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Isaiah 7: 1 - 9: 7.
Immanuel.
A1 | 7: 1-9. |
a | 1, 2. Confederacy. Syria with Ephraim.
b | 3. SHEAR-JASHUB. The sign.
c | 4-9. Threat of Invasion.
A2 | 7: 10 - 8: 8. |
b | 7: 10. IMMANUEL. The sign.
c | 7: 18-25. Threat of Invasion.
b | 8: 1-3. MAHER-SHALAL-HASH-BAZ. The sign.
c | 8: 4-8. Threat of Invasion.
A3 | 8: 9 - 9: 7. |
a | 8: 9-12. Confederacy. Both houses of Israel.
c | 8: 13-17. Sanctuary from gin and snare.
b | 8: 18. THE CHILDREN given for signs.
a | 8: 19-22. Confederacy. Wizards. Dead
c | 9: 1-5. Deliverance from oppressor.
b | 9: 6, 7. CHILD. SON. Fulfilling all signs.
Isaiah's prophetic method is to take the actual facts of current history and with these
facts as a basis, to look down the centuries to the more complete fulfillment both of the
woes, and of the blessings. The reference to the war against Jerusalem by the Kings of
Syria and Israel with which Isa. 7: opens, is a reference to a fact of history, recorded in
II Kings 15: 37 - 16: 5. No comment which we could make could take the place of this
inspired record, and we therefore quote what is written in the Book of Kings so that the
background of Isa. 7:-12: may be appreciated:
"In those days the Lord began to send against Judah, Rezin the king of Syria, and
Pekah the son of Remaliah. And Jotham slept with his fathers, and was buried with his
fathers in the city of David his father: and Ahaz his son reigned in his stead. In the
seventeenth year of Pekah the son of Remaliah, Ahaz the son of Jotham, king of Judah,
began to reign. Twenty years old was Ahaz when he began to reign, and reigned sixteen
years in Jerusalem, and did not that which was right in the sight of the Lord his God, like
David his father. But he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, yea, and made his son
to pass through the fire, according to the abominations of the heathen, whom the Lord
cast out from before the children of Israel. And he sacrificed and burnt incense in the
high places, and on the hills, and under every green tree. Then Rezin, king of Syria, and
Pekah, son of Remaliah, king of Israel, came up to Jerusalem to war: and they besieged
Ahaz, but could not overcome him" (II Kings 15: 37 - 16: 5).
The real menace of this attack is found in the words of Isa. 7: 6: "Let us . . . . . set a
king in the midst." Immediately following this we read: "Thus saith the Lord God, It
shall not stand, neither shall it come to pass" (Isa. 7: 7). "Within threescore and five
years" Ephraim was to be "broken" (Isa. 7: 8).
No outside foe could hurt the house of Judah: the real enemy was in their own hearts:
"If ye will not believe, surely ye shall not be established" (Isa. 7: 9).