Isaiah 7
Two kings joined their armies to attack Jerusalem; this was told to the king, Ahaz, and he and the people were very much afraid.
God knew the enemies’ plan, and told Isaiah to go to King Ahaz and tell him “to fear riot, nor be faint hearted”, that the plan of the two kings should not “come to pass”; He also told that, later, one nation should “be broken” and “no more a people”.
God often gave those people some sign to help them believe that what He said would happen, and He told the king to ask for a sign. But Ahaz had been doing much evil, and seemed not to care to bieve God, and would not ask. Yet God told him a sign; which was a most wonderful promise: He said that a child should be born, to be called, Immanuel, which meant “God with us”, so this child would be a holy One of God, living with this people.
God had told Isaiah to take his son with him to the king; God wanted the young as well as older people to hear His words, and this son must have told others what he heard that day; his long name meant, “the remnant shall return”, which was like a promise to all who knew him or read this, that some would believe God, although so many were like the sinful king.
God’s first promise came true right away: the armies did not conquer the city, and returned to their lands; later the people of one king were carried captives to other lands, and was never afterwards a nation; so God’s second words proved true (See 2 Kings 17:66In the ninth year of Hoshea the king of Assyria took Samaria, and carried Israel away into Assyria, and placed them in Halah and in Habor by the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes. (2 Kings 17:6)), The people should have believed the last promise, of the holy child, but few did. We now know that “sign” was fulfilled when Jesus was born, and how patient God was to give that promise to the unbelieving king!
The place Isaiah and his son met the king was in the highway of the fullers’ field; fullers prepared wool or cloth to sell, and cleaned any stains, working outdoors near a water supply. It seems to have been by a high road, just outside Jerusalem, and later when people came there, the place should remind them of God’s proses, given there; and remind us now, that the holy One promised would cleanse away the stains of sin.
Ahaz, “the king of Judah”, ruled over two tribes of Israel, in Jerusalem; from what “house” or family was he? (Isa. 7:2,132And it was told the house of David, saying, Syria is confederate with Ephraim. And his heart was moved, and the heart of his people, as the trees of the wood are moved with the wind. (Isaiah 7:2)
13And he said, Hear ye now, O house of David; Is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will ye weary my God also? (Isaiah 7:13)).
The other king who came against Jerusalem was from Syria; the capital city, Damascas.
ML 11/02/1941