Isaiah 7:1 says, And it came to pass in the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, king of Judah, that Rezin the king of Syria, and Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, went up toward Jerusalem to war against it, but could not prevail against it. Matthew Henry points out that Isaiah prophesied during the reign of Uzziah and continued during the reign of Jotham, but didn’t have any prophesy during the reign of Jotham. Jotham had been a good king who followed God. These prophesies came during the reign of Jotham’s son, Ahaz. We may never know all that happened in the nation of Israel, but we do know all that is necessary to understand their wavering relationship with God. At this time, they were about to be defeated once again, since they had once again turned away from God. The king of Syria and the king of Israel, the ten tribes who had separated from Judah, were coming in battle against Jerusalem and Judah, the two tribes ruled by the descendants of David, with whom God had made His covenant. They could not prevail against Jerusalem. It is sad when those who are call themselves God’s people go to war with others who call themselves God’s people. Of course, the people of Judah were more often true to God, but they wavered in their faith quite often.
Verse two adds, And it was told the house of David, saying, Syria is confederate with Ephraim. And his heart was moved, and the heart of his people, as the trees of the wood are moved with the wind. When Ahaz was told of the coming attack from Syria and Ephraim, his heart was moved and the people’s hearts with him. He was a corrupt king, but he was still a part of the house of David, with whom God had made a covenant. As Christians, we have entered into a covenant relationship with Him, and He will never fail in His part of the covenant, even if we do fail at times. Of course, simply calling ourselves a Christian without entering into this covenant relationship will do us no good. Matthew Henry says that since Ahaz thought he was in danger, instead of looking to God, he looked to idols. People who are not saved still put more faith in alliances with the world powers than they do in God.
Verse three continues, 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; Isaiah was sent by God along with Shearjashub his son to meet with Ahaz. He was to rake his son Shearjashub with him, since Matthew Henry points out that the son’s name meant a remnant shall return. We need to go where God sends us today and to be willing to meet with anyone who He tells us to meet and share the message He gives us. If we don’t meet with those in power, we need to at least share the gospel with those that we do meet.
Verse four states, And say unto him, Take heed, and be quiet; fear not, neither be fainthearted for the two tails of these smoking firebrands, for the fierce anger of Rezin with Syria, and of the son of Remaliah. Isaiah was to tell Ahaz that God said he shouldn’t be afraid of those who were coming against him, and his enemies were compared to smoking firebrands. This wasn’t done because of Ahaz, but because of God's promise to David, in spite of Ahaz turning away from God. It was done for the remnant of the people who believed in God. We need to call on people to put their faith in God and not be afraid of any enemy they have, no matter how powerful they may be in the world.
Verse five adds, Because Syria, Ephraim, and the son of Remaliah, have taken evil counsel against thee, saying, Isaiah was to warn Ahaz that Syria and Ephraim had joined together to destroy him. We have God’s warning that Satan and his forces will always be trying to defeat us.
Verse six continues, Let us go up against 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 Tabeal: Ahaz was also warned that these two groups were planning to come in war against Judah and set up their own king once they had defeated Judah. This had to be disturbing news for Ahaz and should have caused him to turn away from idols and to God. If we hear that the forces of the world are coming against us as followers of Christ, we can never decide to give up on our faith in God and stop following His word simply so we can be safe. We cannot serve God and man at the same time.
Verse seven says, Thus saith the Lord God, It shall not stand, neither shall it come to pass. Though the rulers of Syria and Ephraim had proposed going to war with Judah, Ahaz wasn't to fear them. We don’t need to fear any power in the world today, because God had already defeated all our enemies spiritually, and that is all that matters. We simply need to put our faith in Him.
Verse eight adds, For the head of Syria is Damascus, and the head of Damascus is Rezin; and within threescore and five years shall Ephraim be broken, that it be not a people. God told Isaiah that they would never be successful and that Ephraim, or Israel, would soon be defeated themselves. Matthew Henry says it is hard to know what the sixty-five years referred to, since Israel fell within eleven years. He said some think it should have read six and five years, though this was unlikely, and some think it referred to the time since the prophet Amos first told of the coming destruction of Israel. All we really need to know as followers of Christ is that the destruction of all our enemies is going to come to pass, no matter how far in the future it happens, and that is really what the people then had to put their faith in.
Verse nine continues, And the head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is Remaliah's son. If ye will not believe, surely ye shall not be established. The people of Judah were then told if they didn’t believe this, they would not be established. If we let fear of anything keep us from accepting Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, we will never be established as God’s people.
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