SHAVED WITH A HIRED RAZOR ISAIAH 7:1-25

Transcription

1 1 SHAVED WITH A HIRED RAZOR ISAIAH 7:1-25

2 2 Text: Isaiah 7:1-25, SHAVED WITH A HIRED RAZOR 1. During the reign of Ahaz son of Jotham, son of Uzziah, king of Judah, King Rezin of Syria and King Pekah son of Remaliah of Israel marched up to Jerusalem to do battle, but they were unable to prevail against it. 2. It was reported to the family of David, Syria has allied with Ephraim. They and their people were emotionally shaken, just as the trees of the forest shake before the wind. 3. So the Lord told Isaiah, Go out with your son Shear-jashub and meet Ahaz at the end of the conduit of the upper pool which is located on the road to the field where they wash and dry cloth. 4. Tell him, Make sure you stay calm! Don t be afraid! Don t be intimidated by these two stubs of smoking logs, or by the raging anger of Rezin, Syria, and the son of Remaliah. 5. Syria has plotted with Ephraim and the son of Remaliah to bring about your demise. 6. They say, Let s attack Judah, terrorize it, and conquer it. Then we ll set up the son of Tabeel as its king. 7. For this reason the sovereign master, the Lord, says: It will not take place; it will not happen. 8. For Syria s leader is Damascus, and the leader of Damascus is Rezin. Within sixty-five years Ephraim will no longer exist as a nation. 9. Ephraim s leader is Samaria, and Samaria s leader is the son of Remaliah. If your faith does not remain firm, then you will not remain secure. 10. The Lord again spoke to Ahaz: 11. Ask for a confirming sign from the Lord your God. You can even ask for something miraculous.

3 But Ahaz responded, I don t want to ask; I don t want to put the Lord to a test. 13. So Isaiah replied, Pay attention, family of David. Do you consider it too insignificant to try the patience of men? Is that why you are also trying the patience of my God? 14. For this reason the sovereign master himself will give you a confirming sign. Look, this young woman is about to conceive and will give birth to a son. You, young woman, will name him Immanuel. 15. He will eat sour milk and honey, which will help him know how to reject evil and choose what is right. 16. Here is why this will be so: Before the child knows how to reject evil and choose what is right, the land whose two kings you fear will be desolate. 17. The Lord will bring on you, your people, and your father s family a time unlike any since Ephraim departed from Judah the king of Assyria! 18. At that time the Lord will whistle for flies from the distant streams of Egypt and for bees from the land of Assyria. 19. All of them will come and make their home in the ravines between the cliffs, and in the crevices of the cliffs, in all the thorn bushes, and in all the watering holes. 20. At that time the sovereign master will use a razor hired from the banks of the Euphrates River, the king of Assyria, to shave the head and the pubic hair; it will also shave off the beard. 21. At that time a man will keep alive a young cow from the herd and a couple of goats. 22. From the abundance of milk they produce, he will have sour milk for his meals. Indeed, everyone left in the heart of the land will eat sour milk and honey. 23 At that time every place where there had been a thousand vines worth a thousand shekels will be overrun with thorns and briers.

4 With bow and arrow men will hunt there, for the whole land will be covered with thorns and briers. 25. They will stay away from all the hills that were cultivated, for fear of the thorns and briers. Cattle will graze there and sheep will trample on them. (NET) Commentary: Isaiah 7 pictured a sad time when a coalition of the Northern Kingdom of Israel, along with others, planned to come against Judah and Jerusalem. God said they, went up toward Jerusalem to war against it, but could not prevail against it. Even though Jerusalem was spared, disobedience brought a terrible toll against Judah. For Pekah the son of Remaliah slew in Judah an hundred and twenty thousand in one day, which were all valiant men; because they had forsaken the LORD God of their fathers. (2 Chronicles 28:6) King Ahaz was frightened because, The children of Israel carried away captive of their brethren two hundred thousand, women, sons, and daughters, and took also away much spoil from them, and brought the spoil to Samaria. (2 Chronicles 28:8) God sent Isaiah, along with His son Shearjashub, to Ahaz to tell him not to fear. God told Ahaz that those who were coming to burn Jerusalem were just two smoking firebrands. The Lord told him to ask for a sign as proof that God would protect Jerusalem. Ahaz was not a good man. He did not obey God. When he did not ask for a sign Isaiah said, Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. (Isaiah 7:14) God told Ahaz that before the boy was old enough to refuse evil and choose good the two kings which he feared would be forsaken. Sadly, even though God blessed Ahaz he did not serve God faithfully. Twenty years old was Ahaz when he began to reign, and reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem, and did not that which was right in the sight of the

5 5 LORD his God, like David his father. But he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, yea, and made his son to pass through the fire, according to the abominations of the heathen, whom the LORD cast out from before the children of Israel. And he sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places, and on the hills, and under every green tree. (2 Kings 16:2-4) Prophecy often had dual meaning. This prophecy would be fulfilled in the days of Ahaz, but it also was fulfilled in Jesus. (Matthew 1:18-23) Another example of dual fulfillment of prophecy has to do with God calling Israel out of Egypt and later calling His Son out of Egypt. In Hosea 11:1 we read, When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt. Later this prophecy was also applied to Jesus. The angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him. When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt: And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son. (Matthew 2:13-15) The way you know if a prophecy has dual fulfillment is if you read it in the Bible! God told Ahaz that things were not going to be easy for Judah. In fact, He was going to send a hired razor to shave Judah from head to toe. The sins of Ahaz had caused these difficulties for Judah. For the LORD brought Judah low because of Ahaz king of Israel; for he made Judah naked, and transgressed sore against the LORD. (2 Chronicles 28:19) Take heed, be quiet, fear not, do not be fainthearted Isaiah 7:1-4: Ahaz was fearful when Rezin the king of Syria, and Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, went up toward Jerusalem to war against it. Ahaz was a very wicked king, but he played a part in one of the most notable prophecies concerning the Messiah. Jerusalem was spared, not because of Ahaz, but because of God s promises to David. Ahaz did not have faith in God, nor did he expect His help when the enemy came. Ahaz saw a situation that was

6 6 hopeless and woeful. God sent Isaiah and his son, Shearjashub, to Ahaz at the end of the conduit of the upper pool. He was told to settle his mind, get rid of fear and joyfully believe in God s promises. He was told that the two enemies coming against his were smoking firebrands, more smoke than fire. Isaiah brought hope to Ahaz and Jerusalem Isaiah 7:5-9: Syria, Ephraim, and the son of Remaliah made an evil plan against Ahaz and Judah. Their intent was to break the power of Judah and subdue it. They wanted to set a king in the midst of it, even the son of Tabeal. God said that the evil plan that Syria, Ephraim, and the son of Remaliah made would not come to pass. You do not have to fear when you have a promise from God saying, I, the LORD, promise that this will never happen. Damascus is the capital of Syria, and Rezin ruled in Damascus. Samaria is the capital of Israel, and Pekah ruled in Samaria. But in less than sixty-five years, Israel would be destroyed. If Ahaz and his officials did not trust God the same thing would happen to them. (Isaiah 7:8-9) Jerusalem would not be taken, nor would it become a part of Rezin's dominion. God would keep him within his own bounds; he would be king of Damascus only. When those years had passed; after a series of carrying groups of people away from Samaria, the Assyrians completely took over Samaria. And the king of Assyria brought men from Babylon, and from Cuthah, and from Ava, and from Hamath, and from Sepharvaim, and placed them in the cities of Samaria instead of the children of Israel: and they possessed Samaria, and dwelt in the cities thereof. (2 Kings 17:24) God s promise concerning the birth of a Child Isaiah 7:10-16: Isaiah observed that Ahaz did not believe what was being said, He told him to ask for a sign from God to prove that this message was true. God said, Ask me for proof that my promise will come true. Ask for something to happen deep in the world of the dead or high in the heavens above. It seems that this could have been any miraculous work that God s promises would be kept. Ahaz s refusal to ask for a sign did not come out of the strength of his faith, but out of his total disregard for God and His commandments. Ahaz said, I will not ask, neither

7 7 will I tempt the LORD. His words were full of hypocrisy. God reproved them all saying, Hear ye now, O house of David; Is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will ye weary my God also? Ahaz had already wearied God s prophet and the people of the land by the lack of faith and by his ungodly actions. It is now pointed out that Ahaz s offense is not just against man. Instead, it is against God Himself. The Lord promised proof to Ahaz. He said a virgin would have a son and that his name would be Immanuel. God told the king that even before the boy was old enough to know how to choose between right and wrong the countries of the two kings he feared would be destroyed. The child in Ahaz s day could have been one of Isaiah s sons. Later, there is no doubt that the prophecy pointed to Jesus, God s Son. (Matthew 1:18-25) The invasion would come against Judah and Jerusalem Isaiah 7:17-25: Even though God spared Judah and Jerusalem from destruction, they were not spared from punishment and misery because of their sins. God promised that He would bring evil days upon them. We read, And Tilgathpilneser king of Assyria came unto him, and distressed him, but strengthened him not. (2 Chronicles 28:20) God would whistle for the flies and the bees to come against Judah. This is a reference to Egypt and the Assyrians who would come in large numbers against Judah. The armies would come from Egypt like flies and from Assyria like bees. They would be everywhere in the land. Ahaz would hire the razor and God would then shave him with it. In the same day shall the Lord shave with a razor that is hired, namely, by them beyond the river, by the king of Assyria, the head, and the hair of the feet: and it shall also consume the beard. (Isaiah 7:20) Ahaz hired the razor and God shaved him with that hypocritical nation. So Ahaz sent messengers to Tiglathpileser king of Assyria, saying, I am thy servant and thy son: come up, and save me out of the hand of the king of Syria, and out of the hand of the king of Israel, which rise up against me. And Ahaz took the silver and gold that was found in the house of the LORD, and in the treasures of the king's house, and sent it for a present to the king of Assyria. (2 Kings 16:7-8) Those that had great herds of animals

8 8 in the past would now be happy if they had a young cow and two sheep. The people would now have the food that in past times was eaten by the poor, butter, honey and milk. The vineyards that they had rented out for large sums of money in the past were now nothing but briers and thorns. The good land would become a place for wild beasts, so the men would have to move about with arrows and bows. They would even hunt these wild animals for food. The briers and thorns would be so bad they would keep the cattle away from good places for them to be. Sin brings misery and punishment. God used Isaiah to predict the punishment coming upon Judah for her sins. He wrote, Is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will ye weary my God also? He also gave a beautiful description of the coming Messiah. Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. Our spiritual life is through and because of Jesus, the Christ. To be saved from sin hear the gospel (Romans 10:17), believe in Jesus (Mark 16:16), repent of sins (Luke 13:5), confess Jesus as Lord (Matthew 10:32), and be baptized into Christ. (Romans 6:3-4) God wants us to learn, through Ahaz, that sin brings certain and severe misery! By Charles Box, Walnut Street Church of Christ, P. O. Box 551, Greenville, Alabama 36037

9 9 Questions On Isaiah 7:1-25 (Questions 1-27 are based on the NET text.) 1. According to verse 1, what happened during the reign of Ahaz? 2. Who was Ahaz? Give as much information as you can about Ahaz. 3. Does it surprise you that there was a conflict between the southern and northern tribes? Give other examples of conflict among the tribes.

10 Who was emotionally shaken? Why were they upset? 5. What did the Lord tell Isaiah to do? Who was to go with Isaiah on this mission? 6. Isaiah was told to, not to be and not to be by the of, or by the of,, and the of. 7. Whom did God send to meet Ahaz. Where were they to meet? Exactly where was this place located? 8. Give as much information as you can about Jotham and Uzziah.

11 Give as much information as you can about Rezin. 10. Give as much information as you can about Pekah. 11. Give as much information as you can about Ramaliah. 12. had with and, the of, to bring about your demise. 13. To whose demise is verse 5 speaking? Exactly what was included in the

12 12 word demise? What did Judah s enemies plan to do? 14. Who was Tabeel? Who was his son? Give all the information you can about these people? 15. What did the Lord have to say about these plans of Judah s enemies? Explain what the Lord said regarding these matters. 16. What did the Lord say to Ahaz? 17. What did Ahaz say to the Lord in his reply?

13 Have you ever tested the Lord? If so, how and under what circumstances? Give details. 19. What did Isaiah say to the family of David? 20. What was the confirming sign God would give the family of David? 21. How could eating sour milk and honey help a person know how to reject evil and choose what is right?

14 What would the Lord bring on the people? 23. For what would the Lord whistle? What would happen as a result of this whistling? 24. Who is the sovereign master mentioned in verse 20? What would he do? 25. What would a young cow and a couple of goats do? What would everyone left in the heart of the land do?

15 What would happen to the place where there had been a thousand vines? _ 27. In your own words, what does Isaiah 7 really say, mean? 28. According to 2 Chronicles 28:6, 8, what were the results of the attack by Assyria and the Northern Kingdom of Israel on Jerusalem? 29. Describe the character of Ahaz. What effect did his character have on Judah?

16 What sign did God give Ahaz? What were the dual meanings of this sign? When was the sign fulfilled? 31. Give other examples of prophecies which have dual applications. 32. told that things were not going to be for. In fact, He was going to send a to from to. 33. Ahaz faced a very difficult situation. He was to be, take to what God said, and not to be. 34. The enemies coming against Jerusalem were nothing more than, more than. 35. What would happen to the Northern Kingdom in less than sixty-five years from the time of the events of Isaiah 7? Include what is said in 2 Kings 17:24.

17 s was not just against. Instead, it was. 37. Even though and from, they were from and because of their. 38. What did the flies and beer represent? 39. What is meant by the hired razor and what was done with it?... figuratively and literally? 40. Who was Tiglathpileser? How was he involved in the events of Isaiah 7?_

18 18 Extra Credit Question: Those that had of in the would now be if they had a and. The people would now have the that in was by the,, and. The that they had for of in the were now but and. The would become a for. brings and. used to the coming upon for her.