Isaiah 7:16

The Bible says in Isaiah 7:16-17, “For before the child shall know to refuse the evil, and choose the good, the land that thou abhorrest shall be forsaken of both her kings. The LORD shall bring upon thee, and upon thy people, and upon thy father's house, days that have not come, from the day that Ephraim departed from Judah; even the king of Assyria.” Initially when talking about a child, Isaiah had been referring to the Messiah who would eventually come to save Israel. Of course, we know that Jesus is the Messiah who came not only for Israel but for the entire world. When Isaiah starts talking about the king of Assyria who the Lord will bring against the people of Israel, we are taken back to the days of Isaiah instead of the days of the coming of the Messiah. We find in studying the Bible that Bible prophecy often works this way: prophesy is often given that has both a short-term application and a long-term application.

That is exactly what we see here in Isaiah chapter seven. A prophecy was given about a son who would be born. It says in Isaiah 7:14, “Behold a virgin shall conceive and bring forth a son.” That “son” is Jesus Christ who would be born of a virgin 500 years after the time of Isaiah. It is one of the great prophesies in the Old Testament about the Messiah. But the prophecy about a “son” also had a short-term application involving the days during Isaiah’s life-time. This part of the prophecy is expanded more in the verses that follow.

Concerning the local and immediate application of this prophecy, it says in Isaiah 7:18-25, “And it shall come to pass in that day, that the LORD shall hiss for the fly that is in the uttermost part of the rivers of Egypt, and for the bee that is in the land of Assyria. And they shall come, and shall rest all of them in the desolate valleys, and in the holes of the rocks, and upon all thorns, and upon all bushes. In the same day shall the Lord shave with a rasor that is hired, namely, by them beyond the river, by the king of Assyria, the head, and the hair of the feet: and it shall also consume the beard. And it shall come to pass in that day, that a man shall nourish a young cow, and two sheep; And it shall come to pass, for the abundance of milk that they shall give he shall eat butter: for butter and honey shall every one eat that is left in the land. And it shall come to pass in that day, that every place shall be, where there were a thousand vines at a thousand silverlings, it shall even be for briers and thorns. With arrows and with bows shall men come thither; because all the land shall become briers and thorns. And on all hills that shall be digged with the mattock, there shall not come thither the fear of briers and thorns: but it shall be for the sending forth of oxen, and for the treading of lesser cattle.” In these verses God is making it clear to the nation of Israel that they will be attacked and over-run by a foreign nation: the nation of Assyria. God used unbelievers to punish those who should have been serving Him. It should be a reminder to all of us of the consequences of sin, and of the fact that God is a holy Judge of the whole earth. God sees, and He knows, and He will bring judgment. Repent of your sins while you have a chance.

The Bible says in Isaiah 8:1-4, “Moreover the LORD said unto me, Take thee a great roll, and write in it with a man's pen concerning Maher-shalal-hash-baz. And I took unto me faithful witnesses to record, Uriah the priest, and Zechariah the son of Jeberechiah. And I went unto the prophetess; and she conceived, and bare a son. Then said the LORD to me, Call his name Maher-shalal-hash-baz. 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 8:1 is a very important verse that explains to us the method by which God gave to us the Bible. Certain individuals were called of God to “write,” and then those writings became the Word of God. God uses human beings, men and women, to do His work in this world. God could do it all Himself, if He so chooses. But He chooses to use people by His grace. Of course, it would not make any sense for God to give the Bible, and then to allow the Bible to be changed. Therefore, we know that God also preserved the Bible so that it would remain unchanged over the centuries.

That is the only way that we can have true confidence and faith in the written Word of God. We must believe that the Bible came from God, and we must believe that it has been preserved by Him. It says in Second Peter 1:21, “For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.” Jesus said in Matthew 24:35, “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.” It also says in Second Timothy 3:16, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.”

The Bible says in Isaiah 8:5-7, “The LORD spake also unto me again, saying, Forasmuch as this people refuseth the waters of Shiloah that go softly, and rejoice in Rezin and Remaliah's son; 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.” Israel sinned, and then they were punished by the holy God. Of course, we know that everyone has sinned. Therefore, why don’t we all suffer in the same way that the Israelites did? Why aren’t we all punished in the way that the Israelites were punished? The reason for their judgment has to do with much more than just the fact that they committed sin. It has to do with their rejection of God’s offer to cleanse them from their sins. Notice that God said in Isaiah 8:2, “Forasmuch as this people refuseth the waters of Shiloah.” Water is symbolic of cleansing: cleansing from sin. These people refused God’s cleansing from sin. Nothing is worse than that. The same thing happens today when people refuse to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. Personal opposition against God’s salvation is what Jesus was talking about when He said in Mark 3:29, “But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation.”

The Bible says in Isaiah 8:8-14, “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. 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. Take counsel together, and it shall come to nought; speak the word, and it shall not stand: for God is with us. 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, Say ye not, A confederacy, to all them to whom this people shall say, A confederacy; neither fear ye their fear, nor be afraid. Sanctify the LORD of hosts himself; and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread. 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.” It is interesting that even in judgment the land of Israel is called “Immanuel.” Of course, this is the name given to the Messiah. Mary was told that her son was “Immanuel, which means ‘God with us.’” The Lord always keeps Himself very closely and intimately identified with His people even when He must judge them. He keeps His promises. He is faithful to us even when we are not faithful to Him.

The verses in Isaiah 8:8-9 tell us the vanity of human beings who try to succeed in their rebellion against God. No one can purposely turn from God and succeed, at least not at the time when God’s judgment comes upon them. No matter how much the Israelites attempted to “associate” with each other, they could never muster enough strength to withstand the Almighty God. Despite their unity, they would still be “broken in pieces” when God so chose. If they take counsel together, “it shall come to nought.” If they speak the word, “it shall not stand.” No one can prosper without help from the Lord, and no one can escape the Lord’s judgment when the time has come. What should any person do when facing trouble of any kind, including God’s righteous judgment? The answer is clear: “Sanctify the LORD of hosts himself; and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread. And he shall be for a sanctuary.” The Biblical principle is very simple: trust in the Lord, and He will take care of you. He will help you. But those who do not trust in the Lord are heading for something terrible that they will not be able to handle. That is why the Lord is called “a stone of stumbling” and “a rock of offence.” In the New Testament we are told that Jesus is the stone of stumbling. It says in Romans 9:33, “As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.”

The Bible says in Isaiah 8:15-22, “And many among them shall stumble, and fall, and be broken, and be snared, and be taken. Bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples. And I will wait upon the LORD, that hideth his face from the house of Jacob, and I will look for him. 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. 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? To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them. 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. And they shall look unto the earth; and behold trouble and darkness, dimness of anguish; and they shall be driven to darkness.” Those who seek to learn from the Lord are called His “disciples” because they go to the Lord to learn from Him. But notice what happens to those who do not seek the Lord. It says that the Lord “hideth his face from the house of Jacob.” Truly God hideth Himself from man. No man hath seen God at any time. Only those to whom Christ hath revealed Himself are aware of His real existence. Without Christ we do not have life in the way it was meant to be. Without Christ we are in darkness, but once we trust in Christ, the light of Christ shines into our hearts. And then once that happens, the Bible becomes the most important book in the world. Believers have the Holy Spirit to help them understand the Word of God. When someone does not accept the Word of God, and does not study the Word of God, that person develops a way of life that is foreign to God’s teachings. Therefore, they speak a language that is not consistent with God’s teachings. It says in Isaiah 8:20, “if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.” Those of us who have been saved by Jesus should always be thankful to the Lord for the fact that He gives us “light” to understand His Word.

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