Exploring the Book of Isaiah
Series: The Book of Isaiah (Part 4)
Text: Isaiah 7:10–16; 8:18
In the ancient world, when kings faced existential threats, they looked for military alliances, fortified walls, and weapons of war. But in the book of Isaiah, when King Ahaz of Judah faced the terrifying prospect of annihilation, God offered him something entirely different. He offered him signs—specifically, the sign of children.
Chapters 7 through 12 of Isaiah are often referred to as “The Book of Immanuel.” In this section of Scripture, we see God using the birth and naming of children to communicate the timeline of His judgment and the certainty of His presence.
The Context: A Kingdom Shaken
To understand these prophecies, we must understand the fear gripping Jerusalem. The setting is the Syro-Ephraimite War. King Rezin of Syria (Aram) and King Pekah of Israel (Ephraim) had formed an alliance. They wanted Judah to join them in rebelling against the mighty Assyrian Empire. When Ahaz refused, they turned on him.
The devastation was real. In previous battles, 120,000 men of Judah were killed, and 200,000 women and children were taken captive (2 Chronicles 28:6-8). Now, as these two kings marched toward Jerusalem to dethrone Ahaz, the Bible tells us that Ahaz’s heart “shook as the trees of the forest shake from the wind” (Isaiah 7:2).
Ahaz was ready to make a desperate mistake: allying with the brutal Assyrian empire for protection. It was in this atmosphere of terror that God sent Isaiah to the king with a message of hope, illustrated through three specific children.
The First Sign: Shear-jashub
Meaning: “A Remnant Shall Return”
God commanded Isaiah to take his son, Shear-jashub, to meet King Ahaz (Isaiah 7:3). The boy’s name was a walking sermon.
Historically, this sign spoke to the immediate crisis. Although Judah had suffered massive casualties and many had been taken captive, God intervened. Through the prophet Oded, God rebuked the army of Israel for “slaughtering [Judah] in a rage that reaches up to heaven” (2 Chronicles 28:9). Miraculously, the captives were clothed, fed, and returned.
The Lesson:
The name Shear-jashub reminds us that God preserves a people for Himself. A “remnant” is like a seed—it is not eaten, but saved for planting. Restoration is a key element of God’s covenant. Even when God disciplines His people, He does not wipe them out completely. For the believer today, this is a reminder that we do not kick a brother or sister when they are down. When God is dealing with someone, our role is to restore them in a spirit of gentleness (Galatians 6:1).
The Second Sign: Immanuel
Meaning: “God is With Us”
God offered Ahaz a sign as deep as Sheol or as high as heaven to prove His faithfulness. Ahaz, feigning piety, refused to ask. In response, God gave a sign anyway—a sign that echoes through history.
“Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and she will name Him Immanuel.” (Isaiah 7:14)
While we rightly look to Matthew 1:22–23 to see the ultimate fulfillment of this prophecy in Jesus Christ, the sign had an immediate message for Ahaz. The prophecy spoke of a young woman of that time whose child would serve as a countdown clock for the king.
God promised that before this boy was old enough to refuse evil and choose good, the two kings Ahaz feared (Rezin and Pekah) would be gone. However, the sign came with a warning. The child would eat “curds and honey”—the diet of a poor man in a land where agriculture has been destroyed.
The Lesson:
“God is with us” is not always a promise of ease. Sometimes, God is “with us” in the midst of discipline and scarcity. Ahaz refused to trust God, choosing instead to trust the king of Assyria. As a result, God used Assyria to “shave” Judah, bringing humiliation and poverty. The sign of Immanuel teaches us that trusting in human strength rather than God leads to a downfall, yet even in the wreckage, God remains present.
The Third Sign: Maher-shalal-hash-baz
Meaning: “Swift is the plunder, speedy is the prey”
The third child carries a name that sounds like the thundering hooves of an approaching army. God told Isaiah to name this child Maher-shalal-hash-baz to signify that before the boy could say “Mama” or “Dada,” the wealth of Damascus and Samaria would be carried away by Assyria (Isaiah 8:4).
Because the people rejected the “gently flowing waters of Shiloah” (God’s quiet, sustaining provision), God promised to send the raging floodwaters of the Euphrates (the Assyrian army) to sweep through the land (Isaiah 8:6-8).
The Lesson:
We must not ignore the soft pleading of God’s voice. God is patient, not willing that any should perish (2 Peter 3:9), but His patience has a limit. When we reject His gentle leading, we invite the flood. However, for the true believer, there is a different promise. While God becomes a “stone of stumbling” for the rebellious, He is a “sanctuary” for those who fear Him. We are instructed not to fear what the world fears—conspiracies, wars, or rumors—but to sanctify Christ as Lord in our hearts.
Conclusion: The Theology of Child-Like Faith
Why did God use children as signs?
- To Indicate Nearness: Children mark time. Before a child is weaned, or before a child can speak, the world can change. God was showing Ahaz that His word would be fulfilled quickly, within the developmental stages of a toddler.
- To Teach Dependence: God wants His people to trust Him with the simplicity of a child trusting a father.
Isaiah 8:18 summarizes the heart of this section: “Behold, I and the children whom the Lord has given me are for signs and wonders in Israel from the Lord of armies.”
In a world of dark sayings, mediums, and fearful conspiracies, we are called “to the Law and to the testimony” (Isaiah 8:20). Like Isaiah, we must wait eagerly for the Lord, knowing that whether the sign is a remnant returning or a virgin conceiving, the ultimate truth remains: God is with us.
[to be continued…]
