ISAIAH 7 FAITH FORSAKEN, JUDGEMENT UNLEASHED
ISAIAH 7
Isaiah
Sent to King Ahaz
Isa 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 became king
at twenty years of age, but he was not a righteous ruler. During his reign,
Judah was invaded twice. The first invasion, despite the alliance of enemy
forces, failed to overcome Jerusalem. (A detailed account of this can be read
from 2 Kings 16).
Isa 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 King Ahaz and
the people of Judah heard that Syria and Israel had joined forces against them,
they were overcome with fear, trembling like trees swayed by a strong wind.
Isa 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;
The Lord
instructed Isaiah to meet King Ahaz, accompanied by his son Shear-jashub, to
deliver a message of assurance.
Isa 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 was to
counsel King Ahaz to remain calm and not fear the alliance of Syria and Israel.
The Lord described these kings as mere smoking firebrands—burning out
and soon to be extinguished.
Isa 7:5
Because Syria, Ephraim, and the son of Remaliah, have taken evil counsel
against thee, saying,
The Lord revealed
to King Ahaz that the enemy kings had devised wicked plans against him and his
people.
Isa 7:6 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:
God revealed the
full extent of their plot: they intended to invade Judah, overthrow Ahaz, and
install the son of Tabeal as king.
Isa 7:7 Thus
saith the Lord GOD, It shall not stand, neither shall it come to pass.
However, the Lord
firmly assured Ahaz through Isaiah that their evil plans would not
succeed.
The Lord foretold
judgment upon Ephraim (Israel), declaring that within sixty-five years, it
would cease to be a kingdom. (Damascus was the capital of Syria, and Rezin was
its king.)
Isa 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.
The Lord warned
Ahaz that if he refused to trust His word, he would not stand firm. (Samaria
was the capital of Ephraim, and Pekah, the son of Remaliah, was its king.)
The Sign of Immanuel
Isa 7:10
Moreover the LORD spake again unto Ahaz, saying,
The LORD spoke to Ahaz once more.
Isa 7:11 Ask
thee a sign of the LORD thy God; ask it either in the depth, or in the height
above.
Since Ahaz did not
believe the LORD’s words, Isaiah encouraged him to request a sign—a miraculous
wonder—whether from the depths below or the heights above, so that he might be
convinced to trust in the word of the LORD.
Isa 7:12 But
Ahaz said, I will not ask, neither will I tempt the LORD.
Feigning humility,
Ahaz assumed an appearance of piety and respect for God’s command, declaring
that he would not test the LORD by asking for a sign.
Isa 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 rebuked the
house of David, asking if exhausting the patience of men was not enough—would
they now also test the patience of the LORD?
Isa 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 Ahaz refused
to ask for a sign, the prophet declared that the LORD Himself would provide
one: a virgin would conceive and give birth to a Son, who would be called Immanuel.
Isa 7:15
Butter and honey shall he eat, that he may know to refuse the evil, and choose
the good.
Curdled milk was
considered a nourishing food, and sweet molasses—similar to jelly or syrup made
by boiling down wine—was customarily given to children as they grew. While
these foods did not directly contribute to discernment, they symbolised the
human nature of the Son of God, showing that He would be nourished in the usual
way until He learned to distinguish between good and evil. (Butter, as we
know it today, was not used in those times!)
Isa 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 child here
refers to Shear-jashub, Isaiah’s son, rather than the Messiah. Before
Shear-jashub—who was likely a young child or teenager at the time—reached the
age of discernment, the lands of Syria and Ephraim (Northern Israel) would be
deprived of their kings. This prophecy was fulfilled when Rezin of Syria and Pekah
of Israel were removed from power within a few years.
Isa 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.
Isaiah warns that unprecedented
calamities would come upon Ahaz, his people, and his royal lineage—worse than
anything since the division of Israel and Judah. Because Ahaz placed his trust
in Assyria rather than God, the very Assyrian king he relied upon would become
a source of great distress for Judah. Historically, this prophecy was fulfilled
as Assyria later turned against Judah, leading to severe oppression.
Isa 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.
The fly and the bee
symbolise invading armies summoned by God. The fly represents Egypt, known for
its swarming armies, while the bee represents Assyria, known for its
disciplined and aggressive military campaigns. These invaders would come from the
Nile (Egypt) and the Tigris (Assyria), overwhelming the land. Some commentators
interchange Tigris with Euphrates, as both rivers were central to Assyria’s
influence.
Isa 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.
The forces of
Egypt and Assyria would spread across the land, occupying even the most remote
and inaccessible places—from valleys to rocky crevices that there will be no
place to hide from them. The invading forces will swarm the place like the
plagues at Egypt of old. This imagery conveys total devastation, where no part
of the land would remain untouched by foreign occupation.
Isa 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.
The razor represents Assyria, which
Ahaz had "hired" for protection. Instead of safeguarding Judah,
Assyria would humiliate and strip the nation bare, just as shaving removes hair
completely. The shaving of the head, feet, and beard symbolises disgrace and
total subjugation—a fate Judah would suffer under Assyrian dominance. "Whatever
a man trusts in place of God will one day turn to devour him."
Isa 7:21 And
it shall come to pass in that day, that a man shall nourish a young cow,
and two sheep;
Isaiah paints a
picture of economic devastation. Instead of thriving agriculture and abundant
resources, people would be reduced to subsisting on the meagre yield of a
single cow and two sheep. This imagery underscores the poverty and scarcity
that would grip the land following the impending judgment.
Isa 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 land would be desolate,
with only a few survivors left. These remaining inhabitants would rely on wild
honey from rocky crevices and the milk from the few cows and sheep that
remained. While the milk might seem abundant for the small population, it
reflects the absence of cultivated crops, forcing people to depend on nature’s
provisions rather than agricultural prosperity.
Isa 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.
Isaiah describes
the tragic transformation of once-thriving vineyards. Lands that previously
yielded a thousand vines worth a thousand silver shekels would be overtaken by
thorns and briers, symbolizing barrenness and abandonment. This verse
highlights the economic collapse and loss of agricultural wealth due to divine
judgment.
Isa 7:24 With
arrows and with bows shall men come thither; because all the land shall
become briers and thorns.
The
once-cultivated land would become wild and uninhabitable, turning into a hunting
ground. Instead of farmers tending crops, men would roam the land with bows and
arrows, either for survival or protection against wild animals. This verse
underscores the complete desolation and loss of civilization in the region.
Isa 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.
Previously fertile
hills, once carefully cultivated with spades and mattocks, would no longer be
farmed. Instead, they would be left to nature, serving as grazing grounds for
oxen, sheep, and goats. This imagery reinforces the shift from agricultural
prosperity to pastoral survival, marking the decline of Judah’s economy and societal
structure.
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References
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Enduring Word. Isaiah 7 Commentary. Available from: Enduring Word
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Evangelical Exegetical Commentary Series. Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Isaiah 7:16. Lexham Press. Available from: Lexham Press
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Korman B. LoveIsrael.org – Online Teachings. Available from: LoveIsrael
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Precept Austin. Isaiah 7 Commentary. Available from: Precept Austin
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Bible Study Downloads. Isaiah: The Assyrian Menace and the Immanuel Prophecy. Available from: Bible Study Downloads
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