8:1 The Lord told me, “Take a large tablet and inscribe these words on it with an ordinary stylus: ‘Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz.’
Isaiah 8:1-9:7 was the second chapter of the “Book of Immanuel” (Isaiah 7-12). Chapter 7 announced the birth of Immanuel. In chapter 8, the birth of Immanuel was predicted and recorded as prophecy.
Isaiah was to write on a large impressive stone monument, “Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz.” This meant “quick to the plunder, quick to the spoil.” Military soldiers would shout these words as they defeated and plundered their foes.
8:2 Then I will summon as my reliable witnesses Uriah the priest and Zechariah son of Jeberekiah.”
God would call in two witnesses to confirm this prophecy. Uriah was a corrupt priest who built an altar for King Ahaz to Assyrian gods. Zechariah may have been another false prophet of this time (but not the Zechariah who prophesied to the Jews after the Babylonian Captivity). Both of these witnesses were anti-Isaiah, anti-Jehovah, and pro-King Ahaz. Their politics and their worldview lay not with Isaiah, but with King Ahaz. The strongest testimony in a court of law is positive evidence given by your enemies. Therefore, Isaiah called two of his greatest enemies to confirm his prophecy from Jehovah.
8:3 I then had sexual relations with the prophetess; she conceived and gave birth to a son. The Lord told me, “Name him Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz,
The prophetess was Isaiah’s wife. Isaiah already had one son, so his wife was not the virgin spoken about in Isaiah 7:14. This second son was to be named “Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz,” meaning “quick to the plunder, quick to the spoil.”
8:4 for before the child knows how to cry out, ‘My father’ or ‘My mother,’ the wealth of Damascus and the plunder of Samaria will be carried off by the king of Assyria.”
Before this baby could say in Hebrew “my father” or “my mother” (which is about one year of age), then the Syrian-Israel alliance would falter and fail. The Syrian-Isarel alliance would not be able to end the Davidic line in Judah. Since King Ahaz probably did not share Isaiah’s earlier prophecy to the nation, then Isaiah shared a separate prophecy with his people.
This prophecy meant that in about 21 months (nine months for the pregnancy and one year of the child’s life), Assyria would plunder both Damascus (Syria’s capital city) and Samaria (Israel’s capital city). This event was fulfilled in 732 B.C. When both of these capitals fell, then Judah should have recognized the fulfillment of this prophecy and turned back to God. However, she refused to repent. She continued to worship satanic idols.
8:5 The Lord spoke to me again:
Jehovah spoke to Isaiah again.
8:6 “These people have rejected the gently flowing waters of Shiloah and melt in fear over Rezin and the son of Remaliah.
“These people” refer to the Northern Kingdom of Israel. The “gently flowing waters of Shiloah” were the quiet springs inside of Jerusalem’s walls. The northern kingdom of Israel had rejected the spring waters which were flowing inside of Jerusalem’s walls. She rejected the true worship of Jehovah and worshiped demonic idols instead. Israel feared Assyria more than she feared God.
8:7 So look, the sovereign master is bringing up against them the turbulent and mighty waters of the Euphrates River—the king of Assyria and all his majestic power. It will reach flood stage and overflow its banks.
Since Israel rejected the flowing waters of Jerusalem, then she would drown in the mighty flood waters which would come from the Assyrian invasion. This is one example in Scripture where flooding waters represented a military invasion.
8:8 It will spill into Judah, flooding and engulfing, as it reaches to the necks of its victims. He will spread his wings out over your entire land, O Immanuel.”
The Assyrian invasion would flood Judah up to her neck. King Sennacherib of Assyria would conquer 46 cities of Judah, but he would not be allowed to capture Jerusalem. Jerusalem was the head of Judah, so she would be the only city of Judah who would survive this Assyrian flood. She would be the only city who was able to keep her neck above the flooding waters of Assyria.
The reason that Jerusalem would not drown is because Immanuel would spread His wings over Jerusalem and protect the Messiah who would be born from the future Davidic kings. God had not forgotten the Davidic Covenant which He promised to His people.
8:9 Raise the war cry, you nations, and be shattered! Listen, all you distant lands. Prepare for battle, and be shattered. Prepare for battle, and be shattered!
In verses 9-10, Isaiah gave a warning to the Gentile nations. Any conspiracy against the House of David was doomed to failure. Any Gentle nation who attempted to exterminate the Davidic line would be shattered, because Immanuel (the virgin-born son) would be born from this line.
8:10 Devise your strategy, but it will be thwarted! Issue your orders, but they will not be executed! For God is with us!
“God is with us” means Immanuel. Literally, this verse reads "Devise your strategy, but it will not work; issue your orders, but they will not be executed, because of Immanuel.”
Just as the virgin-born Messiah will be called “God with us,” God is with Judah as well. Israel, Syria, and other Gentle nations would not be able to remove the Davidic line. This truth separated Judah from all of the other nations of the world. Therefore, all of the strategic and military orders against Judah would never succeed. No matter how bad the circumstances were for Judah, God would never allow the Messianic line to be snuffed out.
8:11 Indeed this is what the Lord told me. He took hold of me firmly and warned me not to act like these people:
In verses 11-15, Isaiah gave a warning to the Jews about Immanuel. Immanuel would become to the Jews a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense. Jehovah promised that He would be with His people, but many did not believe Him. Jehovah told Isaiah not to be like these Jewish unbelievers.
8:12 “Do not say, ‘Conspiracy,’ every time these people say the word. Don’t be afraid of what scares them; don’t be terrified.
Jehovah told Isaiah not to be scared of the Syrian-Israel conspiracy rumors.
8:13 You must recognize the authority of the Lord who commands armies. He is the one you must respect; he is the one you must fear.
Instead of fearing the Syrian-Israel conspiracy, Isaiah should fear the Lord.
8:14 He will become a sanctuary, but a stone that makes a person trip, and a rock that makes one stumble— to the two houses of Israel. He will become a trap and a snare to the residents of Jerusalem.
Those Jews who believe in Immanuel would have Immanuel as their sanctuary. Those Jews who do not believe in Immanuel will trip over Him, stumble, and fall as a rock of offense.
8:15 Many will stumble over the stone and the rock, and will fall and be seriously injured, and will be ensnared and captured.”
Immanuel would become a foundation stone to those Jews who believe, but a stone of stumbling to those Jews who would not believe.
8:16 Tie up the scroll as legal evidence, seal the official record of God’s instructions and give it to my followers.
In verses 16-18, Isaiah gave a message to the Jewish believing remnant. The scroll which contained this prophecy was to be locked away and sealed as legal evidence of Isaiah’s prediction of the future. It was to be given to the "followers". The followers of Immanuel would become the Jewish Messianic believers.
8:17 I will wait patiently for the Lord, who has rejected the family of Jacob; I will wait for him.
Since Judah was living in idolatry, Jehovah was hiding His blessing. The Jewish Remnant was to wait patiently for Jehovah to restore Israel back into her land.
8:18 Look, I and the sons whom the Lord has given me are reminders and object lessons in Israel, sent from the Lord who commands armies, who lives on Mount Zion.
God gave Isaiah and his two sons divine names so that they could become visual object lessons to the Jewish believing remnant. Isaiah means “Jehovah is salvation.” Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz’s name reminded the people that the Syrian-Israel alliance would be broken by the Assyrians. The name Shear-Jashub reminded the people that a believing remnant would return from captivity.
8:19 They will say to you, “Seek oracles at the pits used to conjure up underworld spirits, from the magicians who chirp and mutter incantations. Should people not seek oracles from their gods, by asking the dead about the destiny of the living?”
Many of the unbelieving Jews of Judah would panic during the Assyrian invasion and resort to the occult for divine information. They were warned not to seek into the occult. Many of them were pulled into the occult through pagan practices. They approached mediums and spiritists in an attempt to speak to the dead. Isaiah questioned the rational thinking of Judah. Was she really going to the dead to find out her future instead of asking the one true living God? If Israel seeks the dead by occultic means, then she would only get "peeps and mutterings." Peeps and mutterings were false, vague, and ambiguous prophecies.
8:20 Then you must recall the Lord’s instructions and the prophetic testimony of what would happen. Certainly they say such things because their minds are spiritually darkened.
According to the Mosaic Law, speaking to the dead was a capital offense. God did not want His chosen people communicating with demons who were disguising themselves as dead people. Instead of contacting the dead or looking to the occult, Israel was to study the Scriptures. The same is true of charismatics today. Instead of looking to dreams, tongues, prophets, charismatics, cults, and isms, they need to look only to the written Word of God. The Bible is alive. It is the only source of divine information.
8:21 They will pass through the land destitute and starving. Their hunger will make them angry, and they will curse their king and their God as they look upward.
Those who seek the occult will lead themselves into poverty and hunger. They will look up to the heavens and curse God.
8:22 When one looks out over the land, he sees distress and darkness, gloom and anxiety, darkness and people forced from the land.
Those occultists who desire to speak to the dead would eventually join them in death.