The king of Israel and Syria are going to war with Judah. The heart of Ahaz was moved like a palm tree in a hurricane. Isaiah was instructed to take his son Shearjashub and meet with the King of Judah at the public laundry mat. Isaiah told him to not be afraid, calm down, don’t panic. This conspiracy is a lot of hot air. These two kings with burning rage are nothing but a couple of smoldering torches. Sometime later Isaiah tells Ahaz that these two kings will soon get killed and that Judah will be punished for its sins that he is going to send for the army of Assyria and they will swarm on Judah like flies on a dead carcass and all their lush vineyards will be cut down and her gardens destroyed. Following my comments are scriptures that amplify the text.
Unveiling the Prophecy of Immanuel and Divine Judgment
Isaiah 7:1
And it came to pass in the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, king of Judah, that Rezin the king of Syria, and Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, went up toward Jerusalem to war against it, but could not prevail against it.
Ahaz was the son of Jotham and the grandson of Uzziah who reigned from (735-715B.C.) King Rezin of Syria and the combined forces of King Pekah of Israel (the ten northern tribes) are at war with Judah but the city of Jerusalem stood firm and they were not able to capture it.
Cross References
- 2Ch 28:1-6: Describes the reign of Ahaz and his idolatry, leading to his delivery into the hands of Syria and Israel.
- 2Ki 16:1; 2Ki 15:37: Further historical context.
Isaiah 7:2
And it was told the house of David, saying, Syria is confederate with Ephraim. And his heart was moved, and the heart of his people, as the trees of the wood are moved with the wind.
When the news reached the royal palace of David that the allied forces of Syria and Ephraim (Ephraim was a patronymic name for the 10 northern tribes) that the army was proceeding south to capture the city of Jerusalem Ahaz trembled like a teenager shaving the first time with a dull razor.
Cross References
- Hos 12:1: Ephraim feedeth on wind, and followeth after the east wind.
- 2Sa 7:16; 1Ki 11:32; 1Ki 12:16; 2Ch 25:10; Deu 28:65-66: Additional references regarding Ephraim and fear.
Isaiah 7:3
Then said the LORD unto Isaiah, Go forth now to meet Ahaz, thou, and Shearjashub thy son, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool in the highway of the fuller's field;
Isaiah was instructed to take his son Shearjashub and meet with the King of Judah at the public laundry mat.
Cross References
- Isa 36:2: Mentions the conduit of the upper pool in the highway of the fuller's field.
- 2Ki 20:20: References Hezekiah making a pool and a conduit.
Isaiah 7:4
And say unto him, Take heed, and be quiet; fear not, neither be fainthearted for the two tails of these smoking firebrands, for the fierce anger of Rezin with Syria, and of the son of Remaliah.
Isaiah told him to not be afraid, calm down, don’t panic. This conspiracy is a lot of hot air. These two kings with burning rage are nothing but a couple of smoldering torches.
Cross References
- 2Ch 20:17: Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still.
- Lam 3:26; 1Sa 17:32; 2Ki 15:29-30: Scriptures on waiting and courage.
Isaiah 7:5-6
Because Syria, Ephraim, and the son of Remaliah, have taken evil counsel against thee, saying, Let us go up against Judah, and vex it, and let us make a breach therein for us, and set a king in the midst of it, even the son of Tabeal:
These two countries have laid a plot to do Judah harm. Their plan was to dethrone Ahaz and set up a vassal king.
Cross References
- Psa 83:3-4: They have taken crafty counsel against thy people.
Isaiah 7:7
Thus saith the Lord GOD, It shall not stand, neither shall it come to pass.
Isaiah tells Ahaz that God told him that the plans of these two kings will fail it won’t happen now and never will.
Cross References
- Isa 46:10-11: Declaring the end from the beginning... My counsel shall stand.
- Dan 4:35: None can stay his hand.
Isaiah 7:8
For the head of Syria is Damascus, and the head of Damascus is Rezin; and within threescore and five years shall Ephraim be broken, that it be not a people.
This prophecy received its full accomplishment when Esarhaddon carried away the remains of the ten tribes.
Cross References
- Isa 8:4: Before the child shall have knowledge to cry, My father...
- Isa 17:1-15; 2Ki 17:16-23: The fall of Damascus and Samaria.
Isaiah 7:9
And the head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is Remaliah's son. If ye will not believe, surely ye shall not be established.
Pekah was Remaliah’s son and was king of the 10 northern tribes and ruled from Samaria. Ahaz is told to believe the prophet instead of the reports from other sources. If he fails to believe what God says he will not be established. He is told to take his stand on faith.
Cross References
- 2Ch 20:20: Believe in the LORD your God, so shall ye be established.
- 1Ki 16:24-29: Historical context.
Isaiah 7:10-11
Moreover the LORD spake again unto Ahaz, saying, Ask thee a sign of the LORD thy God; ask it either in the depth, or in the height above.
Sometime later God spoke to Ahaz through the prophet Isaiah. Ahaz is told to ask for some sign or proof that what has been spoken will come to pass, ask what you will whether it be in the sky or here on earth.
Cross References
- Jdg 6:36-40: Gideon asking for a sign with the fleece.
Isaiah 7:12
But Ahaz said, I will not ask, neither will I tempt the LORD.
Ahaz says that he is not going to put God to the test by asking for some sign.
Cross References
- Deu 6:16: Ye shall not tempt the LORD your God.
Isaiah 7:13
And he said, Hear ye now, O house of David; Is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will ye weary my God also?
Isaiah tells the king that he is about to exhaust his patience.
Cross References
- Eze 16:47: As if that were a very little thing.
Isaiah 7:14
Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
Since you will not pick a sign therefore the Lord will give you a sign, a virgin will become pregnant and bear a son and they will name him Immanuel (God-With-Us). The scriptures below show how the people of the bible often named their children after an important event in their life.
Cross References
- Gen 4:1; Gen 16:11: Examples of naming children based on divine events.
- Gen 29:32; Gen 30:6; 1Sa 1:20; Isa 8:8; Isa 9:6; Mat 1:23: Prophecies and fulfillments regarding naming and Immanuel.
Isaiah 7:15
Butter and honey shall he eat, that he may know to refuse the evil, and choose the good.
He will be eating butter and honey till he knows how to refuse evil and choose good. Other provisions were not available because all their vineyards and crops had been destroyed.
Cross References
- Isa 7:22: Abundance of milk... butter and honey shall every one eat.
Isaiah 7:16
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 two kings, Remaliah and Pekah will soon be out of the picture. These two kings will be dead before the child reached manhood.
Cross References
- 2Ki 15:29; 2Ki 16:9: Tiglathpileser king of Assyria taking land and captives.
- Isa 17:1-3: Further context.
Isaiah 7:17
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.
God is going to bring a curse upon you and your people worse than anything since Solomon’s kingdom split. God is going to send the king of Assyria with his army against them.
Cross References
- Isa 8:7-8: The Lord bringeth up... the king of Assyria.
- Isa 10:5-6; 2Ch 28:19-21; 2Ch 32:1-33; 2Ch 33:11: The Assyrian invasion.
Isaiah 7:18
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.
God is going to hiss for the army of Egypt and for the army of Assyria and they will swarm on Judah like flies on a dead carcass or bees stinging you and there is no getting away from them.
Cross References
- Isa 5:26: He will lift up an ensign... and will hiss unto them.
- Jos 24:12; Psa 118:12; 2Ki 23:33-34: Metaphors of swarming enemies.
Isaiah 7:19
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.
This invading army will fill the valleys, search every cavern, they will be found everywhere like flies and bees on thorns and bushes.
Cross References
- 2Ch 33:11: The captains of the host of the king of Assyria took Manasseh.
- Isa 2:21; Jer 16:16; Mic 7:17: Hiding in rocks and caves.
Isaiah 7:20
In the same day shall the Lord shave with a razor 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.
When the Assyrian army arrives with its hired mercenaries, they will shave your head and remove all your hair down to your feet. Your land will be taken, your crops eaten up and your people destroyed.
Cross References
- Isa 10:6-8: I will send him against an hypocritical nation.
- Isa 10:13-14: Further Assyrian boasting.
Isaiah 7:21
And it shall come to pass in that day, that a man shall nourish a young cow, and two sheep;
When this army finishes swarming over the land and plunders everything a farmer will be lucky to have a heifer and two sheep left.
Cross References
- Isa 17:2: The cities of Aroer are forsaken: they shall be for flocks.
Isaiah 7:22
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.
The few people left will have to make do on the milk from the young cow and live on curds and honey. They will be searching among the rocks and crevices and hollow trees for some honey. Their crops and vegetable have all been destroyed.
Cross References
- Isa 37:30: Eat this year such as groweth of itself.
Isaiah 7:23
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.
The lush vineyards that contained a thousand vines valued at millions will be nothing but briers and thorns.
Cross References
- Isa 32:12-14: Upon the land of my people shall come up thorns and briers.
Isaiah 7:24
With arrows and with bows shall men come thither; because all the land shall become briers and thorns.
This place will be good for nothing except a place to hunt wild animals.
Cross References
- Gen 27:3: Take... thy quiver and thy bow, and go out to the field.
Isaiah 7:25
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.
All the fertile fields and well tended gardens have disappeared. Farmers will have to clear the land again before they can replant and set out new grape vines and olive and fruit trees which will take years before a harvest can be expected. This required many years of reconstruction because of the invasions by the Egyptians and Assyrians.