Isaiah 7:1

And it came to pass in the days of Ahaz, the son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, king of Judah, that Rezan, king of Syria, and Pekah, king of Remaliah, king of Israel, went up toward Jerusalem to war against it, but could not prevail against it. It was told to 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 woods are moved with the wind.

Then said the Lord unto Isaiah, "Go forth now and meet Ahaz, you and Shear-Jashub, your son, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool in the highway of the puller's field. And say unto him, 'Take heed, and be quiet. Fear not, neither be faint-hearted. For these two tails of these smoking firebrands, for the fierce anger of Rezan, of Syria, and of the son of Remaliah, because Syria and Ephraim, the son of Remaliah, have taken counsel, evil counsel against you, saying, "Let us go up to Judah and vex it, and let us make a breach therein for us, and set a king in the midst of it, even the son of Tabeel." Thus saith the Lord God, "It shall not stand, neither shall it come to pass."'

Father, as we look into Your Word tonight, and as we consider this great passage of Scripture before us in the book of Isaiah, I pray that You would continue to teach us and instruct us. Lord, speak to us by Your Spirit. We ask in Jesus' name. Amen. You can be seated.

It is important to remember when studying through Isaiah and other Old Testament prophetic books that prophecy and prophetic works do not generally go in a linear timeline sort of fashion like our minds tend to go. A lot of times when we read a book, we think of it starting at point A and progressing through to Z, going in order from A to Z. But when you read through the prophetic books of the Old Testament, you'll find that they kind of jump around from subject to subject and sometimes chronologically into different areas of time.

When we were in Isaiah chapter 6 last week, we had just seen the death of Uzziah. I remember Isaiah chapter 6, verse 1 says, "In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord." But now when we come to Isaiah chapter 7,

There's a new king on the throne, but it's not Uzziah's son. Notice it says in verse 1, "And it came to pass in the days of Ahaz, the son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah." So now the grandson of Uzziah is on the throne in Jerusalem over the people of Judah. At least 16 years have passed since Isaiah chapter 6, and probably more than that. Jotham, the father of Ahaz, was only king for 16 years in Jerusalem, as we find in 2 Kings chapter 16. Now his son Ahaz takes over the throne.

If you would turn in your Bibles to 2 Kings chapter 16 for a moment, we can get a better idea of who this king Ahaz really was. In 2 Kings chapter 16, we will pick it up at the very first verse. It says, "In the 17th year of Pekah, the son of Remaliah, Ahaz, the son of Jotham, king of Judah, began to reign." Ahaz was 20 years old when he began to reign, and he reigned the same length as his father, a total of 16 years in Jerusalem. Notice this: he did not do that which was right in the sight of the Lord his God, like David his father. Instead, he walked in the way of the kings of Israel. He made his son pass through the fire according to the abominations of the heathen, whom the Lord cast out from before the children of Israel. He sacrificed and burned incense in the high places, on the hills, and under every green tree.

From 2 Kings chapter 16, we see that Ahaz was not a good king; he did wickedly before the Lord God. His father Jotham was not entirely a good king either. His grandfather Uzziah, for the most part, had been a good king until the end of his reign. You may remember from last week that it was Uzziah who determined he wanted to go into the temple of God and act in the position of a priest, which was not allowed for a king to do, especially since he wasn't even of the Levites or of the house of Aaron. As a result of his sin against the Lord, he ended up dying as a leper. Uzziah did not finish well. Jotham was not a great king; he was kind of marginal. Ahaz, again, was not a good king. He bowed down to and worshipped Molech. When we read in verse 3 that he caused his children to pass through the fire, it means that he offered his children to the god Molech, who was worshipped by the Philistine people around.

They had a valley just outside the gates of Jerusalem called the Valley of Hinnom, or what we call Gehenna. It was really the refuse heap, kind of the dump of the children of Israel. A lot of times, that was where they would worship the false god Molech. The images of Molech were made out of iron, with arms outstretched and a basin area in the belly of this figure. They would kindle a fire until it got so hot that the arms glowed incandescent red. They would offer their children upon the arms of Molech. When it says that he caused his children or his son to pass through fire, he truly did that which was an abomination in the eyes of the Lord.

This is the moral condition of Judah and Jerusalem at the time we are reading about in Isaiah chapter 7. We find that Ahaz is the king there, and we are told that the northern ten tribes, which are called Israel, are confederate. They are allied with the nation of Syria, and they are going to come down and try to take over Judah and Jerusalem.

Now, we need to backpedal for a moment and consider the history of the nation of Israel to get the context again. David was that great king who really saw the establishment of the nation of Israel; he was the second king of Israel. His son Solomon progressed even further, and the nation became awesomely powerful, with gold and silver abundant. However, after Solomon died, his son Rehoboam took over. Rehoboam was a fool; the Scriptures make it very clear that he was just a complete fool, and he didn't listen to the counselors around him. He started to heavily tax the people and imposed a heavy hand upon them. As a result, the people revolted, leading to a departure from this king.

A man by the name of Jeroboam took a group of people and led the northern ten tribes away. Thus, you have the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Israel, with ten tribes in the north and the tribes of Judah and Benjamin in the south from that point forward. At this point in time, those ten tribes in the north were taking on some allies in warfare from the Syrians, and they were going to come down and try to overtake Judah and Jerusalem.

Jerusalem was a significant issue for the children of Israel as a whole. When the northern ten tribes separated from Judah and Benjamin, the latter would no longer allow them to come down into Jerusalem to worship God at the temple. Consequently, they established their own pagan mixture with Judaism up there in the north.

North in the city of Dan, they began to bow down and worship the golden calf again, the golden bull that they had erected there at Mount Sinai. They engaged in this pagan false god worship in the north because they were not allowed to come back down into Jerusalem. However, Jerusalem still held their attention, and the temple there was a very important piece for the nation of Israel. They wanted to overtake it once again.

At this point, we find that Rezan, king of Syria, and Pekah, king of Israel, representing the northern ten tribes, went up to Jerusalem to wage war against it, as we are told in verse 1. Their whole ambition was hostile; they were not just coming up to enjoy the feast day or visit the temple. They had an ambitious plan to attack it. However, we are told at the end of verse 7 that they could not prevail against it.

Reading that headline, if you were to see it as a one-sentence blurb in the news, you might think it was good news that they were unable to destroy Jerusalem. But that's really not the whole story. We get the complete account in 2 Chronicles, so turn in your Bibles to 2 Chronicles chapter 28.

If I can impress anything upon you as we study through the book of Isaiah, it is to become acquainted with the history of the nation of Israel in context with what the prophet Isaiah was saying. The book of Isaiah and the rest of the prophetic works of the Old Testament will make a lot more sense when viewed through the lens of the history that was happening during that time.

In Isaiah chapter 7, we are told that the northern ten tribes, in alliance with Syria, came to war against Jerusalem, but they could not take it. Good news, right? Well, until we read in 2 Chronicles chapter 28, beginning in verse 5.

Because of the sin of Ahaz, as noted in verse 4, he sacrificed and burned incense in the high places, on the hills, and under every green tree. Therefore, in verse 5, because of that, the Lord his God delivered him into the hand of the king of Syria. They struck him and carried away a great multitude of captives, bringing them to Damascus. Damascus is the capital city of Syria even to this day. They struck the children of Judah and Benjamin, and there in the nation of Judah, the southern tribes, they took a great captivity back to Damascus. He was also delivered into the hand of the king of Israel, who inflicted a great slaughter upon him.

For Pekah, the son of Remaliah, slew 120,000 in Judah in one day. Now, again, Isaiah chapter 7 says they went up to Jerusalem to war against it, but they couldn't take it. Good news? Not so fast. If you go back and read after the headline, you see what was happening in the nation. In one day, they lost 120,000. This was not just farmers out in the field; these were the mighty men of Judah and Jerusalem who had gone out to fight. One hundred twenty thousand of them were killed in one day, all valiant men, because they had forsaken the Lord of their fathers.

We are given the reason for why they failed in battle. Their king was a wicked man. He worshipped and bowed down to false gods, and so the Lord allowed their enemies to come in against them. We have already seen this kind of cycle in the book of Isaiah, and we will see it even more. As the people depart from God, God removes His hand of protection from them, and the enemy is able to come in like a flood. Here, the enemy comes in like a flood because of the wickedness of their king, but also because of the wickedness of their people. They lost 120,000 valiant men in one day because they had forsaken the Lord their God. Would you underline that at the end of verse 6? It is so very important.

We are told further on that the children of Israel and the northern ten tribes took captives back to the north with them—essentially enslaving their own brothers and sisters from their own nation. There was a prophet of God in the north as well, and his name was Zikri. He went and told the king in the north, "Hey, you've got to let these people go. God’s not going to be happy with you. You went down there and slew all these people, and now you're taking your own brothers and sisters as slaves." Ultimately, he lets them go.

But again, the headline in Isaiah chapter 7 was that the king of the northern ten tribes and the king of Syria came down to Jerusalem to try and take it, but they couldn't. When you really look at the backstory, you find out that this was a devastating loss for the children of Judah and Jerusalem. All of it had to do with the fact that they had departed from the Lord; they were not following God.

Well, God speaks to the children of Jerusalem, the city of Jerusalem, and the nation of Judah here with a prophetic word of assurance in the midst of devastating circumstances. God still speaks in those dark times. In fact, it is often in those dark times that we really have our ears open to hear what He has to say.

So, notice what happens here. It was told to the house of David, in verse 2 of Isaiah chapter 7, that Syria is confederate with Ephraim. His heart was moved, and the heart of his people was moved like the trees of the field or the woods are moved with the wind. I think that is the understatement of chapter 7 of Isaiah; their hearts were moved. These people were in despair. Their cities had been sacked, their armies had been killed, and their brothers and sisters had been taken captive back to the north, to the northern ten tribes. To say that they were moved, just the wording here in the King James Version, doesn't do it justice.

It is akin to what happened here on September 12, 2001. To say that the heart of the people of America was moved would be an understatement. Or back on December 8, 1941, when Pearl Harbor happened. The day after Pearl Harbor, to say that the people were moved would be an understatement.

Then the Lord said, in verse 3, "Go forth now and meet Ahaz." As I mentioned when we started the book of Isaiah a number of weeks ago, Isaiah had access to the kings. It is believed that he possibly was a part of the royal family. If anything, he had an open pass to come before the kings throughout his entire ministry.

Now, he is told by the Lord to go out and meet Ahaz and take Sher-Jashub, his son. The Lord instructs him to meet Ahaz at the end of the conduit of the upper pool in the highway to the fuller's field. Those words at the end of verse 3 could easily be glossed over. We could pass over them very quickly as we read through the book of Isaiah, and they may seem like an inconsequential little note. However, they give us a clue or help remind us that these events actually took place. There was an actual place where Isaiah met with Ahaz to speak the word of the Lord to him, just outside the city of Jerusalem. It would be like saying, "Go and meet the mayor of the city."

Down there on the corner of Great Day Park, right by City Hall, God is telling him exactly where to go. This serves as a reminder that this really happened. When you're reading through the book of Isaiah, as well as the other prophetic books and the Old Testament in general, it's important to recognize that this is history. This isn't just a story; this is actual history.

God says to Isaiah, "I want you to go out and meet him and take your son with you, Cher Jashub." The name Cher Jashub means "a remnant shall return." This was the exact word of assurance that God had given to Isaiah when He commissioned him in Isaiah chapter 6. Look back at Isaiah chapter 6, verse 13. After God had told him that the nation of Judah and Jerusalem were going to be devastated by war, verse 13 states, "But yet in it shall be a tenth, and it shall return." God said a remnant is going to return. Isaiah names his son "a remnant shall return," Cher Jashub.

Names in Scripture are almost always important when you consider their meanings and where they are placed. It's a great study to do if you have a Strong's Concordance. You can look at the names found there, even in the genealogy given in Genesis chapter 5 of the children of Noah and the godly line of Adam. You will be amazed at what God speaks through the names and their definitions.

Isaiah's son, with his name alone, was a prophetic word to the children of Israel: Cher Jashub, a remnant shall return. If anyone ever asked Isaiah why he named his son Cher Jashub, he could tell them this is why. God is going to move against this nation for judgment, and there will only be a small remnant that will return. God gave the number of a tenth part in Isaiah chapter 6, verse 13.

God instructs Isaiah to take his son with him because his son will be a visible sign to Ahaz, the king. God says, "I want you to go out and meet with Ahaz."

And tell him, "Listen up, be quiet." Now, I don't know about you, but I've found many times in my own life that when I'm confronted with difficult circumstances, it's hard for me to be still and listen to what the Lord has to say. However, we're told in the Scriptures that we're to be still and know that He is God, as stated in Psalm 46. Be still and know that He is God, that He is on the throne, that He is in control.

Jesus told His disciples, just after He was speaking about the destruction of Jerusalem and His departure, and they were concerned about this. He said to them in John chapter 14, verse 1, "Let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in Me." Those words are a comfort to us when we're going through a difficult, trying situation. In fact, I've been to many funerals and memorial services where that passage is read: "Let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in Me," Jesus says there. Essentially, God was saying a similar thing to Ahaz here: "Be quiet and listen. God has a word for you. He wants to speak to you."

Yet, our hearts can be so moved, and we can be so concerned, freaked out, and stressed out in the midst of a trying situation or circumstance that we have a hard time listening to God. I want you to also notice where Ahaz the king was when Isaiah met him. We just saw it there in verse 3. You're going to go meet him at the end of the conduit of the upper pool on the highway to the fuller's field.

What is a conduit used for? To bring water somewhere, right? Now, the city of Jerusalem is about to be besieged or sacked by the northern ten tribes and the nation of Syria. Many of the battles or wars during this time would take place around a city where the people would wall themselves up and be surrounded. A lot of times, the invading army would just wait them out until the provisions of food and water were gone. Then, sickness, death, and starvation would set in, along with plagues, until the people would generally give up.

So, if you're the king of a city, of a nation that's about to be besieged, what are you going to try and secure for yourself? Water and food. Here is Ahaz, probably with his advisors, doing all that he can to ensure that they'll be able to survive this invasion, this siege. And God goes and speaks to Isaiah and says, "Go meet him out there while he's..."

Trying to figure out how he was going to fend off this army, Ahaz wanted God to speak to him. God said to him, "Listen up, be quiet, don't be afraid. Neither be faint-hearted because of these two tales of these smoking firebrands for the fierce anger of Rezan with Syria and the son of Remaliah." In another translation, we read, "Tell him to stop worrying. Tell him he doesn't need to fear the fierce anger of those two burned-out embers, King Rezan of Syria and Pekah, the son of Remaliah."

Yes, the kings of Syria and Israel were plotting against him, saying, "We will attack Judah and capture it for ourselves, and then we will install the son of Tebel as Judah's king." God reminds Ahaz of what these two kings really are. To Ahaz, they probably looked like the worst threat he had faced as king thus far. It seemed like the biggest problem he would have to deal with during his reign.

One hundred twenty thousand of his mighty men had been killed, and two hundred thousand of his people had been taken captive. The invading army was on its way to the capital city, Jerusalem, to take it. He was trying to secure the city and prepare for a siege. The king of Syria and the king of Ephraim probably looked like a massive wildfire approaching, ready to consume everything in its path. But God said to him, "These things are just burned-out embers."

The things that appear so big and all-consuming to us, when we take a step back and listen to God, can be seen from His perspective. If it were just you facing the trial you are experiencing, it would be an impossible circumstance. But not with God. In Numbers chapter 13, the children of Israel, after wandering in the wilderness for a couple of years, had come to Kadesh Barnea, and they were about to enter the Promised Land.

The Promised Land was a significant destination for the Israelites. Moses sent twelve spies into the land to explore it for forty days. When they returned, they gave a report in Numbers chapter 13. Ten of those spies said, "The land is filled with milk and honey. It's a beautiful land. It's an awesome land. But there are giants in the land." They expressed their fear, stating, "We were in our own eyes as grasshoppers to them."

When we look at the trials in front of us, when we face the giants that confront us, we often see ourselves through the lens of our own limitations. In that context, we feel like grasshoppers before those challenges. However, there were only two of the twelve spies, Joshua and Caleb, who had a different perspective. They said, "Listen, these giants are bread for us. We can go in and take it because the Lord has given us the land." They were able to see the giants from God's perspective. What is a nine-foot-tall giant when you are the God of the universe? That is not a big deal.

What is the army of Israel in Syria, confederated together, coming in on a raid against the nation when you are God, the creator of all things? He is the one who parted the Red Sea and destroyed the Egyptian army in it. We look at all the victories that God brought about in the Old Testament and see how powerful He is.

Isaiah's word to Ahaz was to remind him that God is still king and still on the throne. He urged Ahaz to listen and be quiet because God wanted to speak something to him. "Do not be afraid, neither be faint-hearted," he said. Syria and Ephraim had come together, and the King James Version states in verse 5 that they had taken evil counsel. This plan that the northern ten tribes and the nation of Syria had against the city of Jerusalem and Judah was an evil plan in the eyes of the Lord.

This was not something that God was doing through them; it was not His plan to have them destroy Jerusalem. However, God was allowing this to chastise His people. He had removed His hand of protection, as we see in Kings and Chronicles. Because of their sin, this was happening. But God reassured them not to be faint-hearted. They had this evil plan, and in verse 6, it states, "Let us go up to Judah and vex it, and let us make a breach."

Therein for us, God set a king in the midst of it. The plan of Syria and the plan of the northern ten tribes was to come into Judah, get rid of King Ahaz, eliminate the line of David, and install their own puppet or vassal king in the city of Jerusalem. We know for certain that this is not God's will because God had prophesied back in 2 Samuel, chapter 7, that the Messiah would come through the line of King David. He said there would not fail to be one from the throne of David until Shiloh comes, until the Messiah arrives.

Now, the king of the northern ten tribes and the king of Syria are saying they will get rid of the line of David, the house of David, and put their own king in place. This was directly against God's planned prophetic will, and it was not going to happen. Yes, the Lord had allowed these two nations to come in and judge the children of Judah and Jerusalem, but He was not going to allow them to overrun or overcome His prophetic plan. He says, "This will not stand, neither shall it come to pass."

In verse 7, we read, "For the head of Syria is Damascus, and the head of Damascus is Rezin. Within three score and five years, or sixty-five years, shall Ephraim be broken that it be not a people." God says, "Listen, the capital city of Syria is Damascus, and the head of Damascus is King Rezin. The people of the northern ten tribes who are in alliance with Syria will not even be a people in sixty-five years. I am going to destroy them." Now, that's a heavy prophetic word. They are going to cease from being a people in sixty-five years.

The head of Ephraim is Samaria. Ephraim is the name that the northern ten tribes were generally called, with Ephraim being the key tribe of the northern ten tribes. Judah was the key tribe of the southern tribes. Thus, the southern tribes were generally called the kingdom of Judah, while the northern tribes were referred to as the kingdom of Ephraim. He says, "The head of Ephraim is Samaria." The capital city of Ephraim was Samaria, and the head of Samaria is Ramaliah's son, or Pekah.

Now, notice this word from the Lord to Ahaz at the end of verse nine.

If you will not believe, surely, you shall not be established. Would you reach over in your neighbor's Bible and put a star next to that verse? If you will not believe, you will not be established. This, like many Old Testament prophecies, has both a historic application as well as a personal and practical application to you and me.

Obviously, the implication here is that if you will believe, you shall be established. If you will trust—and really, the word "believe" could also be translated as "confidence" or "trust"—if you will put your confidence in the Lord, if you will put your trust in the Lord and the word that He has given to you, you will be established. But if you won't, you will fail to be established.

I want you to look and see what King Ahaz's plan was. Turn in your Bibles to 2 Kings chapter 16. God gives this king, who up to this point had not been a good king, a great promise: if you'll trust in Me, I'll establish you. But if you don't trust in Me, you will not be established. God was giving him a prophetic promise too. Trust in Me, and I'm going to deliver this city.

Now, God was going to deliver this city even if he didn't trust in God. Remember, God's prophetic plan was that the Lion of David and the House of David was going to maintain the throne in Jerusalem because ultimately, the Messiah was going to come through there. But He was giving King Ahaz an opportunity to be established by God. However, Ahaz was not a good king. He was having a hard time trusting in the word of the Lord.

Look at 2 Kings chapter 16, verse 7. In light of this coming judgment from the northern ten tribes and the nation of Syria, we read, "So Ahaz sent messengers to Tiglath-Pelezer, the king of Assyria."

Saying, "I am thy servant and thy son. Come up and save me out of the hand of the king of Assyria and out of the hand of the king of Israel, which rise against me." And Ahaz took silver and gold that was found in the house of the Lord and in the treasuries of the king's house, and he sent it for a gift to the king of Assyria.

God, the creator of all things seen and unseen, is speaking through His prophet and saying to King Ahaz, "You trust Me, and I will establish you. I'm going to deliver the city of Jerusalem because you are in the line of David, and because of that and My promise to David, you're going to maintain the throne. Trust in Me, and I'll establish you."

But King Ahaz, as he's standing at that conduit trying to figure out how to stand in the midst of this siege against the city, has already formulated a plan to go to the king of Assyria and say, "I need your help."

At this point, we need to take careful note of the fact that Syria and Assyria are two different nations. This can be very confusing, and a lot of times I have many questions both in my class at the Bible College and from different people in the body here studying through Kings and Chronicles who mix these two nations up. Syria was directly north of the children of Israel, and their capital city was Damascus. Assyria was northeast of Jerusalem, and their capital city was Nineveh. The Assyrians, not the Syrians, were the great empire of the world at this point in time when King Ahaz was upon the throne in Jerusalem.

Facing a catastrophe from the northern ten tribes and the Syrians, Ahaz sends messengers to Assyria to King Tiglath-Pelezer and says to him, "You help me, and I'll pay you." He takes silver and gold from the house of God and from his own treasuries and sends money to the king of Assyria.

2 Chronicles 28, verse 16 says, "And at that time did the king of Ahaz send unto the king of Assyria for help." God is giving him a prophetic promise, saying, "I am going to protect this city not because of you, because you're a wicked king, but because of the fact that you're in the line of David. I'm going to save this city and I'm going to save your position upon the throne, and if you trust Me..."

I'll establish you, and he says, "Nope, not going to trust the Lord. I'm going to send messengers to Assyria to King Tiglath-Pelezer and say, 'You help me, and I'll pay you. Would you please help me?'" In his fear, he's crying out in the wrong place, seeking help from the wrong thing, and we oftentimes do the same things. When we are confronted with a difficulty or some heavy situation, perhaps some sort of catastrophe in our lives, we're tempted to turn to the wrong places.

Ahaz was definitely not established ultimately. In fact, you read about him in 2 Chronicles 28:19, that the Lord brought Judah low because of King Ahaz of Israel. He made Judah naked and transgressed sore against the Lord. This king was never established by God because he refused to put his confidence and his trust in the Lord and in the Lord's word. In my life, as well as in your life, if you do not put your trust in the Lord, you will not be established in this life here and now, but also in the kingdom that is to come.

Remember Jesus' words in John 14:1: "Let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in me." He went on to say, "In my Father's house are many mansions or many rooms. Were it not so, I would not have told you. I go to prepare a place for you." If you want a place prepared for you there with the King of Kings in His paradise, then you have to believe in God and believe in His Son. If you don't believe in Him, if you don't put your confidence and your trust in Him for your salvation, you will not be established.

Here, Ahaz had the exact same decision before him. He could place his trust in the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords, and He would be his salvation. But Ahaz said, "No, I'm going to trust in the King of Assyria, in Tiglath-Pelezer." What God says to him in verse 10 is, "Moreover, the Lord spoke again unto Ahaz, saying, 'Ask thee a sign of the Lord thy God. Ask it either in the depth or in the height above.'"

Now, I want you to notice what God gives to King Ahaz here, because this may be one of only two times in the entire scripture where I have personally ever seen this. God speaks to this king, an ungodly king, and says to him, "You give me any test to prove to you whether or not my word is true, and I will do it. Whether in the depths below or the heights above, you ask of me, and I will do it." Now, I want you to think.

About this God who is speaking to Ahaz right now. This is the same God who created the heavens and the earth with His word. This is the same God who, in Joshua chapter 10, caused the sun to stand still so Joshua and his armies could vanquish their enemies. This is the same God who parted the Red Sea. This is the same God who performed miracle after miracle in both the Old Testament and the New Testament. He comes to you and says, "I am going to do this in your life, and to prove to you that I'm going to do it, ask for a sign from Me—anything you want, and I'll do it right now."

What would you ask? Just imagine for a moment what you would ask the Lord to do to prove His word to you. God is saying to this king, "Test Me." Now, in the book of Deuteronomy, we are told we shall not test the Lord our God, but God is openly telling this man to test Him, and He will prove His word to him.

Notice the response of this wicked king in verse 12. Ahaz said, "I will not ask, neither will I test the Lord," because he thinks he is so righteous. He believes he would never test the Lord, citing the law that says he shall not test the Lord. Listen, if God is explicitly telling you to test Him, then you better obey His word. You are not really obeying His law if you say, "Well, the law says I shall not test the Lord. I will not tempt the Lord God."

Isaiah continues in verse 13, "Hear ye now, O house of David, is it a small thing for you to weary men that you will weary my God also?" Isaiah is saying, "Listen, you may view it as a very little thing to try my patience, but you are trying the patience of God here. Not a good idea. Are you going to test the patience of God as well?"

Therefore, the Lord Himself shall give you a sign. God says, "If you're not going to ask for a sign, because I'll do whatever you ask, I am going to give you a sign." The Lord Himself shall give you a sign: "Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and you shall call His name Emmanuel. Curds and honey shall He eat, that He may know to refuse evil and to choose good."

For before the child shall know to refuse evil and choose the good, the land that you abhor shall be forsaken by both her kings. Behold, the Lord Himself shall give you a sign: a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and you shall call His name Emmanuel. Who is that speaking about? Now, we all know that it's speaking about Jesus. How do we know it's speaking about Jesus? Well, the Bible tells us so.

Turn in your Bibles to the first Gospel, Matthew chapter 1. An angel appears to Joseph in Matthew chapter 1 and tells him that Mary, your wife, that which is conceived in her womb is of the Holy Spirit, and she is going to bring forth a son. Verse 21 states, "And you shall call His name Jesus, and He shall save His people from their sins." Verse 22 continues, "Now, this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, 'Behold, a virgin shall be with child and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call His name Emmanuel,' which is interpreted 'God with us.'"

The Holy Spirit reveals for us in the New Testament that Isaiah chapter 7, verse 14, was speaking about the miraculous conception of Jesus in the womb of Mary. Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and you shall call His name Emmanuel.

But I want you to think about this for a minute. Isaiah is speaking to Ahaz and telling him that God is going to protect the city of Jerusalem from destruction by the northern ten tribes and the nation of Syria. This was an imminent destruction. They were already seeing their own people killed and taken captive by these armies coming through their land. God has told him, "I'm going to protect you and your city, and so I'm going to give you a sign that My word is true."

The sign that He speaks of gives us a portion of the prophecy of the coming of Christ and the virgin birth, but that would not happen for 700 years. How would the birth of Jesus be a sign to Ahaz in his day that he was going to be protected from an imminent destruction by the northern ten tribes?

Tribes and the king of Syria when it was not going to be fulfilled for 700 years? Clearly, this passage has a dual fulfillment, as do many passages of the Old Testament. Many prophetic passages have an early and a latter fulfillment when we look at the prophecies given.

Let me give you an example just to prove this. If you turn in your Bibles to Isaiah 61, verse 1, there the prophet says, "The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me because the Lord has anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, the opening of the prison to them that are bound, and to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all that mourn in Zion, to appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness, that they might be called the trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified."

This also is a messianic prophecy, which we see a portion of it fulfilled in the Gospels, specifically in the Gospel of Luke. Keeping your finger in Isaiah chapter 61, turn to Luke chapter 4, verse 16.

And he, Jesus, came to Nazareth, and when he had been brought up, or, I'm sorry, where he had been brought up, and as the custom was, he went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day and stood up for to read. There was delivered unto him the book or the scroll of the prophet Isaiah. When he opened it, he found the place where it is written, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted and to preach deliverance to the captives and the recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised and to preach the acceptable year of the Lord."

He closed the book, gave it again to the minister, and sat down. The eyes of all them that were there in the synagogue were fastened on him.

He began to say unto them, "This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears." There in the synagogue in Nazareth, in Luke chapter 4, Jesus reads from the scroll of Isaiah. He says, "The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me because He has anointed me to preach good tidings to the meek. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, the opening of the prison to them that are bound, and to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord."

But in Isaiah 61, we see that the prophecy does not end there. Jesus stopped reading at that point and said, "Today is this prophecy fulfilled in your ears." However, the prophecy continues. There is a comma after "the acceptable year of the Lord" in Isaiah 61:2, and it goes on to say, "and the day of vengeance of our God, and to comfort all that mourn." You see, this prophecy in Isaiah 61 applies to both Jesus' first and second comings. The first coming happened 2,000 years ago, and that is when He came to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord. But the second coming hasn't happened yet.

Between the comma of "the acceptable year of the Lord" and "the day of vengeance of our God" in Isaiah 61:2, there have so far been 2,000 years. Thus, we see an early and a latter fulfillment. More on that when we get to Isaiah 61 in about four years.

Back in Isaiah chapter 7, it says, "Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and you shall call His name Emmanuel." We know for certain that this applies to Jesus, but we don't know how it applies to Ahaz and how it spoke to him in his day—not yet. Because it did speak to him in his day.

Now, there has been a lot of controversy over the verse in Isaiah 7:14. I love what Charles Spurgeon said about it: "One of the most difficult words in all of the Word of God." Well, it may be so. I certainly did not think it was until I read what all the commentators had to say about it, and then I rose up from reading them perfectly confused.

If you go and read Bible teachings on this passage, you will hear a lot of commentary on the fact that the word "virgin" here is the Hebrew word "Alma." Alma can be translated as "young maiden" or "young girl." There is another Hebrew word...

That is definitively translated as "virgin," referring to a woman who has never been intimate with a man. The word is not used here, and so they say this really isn't speaking of a true virgin, suggesting that Mary was not a virgin in the traditional sense and that this was just a blessed child. However, that is not true at all. The scripture is clear: this is a true virgin. The Hebrew word used is "Alma," which does speak about a young girl. I believe that God did this purposefully.

We know that it speaks about the virgin birth of Jesus, as told by the Holy Spirit in the Gospel of Matthew, specifically in Matthew chapter 1. But how does this apply to Isaiah's day and to King Ahaz? It serves as a word that they would be saved from imminent destruction by Ephraim and Syria. The scripture states, "A virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and you shall call his name Emmanuel. Curds and honey shall he eat that he may know to refuse evil and choose good. For before the child shall know to refuse evil and choose the good, the land that you abhor, the northern ten tribes, and the Assyrians shall be forsaken by both their kings."

What is going on here, and how does this speak to Ahaz in his day? Is there a child born anywhere in this passage that seems to fit with the historic context? Yes, there is. Look at Isaiah chapter 8, verse 1. Moreover, the Lord said unto me, Isaiah says, "Take thee a great roll or a large scroll and write on it with a man's pen." Now, I don't know what a man's pen is, but it sounds good. A man's pen concerning Mahershal al-Hashbaz means I want you to write with a very clear inscription.

Perhaps it's almost like this: you know, there are a lot of ladies in our church who have beautiful flowing cursive, but it's hard to read sometimes. A man's pen means to write with clarity this name. That's not a knock to anybody. Mahershal al-Hashbaz. Write it down. I took unto me faithful witnesses to record: Uriah the priest and Zechariah the son.

Of Jebrakiah, I went in unto the prophetess, and she conceived and bore a son. Then the Lord said to me, "Call his name Mahershal al-Hashbaz." Notice what's happening here. God says to Isaiah, "I want you to get a scroll and a couple of witnesses, and I want you to write down Mahershal al-Hashbaz." Isaiah might have wondered, "Why am I writing this down, Lord?" But God simply instructed him to do it. So, he writes down Mahershal al-Hashbaz, not fully knowing what it is all about.

After that point, his wife, whom he calls the prophetess, conceives and has a son. The Lord told me to call his name Mahershal al-Hashbaz. This is a significant prophecy that the Lord gives to him. He tells Isaiah, before his wife is pregnant and before she has a son, to write the name Mahershal al-Hashbaz. God is preparing him to name the child Mahershal al-Hashbaz.

How many of you are thankful you don't have the name Mahershal al-Hashbaz? They didn't have sonograms back then; they didn't know if it was a boy or a girl until the baby was delivered. Here, before the baby was even conceived, the prophetess was given the name for the child, Mahershal al-Hashbaz, which would go on to be a prophecy.

The Lord said, "Call his name Mahershal al-Hashbaz. For before," this is the word of the Lord in verse 4, "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."

What is the historic context in the early fulfillment of Isaiah 7, verses 14 through 16? It is the birth of Isaiah's second son, Mahershal al-Hashbaz, as a sign to the children of Israel that they would be saved. Before this child shall have knowledge to cry, "My father and my mother," the riches of Damascus and the spoil of Samaria shall be taken away from the king of Assyria.

How long does it take for a child, from birth to the point where they're able to say "mama" or "dada"? Not a real long time. Interestingly, he said back in verse 15 of chapter 7, "Curds and honey shall he eat that he may know to refuse evil and to choose good." For before the child shall know to refuse evil and choose good, significant events will unfold.

The land that you abhor shall be forsaken by both her kings. How long does it take for a child to recognize "no"? They recognize the word very quickly, but they don't like it. God's prophetic word was clear: before this child is old enough to say "mama" or "dada," or to recognize "no" and know how to choose good over evil, a fairly quick time will pass before he is ready to eat honey.

We know that we cannot feed a newborn honey because of certain bacterial spores that could be fatal to a young child. Therefore, it is stated that curds and honey shall he eat so that he may know to refuse evil and choose good. The early fulfillment of Isaiah 7:14-16 is the birth of Isaiah's second son, Mahershalalhashbaz, which was assigned to the children of Israel in Judah and Jerusalem. They would be saved before the child was able to cry "father" or "mother" in a fairly brief period of time.

A prophecy that would be fulfilled 700 years after this event was not a comfort to Ahaz, but it is still a word of the coming Messiah, as we are told by the Holy Spirit in Matthew chapter 1. Thus, there is an early and a latter fulfillment.

In verse 17, the Lord shall bring upon you, as stated in chapter 7, verse 17, and upon your people and upon your father's house, days that have not come since the day that Ephraim departed from Judah, even the king of Assyria. God gives King Ahaz another prophetic word, one that was not quite as comforting as the first. The first prophetic word assured him that God would protect him and save the city of Jerusalem from Syria and the northern ten tribes. He was told to trust in the Lord, and he would be established.

However, we know from the books of Chronicles and Kings that Ahaz did not trust in the Lord, so he would not be established. Therefore, God gives another prophetic word here, stating that He is going to bring upon you days that have not been seen in the nation since the time of the civil war.

The northern ten tribes separated from the southern tribes. God is even going to bring the Assyrians upon you. Now, Ahaz was trusting in the Assyrians for help. But God tells him, "Because you will not trust in Me and because you're putting your trust in the Assyrians, I’m going to judge you with the very ones you're trusting in. The very thing that you're trusting in will become your shame. It will become your destruction."

This has personal application for every single one of us. If we do not trust in the Lord, if we trust in something else other than the Lord for our salvation or for our help in the day of trouble, that thing will become the very thing that trips us up in the future. Here, Ahaz was putting his trust in the king of Assyria. God says, "Because you won't trust in Me, I'm going to bring the king of Assyria upon you."

It shall come to pass, in that day, that the Lord shall hiss for the fly that is in the uttermost rivers of Egypt and for the bee that is in the land of Assyria. They shall come and shall rest all of them in desolate valleys, in the holes of the rocks, upon all the thorns, and upon all the bushes. In the same day, the Lord shall shave with the razor that is hired, namely, by them beyond the river, by the king of Assyria, the head and the hair of the feet. It shall also consume the beard.

It shall come to pass in that day that a man shall nourish a young cow and two sheep. For the abundance of milk that they shall give, he shall eat curds. For curds and honey shall everyone eat that is left in the land. It shall come to pass in that day that every place where there were a thousand vines and a thousand silverlings shall even be for briars and thorns.

With arrows and with bows, men shall come there because all the land shall become briars and thorns. On all the hills that shall be dug with the mattock, there shall not come there the fear of briars and thorns, but it shall be for sending forth of oxen and for the treading of lesser cattle. God says to Ahaz, "Because you will not trust Me, you will not be established." The Assyrians whom you are trusting in are going to come upon you and the Egyptians.

From the south, they are going to come and judge you. In verse 20, it says, "The day the Lord will hire a razor from beyond the Euphrates River, the king of Assyria, to use it to shave off everything: your land, your crops, and your people." God says, "I'm going to bring the king of Assyria, and he's going to shave the hair off your head and your beard."

If you know anything about the children of Israel or even just the people in the Middle East, you understand that to shave a person's beard is a sign of shame and woe. God says the Assyrians are going to come in, take you captive, cut your hair, and lead you back to their land because you have not trusted Him.

In verse 21, it shall come to pass that a man will nourish a young cow and two sheep. That's all he will have left. All of his abundance will be gone; he will only have a young cow and two sheep. From the abundance of the milk they give, he will eat curds. Curds and honey shall everyone eat. If there is anybody left in the land, they will all have the leftovers of the land. The land that flowed with milk and honey will be filled with briars and thorns.

The fertile valleys and hills that you have, which currently have vines worth so much—thousand silverlings—will be mowed down and destroyed because you have not trusted in Me. As we continue through the book of Isaiah, we will see that this day will come. It will come during the time of Isaiah, and he will watch as the Assyrians come through and destroy the northern ten tribes and nearly completely consume the southern tribes, saving only the city of Jerusalem because God would save His city in the line of David.

That word stands as a blaring reminder: if you will not believe, surely you will not be established. If you will not trust and place your confidence in God and His word, you will not be established. Sadly, King Ahaz would not trust in the Lord. He would not place his confidence in God; instead, he would trust in his own finances, his own wealth, and his own household, or even in the house of the Lord. He sought to pay off the king of Assyria, Tiglath-Pelezer, even though God would say that Tiglath-Pelezer is going to come.

And destroy you because you've not trusted in Me. It was Winston Churchill who said, "Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it." May we learn even the spiritual application from this passage. God has given us His Word. The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. Jesus, in fulfillment of Isaiah 7:14, became flesh 2,000 years ago, and He gave us the Gospel, the Word of reconciliation. He proclaimed the acceptable year of the Lord. He came to open the eyes of the blind and to set at liberty those who were captive. If you will trust in Him, you will be established. But if you will not trust in Him, you will not be established, and you will not have the salvation that He brings.

You may, in this life, live secure within the walls of the city of Jerusalem because God was protecting that city, but you will not be established in the age that is to come. May it be that we take to heart the Word of the Lord in this passage. Yes, this was literally fulfilled 2,800 years ago, during the time of Isaiah and King Ahaz. God did protect the city of Jerusalem as He said that He would, but not because Ahaz was a good king or trusted in God, but because God was a good God and had a prophetic promise.

You may, in this life, experience abundance and have great wealth and riches because God is a good God, but you will not be established in the one that is to come if you don't put your trust and confidence in Him. May we be bold to share the truth of that Word with everyone we come in contact with, but may we also be steadfastly warned of this truth.

Let's stand and pray together. Father, thank You for Your caution and for Your warning here in the Word that if we will not trust in You, we will not be established. Lord, give us the steadfastness of faith to stand upon Your sure Word of prophecy. And Lord,

If in this room tonight, or perhaps listening over the internet or on TV, Lord, there is someone who has not been trusting in You, they have been putting their faith and their confidence in the treasures they have in their bank account, in their wisdom, in their strength, or whatever it may be. God, would You speak to that heart? Remind them that You alone are trustworthy.

Thank You for this reminder in Your Word. Thank You for the prophetic utterance that we have. Teach us, Lord, by Your Spirit as we read through these things. Help us not to just quickly turn the page and go beyond this genealogy or this seemingly inconsequential verse, but to dig deep, to study, and to show ourselves approved unto You. For we ask it in Jesus' name. Amen.