Isaiah Before King Ahaz
Isaiah 7In the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, king of Judah, Rezin the king of Syria and Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, went up to Jerusalem to war against it, but could not prevail against it. David’s house was told, “Syria is allied with Ephraim.” His heart trembled, and the heart of his people, as the trees of the forest tremble with the wind.
Then YHWH said to Isaiah, “Go out now to meet Ahaz, you, and Shearjashub your son, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool, on the highway of the fuller’s field. Tell him, ‘Be careful, and keep calm. Don’t be afraid, neither let your heart be faint because of these two tails of smoking torches, for the fierce anger of Rezin and Syria, and of the son of Remaliah. Because Syria, Ephraim, and the son of Remaliah, have plotted evil against you, saying, “Let’s go up against Judah, and tear it apart, and let’s divide it among ourselves, and set up a king within it, even the son of Tabeel.” This is what Lord YHWH says: “It will not occur, neither will it happen.” For the head of Syria is Damascus, and the head of Damascus is Rezin. Within sixty-five years Ephraim will be broken in pieces, so that it will not be a people. The head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is Remaliah’s son. If y’all won’t stand firm in your faith, y’all won’t not stand at all.’”
The Sign of Immanuel
YHWH spoke again to Ahaz, saying, “Ask for a sign from YHWH your God. It could be as deep as Sheol or as high as heaven.”
But Ahaz said, “I won’t ask. I won’t put YHWH to the test.”
He said, “Listen now, house of David. Is it not enough for y’all to try the patience of men, that y’all will try the patience of my God also? Therefore the Lord ʜɪᴍꜱᴇʟꜰ will give y’all a sign. Look, the virgin will become pregnant and bear a son, and she will name him Immanuel.+7:14 “Immanuel” means “God with us”. He will eat butter and honey when he knows enough to refuse the evil and choose the good. For before the child knows to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land whose two kings you abhor will be forsaken. YHWH will bring on you, on your people, and on your father’s house a time that has not come since day that Ephraim departed from Judah: the king of Assyria!
YHWH’s Coming Judgement Through Assyria
It will happen in that day that YHWH will whistle for the fly that is in the uttermost part of the rivers of Egypt, and for the bee that is in the land of Assyria. They will come and settle in the desolate valleys, in the clefts of the rocks, on all thorn hedges, and on all pastures.
In that day the Lord will use a razor, hired in the parts beyond the River (the king of Assyria), to shave the head and the hair of pubic area, and it will also consume the beard.
In that day that a man will keep alive a young cow, and two sheep. A because of the abundance of milk which they give he will eat butter. Indeed everyone that is left within the land will eat butter and honey.
In that day that every place where there were a thousand vines worth a thousand shekels of silver, will become briers and thorns. People will go there with bow and arrows, because the whole land will be briers and thorns. All the hills that were cultivated with the hoe, you will not go there for fear of briers and thorns. They will be cattle to go and for sheep to tread.”