What to Do in a Crisis – Isaiah 7:1-25
7 When Ahaz, son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, was king of Judah, King Rezin of Syria and Pekah, son of Remaliah, the king of Israel, went up to Jerusalem to wage war against it—but they could not conquer it. (2) But then the house of David received the report, Syria is in alliance with Ephraim! King Ahaz’s heart trembled—as did the heart of his people—like the trees of the forest are shaken by the wind. (3) Then Jehovah said to Isaiah, Go out, you and your son Shear-Jashub, to meet Ahaz at the end of the aqueduct of the upper pool, on the road to the Washerman’s Field. (4) Say to him, Pay attention and keep calm. Do not be afraid. Do not become fainthearted because of these two smoking stubs of firewood—because of the fierce anger of Rezin and Syria and that of the son of Remaliah. (5) Do not become fainthearted because Syria, Ephraim, and the son of Remaliah have planned evil against you, saying, (6) Let us invade Judah; let us tear it apart and divide it among ourselves, and make the son of Tabeel king over it. (7) This is what the Lord Jehovah says, Their plan will not be established, neither will it be accomplished—(8) because the head of Syria is only Damascus, and the head of Damascus is only Rezin. Furthermore, within sixty-five years Ephraim will be too shattered to any longer be a people. (9) The head of Ephraim is only Samaria, and the head of Samaria is only Remaliah’s son. If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all.
(10) Again Jehovah spoke to Ahaz, saying, (11) Ask for a sign from Jehovah your God. Ask for a sign to be given either in the depths below or in the heights above. (12) But Ahaz replied, I will not ask for a sign; I will not test Jehovah. (13) Then Isaiah said, Now listen, O house of David! Is it too trivial a thing for you to test the patience of men, so you test the patience of my God as well? (14) Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Look! A virgin will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and she will name him “Immanuel.” (15) He will eat curds and honey when he knows enough to reject what is evil and choose what is good; (16) because, before the boy knows enough to reject what is evil and choose what is good, the land of the two kings whom you dread will be made desolate.
(17) But Jehovah will bring upon you and upon your people, and upon your father’s house, a time unlike any since Ephraim broke away from Judah—he will bring upon you the king of Assyria. (18) On that day Jehovah will whistle for the flies from the most distant part of the rivers of Egypt and for the bees that are in the land of Assyria. (19) They will come and settle in the steep ravines and in the crevices in the rocks, and in all the thorny bushes, and at all the watering holes. (20) On that day the Lord will use a razor that he has hired from the region beyond the Euphrates River—the king of Assyria—to shave your head and the hair of your legs, and to cut off your beard also. (21) On that day a man will keep alive a young cow and two goats; (22) but because of the abundance of milk they will produce, he will eat curds. Everyone who is left in the land will eat curds and honey. (23) On that day, in every place where there once were a thousand vines worth a thousand shekels of silver, there will only be briers and thorns. (24) Men will only venture there armed with bow and arrow, because the land will be covered with briers and thorns. (25) As for all the hills once cultivated with the hoe, you will no longer go there for fear of the briers and thorns—they will become places where cattle are turned loose and places for sheep to trample.
Now proceed to the next section of this study, entitled, Exploring the Passage.
