LESSON 6

ISAIAH, CHAPTER 7-11

The chapter before us contains pivotal messianic prophecies that are of vital importance to both Jews and Christians.  Since there is a great deal of history in this section, I am only going to briefly comment on the history and focus our attention on the Messiah of Israel, the Lord Jesus Christ of the Church.

Ahaz was a disastrous ruler of Judah and was moved to fear when Syria and Ephraim, the capital of the northern tribes of Israel, were conspiring to destroy Judah. However, God remembers the House of David and in the mist of fear gives a prophecy of hope.  Isaiah predicts the down fall of Damascus and Samaria by the king of Assyria.  He then in chapter 10 predicts the fall of the Assyrians which in 612 B.C. was accomplished by the Babylonians, the Medes and Scythians.  Nineveh, the enormous capital of Assyria was destroyed and became a desolate ruin and a pasture for flocks, as the prophet had predicted.  By 609 B.C. the once mighty Assyrians were crushed and divided up by their captures.  The prophet Nahum gives added commentary on these events.

Let’s go back and look at three key prophecies in this section of God’s Word which deal with a God given supernatural redeemer. In Isaiah 7:14 we see Christ’s birth. In Isaiah 9:6-7 His birth is described and we have revealed His divine character.  Then in Isaiah 11:1-5 we have brought before us His glorious reign which the latter part of Isaiah chapters 40-66 give detailed insight.

Isaiah’s prophecies in chapter 7:14 reveal Immanuel, which means “God-is-with-us.”  This reveals the prophet’s faith in the coming of Messiah as the foundation of his confidence in Israel’s future triumph and redemption.  This verse is one of the most controversial in Scripture because of the prophecy concerning the Virgin Birth.  The whole issue revolves around the Hebrew word, ‘almah’.  The word ‘almah’ and plural ‘alamoth’ occurs seven times in the Hebrew Scriptures.  It first appeared in Genesis 24:43 in connection with Rebekah, the future bride of Isaac.  In all its references, the context favors the translation, Virgin.  Rashi (1040-1105) medieval Jewish Bible commentator, known for his opposition to the Christian interpretation of the Old Testament, made these astounding comments concerning the meaning of Almah: “Behold the almah shall conceive and bare a son and shall call his name Immanuel.  This means our creator shall be with us.  And this is the sign: the one who will conceive is a girl (naarah), who never in her life has had intercourse with any man.  Upon this one shall the Holy Spirit have power. Isaiah is now prophesying that the birth of this child, whom the virgin will call Immanuel, “God-is-with-us,” will be a visible Manifestation in flesh and blood that God is truly among his people.  It was John who wrote, “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14.)

In chapter 9:6-7, Isaiah reveals the Kind of redeemer this child would be.  Note carefully the child is born refers to His humanity in Isaiah 9:6.  The Son of God could never be born but rather was given, referring to His deity.  Forever He became the God-man in Bethlehem when He was born of the Virgin Mary.  I believe the proof of this is found in the peculiar double-membered four names given to the Child which underline His divine character.  He is the Wonderful Counselor who partakes of the very nature of God.  Many Christians today do not understand how wonderful He really is.  He not only will bring peace to your life now but is going to bring peace to the whole world in the near future.  As a Counselor He has the wisdom to rule justly.  As children of God, think how privileged we are to reach out and receive perfect counsel if we will only listen. The name of El-Gibbor, mighty God, clearly bears witness to the deity of the Messiah, our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.  The name of Abhi-ad, everlasting Father, quite literally means the Father of eternity. Here we see the Messiah, our Savior reaching out with a father’s love in relation to all His children.  In Psalms 103:13 we read, “Like a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear Him.”  The name Sar-Shalom means “ the prince of peace” because the Messiah our Savior is now presented as the Prince of Peace.  The meaning here is not merely absence of war and strife but prosperity, well-being, harmony within and without, peace in one’s heart and peace with God.  The hope of the message of God’s Word reaches out to all men everywhere that peace is the result of turning one’s life over to the Prince of Peace.  The hope of Israel in her Messiah is that He will set upon the throne of David and rule over the whole earth from Jerusalem as He said He would.  The hope of the body of Christ, the Church, is that we will reign with Him and be His Bride forever.

Some interesting particulars of the coming kingdom are set before us in Isaiah chapter 11.  Not only will human behavior undergo change, but the animal kingdom will also see transformation.  Peace and harmony will reign within the animal world, and peace will be the scene between man and animals.  The wolf and lamb will be friends.  The cow and the bear will feed together.  The lion will eat straw like the ox, and the leopard will live side by side with defenseless domestic animals like the young goat and calf.  The neat thing is that a little boy shall lead them about without fear.  Children will be able to play without fear of animals in the millennium kingdom.  As a boy who grew up on a farm with brothers and sisters, I can say mothers will be more relaxed in the kingdom of the Messiah of Israel.  The root of Jesse will become the banner under which nations will rally.  Mount Zion or Jerusalem will be the focus of His reign.  God is going to prepare a highway in Isaiah 11:16 for His people to once more occupy the land.  Israel and Judah will no longer be divided as fierce jealousy, and bloodshed between the two sisters kingdoms will vanish.  The hope of a united Israel will become a reality.  Israel will be in her land with her Messiah ruling over the whole earth.  The Church, the Bride of Christ, will be reigning with our Messiah Prince.  What a day that will be as peace rules the earth and we who are members of the Bride, the Church, enjoy what the God of the universe has prepared for both Jew and Christians.