Isaiah Chapter 8

722 B.C.

The word "Israel" can be used to refer to the northern kingdom, Israel, or to the entire nation OF Israel, depending on the context.

Northern Kingdom = House of Israel (Isaachar, Benjamin, Gad, Ephraim, Manasseh, Zebulon, Levi, Reuben, Joseph, Dan)
Southern Kingdom = House of Judah (Judah, Simeon)
Assyria is becoming the dominant world power

2 Kings 16, 2 Chronicles 29: (CONTEXT)
2 Kings 16:

• Ahaz king of Judah (Aged 20 to age 36, 732-716 B.C.)
• Idolater, made son to pass through the fire
• Burnt incense in the high places
• When siege (below) fails, turns to Tiglath-Peleser for assistance to counter-attack Pekah

• Pekah, king of Israel (735 to 732 B.C.)
• Heb. פֶּקַח; "He [God] has opened [His eyes]," i.e., given heed
• Rezin king of Syria and Pekah come against Ahaz in a siege
• The siege fails

Judah and Simeon in the South...........Ten tribes to the north, all conquered by Assyria, and the "the lost ten tribes" idea starts.....they are not lost and never were.

THE "LOST TEN TRIBES OF ISRAEL"-NOT LOST!
2 Chronicles, 11:14, Levites go North--------->South (do not disappear) v. 16 (Everyone else faithful to went SOUTH) (2 Chronicles 11:16) And after them out of all the tribes of Israel such as set their hearts to seek the LORD God of Israel came to Jerusalem, to sacrifice unto the LORD God of their fathers.

Assyria and the northern kingdom (House of Israel) conspire to attack Judah and Jerusalem, but God says it will fail.

(Isaiah 8:1)
Moreover the LORD said unto me, Take thee a great roll, and write in it with a man's pen concerning Mahershalalhashbaz.

• The first son was called, Shearjashub, "The remnant shall return"

  (Isaiah 7:3) Then said the LORD unto Isaiah, Go forth now to meet Ahaz, thou, and Shearjashub thy son, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool in the highway of the fuller's field;

• The name Mahershalalhashbaz means, "making speed to the spoil; he hastens to the prey"
• Literally, "Plunder speedeth, and booty hasteth"

(Isaiah 8:2)
And I took unto me faithful witnesses to record, Uriah the priest, and Zechariah the son of Jeberechiah.

• This is why we have the Bible, and especially Isaiah-faithful witnesses who simply recorded it

FAITHFUL WITNESSES

The Throne of David
(Psalms 89:37)
It shall be established for ever as the moon, and as a faithful witness in heaven. Selah.

Contrasted with a false witness
(Proverbs 14:5)
A faithful witness will not lie: but a false witness will utter lies.

Instrument of Trust (THE LORD)
(Jeremiah 42:5)
Then they said to Jeremiah, The LORD be a true and faithful witness between us, if we do not even according to all things for the which the LORD thy God shall send thee to us

The LORD Jesus Christ
(Revelation 1:5)
And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,

(Isaiah 8:3)
And I went unto the prophetess; and she conceived, and bare a son. Then said the LORD to me, Call his name Mahershalalhashbaz.

• Isaiah's wife delivers Mahershalalhashbaz
• This means the clock that started ticking is now winding down (Isaiah 7:16)

(Isaiah 8:4)
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.

• About maybe a year before Syria is attacked by Assyria

(Isaiah 8:5-6)
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;

• They seek "peace", of course with the alliance with Pekah, son of Remaliah
• This continues today, "land for "peace"
• This will continue into Revelation (1 Thessalonians 5:3)

"PEACE"

(Jeremiah 6:14)
They have healed also the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace.

(Isaiah 48:22)
There is no peace, saith the LORD, unto the wicked.

(Isaiah 57:21)
There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked.

REAL PEACE

(Isaiah 9:6)
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

(Isaiah 8:7)
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:

• Literally, the Euphrates
• Literally, also, coming in like a flood
• God in His Sovereignty does this, allows this, not man. It is only by His permission
• The glory of the king of Assyria is short lived, temporal, as is all of man's glory

A FLOOD OF THE ENEMY:
(Isaiah 59:19)
So shall they fear the name of the LORD from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him.

(Jeremiah 46:8)
Egypt riseth up like a flood, and his waters are moved like the rivers; and he saith, I will go up, and will cover the earth; I will destroy the city and the inhabitants thereof.

(Revelation 17:15)
And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.

(1 Samuel 17:47)
And all this assembly shall know that the LORD saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the LORD'S, and he will give you into our hands.

THE GLORY OF MAN
1 Peter 1:24-25
For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.

(Isaiah 8:8)
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.

• This is God's judgment, and it is large, complete
• Either God is calling Israel IMMANUEL (unlikely) or repeating that He is with them, and referring to the LORD Jesus Christ-IMMANUEL
• They will literally be drowning in Assyrians, up to the neck

(Isaiah 8:9)
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.

• Warning to not ally with Assyria
• Anyone who allies with them is to be destroyed

(Isaiah 8:10)
Take counsel together, and it shall come to nought; speak the word, and it shall not stand: for God is with us.

• Taking things into one's own hand versus trusting GOD is never good

(Isaiah 8:11-13)
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.

• Just a repetition of verse ten, with an admonition to return to the LORD Himself
• God does not want us to fear man
• With fearing God alone comes mercy

SANCTIFY
SANC'TIFY, v.t. [Low L. sanctifico; from sanctus, holy, and facio, to make.]
1. In a general sense, to cleanse, purify or make holy.
2. To separate, set apart or appoint to a holy, sacred or religious use.
God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it. Gen 2.
So under the Jewish dispensation, to sanctify the altar, the temple, the priests, _c.
3. To purify; to prepare for divine service, and for partaking of holy things. Exo 19.
4. To separate, ordain and appoint to the work of redemption and the government of the church.
John 10.
5. To cleanse from corruption; to purify from sin; to make holy be detaching the affections from
the world and its defilements, and exalting them to a supreme love to God.
Sanctify them through thy truth; thy word is truth.
John 17. Eph 5.
6. To make the means of holiness; to render productive of holiness or piety.
Those judgments of God are the more welcome, as a means which his mercy hath sanctified so to me, as to make me repent of that unjust act.
7. To make free from guilt.
That holy man amaz'd at what he saw, made haste to sanctify the bliss by law.
8. To secure from violation.
Truth guards the poet, sanctifies the line.
To sanctify God, to praise and celebrate him as a holy being; to acknowledge and honor his holy
majesty, and to reverence his character and laws. Isa 8.
God sanctifies himself or his name, by vindicating his honor from the reproaches of the wicked,
and manifesting his glory. Ezek 36.

(Matthew 10:28)
And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

(Joshua 10:25)
And Joshua said unto them, Fear not, nor be dismayed, be strong and of good courage: for thus shall the LORD do to all your enemies against whom ye fight.

(Luke 12:5)
But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.

(Isaiah 41:10)
Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.

(Luke 1:50)
And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation.

(Isaiah 8:14)
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.

• The word "Israel" is the entire nation here
• Northern Kingdom can be called "Ephraim" also
• A gin is a trap, snare

THE ROCK OF OFFENSE

(1 Peter 2:8)
And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.

(Romans 9:33)
As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.

THE GIN

GIN, n. [A contraction of engine.] A machine or instrument by which the mechanical powers are employed in aid of human strength. The word is applied to various engines, as a machine for driving piles, another for raising weights, _c., and a machine for separating the See ds from cotton, invented by E.Whitney, is called a cotton-gin. It is also the name given to an engine of torture, and to a pump moved by rotary sails.
1. A trap; a snare. GIN, v.t. To clear cotton of its See ds by a machine which separates them with expedition.
1. To catch in a trap.
GIN, v.i. To begin.

(Isaiah 8:15)
And many among them shall stumble, and fall, and be broken, and be snared, and be taken.

• Broad is the road to destruction
• On a broad road, it is easy to turn around (repent). On a narrow road, the only way to turn around is to first LEAVE the roadside

(Matthew 7:13)
Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

(Isaiah 8:16)
Bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples.

• This is because they do not want to see (chapter 6:9-10)
• For this God told them in chapter 1 HE would hide His Eyes from them

(Isaiah 1:15)
And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood.

Isaiah 6:9-10
And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not. Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed.

(Isaiah 8:17)
And I will wait upon the LORD, that hideth his face from the house of Jacob, and I will look for him.

• a great way to renew one's strength

(Isaiah 40:31)
But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

(Isaiah 8:18)
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.

• Both of Isaiah's sons were signs for the nation, through their names (Shearjashub and Mahershalalhashbazz)
• Hebrews quotes this verse

(Hebrews 2:13)
And again, I will put my trust in him. And again, Behold I and the children which God hath given me.

(Isaiah 8:19)
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?

• Dumb idols and false signs and wonders from people are declared as from the dead!
• Babbling tongues continue even today, as Gentiles in the church seek the same "signs and wonders"

(Isaiah 8:20)
To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.

• An express, very explicit command to go to God's own Word for answers, not dead people you knew and who cannot speak to you
• There is no light because of a lack of the Word and because of a lack of the Word there is no light in them!

(Isaiah 8:21)
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.

BESTEAD', v.t. bested' pret.and pp. bested. [be and stead.] To profit.
How little you bestead.
1. To accommodate.
They shall pass through it, hardly bestead. Isa 8.
That is, distressed; perplexed.
2. To dispose.

• Looking up and cursing the God who blesses..........some things never change in mankind

Revelation 16:10-11
And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain, And blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds.

(Isaiah 8:22)
And they shall look unto the earth; and behold trouble and darkness, dimness of anguish; and they shall be driven to darkness.

• They prove that this world has nothing for us i it is what we look to for strength, guidance, assistance