Now that our long introduction is concluded, let us concentrate upon the detail and relevance of the Immanuel prophecy.
Ahaz may have bought off the threat of Assyrian invasion by offering himself as a vassal and ally, but in the face of these two kings, whose strength lay in their desire and need for self-protection, he seems to have felt insecure, fearing that they could, in fact, defeat him and cut off the succession. In this, he reckoned without the purpose of God, of whose nation he was the ruler; he reckoned without the promise of continuance of the Davidic dynasty.
In this depressed state, his only thought was his need for Tiglath-Pileser’s help — the prophet was sent to give him assurance that the northern kings could not succeed in their design, and that there was a greater help than that available from Nineveh. This assurance, though first directed toward the king, was also intended to succour the people.
What are the terms in which this assurance is couched?[1]
- Be not afraid of these two: though firebrands in the past, today they are but smoking stumps.
- It is Jehovah who says ‘This shall not be’.
- And, in contrast, though heads of these two peoples, Rezin and Pekah are mere men.
- Within 65 years, Ephraim will be totally dispersed (a hint of the deportation policy of Esarhaddon and Assurbanipal referred to in 2 Kings 17:6, 24/41)[2]
- Faith in and acceptance of Jehovah is your need.
After this, Ahaz was given opportunity for greater assurance through deeper experience he was encouraged to seek a sign direct from God, any sign, no matter how difficult it may appear.[3]
His refusal of this has been construed by many as an act of piety, a refusal to question God. But from our knowledge of Ahaz and of his leanings toward idolatry, we are unable to accept this explanation. We must decide, rather, that he is denigrating the God of Israel – I will not try your God, I will not ask for favours from Jehovah, what can he do” for me?[4]
To that taunt, Isaiah’s answer is, You refuse a sign? Then a sign you shall have! The young woman (known to you and me) is bearing a child, as you see, and when he is born, he will be named Immanuel. And before this child shall reach the age of discretion, before he is bar-mitzvah, less than 12 years from now, both your adversaries, whom you fear for their anti-Assyrian attitudes, will be without their kings.[5]
To further assist in our attempt at identification of Immanuel, we look, a year or two later, at the 8th chapter, where, having blazoned the name Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz on a large scroll, Isaiah begets a son to whom he gives this same name. In this case he is told that the child is to be no more than two years old (old enough to cry, Mummy, Daddy) when Damascus and Samaria are to be spoiled by Assyria.[6]
In explanation, Isaiah goes on to show that the northern peoples’ reliance upon the policy of Rezin and Pekah would result in the Assyrian taking positive action to bring this opposition to an end; not only so, but the invaders were to move on toward the south, filling the land of Judah.[7]
In the face of this inevitable purpose of God, no alliance or conspiracy against Assyria was to succeed. In this circumstance only faith and trust in God was the comfort and succour available to the people; nothing else could provide help.
Isaiah goes on to show that the elaborate naming of his three sons is intended as signs and potents, sent from Jehovah Sabaoth. There! it is out now! Clearly, the child Immanuel is one of the sons of Isaiah referred to in this context.[8]
Let us look at the names of the three:
A remnant shall return —
This is a message of hope, a sign of the purpose of God to sustain and preserve His people, in spite of the troubles shortly to fall upon them.
God is with us —
Reason for confidence, the basis of hope and assurance.
Speed the Spoil, Haste the Prey —
God’s judgments can wait no longer — speedily they shall be upon us.
Surely, when Isaiah refers to his sons,[9] it is three, rather than two, that he has in mind? As we go forward into the book, analysing the passages from this 8th chapter so far as to the end of the 12th chapter — for the whole of this is virtually the one continuous message — we see that these three names spell out the intent of the prophet’s words.
| 8:21-22 Speed the Spoil | Troubles to come upon them |
| 9:1-7 God is with us | Salvation and peace to come. |
|
9:8-12 Speed the Spoil 9:13-17 9:18-21 10:1-4 |
Causes of God’s anger. Note that these four sections each ends with “for all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still”. |
| 10:5-19 God is with us | The ephemeral glory of the Assyrian, to be cast down when his work is completed. |
| 10:20-23 A remnant shall return | Salvation of the faithful few – here the very name of the first son is used. |
| 10:24-34 God is with us | Failure of the Assyrian investment of Jerusalem. |
| 11:1-9 God is with us | Compare the cutting off of the Assyrian tree with the new shoot to come from the stump of Jesse. |
| 11:10-16 A remnant shall return | Regathering — in distant future, yet essential in those days as a message of hope and assurance. |
| 12 God is with us | Acknowledgement that through all these troubles, God’s hand has been with Israel to save those who seek to be His children. |
If indeed we have correctly identified Immanuel as a son of Isaiah, there are aspects of the words in which the prophecy is expressed to which we may give a little more attention.[10]
Butter and Honey —
translated Curds and Honey — the accepted fare of the prophetic tradition. Immanuel is to be raised in this specific environment! Who else is he then, but a prophet’s son? And, as he may accompany his father from time to time, even as a babe in arms, his presence and his name will be almost constantly before the king as the sign and portent which it was designed to be!
A Virgin shall conceive (a Young Woman is with child — RSV) — Heb. ha-almah, the young woman. Isaiah is referring to his wife in the third person! But note that in the 8th chapter he refers to his wife in the same impersonal way as “the prophetess”, so that there is no difficulty in accepting the third person reference to “the young woman”.
This is a remarkable example of the dual intent which so often characterises the Spirit’s prophetic word. Unquestionably, Ahaz saw in his own times the birth and nurturing of the child Immanuel. By New Testament times the way was clear to see the sign manifested again, for the Hebrew Scriptures had been translated into Greek — ha-almah had become he parthenos, and a true virgin birth could be seen as fulfilment.
The use by Matthew of the Ahaz sign in his ch. 1:23, cannot be construed as a proof of its single application to the birth of Jesus, any more than is Hosea 11:1 solely applicable to the flight into Egypt. Rather, our experience of prophetic interpretation should lead us to seek a duality of application, the primary or immediate fulfilment in such cases being the means whereby God’s instruction or condemnation is conveyed to those to whom it is directed.
What, then, was the outcome of this revelation to Ahaz? As to his reaction, it was in line with his refusal of Jehovah’s help — calling for assistance from Tiglath-Pileser, he plundered the temple and the king’s house to find the gold and silver to pay him withal. This purchased from him the overthrow of one at least of his adversaries, for the Assyrians took Damascus, and Rezin was slain.
From Damascus, Tiglath-Pileser called upon. Ahaz to come to meet him, and from this meeting Ahaz brought back to Jerusalem the pagan altar and the heathenish practices of the Arameans. Setting up altars and places of heathen worship ‘in every corner of Jerusalem’ and in all the cities of Judah, he demonstrated his abandonment, of all restraint. To achieve this, or to further appease the Assyrian king, he availed himself of the ten bronze bases from under the lavers which stood in the forecourt, as well as the twelve bronze oxen upon which stood the sea.
If, then, the word of the prophet had no effect upon Ahaz, wherein did its purpose lie? The answer lies within the message of which the sign of Immanuel is a part – the sign is addressed to the house of David. Not merely to Ahaz, for he was clearly unworthy of it, but to all those whose loyalty to the Davidic ideal would survive Ahaz’ rule, and who would be the tutors of the young Hezekiah, now only some five years of age. This young prince would himself need the faith and assurance which was the purpose of the Immanuel sign to carry him through the years of his father’s dissolute reign. And we know that he was ready in the first year of his reign to begin the task of redressing the wrongs of those years.
We do well to remember that decline had set in which would finally result in the destruction of the city, the removal of the throne, the captivity of the king and people. A measure of this decline is the failure of the two attempts at reformation of Hezekiah and Josiah to achieve any permanence, the failure of the rulers and people to heed the words of the prophets such as Hosea, Micah and Jeremiah.
We recognise also that when the sign was manifested the second time, there was the same refusal to accept his person and his message, on the part of the rulers, at least.
But we, in’ these late times, have come to know the Immanuel of the second fulfilment, and have accepted that relationship that has been made available to us through him. In these late times, also, we are aware that Jehovah’s judgments are to come upon the wider world, that a remnant is to be saved out of the general doom, and that faith in Him and association with His Son are the way to that salvation. And this in the midst of a decline of belief!
Is it not remarkable, then, how relevant to all times is the message of Isaiah to Ahaz?
Footnotes
[1] Isa 7:4-9
[2] It has been suggested that 15 may be inserted here in place of 65 years – this arises from the fact that the Hebrew words used for these numbers could be misinterpreted, being so alike at the time.
[3] Isa 7:10-11
[4] Isa 7:12
[5] Isa 7:16
[6] Isa 8:4
[7] Isa 8:6-8
[8] Isa 8:11-14
[9] Isa 8:18
[10] Isa 7:14-15
Daniel The Prophet – (Part 3)