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Isaiah 8
CHAPTERS 7, 8 and 9 to the end of verse 7 should be considered together as one prophecy, growing out of the attack upon Jerusalem by the kings of Israel and Syria, Pekah, the son of Remaliah, and Rezin.
In chapter 7 the son of David reigning over Judah had no faith, and in chapter S the people are seen to be as faithless as their king. They refused the softly flowing waters of Shiloah (Siloam in John 9:77And said unto him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam, (which is by interpretation, Sent.) He went his way therefore, and washed, and came seeing. (John 9:7), a pool on the south of Jerusalem by the king’s garden. Nehemiah 3:1515But the gate of the fountain repaired Shallun the son of Col-hozeh, the ruler of part of Mizpah; he built it, and covered it, and set up the doors thereof, the locks thereof, and the bars thereof, and the wall of the pool of Siloah by the king's garden, and unto the stairs that go down from the city of David. (Nehemiah 3:15)). God known in grace they despised; and rejoiced in the wicked kings of the northern countries who were soon to be overthrown, and to lose their lives.
Grace despised, brings sure judgment, and this is indicated in the names of Isaiah’s two little boys: “A remnant shall return” (chapter 7:3), and “Swift for spoil, hasty for prey” (chapter 8:3). Before the older boy knew to refuse the evil and to choose the good; and before the younger one knew to cry “My father!” and “My mother!” the kings of Israel and Syria would be no more, and the glory of their countries would be gone (See 2 Kings 16:99And the king of Assyria hearkened unto him: for the king of Assyria went up against Damascus, and took it, and carried the people of it captive to Kir, and slew Rezin. (2 Kings 16:9), and 15:29, 30. In the latter passage, the “twentieth year of Jotham” is the fourth year of Ahaz; see verse 33). The Assyrian attack upon Syria and Israel was in the year 740 B. C.
Israel as a nation (the ten tribes) had so exceeded in sin, that their removal into captivity was now near at hand, but Judah (the two tribes still professing the worship of the true God and owning the line of David as their rulers, and Jerusalem as their capital city) was not far behind Israel in wickedness. Therefore the Assyrians were to be brought like an overflowing river through Judah,— “Thy land, O Immanuel!” (verse 8).
Christ then is the key to the Scriptures (John 5:3939Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. (John 5:39); Luke 24:2727And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself. (Luke 24:27)). He is the Immanuel of Isaiah 7:1414Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. (Isaiah 7:14) and 8:18, as Matthew 1:20-2520But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. 21And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. 22Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, 23Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. 24Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife: 25And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS. (Matthew 1:20‑25) shows. The prophet is here again led on to the future day when the nations, with godless Judah will, according to Psalm 2, set themselves against God and His Anointed, and be broken in pieces. This has been before us in our reading of the Psalms, particularly. The remnant of Judah believing in Him will be preserved and blessed when the Lord Jesus appears for the setting up of His kingdom.
Christ, and not Isaiah, is in view in verse 18, as we learn from Hebrews 2:1313And again, I will put my trust in him. And again, Behold I and the children which God hath given me. (Hebrews 2:13). With Him is seen the believing remnant. and in contrast we have the unbelieving Jews in verses 19-22, who, rejecting God and their Messiah will seek for help from the necromancers and soothsayers, and become the very picture of wretchedness, to be later judged according to their works.
ML 05/07/1933