRIA…
- And offering him the TREASURES of the HOUSE of God as a BRIBE – II Chronicles 28:16-21
- To try and get him to HELP save himself and JUDAH [instead of looking to the LORD]!
- Pain… vs. 18-19
- It shall 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 – 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!
- As a result of NOT looking to the Lord – FOUR things would happen:
- FIRST – in that DAY [בַּיּוֹם] – the LORD would WHISTLE [call]
- The FLY [זְבוּב] – would come from the rivers of EGYPT [drawn to the death]
- The BEE – would come from ASSYRIA [that would STING Judah]
- They would be EVERYWHERE [כָּל] – 3x for emphasis – valleys – mountains – pastures…
- It would NOT be fatal [unlike a lion] – but it would be PAINFUL!
- Shame … vs. 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!
- SECOND – in that DAY [בַּיּוֹם] – the MASTER [אֲדֹנָי] would hire a RAZOR…
- The king of ASSYRIA from beyond the EUPHRATES river…
- The SAME razor that AHAZ thought would be his SALVATION…
- Would SHAVE [piel] the heads – legs – and beards of the men of JUDAH…
- It was a sign of being DISGRACED by a conquering army – II Samuel 10:4
- Poverty… vs. 21-22
- 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 give that he will eat curds.
- For curds and honey everyone will eat who is left in the land!
- THIRD – in that DAY [בַּיּוֹם] – a man would NOT kill his young COW and two SHEEP…
- He would NEED their MILK to keep himself alive…
- Because [כִּי] – there will ONLY be BUTTER and HONEY left in the LAND…
- What was used before to show BLESSING – becomes the image of POVERTY!
- Ruin… vs. 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 bows men will come – because all the land will become briers and thorns.
- To any hill which could be dug with the hoe – you will not go for fear of briers and thorns.
- But it will become a range for oxen and a place for sheep to roam!
- FOURTH – in that DAY [בַּיּוֹם] in the place where a THOUSAND vines used to grow…
- That were worth a THOUSAND shekels of SILVER – only THORNS would grow…
- Because [כִּי] – of the WAR that would DOMINATE the whole [כָּל] LAND [bows and arrows]
- EVERY [כָּל] hill where men cultivated the LAND – they would NOT [לֹא] go back to plant…
- Instead THORNS would grow – and animals [ox – sheep] would be left to WANDER!
- All Because rather than trust in the Lord – AHAZ looked to ASSYRIA…
- And the RESULT was PAIN – SHAME – POVERTY – and RUIN!
- Jude 1:12 – “They are clouds without water.”
- The world is full of the PROMISES – but they are EMPTY…
- We are PROMISED if we get a good education [good job] – we will be HAPPY…
- We are PROMISED if we have enough money – we will have NO worries…
- But what the world does NOT tell us – only in Jesus are promises Yes and Amen!
- II Corinthians 1:20 – “All the promises of God in Him are Yes – and in Him Amen.”
- 1st – The proof… vs. 10-13