Isaiah’s Family a Warning to Israel

Isaiah 8:18-9:21

“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.” (Isaiah 8:18)

Isaiah and his two sons were all given to do miracles and give signs to Israel and Judah.  Shearjashub’s name means a remnant shall return, referring to Judah’s return to the Lord in the last days.  Mahershalalahashbaz’s name referred to Pekah, king of Israel and Rezin, king of Syruia rushing to destruction at the hands of  the Assyrians.   Isaiah would many miracles as a sign to both Israel and Judah. 

 “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.” (Isaiah 8:19-20)

Israel had completely rejected God, worshipping various other gods and following Shamans or other religions instead.  Judah’s rebellion was less complete but they were encouraging others to do the same thing, although they professed to be serving God.   This would become steadily worse with only a few brief respites until the return of Christ.  Isaiah thought if they worshipped God, they should seek his help instead of that of the spirits of dead people or some carved idol.  They should study his law and the agreement he had made instead of settling for what some magician or medium told them.  If they didn’t, it was because they had no understanding of who God was. 

“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.  Nevertheless the dimness shall not be such as was in her vexation, when at the first he lightly afflicted the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, and afterward did more grievously afflict her by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, in Galilee of the nations.” (Isaiah 8:21-9:1)

Because they know nothing of the Lord and will not listen to him, they will go through the trials to come starving and having no security.  When they get hungry, they will get upset and curse both God and their government, seeing nothing but despair to come and going even farther from God, hiding from him.  This time it will not be like it was before when God just sent a few trials to get their attention in Zebulon and Naphtali, only increasing it when they wouldn’t listen.

“The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.  Thou hast multiplied the nation, and not increased the joy: they joy before thee according to the joy in harvest, and as men rejoice when they divide the spoil.   For thou hast broken the yoke of his burden, and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, as in the day of Midian.  For every battle of the warrior is with confused noise, and garments rolled in blood; but this shall be with burning and fuel of fire.” (Isaiah 9:2-5)

In the last days, those who have been through great suffering and trials will see the glory of God at a time when it seems death is imminent.  This time God will intervene on their behalf and they will rejoice like a farmer harvesting his crops or an army gathering the fruits of victory because God has destroyed their enemies like he destroyed the Middianites in Gideon’s day.   Other battles are won in the middle of confusion and struggle, but God will win that battle with fire from heaven as described in Revelation 20:9.

“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.  Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.” (Isaiah 9:6-7)

Jesus Christ would come, almost seven hundred years in the future, and one day would establish his eternal government.  He would be the omnipotent God and the everlasting father, but he would come as a descendant of David born in Bethlehem.    God himself would make this happen.

“The Lord sent a word into Jacob, and it hath lighted upon Israel.  And all the people shall know, even Ephraim and the inhabitant of Samaria, that say in the pride and stoutness of heart, The bricks are fallen down, but we will build with hewn stones: the sycamores are cut down, but we will change them into cedars.” (Isaiah 9:8-10)

God has sent the message of Christ’s coming and eternal kingdom Jacobs’s descendants, the nation of Israel, and it would come on every Jew, even those who would be carried away and dispersed among the other nations before it happened, although in Isaiah’s day the northern kingdom, known of Israel, and centered in the land of Ephraim and led by Samaria under Pekah thought they were immune to God’s power.  In their pride they proclaimed that they would rebuild no matter what God did. 

“Therefore the LORD shall set up the adversaries of Rezin against him, and join his enemies together; The Syrians before, and the Philistines behind; and they shall devour Israel with open mouth. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.  For the people turneth not unto him that smiteth them, neither do they seek the LORD of hosts.  Therefore the LORD will cut off from Israel head and tail, branch and rush, in one day.  The ancient and honourable, he is the head; and the prophet that teacheth lies, he is the tail.  For the leaders of this people cause them to err; and they that are led of them are destroyed.” (Isaiah 9:11-16)

Because they have rejected God, choosing to go with the Syrians under Rezin instead, God will cause Rezin’s coalition of Syrian kings to collapse and they will turn on him.  With the other Syrian kings attacking from the north and east and the Philistines attacking from the south and west,  Israel will easily be defeated.  Despite their rebellion, God was still reaching out to them in love.  Because they would not listen he would destroy them all, from the most respected leaders to the prophets who told them everything would be okay, because the leaders were encouraging them to sin and disobey God. 

“Therefore the Lord shall have no joy in their young men, neither shall have mercy on their fatherless and widows: for every one is an hypocrite and an evildoer, and every mouth speaketh folly. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.  For wickedness burneth as the fire: it shall devour the briers and thorns, and shall kindle in the thickets of the forest, and they shall mount up like the lifting up of smoke.” (Isaiah 9:17-18)

Though their leaders were encouraging them all the people were at fault, hypocritically claiming to love God while disobeying his commands, and focusing on foolish things.   His anger is great against them and he will not stop until they listen to him.  Their wickedness is spreading like a fire in a patch of dry weeds that will spread to even the strong trees if not stopped. 

“Through the wrath of the LORD of hosts is the land darkened, and the people shall be as the fuel of the fire: no man shall spare his brother.  And he shall snatch on the right hand, and be hungry; and he shall eat on the left hand, and they shall not be satisfied: they shall eat every man the flesh of his own arm:  Manasseh, Ephraim; and Ephraim, Manasseh: and they together shall be against Judah. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.” (Isaiah 9:19-21)

Because of God’s anger, the land was no longer a pleasant place to live.  They are taking advantage of each other, even of their own families with no concern that others may be starving.  They will become so greedy they even flaunt what they have in the faces of those they took it from.  Nobody will be satisfied and ultimately they will destroy themselves as if they were eating their own arm, not realizing they are destroying their ability to produce more.  Instead of taking responsibility, they will blame each other, uniting only to attack Judah.