haz threatened by Israel and Syria; and is assured their
attack would be in vain. (1-9) God gives a sure sign by the
promise of the long-expected Messiah. (10-16) The folly and sin
of seeking relief from Assyria are reproved. (17-25)
Verses 1-9: Ungodly men are often punished by others as bad as
themselves. Being in great distress and confusion, the Jews gave
up all for lost. They had made God their enemy, and knew not how
to make him their friend. The prophet must teach them to despise
their enemies, in faith and dependence on God. Ahaz, in fear,
called them two powerful princes. No, says the prophet, they are
but tails of smoking firebrands, burnt out already. The two
kingdoms of Syria and Israel were nearly expiring. While God has
work for the firebrands of the earth, they consume all before
them; but when their work is fulfilled, they will be
extinguished in smoke. That which Ahaz thought most formidable,
is made the ground of their defeat; because they have taken evil
counsel against thee; which is an offence to God. God scorns the
scorners, and gives his word that the attempt should not
succeed. Man purposes, but God disposes. It was folly for those
to be trying to ruin their neighbours, who were themselves near
to ruin. Isaiah must urge the Jews to rely on the assurances
given them. Faith is absolutely necessary to quiet and compose
the mind in trials.
Verses 10-16: Secret disaffection to God is often disguised with the
colour of respect to him; and those who are resolved that they
will not trust God, yet pretend they will not tempt him. The
prophet reproved Ahaz and his court, for the little value they
had for Divine revelation. Nothing is more grievous to God than
distrust, but the unbelief of man shall not make the promise of
God of no effect; the Lord himself shall give a sign. How great
soever your distress and danger, of you the Messiah is to be
born, and you cannot be destroyed while that blessing is in you.
It shall be brought to pass in a glorious manner; and the
strongest consolations in time of trouble are derived from
Christ, our relation to him, our interest in him, our
expectations of him and from him. He would grow up like other
children, by the use of the diet of those countries; but he
would, unlike other children, uniformly refuse the evil and
choose the good. And although his birth would be by the power of
the Holy Ghost, yet he should not be fed with angels' food. Then
follows a sign of the speedy destruction of the princes, now a
terror to Judah. "Before this child," so it may be read; "this
child which I have now in my arms," (Shear-jashub, the prophet's
own son, ver. (3),) shall be three or four years older, these
enemies' forces shall be forsaken of both their kings. The
prophecy is so solemn, the sign is so marked, as given by God
himself after Ahaz rejected the offer, that it must have raised
hopes far beyond what the present occasion suggested. And, if
the prospect of the coming of the Divine Saviour was a
never-failing support to the hopes of ancient believers, what
cause have we to be thankful that the Word was made flesh! May
we trust in and love Him, and copy his example.
Verses 17-25: Let those who will not believe the promises of God,
expect to hear the alarms of his threatenings; for who can
resist or escape his judgments? The Lord shall sweep all away;
and whomsoever he employs in any service for him, he will pay.
All speaks a sad change of the face of that pleasant land. But
what melancholy change is there, which sin will not make with a
people? Agriculture would cease. Sorrows of every kind will come
upon all who neglect the great salvation. If we remain
unfruitful under the means of grace, the Lord will say, Let no
fruit grow on thee henceforth for ever.
haz threatened by Israel and Syria; and is assured their
attack would be in vain. (1-9) God gives a sure sign by the
promise of the long-expected Messiah. (10-16) The folly and sin
of seeking relief from Assyria are reproved. (17-25)