Page 21 - Isaiah Student Worktext

Back in 2 Kings 16, Ahaz is described as a king who did not walk in the way of the Lord. He sacrificed his
children in the fire, and he worshiped false gods. We need to know that in order to recognize the
hypocrisy of feigning allegiance to the Lord in V. 12.

V. 13 This is addressed to the ‘house of David’, to all of Israel. They have wearied men with their
pettiness, but now are wearying God also.

Since they didn’t ask for a sign when God invited them to, He pulls out the big guns:

V. 14-16 Here’s your sign. This of course is a very familiar Christmas verse, at
least V. 14.

What good is a sign that won’t come to pass for 100s of years? Most Biblical
scholars agree that the OT prophecies were at the very least double edged.

The literal word for virgin here is ‘almah’ which designated not necessarily a female who has never been
married or never had sex, but a female of a particular age. Some of my commentators believe that the
sign here was not necessarily another immaculate conception, but instead, a young girl conceiving in the
normal way, and naming her child ‘Immanuel’ which of course means ‘God with us’. The remainder of
this passage is pretty clearly not speaking about the Christ.

Of course, we know that the prophecy here had a fulfillment in the birth of Jesus. A virgin, truly a virgin,
did conceive and a child was born named Jesus, but His presence is ‘God with us’, Immanuel.

In both prophecies, this was a sign of deliverance. In Ahaz’ case from the nations of Israel and Syria
destroying them; and in the birth of Christ, deliverance ‘from the land you dread’, the reality of sin.

V. 17 Again, referencing 2 Kings, Ahaz joined forces with Assyria, another perennial enemy of Israel, in
his fight against Israel and Syria. Assyria was located in a portion of what is now Iraq.

But this is prophecy…God will bring the King of Assyria upon you, King Ahaz. The one to whom you went
for help will destroy you. Again, this reads like a headline from today. This from my book: ‘Isn’t it
amazing that both a wicked king and a holy God can bring about the same thing for radically different
reasons?’

Bottom line: what you trust in other than the Lord will totally destroy you in the end…

V. 18-19 Here we have God whistling again. He is in control of all things. He can command even bees.

V. 20 having the hair shorn or cut and the beard removed, was a sign of humiliation. King David sent a
troop of ambassadors to the king of the Ammonites to seek peace. His response was to shave their
beards and cut their garments off so that they were exposed. It was a great humiliation, and it led to
war.

V. 21-22 To keep alive only a young cow and 2 sheep is evidence of impoverishment. They will eat curds
and honey, as the child of the virgin was said to eat.

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