ISAIAH CHAPTER 8

OBSERVATION STAGE

TABLE OF CONTENTS

The purpose of the observation stage is to maintain focus on the text at hand within the normative rules of language, context and logic . .This limits the observer to the content offered by the book of Isaiah. This will serve to avoid going on unnecessary tangents elsewhere; and more importantly, it will provide the framework for a proper and objective comparison with passages located elsewhere in Scripture.

Remember that something elsewhere may be true, but in the text at hand it may not be in view.

The context of chapter 7 continues in chapter 8:

****** EXCERPT FROM CHAPTER 7 *******

Or skip to the beginning of chapter 8:

(7:17-25) IN THE FACE OF KING AHAZ'S ARROGANT AND FAITHLESS REJECTION OF THE LORD, ISAIAH PROPHESIED THAT THE LORD WOULD BRING UPON THE KING, HIS FATHER'S HOUSE, AND THE PEOPLE OF JUDAH SUCH DAYS AS HAVE NEVER COME UPON JUDAH SINCE EPHRAIM DEPARTED FROM JUDAH. HORDES OF SOLDIERS FROM EGYPT AND ASSYRIA WOULD DESTROY CULTIVATED LANDS AND VINEYARDS. THE LAND WOULD RETURN TO BRIARS AND THORNS, MAKING FARMING IMPOSSIBLE. THE PEOPLE WOULD BE HUMILIATED, SLAUGHTERED AND TAKEN AWAY CAPTIVE TO OTHER LANDS. THOSE FEW WHO WERE LEFT WOULD HAVE TO SURVIVE ON MILK AND CURDS FROM THE FEW COWS AND SHEEP LEFT TO GRAZE ON THE WILD GRASSES AMIDST THE BRIARS AND THORNS, HONEY FROM THE BEES WHO FED ON WILD FLOWERS, AND THE HUNTING OF WILD GAME

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I) [Isa 8:1-22]:

A) (8:1-4) AT THE LORD'S COMMAND, ISAIAH NAMED A SON HE WOULD CONCEIVE 'MAHER-SHALAL-HASH-BAZ,' HAVING ALREADY CHISELED THOSE WORDS ON A LARGE TABLET IN THE PRESENCE OF TWO WITNESSES. THESE WORDS WHICH MEANT 'QUICK TO PLUNDER, SWIFT TO SPOIL' AND ISAIAH'S PROPHECY THAT HIS FUTURE SON WOULD NOT YET LEARN TO CALL OUT 'MOTHER' OR 'FATHER' BEFORE THE KINGDOMS OF ARAM AND EPHRAIM WOULD BE PILLAGED BY ASSYRIA, DESTROYING THEIR CAPACITY TO WAGE WAR ON JUDAH; WOULD REMIND THE PEOPLE OF JUDAH OF GOD'S FAITHFULNESS TO HIS PROMISE TO PROTECT THEM

B) (7:14 & 8:1-4 cont.) ALTHOUGH ISAIAH'S SECOND CHILD WAS CONCEIVED AND BORN AFTER ISAIAH'S CHISELED PROPHECY ON THE LARGE TABLET, (734 B.C.), AFTER WHICH DAMASCUS WAS OCCUPIED AND SAMARIA PLUNDERED BY ASSYRIA BEFORE THAT SECOND CHILD WAS ABLE TO CRY 'MY FATHER ' OR 'MY MOTHER' (~1 YR OLD), (733-732 B.C.); AND ALTHOUGH THAT SECOND CHILD WAS BORN AFTER THE LORD'S PROPHECY OF THE MAIDEN / VIRGIN WHO WAS TO GIVE BIRTH TO A SON, WHOSE NAME SHE WOULD CALL 'IMMANUEL;' HE WAS NOT A FULFILLMENT OF THE 'IMMANUEL' PROPHECY AS SOME CONTEND

****** EXCERPT FROM ISAIAH CHAPTER 7 ******

(7:14-16) ISAIAH REQUESTED TO KING AHAZ TO NAME ANY MIRACULOUS SIGN IN CREATION FOR THE LORD TO PERFORM TO AUTHENTICATE THAT GOD WOULD NEVER LET ARAM AND EPHRIAM CONQUER JUDAH. THE OFFER WAS ARROGANTLY REJECTED BY THE UNFAITHFUL AHAZ. THEREFORE, THE LORD HIMSELF GAVE A SIGN TO BEHOLD BEYOND AHAZ'S LIFETIME AND IN THE DISTANT FUTURE: THE MAIDEN / VIRGIN - THE PREGNANT ONE - GIVING BIRTH TO A SON, WHOM SHE WOULD CALL HIS NAME IMMANUEL - MEANING GOD IS WITH US. AND GROWING UP AS A YOUNG, CHILD HE WOULD EAT CURDS AND HONEY, (INFANT FOOD); AND BEFORE HE KNEW TO REFUSE THE EVIL AND CHOOSE TO DO GOOD, THE KINGDOMS THAT JUDAH DREADED WOULD BE FORSAKEN BY BOTH HER KINGS AND DESTROYED

[Compare Isa 9:1-7]:

****** END OF EXCERPT FROM ISAIAH CHAPTER 7 ******

C) (8:5-15) THE PEOPLE OF THE NORTHERN KINGDOM OF ISRAEL IN SAMARIA REJECTED THEIR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE LORD AND HIS PEOPLE IN JUDAH FOR AN ALLIANCE WITH ARAM TO CONQUER AND RULE OVER JUDAH. CONSEQUENTLY, THE LORD INDICATED THAT ASSRYRIA WOULD FLOOD THEIR ARMIES INTO ARAM, SAMARIA AND JUDAH EVEN UP TO THE GATES OF JERUSALEM. THE PEOPLE OF JUDAH WERE REPEATEDLY COMMANDED NOT TO PANIC IN TERROR BUT TO TRUST IN THE LORD TO PROTECT THEM. WHEN THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL TRUSTED IN THE LORD, HE WAS THEIR SANCTUARY; BUT WHEN THEY DID NOT, HE WAS A ROCK OF OFFENSE TO BOTH HOUSES, EVEN THE INHABITANTS OF JERUSALEM. NEVERTHELESS, THE LORD WOULD PRESERVE JERUSALEM FROM DESTRUCTION BY ASSYRIA

1) [Compare Isa 7:1]:

D) (8:16-22) ISAIAH BOUND UP AND SEALED THE DETAILED ACCOUNT OF HIS TESTIMONY IN THE PRESENCE OF HIS DISCIPLES AS WITNESSES TO SECURE ITS INTEGRITY. HENCE IT COULD NOT BE CLAIMED THAT IT WAS ALTERED; AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, ISAIAH'S TESTIMONY WOULD PROVE ITSELF TO BE GOD'S WORD WHEN THE PROPHECIES WERE FULFILLED. CONSEQUENTLY, ISAIAH'S TESTIMONY HAD THE FORCE OF LAW, WHICH FORTIFIED HIS POSITION AS GOD'S PROPHET. ISAIAH DECLARED THAT HE HAD LOOKED FOR THE LORD WHILE THE LORD HAD HIDDEN HIS FACE FROM THE HOUSE OF JACOB. HE DECLARED THAT HE AND HIS CHILDREN WERE SIGNS AND WONDERS IN ISRAEL FROM THE LORD. ISAIAH QUESTIONED THOSE WHO SOUGHT MEDIUMS AND WIZARDS WHO CLAIMED TO CONSULT THE DEAD INSTEAD OF SEEKING THE LIVING GOD - EXPLAINING THAT IT WAS BECAUSE THERE WAS NO LIGHT IN THEM. HE ALSO DECLARED THAT THOSE ISRAELITES WHO TRUSTED IN SUCH THINGS WOULD BE HARD-PRESSED, HUNGRY; AND SO ENRAGED AT THEIR DISTRESS THAT THEY WOULD CURSE THEIR KING AND EVEN GOD FOR THEIR TROUBLES. THEY WOULD LOOK UP TO THE LORD IN THE HEAVENS IN VAIN AND THEN LOOK DOWN TO EARTH WHERE THE GLOOM OF THEIR ANGUISH WOULD DRIVE THEM INTO FURTHER DARKNESS. THEY HAD REJECTED THE LIGHT OF THE RIGHTEOUSESS OF THE LORD AND WOULD SUFFER THE DARKNESS OF HIS JUDGMENT VIA ASSYRIAN OPPRESSION

1) [Compare Isa 7:17-25]:

CONTINUE TO ISAIAH CHAPTER 9