By Eugene Garner

ISAIAH - CHAPTER 8

SAMARIA TO BE SPOILED AND BROKEN BY
ASSYRIA

Moreover the LORD said unto me, Take thee a great roll, and write in it with a man's pen concerning Mahershalalhashbaz. And I took unto me faithful witnesses to record, Uriah the priest, and Zechariah the son of Jeberechiah. And I went unto the prophetess; and she conceived, and bare a son. Then said the LORD to me, Call his name Mahershalalhashbaz. For before the child shall have knowledge to cry, My father, and my mother, the riches of Damascus and the spoil of Samaria shall be taken away before the king of Assyria.

    1. Isaiah is commanded of the Lord to take a large tablet (of wood, metal or stone; 30:8; Hab. 2:2) and, in language that the common people can understand, to write.
    2. He is to take two witnesses (both divinely appointed) to observe what he writes; they may later testify that the prophet has recorded the event before it actually happened.
      a. "Uriah, the priest" has been an accomplice or associate of Ahaz in his idolatry (2 Kings 16:10-11, 15-16), and certainly will not be disposed to favor the prophet.
      b. The second is to be "Zechariah, the son of Jebereciah", (vs. 2b).
    3. "Maher-sal-al-hash-baz" is the prophetic message - meaning: "The spoil speedeth, the prey hasteth". (The fall of Syria and Israel is near at hand!)
    4. As a living symbol of what is about to happen (a sign for Ahaz, 7:14) the prophet goes in unto his wife, who conceives and bares a son, (vs. 3a).
      a. At the Lord's command, the child is named "Maher-shal-al-hash-baz", (vs. 3b; comp. Hos. 1:4).
      b. This prophetic child is to be a reminder of the imminent spoil of Damascus (Syria) and Samaria (Israel, the northern kingdom) by the Assyrian, (vs. 4; 7:8-9, 16).
    5. But, this is really not designed to give any comfort to the wicked Ahaz who has insisted on appealing to Assyria for support against his enemies.

   The LORD spake also unto me again, saying, Forasmuch as this people refuseth the waters of Shiloah that go softly, and rejoice in Rezin and Remaliah's son; Now therefore, behold, the Lord bringeth up upon them the waters of the river, strong and many, even the king of Assyria, and all his glory: and he shall come up over all his channels, and go over all his banks: And he shall pass through Judah; he shall overflow and go over, he shall reach even to the neck; and the stretching out of his wings shall fill the breadth of thy land, O Immanuel. Associate yourselves, O ye people, and ye shall be broken in pieces; and give ear, all ye of far countries: gird yourselves, and ye shall be broken in pieces; gird yourselves, and ye shall be broken in pieces.

    1. Israel has despised and rejected the soft-flowing waters of Shiloah (Jn. 9:7, 11) - used figuratively, of the benevolent theocratic order as reposed in the "House of David", (vs. 5-6; 5:20; 5:24; 30:12-13).
    2. They have rejoiced in (or with) "Rezin and Remaliah's son" - seeking the ruin of their brethren, whom the Lord has not yet wholly rejected, (vs. 6b; Cf. 7:1).
    3. Because of this, the Lord will send against them a violent and overflowing river - even "the king of Assyria in all his glory", (vs. 7; 7:17; 10:5-6).
      a. An overflowing river is used, symbolically, of a conquering army.
      b. The king of Assyria is the Lord's instrument of judgment upon the people who have rebelled against the house and throne of David.
    4. But, Ahaz is to find no joy in the prophetic announcement; the conquering Assyrian (with whom he has forged an alliance) will not stop with the over-flowing of Syria and Samaria; he will also "sweep onward into Judah", (vs. 8a; lOb).
      a. Yet, this will not be a complete-overthrow of Judah; the waters will reach only "to the neck", (vs. 8b; comp. 30:28).
      b. The outstretched "wings" suggest the vast breadth of the Assyrian army, (vs. 8c; 36:1; 37:25).
    5. In the mercy that Jehovah shows toward Judah, the prophet rejoices: "0 IMMANUEL!" - meaning "God is with us!" There is still a faithful remnant of the preserving "salt of the earth", (vs. 8d; Matt. 5:13).

   Associate yourselves, O ye people, and ye shall be broken in pieces; and give ear, all ye of far countries: gird yourselves, and ye shall be broken in pieces; gird yourselves, and ye shall be broken in pieces. Take counsel together, and it shall come to nought; speak the word, and it shall not stand: for God is with us. For the LORD spake thus to me with a strong hand, and instructed me that I should not walk in the way of this people, saying, Say ye not, A confederacy, to all them to whom this people shall say, A confederacy; neither fear ye their fear, nor be afraid. Sanctify the LORD of hosts himself; and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread. And he shall be for a sanctuary; but for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offence to both the houses of Israel, for a gin and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. And many among them shall stumble, and fall, and be broken, and be snared, and be taken.

    1. In verses 9-10 the prophet challenges the nations to do their worst against the people of God.
      a. They may make an uproar, but they will be "broken in pieces" for their efforts, (comp. 17:12-14; Dan. 2:34-35).
      b. They may make their boasts against God's people, but their words will not stand, (vs. 10; comp. 7:6-7; 28:18).
      c. The reason: "IMMANUEL!" - "God is with us!"
    2. But, the prophet has been definitely informed of the disfavor of his own countrymen, (vs. 11-12).
      a. The Lord has forbidden him to follow the path that has been set by Judah's leaders, (vs. 11; comp. Ezek. 3:14; 2:8).
      b. Furthermore, he is to warn them against joining the swelling chorus of those who are willing to charge him with conspiracy for opposing a confederacy with Assyria, (vs. 12a; 30:1; comp. Amos 7:10).
      c. Nor are they to fear what men shall do (vs. 12b; I Pet. 3:13-15); their reliance on Assyria is dead wrong!
    3. The important thing for them to do is to "Sanctify the Lord of hosts himself" - reverencing Him, and fearing to provoke His wrath through distrust and unbelief; then He will prove to be an adequate sanctuary, (vs. 13-14a).
    4. To both the houses of Israel the Lord will be: a stone of stumbling and rock of offence. (vs. 14b; Lk. 2:34; Rom. 9:33; I Pet. 2:8); a gin and snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, (24:17-18).
    5. Because of a wrong attitude toward Him, many will utterly destroy themselves, (vs. 15; 28:12-13; 59:10; Matt. 21:42-44).

   Bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples. And I will wait upon the LORD, that hideth his face from the house of Jacob, and I will look for him. 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.

    1. Here command is given that this prophecy be preserved by, and for, the faithful remnant of disciples who are willing to obey the word of God, (comp. vs. 1-2; Isa. 50:4).
    2. Though Judah has forsaken the law of her God, the remnant thereof must seal it up among themselves, (comp. Dan. 12:4).
    3. The face of the Lord is hidden from the house of Jacob because of their sins (1:15; 45:15; 54:8; 59:1-2; cf. Deut. 31:16-18); yet, they are adding to their sin by seeking worldly alliances - while the prophet declares his readiness to wait, and expectantly look to the Lord for help, (vs. 17; comp. 25:9; 30:18; Hab. 2:3).
    4. Isaiah states plainly that both he and the children whom the Lord has given him are for "signs" and "wonders" in Israel - prophetic signs, from the Lord who dwells in Mt. Zion, (vs. 18; Psa. 9:11; Zech. 8:3).

   And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and that mutter: should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to the dead? To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them. And they shall pass through it, hardly bestead and hungry: and it shall come to pass, that when they shall be hungry, they shall fret themselves, and curse their king and their God, and look upward. And they shall look unto the earth; and behold trouble and darkness, dimness of anguish; and they shall be driven to darkness.

    1. A people whose God is the Lord should be ashamed to seek direction for their lives from familiar spirits, clairvoyants, fortune tellers, wizards, etc. (comp. 19:3-4; 29:4; 47:12-14).
      a. How much better to seek the Lord - that one may know His will! (55:6-7; 15:19; Matt. 7:7).
      b. It is foolish for the living to seek advice from the dead! (I Sam. 28:8-11; Psa. 106:28; 115:5-9).
    2. It is high time to get BACK TO THE WORD OF GOD! (vs. 20; 1:10; Lk. 16:29-31).
      a. There is no prospect of a "bright morning" for such as reject God's word, (vs. 20b; Mic. 3:5-7; contr. 60:1-3; Mal. 3:16; 4:3).       b. Rather, they may anticipate: distress, hunger, disillusionment with their king (and the God whom they never really knew), darkness, gloom, anguish and utter banishment from their own land, (vs. 21-22; 9:20-21; 5:30; 59:9; Jer. 13:16; Amos 5:18-20; Zeph. 1:14-18).