Isaiah 7 - Comfort in Chaos
I have read this passage numerous times throughout my life, and I was amazed at some insight I never gathered before this time. This happens time and time again to me, and I am sure most of you have experienced this as well. This goes to show that constantly being in Scripture always gives further, deeper insight into the Lord.
This passage is generally thought to occur in or around 734 BC. For context, Israel and Judah are split into two kingdoms at this time. King Ahaz (King of Judah) is shaking in his boots as Syria has made a confederation with Ephraim and was seeking an alliance with Israel to withstand a coming invasion by Assyria into Syria. Ahaz is then seeking an alliance with Assyria to withstand the assumed invasion by Syria. In this passage, the Lord is sending Isaiah and his son to prophecy to Ahaz that Syria will not invade, but Assyria will invade (722 BC this was fulfilled) in the future.
“With everything going on seemingly all at once, we should all find comfort in the midst of our chaotic world.”
In short, King Ahaz is very anxious. He is scrambling. He is also very confused as to what he thinks is going to happen doesn’t in the end happen, but what does happen is what he thinks will not happen. Hence, we have two major comforts given to King Ahaz in the midst of all this chaos that has caused great confusion.
Isaiah is ordered by the Lord to take his son to prophecy with him. Isaiah’s son’s name is Shear-Jashub. Literally, Shear-Jashub means a remnant shall return. There is nothing in the Bible that is out of place. Everything has a specific meaning and purpose. The Lord ordered Isaiah to take his son with him to prophecy to Ahaz as the very name of Isaiah’s son should bring comfort in the midst of chaos to this situation. Is the situation dire? Yes. Is this prophecy a judgement on this nation? Yes. But, anytime you see the Lord providing judgement, you will always see an element of comfort provided as it is for a purpose for a time. Even in the midst of this judgement, the Lord is saying it will not be total destruction, and it will only be for a time as a remnant shall return.
That brings us into point 2, but first, this prophecy has current implications. Just as Isaiah is prophesying the judgement on this nation and that a remnant shall return before the advent of Christ (verse 14), a remnant of Israel has returned to its land before the Parousia (second advent of Christ). In May of 1948, Israel was declared a nation again after over 1800 years of wandering. The end time clock accelerated at that moment. We can see mass evidence of how quickly we are getting to the fulfillment of end time prophecy this very day.
Verse 14: the coming Messiah. Yet in all this chaos, the Lord sent Isaiah to provide comfort in that, some day, He would send His Son. The prophecy in this verse declared that Jesus would be born of a virgin, not just a virgin, but the Hebrew here is “the” virgin as it is the only time in history where a virgin will conceive a child. Immanuel is a symbolic name for Jesus. This proves that he was 100% God while being on earth as 100% man. As we all know, Immanuel means, “God with us.” God was with us here on this earth as Jesus the Son of God, one of three parts to the Holy Trinity. There would have been no greater comfort in the midst of this chaos than to know the Messiah would soon be coming, so there was nothing to worry about.
With everything going on seemingly all at once, we should all find comfort in the midst of our chaotic world. There is nothing out of place. The pieces are falling into place just as the Word of God declares. Our comfort is in the Lord. Psalm 121 is one of my favorite passages regarding this.
MARANATHA!
“I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord , who made heaven and earth.”
