Isaiah Chapters 8-9 This section is closely related to the events mentioned in the previous chapter. It concerns the same event, that is, deliverance from the Syrian-Israelite invasion. God now gives Isaiah another prophecy concerning the same situation. Some have claimed that this chapter is talking about the same child mentioned in Isaiah 7:14, however there are differences: The child in 8:1-4 is not named “Immanuel”. The child in this chapter is also born to Isaiah’s wife, and she is obviously not a virgin for Isaiah already has a child (7:3), and the child born in this chapter is the result of a purely natural process (8:3). In addition, the birth of this child happens after the prophecy of 7:14, for before this child can even say “my father” or “my mother”, the Syrian-Israelite alliance would collapse (8:4). This is not the same time period as mentioned in 7:14-16, which speaks of an age of accountability. In contrast to the time period in the previous chapter, we are now speaking of a time period of about a year. 8:1 Isaiah is here told to use a visual aid in his preaching. On a large tablet or scroll Isaiah writes “Swift is the booty, speedy is the prey”. Actually this is the exact meaning of the name that Isaiah is to give to the son born in 8:3. “Soldiers would shout these words to their comrades as they defeated and plundered their foes” (Bible Knowledge Comm. p. 1050). 8:2 God calls in two witnesses at this point. Uriah the priest, who is later mentioned in an unfavorable light (2 Kings 16:10-16), when he complied with Ahaz’s order to change the temple worship after the Syrian-Israelite alliance had been broken. These witnesses are employed the verify the recording of this message. 8:3 Most feel that the prophetess under consideration is Isaiah’s wife (seeing that Isaiah was a moral man, and approaching is the prophetess is linked with conceiving and giving birth). She is called a “prophetess” either because she was married to a prophet, or she also spoke by inspiration. “Maher-shalalhash-baz”: (MAY her SHAL al HASH baz). This is the symbolic name of Isaiah’s son, which means exactly what was written on the tablet in 8:1. In about a year and nine months (nine months for the pregnancy and one year for the child’s growth), Assyria would plunder Damascus (the Syrian capital city) and Samaria. This happened in 732 B.C. 8:4 Usually a child can say “mother” or “father” by about one year. This denotes the imminence of the impending destruction. During the reign of Pekah, king of Israel, Tiglath-pileser carried away the people of northern Israel into captivity (2
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Kings 15:29). After removing Pekah, the Assyrian monarch took Damascus in 732 B.C. and removed large amounts of plunder. “Truly, when this prophecy uttered, ‘the spoil was speeding, the prey hastening’, for the booty of Israel and Syria was soon to be carried away to Assyria” (Hailey p. 93). 8:5-8 Yet there is no reason to relax, because Ahaz’s efforts to court the favor of Assyria would only bring the Assyrians into Judah as well. The very power that would so quickly overrun Syria and Israel, would sweep into Judah as well. 8:8 “It will reach even to the neck”: In 701 B.C. the Assyrian army would come into Judah and capture many cities and even surround Jerusalem. “Assyria would cover Judah up to the neck, meaning that Judah would be almost but not quite drowned” (Bible Knowledge Comm. p. 1051). 8:8 “O Immanuel”: “Isaiah changes figures of speech and pictured Assyria as a giant bird whose wings would cover the entire land, ready to devour it” (p. 1051). Yet the land to be invaded is “Immanuel’s land”, that is, God’s land. “It is the land in which the virgin’s Son will be born (Micah 5:2), the land in which He will appear as light (Isaiah 9:1-2). Thus, neither the land nor the city of Jerusalem will be completely destroyed, for the God who has promised the birth of Immanuel (7:14) will preserve the land in which He will be born” (Hailey p. 94). Notice the term “your land”. The land belongs to “Immanuel”, obviously then, Immanuel is not a mere human being, nor a child to be born during Isaiah’s lifetime. Also notice that even though Immanuel has not been born of the virgin, He does exist right now! (John 1:1-14) Please note that the reference to Immanuel in this chapter does not mean that the child mentioned in 8:3 is Immanuel, but rather, that the land to be invaded by the Assyrians belongs to Immanuel. 8:9-10 “Isaiah’s confidence in Immanuel leads him to challenge the other nations of the world to resist the will of God if they can; indeed they will be broken in pieces for ‘God is with us’. The ‘us’ represents those who remain faithful to the Lord (the remnant)” (Jackson pp. 23-24). The nations need to learn a lesson in plotting against God’s people. “Though they counsel together, devise a plan, and gird themselves, their plan will be thwarted. God is in control” (Harkrider p. 28). 8:11-13 Those who rejected the idea that safety was found in an alliance with the Assyrians were charged with conspiracy during Isaiah’s time, yet Isaiah exhorts the faithful not to be afraid of popular thinking or political correctness, but rather to set apart in their hearts the Lord as the master of their lives, and fear Him instead. “Interestingly, this passage (8:13) is applied to Christ in 1 Peter 3:15---a clear evidence of the Lord’s deity” (Jackson p. 24). 8:14 The Lord should have been the refuge or place of safety for the nation, but instead, the Lord became a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense to both houses, that is, to both Israel and Judah. “That there is a close connection between rejecting God and in refusing His Son, Immanuel, is made certain by the
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New Testament usage of this language (1 Peter 2:8)” (Jackson p. 24). At this point we need to ask ourselves, “Is God our place of trust and safety, or do we insist upon putting our trust in other people or things?” 8:14-15 The idea seems to be that when we do not trust God completely, we will automatically begin to stumble or trip over His laws. The rejection of divine truth brings not only eternal judgment, but many snares, traps, and pitfalls in this life as well. 8:16 “Bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples”: This could mean a couple of things: Bind the teachings of this chapter on a roll and lay it aside for its fulfillment or inscribe these teachings on the heart of the faithful. Compare with Hebrews 2:13. 8:17 In spite of all the opposition around him, Isaiah will continue to trust God and wait for the fulfillment of His promises. He will trust God and wait for Him even though God is withholding His blessings and protection from Judah. Isaiah still viewed God as his refuge even though God had withdrawn His favor from the nation. At this point the Holy Spirit saw in this utterance “an ultimate fulfillment in the unwavering trust that the incarnate Christ would have in His heavenly Father, Hebrews 2:13” (Jackson p. 24). 8:18 Remember, a sign does not have to be a miracle. The names given to Isaiah and his sons were signs regarding the future of the nation. 8:19 In contrast to Isaiah and his trust, many in the nation were trusting in superstition and occult practices. Isaiah notes that such mediums and spiritists “whisper” and “mutter”, that is, alter their voices and pretend to be the voices of dead loved ones. “Isaiah questioned the rationality of going to the dead to find out the future instead of inquiring of the living God” (Bible Knowledge Comm. p. 1052). 8:20 “To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because they have no dawn” In contrast to trying to find answers about their future by contacting the dead (8:19), the answer to what lies in the future for Israel, has already been written in the Law of Moses. If they obeyed, they would be blessed, if they did not obey, they would be cursed (Deuteronomy 28-30). Israel further notes that those who refuse to listen to Scripture are people who have no light concerning truth or the future. So who or what are we listening to today? Where do we turn for answers? Human opinion or Scripture? (2 Peter 1:3). “Here, not among the dead, is where men shall find the truth and direction for the living; here they shall find light even in the hours of national calamity. There will be no dawning light, but only stygian darkness and despair, void of all hope, for those who reject God’s truth. What a tragedy; when it could have been otherwise!” (Hailey p. 98). 8:21-22 When the Assyrian invasion comes and the people are lead into captivity, they will be eager to blame anyone but themselves for their condition. They will curse the king and they will curse God, “thus, when they look upward,
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they will find a great empty void instead of help” (Hailey p. 99). “Those who seek to consult the dead will be forced to join them” (Bible Knowledge Comm. p. 1052). Chapter 9 9:1 In contrast to the dark days that followed because of the coming Assyrian invasion, days brought on as a result of human stubbornness and defiance, bright days would come in the future. The land of Zebulun and Naphtali are mentioned here because these two regions were the first to suffer under Assyrian aggression. Yet they were located in what became later known as upper and lower Galilee, the region in which Jesus would often preach and heal. Under pagan domination this territory would receive the name, “Galilee of the Gentiles”. “By the way of the sea”: This expression describes a major international highway running through this region. This area will be “made glorious” by the appearance of God’s Son. 9:2 Matthew will quote this prophecy as being fulfilled in Matthew 4:12-16. Remember, the “darkness” here refers to ignorance, superstition, and sin. 9:3 The nation will be multiplied during the New Covenant when both Jews and Gentiles will be one body in Christ (Ephesians 2:11ff; 1 Peter 2:9-10). Notice the use of the term “You” in this verse. God, not man, would accomplish all these things. The joy during this time would be like the joy at harvest time or the joy of winning a battle. Isaiah will mention the term “joy” more than 24 times in this book. 9:4 The yoke of oppression will be broken as in the day when God delivered Israel (Judges 7) from the Midianites. The oppression under consideration is probably the burden of sin, because Christians would still be persecuted and oppressed by the world. 9:5 Carnal instrumentals for physical warfare will no longer be needed among God’s people (2 Corinthians 10:3-5), because the Church will be a spiritual nation, not a physical one (Isaiah 2:4). “Military accouterments will not be a part of the new Israel’s strength. The new Israel will be a spiritual kingdom, each citizen clothed in a spiritual armor befitting the nature of the new conflict (Ephesians 6:10-20)” (Hailey p. 101). 9:6 “For”: “The third for brings the prophet’s hearers to the real basis and cause for their joy. The Child born, the Son given, is the Immanuel, ‘God with us’, of 7:14” (Hailey p. 101). This is the One who will bring about all the blessings mentioned in 9:1-5. “A child will be born”: The Messiah would enter this life as a child, He would not arrive as a full grown adult. “To us”: He would be Jewish. “A son”: The Messiah would arrive as a male. “This prophecy is in bold contrast to the Moslem doctrine which contends that God could never have a son (Sura 112 of the Koran” (Jackson p. 30). “The government will rest on His shoulders”: He would rule and have divine authority (Matthew 28:18; Ephesians
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1:20-23). Please note that Jesus would rule as the result of His first coming, and not merely at the Second Coming. Premillennial writers argue, “Apparently Isaiah assumed that the messianic Child, Jesus Christ, would establish His reign in one Advent, that when the Christ grew up He would rule in triumph. Like the other prophets, Isaiah was not aware of the great time gap between Messiah’s two Advents” (Bible Knowledge Comm. pp. 1053-1054). The problem with this type of comment is that Isaiah is not giving his opinion, rather the Holy Spirit is speaking through him. The New Testament makes it clear that Jesus is ruling as the result of His first coming (Matthew 28:18). 9:6 “Wonderful”: “Exceptional”, “distinguished”. “Wonderful due to the amazing nature of His works and words (John 7:46; 20:30-31)” (Jackson p. 25). Note that God names this child. “In the ancient world one’s name was viewed as a reflection of all that one was, including the qualities of character. Wonderful, describes the Child as the marvel of the ages, the full revelation of the Father” (Hailey p. 102). 9:6 “Counselor”: Because in Him will be found all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (Colossians 2:3). Good hearts will gladly listen to Him as the authoritative One. Those who come to the kingdom will be anxious to listen to His teaching (Isaiah 2:3). 9:6 “Mighty God”: This title clearly identifies the child with deity. He is indeed equal with God and is God (John 1:1; 5:23; Hebrews 1:3; Philippians 2:6ff). In His work He will exert the power of almighty God. “The term ‘mighty God’ does not suggest an inferior ‘god’ as the Watchtower cult contends. Note the usage of the expression in connection with ‘Jehovah’ in 10:20-21 and in Jeremiah 32:18” (Jackson p. 30). 9:6 “Eternal Father”: “Many people are puzzled by this title because the Messiah, God’s Son, is distinguished in the Trinity from God the Father. How can the Son be the Father?” (Bible Knowledge Comm. p. 1053). Yet the verse is not talking about Jesus’ relationship to the other members of the Godhead, but rather His relationship to time and the attributes He possesses. Being fully God (Colossians 2:9), Jesus also exercises fatherly qualities, such as discipline, guidance, counsel, and care. He is likewise “eternal”. The Messiah will be a fatherly ruler. Please note that this verse clearly teaches that Jesus is eternal, and if He is eternal then He is not a created being. This statement clearly places Him outside the realm of created things (John 1:1-3). “He is not only the Creator, but He is also the Protector and Sustainer of the new creation” (Hailey p. 103). 9:6 “Prince of Peace”: He brings peace between men and God (Ephesians 2:17), by being the sacrifice for our sins. Again, Premillennial writers can also see some supposed utopian reign upon the earth here and completely miss the peace that Jesus brought when He died for our sins (Romans 5:1; Luke 2:14).
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9:7 Earthly empires eventually weaken, but the kingdom over which Jesus reigns will only grow and include people of all nations. It will increase and prosper until the end of time (Hebrews 12:28; Daniel 2:44). Acts 2:30 makes it clear that when Jesus was raised from the dead He began His rule on “David’s throne”. Compare also with Luke 1:31-33; 1 Chron. 29:23; 1 Kings 2:12. The kingdom that Jesus rules over is the church (Ephesians 1:22-23). This kingdom is governed by justice and righteousness and will never become a corrupt empire. 9:7 “The zeal of the Lord of hosts will accomplish this”: “The Messiah will rule because God promised it and will zealously see that the kingdom comes” (Bible Knowledge Comm. p. 1053). “The Lord, and not man would be at work to accomplish these promises, therefore because of His ‘zeal’ one could be assured of fulfillment” (Harkrider p. 30). Exile for the Northern Kingdom: 9:8-10:4 In these verses the Holy Spirit once more returns to the Israel of Isaiah’s day and the coming judgment due to their sins. Even though Isaiah was preaching to the southern Kingdom (Judah), his message also applied to the northern tribes (Israel, Ephraim). The fact that divine wrath was coming upon Israel was not a secret (9:9). Yet in spite of all these warnings, and the fact that the northern kingdom was already in disrepair, Israel remained arrogant and defiant (9:9). “In pride and arrogance of heart Israel persuaded herself that even if destruction were to come, she was self-sufficient and able to replace all that was lost” (Harkrider p. 30). A similar arrogance is seen today among people who claim that going to hell will not be that bad, because it will give them a chance to improve it. Yet God notes that He is bringing many foes against them and there will be no chance to rebuild. And even this judgment will not appease His wrath (9:12), because the people will still refuse to deal with their sins (9:13). 9:14 “So the Lord cuts off head and tail from Israel”: Which is then explained as being the elders and the false prophets who had lead the people astray and had encouraged this impenitent attitude (9:16). Notice how corrupt leaders and influential people can prevent a society from repenting. As a result of the prevalent wickedness, God will not have mercy even on the young men, orphans, or widows (9:17). The entire nation is godless from top to bottom. Notice how sin results in people speaking nothing but foolishness. 9:18-21 “Wickedness had so totally infected Israel’s society and culture, it has spread throughout the land like fire spreads through dry stubble” (Harkrider p. 30). As a result, people began turning on each other and preying upon one another.
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