Isaiah 8
McGeeCHAPTER 8THEME: The birth of the prophet’s second son as a sign; prediction of Assyria’s invasion of Immanuel’s landChapters 7-12 constitute a series of prophecies given during the reign of Ahaz. Some have attempted to identify the virgin’s Son of chapter 7 with the prophet’s son in chapter 8. The names preclude that possibility, and the additional information in chapter 9 makes it an impossibility for the two to be identical. The prophet’s son is a sign (see v. Isa_8:18). This chapter is rather significant as it contains the prediction of the invasion of Immanuel’s land by the king of Assyria. God had kept the flood tide of foreign invasions walled off from His people for over five hundred years. Now He opens the floodgates and permits an enemy to cover the land like a flood. The people are looking to a confederacy rather than looking to God for help. This chapter concludes with a warning against spiritualism as the last resort of people who have rejected God’s counsel and turned in desperation to the satanic world. The end will be trouble, darkness, and anguish.
Isaiah 8:1
THE BIRTH OF THE PROPHET’S SECOND SON AS A SIGNIf you thought Shear-jashub was a strange name for a boy, try this one on for size! Maher-shalal-hash-baz is a remarkable name for a boy in any language. How would you like to carry this cognomen through life? That’s what Isaiah’s son had to do. I don’t know what his nickname was. They may have shortened his name to Maher, or Hash, or even Baz. There is a reason, however, why God wants Isaiah to give his sons these unusual names. The reason is found in verse Isa_8:18 which says, “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.” Both sons are signs, and their names carry a message. Maher-shalal-hash-baz means “hasten booty, speed prey.” This simply means that God is against those who are against His people. Paul put it like this: “…If God be for us, who can be against us?” (Rom_8:31). This boy’s name is also a message for Ahaz, the man on the throne. He is a godless man, and God is trying to reach him. He tells Isaiah to get a great tablet and write on it with a “man’s pen"or, the stylus of a frail, mortal man. He is then to hang it up in a prominent place like a billboard so that everyone can read it. God wants this boy’s name written down so that the most humble person in the kingdom will see it, read it, and understand it. God is trying to reach Ahaz, first through Isaiah’s first son, Shear-jashub (“a remnant shall return”), and then through Maher-shalal-hash-baz (“hasten booty, speed prey”). This second son’s name is to assure Ahaz that God will take care of the enemies of His people.
Isaiah 8:2
Uriah means “Jehovah is my light.” Zechariah means “Jehovah remembers.” Jeberechiah means “Jehovah will bless.” This is an interesting combination, is it not? Thus, the one witness says by his name, “Jehovah is my light,” and the other says, “Jehovah’s purpose is to bless.” The offspring of these is the grace of Godthat is, he will never forget His people. In all of Isaiah’s actions there is a message for the people. He is acting out and writing out his message so that the people will understand it. The Book of Isaiah is a picture parable. Our Lord used this method also. The reason is that people will look at a picture. It is somewhat like television. It is amazing how many of us will sit in front of the television screen and watch things from that idiot box which under different circumstances we wouldn’t waste our time on. Because God knows the inclination of mankind, He tries to get a message across to these people by using a picture.
Isaiah 8:3
“The prophetess” in this verse is Isaiah’s wife, Mrs. Isaiah. She conceives and bears a son, and the child’s name is given to him before he is born.
Isaiah 8:4
Before this child is able to say “Mommy” and “Daddy,” the Assyrians will invade Syria and Samaria. The enemy in the north that is planning to come against Judah is going to be taken away into captivity. It will not be due to the brilliant military ability of Ahaz to work out a strategy that will bring victory. The victory will be due to the sovereign grace of GodGod is making this perfectly clear.
Isaiah 8:5
This is another remarkable passage of Scripture. The people “refuseth the waters of Shiloah,” which means “sent.” They refuse the peace God offered them, a peace here typified by this gentle, rippling brook. In contrast, we see in verse Isa_8:7 “the waters of the river, strong and many.” This is evidently the Euphrates River where Assyria was located. These waters came down like a flood. In other words, the flood waters of the Euphrates represent the judgment of God and are contrasted with the gentle waters of Shiloah. God is giving a message to His people through these two rivers. As Shakespeare put it in his play As You Like It, there are “tongues in trees, books in the running brooks, sermons in stones, and good in everything.” Shiloah is a softly flowing little spring. It doesn’t amount to much today, but it did in Isaiah’s day. It flows between Mount Zion and Mount Moriah. There is a message in that little stream, a message that you will hear if you have a blood-tipped ear. It is a message sweeter than the rippling music of the stream itself. It is the story of grace, of Mount Zion, which stands in contrast to Mount Sinai, which is symbolic of the Mosaic Law. Moriah is where Abraham offered his son, where David bought the threshingfloor of Araunah, and where Solomon put up the temple. And down at the end of that great shaft of rocks is Golgotha, where Christ was crucified. This speaks of grace. Moriah is where God provided Himself a Lamb. He spared Abraham’s son, but He did not spare His own Son. So here God is speaking grace to this man, Ahaz. He is saying to him, “I’ll spare you, if only you will turn to Me.”
Isaiah 8:8
God will permit Assyrians to overflow the land of Judah, but He will never permit them to take Jerusalem.
Isaiah 8:9
PRONOUNCEMENT AGAINST A CONFEDERACY AS A SUBSTITUTE FOR GODThis is a warning against nations who form an alliance against God’s land. Beginning with Isaiah 13, we are going to have a series of messages to the nations that were contiguous to Israel, or at least had dealings with them in that day, and we will find the judgment of God will come upon them. That section which goes all the way from Isaiah 13 to Isaiah 35 is a most remarkable section in God’s Word. Most of it is fulfilled prophecy. God says that the nations will never deter His purpose here on earth. It is interesting that the nations of the world no longer seek wisdom or counsel from God. God does have a purpose, and His purpose will prevail. If a nation goes in the other direction, judgment will come upon it.
Isaiah 8:10
Judah is not to be alarmed by the confederacy of Syria and Samaria. Fear had caused those in the north to unite, and God urges His people, “neither fear ye their fear.” In other words, they are not to turn to an ally among the nations, which probably would have been Egypt. Later on they will ally themselves with Egypt, which brings great tragedy to the land.
Isaiah 8:13
They are to fear God above and look to Him. He will be either their salvation or a stone of stumbling. Cromwell was once asked why he was such a brave man. He had the reputation of being one of the bravest men who ever lived. He said, “I have learned that when you fear God, you have no man to fear.” Paul said in 1Co_1:23, “But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness.” The Lord Jesus said that either you will fall on this stoneand He is that stonefor salvation, rest upon Him who is the only foundation, and you will be saved; or He, the stone, will fall on you, judge you, and it will grind you to powder (see Mat_21:44). You have two options: you can either accept Him or reject Him. “Sanctify the LORD of hosts himself” is a strange injunction. Peter used this: “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear” (1Pe_3:15). This is what God’s people need to do. Today there is this light thinking about God, a lack of reverence for Him and for His Word. There are those who sometimes ridicule things that are sacred, make light of things that should not be made light of. You and I need to sanctify the Lord God in our hearts, because there are multitudes of people today who are not convinced that “…the LORD is in his holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before him” (Hab_2:20).
If they believed, my friend, that He is in your church on Sunday morning, they would not be at the beach, at some picnic area, or out mowing the back lawn. They would be with you in church. You and I haven’t convinced them, have we?
Isaiah 8:19
PRONOUNCEMENT AGAINST SPIRITUALISM AS A SUBSTITUTE FOR THE WORD OF GODWe are seeing a resurgence of spiritualism today. More than fifteen years ago I wrote, “God forbids His people to dabble in this satanic system. When a people turn from God, they generally go after the occult and abnormal” (see Lev_20:27; Deu_18:9-12). There is a great turning today to the occult, to the spirit world, and to demonology. There are churches of Satan in Southern California and in the San Francisco Bay area. The members worship the Devil; many are worshiping Satan today. Even Christians are dabbling in the occult. Many of them talk about casting out demons. My friend, I am not in that business. I preach the gospel of the grace of God and the Word of God. That will take care of all the demons. I say that we need to let the occult alone because it is dangerous, and it is growing by leaps and bounds. Some people don’t believe there is any reality in it, but it is real, just as Satan is real. God warns us against it. Let us heed that warning.
Isaiah 8:21
These final verses reveal the final issue of pursuing a life of disobedience which will lead you into spiritualism. The result is dimness, darkness, and despair. Disobedience will take you there every time.