Tyndale Open Study NotesIsaiah 7

These prophecies occurred when Assyria rose to power. Syria and Israel formed an alliance against Judah (Isaiah 7:1–2; see 2 Kings 16:5). God used Assyria as a tool to punish Syria, Israel, and Judah (Isaiah 7–10).

At one point in his reign, Ahaz faced a serious crisis. The kings of Syria and Israel attacked Judah. They planned to remove Ahaz and force Judah to join them in resisting Assyria.

Instead of trusting the Lord, Ahaz asked Assyria for help (2 Kings 16:7–10). By doing this, he rejected Isaiah’s call to trust in God (Isaiah 7:12).

The Assyrians defeated Syria and Israel. In time, both nations fell. However, Assyria later turned against Judah and sought to control it completely.

• Rezin was king of Syria. Damascus was Syria’s capital city.

• Pekah was the king of Israel from 740 to 732 BC. He was a famous warrior (2 Chronicles 28:5–8).

• Pekah and Rezin began to attack Jerusalem while Jotham was king, from 750 to 732 BC. They increased their attacks during the early years of young King Ahaz (2 Kings 15:37; 16:5).

hearts … trembled: This means they were very afraid. In contrast, Ahaz’s son, King Hezekiah, faced the Assyrians about 30 years later with strong faith. In 701 BC, he trusted the Lord when Assyria threatened Judah (see Isaiah 37:6–7, 14–20).

In this long section of the book, the nation of Israel was confronted with a vision of God, similar to how Isaiah was confronted in chapter 6.

The aqueduct was a place where political negotiations took place later during Hezekiah’s reign (see Isaiah 36:2).

• Do not be afraid: This was a “do not fear” prophecy, which appears often in Isaiah. In these messages, the Lord assures his people that he is with them and will carry out his plan.

• two smoldering stubs of firewood: This image shows that Rezin and Pekah were weak threats. If Ahaz had trusted God’s view, he would have seen that they were about to disappear.

The son of Tabeel, otherwise unknown, was obviously sympathetic to Israel’s and Syria’s resistance against Assyria.

• The Assyrian kings Esarhaddon and Ashurbanipal had Israel resettled with people from other places within 65years (by 670 BC; see 2 Kings 17:24–34).

• Damascus was defeated and destroyed by 732 BC. Samaria was also defeated by 722 BC.

The last sentence is a play on two Hebrew words: If you do not stand firm (te’amenu) in your faith (ta’aminu), you will not stand at all. Firm trust in the Lord is essential, especially for a leader of God's people (see also 2 Chronicles 20:20). Leaders must act on their faith to show it exists.

Ahaz and the people of his time trusted Assyria, their enemy, instead of trusting God. They looked for help from a foreign power rather than from the Lord.

Later, King Hezekiah faced a similar threat. In that situation, he showed faith in the Lord (see Isaiah 36–38).

God would give Ahaz a sign to confirm his promise. This sign would take place before Ahaz’s eyes. It would show that God’s word was true.

Later, Ahaz’s son Hezekiah also received a sign from the Lord (see Isaiah 37:30).

I will not test the LORD: Ahaz’s answer sounded respectful and faithful (based on Deuteronomy 6:16. However, Ahaz was likely already speaking with the Assyrians. He had probably already decided to trust them for help in this war. His response sounded spiritual and proper, but his actions showed that he did not plan to trust the Lord.

• This prophecy was fully realized with the birth of Jesus Christ (Matthew 1:18–24). It is likely that it also partially came true in Isaiah's time, possibly with the birth of the godly King Hezekiah, son of Ahaz, or one of Isaiah's children. The similar verb sequence in Isaiah 7:14 and 8:3 (be with child … give birth … call) and the connection between Immanuel and Maher-shalal-hash-baz in 8:5–10 suggest they were the same person.

• The name Immanuel means "God with us." This name symbolized God's presence and protection. God was with Judah:

  • during the attack by the alliance of Syria and Israel in 734 BC,

  • during the Assyrian crisis in 701 BC, and

  • throughout their existence until their fall in 586 BC.

  The kingdom of Israel fell during Isaiah’s lifetime, in 722 BC.

  Even after that disaster, the promise “I am with you” remained important. God spoke these words to his people during the exile and after they returned home (Isaiah 41:10; 43:2, 5).

  The fullest meaning of this promise appears in Jesus Christ, the incarnate Son of God. Incarnate means that God took on human flesh. Jesus is called Immanuel (Matthew 1:23; see also Revelation 12:5).

• By the time He knows enough: The crisis with the alliance of Syria and Israel against Judah occurred in 734 BC. By 732 BC, Damascus, the capital of Syria, was destroyed. Israel, the northern kingdom, was also defeated.

• to reject evil and choose good: This was to happen by age 12, when a child was considered an adult. In 722 BC, Israel went into exile.

• He will be eating curds and honey: The land would lose so many people that food would become easy to find. Even rich foods, once rare, would be available to everyone.

• Israel separated from Judah in 931 BC (see 1 Kings 12:19–20).

• He will bring the king of Assyria: Ahaz asked Assyria for help (2 Kings 16:8–9). However, Assyria later turned against him. Judah became a vassal state, which means it was forced to serve and pay tribute to Assyria.

The phrase on that day refers to the future Day of the LORD, when God acts to judge and to save.

Judah would first experience the judgment Isaiah had announced. This would be a warning of a greater judgment still to come. That greater judgment was the exile in Babylon from 586 to 538 BC.

Desolate valleys, caves, and thorny areas were often places where people hid in times of danger (see Isaiah 2:10). People who were afraid would run there for safety.

However, Judah’s enemies would still find them. These hiding places would not protect them from judgment.

shave your head and the hair of your legs, and to remove your beard as well: In the ancient Near East, forced shaving was a disgraceful act (see 2 Samuel 10:4–5). Here, it served as a metaphor for the destruction of the country.

Farmers faced almost complete disaster. Fertile fields and lush vineyards would turn into wild grazing lands filled with useless plants like briers and thorns (see Isaiah 5:6).