A Sign for the Nations
The Lord spoke to me again: 'Take a large scroll and write on it in clear letters: 'Maher-shalal-hash-baz.'' I called two reliable witnesses to record it—Uriah the priest and Zechariah son of Jeberechiah. Then I went to the prophetess, and she conceived and gave birth to a son. The Lord told me, 'Name him Maher-shalal-hash-baz.' 'Before this child is old enough to say 'father' or 'mother,' the king of Assyria will carry off the wealth of Damascus and the plunder of Samaria.'
The Flood from Assyria
The Lord spoke to me again: 'Because these people have rejected the gently flowing waters of Shiloah and celebrate Rezin and Remaliah’s son instead, the Lord is about to bring against them the mighty floodwaters of the Euphrates—the king of Assyria with all his glory. It will overflow all its channels and sweep over all its banks. It will surge through Judah, flooding and overflowing, rising up to the neck. Its outspread wings will cover the width of your land, O Immanuel.'
Rally yourselves, you nations, but you’ll be shattered. Listen closely, all you distant lands. Prepare for battle—you’ll be shattered. Arm yourselves—you’ll be shattered. Make your plans, but they’ll fall apart. Give your orders, but they won’t stand—because God is with us.
Don’t Fear What They Fear
The Lord grabbed hold of me with his powerful hand and warned me not to follow the way of these people: 'Don’t call conspiracy everything these people call conspiracy. Don’t fear what they fear. Don’t be terrified.' 'Honor the Lord of hosts as holy. Let him be the one you fear. Let him be the one you dread.' 'He will be a sanctuary—but also a stone that makes people stumble, a rock that trips them up, for both houses of Israel. He’ll be a trap and a snare for the people of Jerusalem.' 'Many will stumble over him. They’ll fall and be broken, trapped and captured.'
Wait for the Lord
'Preserve this testimony. Seal up God’s instruction among my disciples.' I will wait for the Lord, even though he’s hiding his face from Jacob’s descendants. I will put my hope in him. Here I stand with the children the Lord has given me. We are signs and symbols in Israel from the Lord of hosts, who dwells on Mount Zion.
Reject the Darkness
When people tell you to consult mediums and spiritists who whisper and mutter, shouldn’t a people seek their God instead? Why consult the dead on behalf of the living? Go back to God’s instruction and testimony. If people don’t speak according to this word, it’s because there’s no light in them.
They’ll wander through the land, oppressed and starving. When hunger overwhelms them, they’ll lose their temper and curse their king and their God, looking upward. Then they’ll look down at the earth and see only trouble and darkness, terrible distress—and they’ll be thrust into utter darkness.
Influences
- 18:1 — Isaiah 8:1 (KJV)Moreover the LORD said unto me, Take thee a great roll, and write in it with a man’s pen concerning Mahershalalhashbaz.
- 18:2 — Isaiah 8:2 (KJV)And I took unto me faithful witnesses to record, Uriah the priest, and Zechariah the son of Jeberechiah.
- 18:3 — Isaiah 8:3 (KJV)And I went unto the prophetess; and she conceived, and bare a son. Then said the LORD to me, Call his name Mahershalalhashbaz.
- 18:4 — Isaiah 8:4 (KJV)For before the child shall have knowledge to cry, My father, and my mother, the riches of Damascus and the spoil of Samaria shall be taken away before the king of Assyria.
- 18:6 — Isaiah 8:6 (KJV)Forasmuch as this people refuseth the waters of Shiloah that go softly, and rejoice in Rezin and Remaliah’s son;
- 18:7 — Isaiah 8:7 (KJV)Now therefore, behold, the Lord bringeth up upon them the waters of the river, strong and many, even the king of Assyria, and all his glory: and he shall come up over all his channels, and go over all his banks:
- 18:8 — Isaiah 8:8 (KJV)And he shall pass through Judah; he shall overflow and go over, he shall reach even to the neck; and the stretching out of his wings shall fill the breadth of thy land, O Immanuel.
- 18:9 — Isaiah 8:9 (KJV)Associate yourselves, O ye people, and ye shall be broken in pieces; and give ear, all ye of far countries: gird yourselves, and ye shall be broken in pieces; gird yourselves, and ye shall be broken in pieces.
- 18:10 — Isaiah 8:10 (KJV)Take counsel together, and it shall come to nought; speak the word, and it shall not stand: for God is with us.
- 18:11 — Isaiah 8:11 (KJV)For the LORD spake thus to me with a strong hand, and instructed me that I should not walk in the way of this people, saying,
- 18:12 — Isaiah 8:12 (KJV)Say ye not, A confederacy, to all them to whom this people shall say, A confederacy; neither fear ye their fear, nor be afraid.
- 18:13 — Isaiah 8:13 (KJV)Sanctify the LORD of hosts himself; and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread.
- 18:14 — Isaiah 8:14 (KJV)And he shall be for a sanctuary; but for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offence to both the houses of Israel, for a gin and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
- 18:15 — Isaiah 8:15 (KJV)And many among them shall stumble, and fall, and be broken, and be snared, and be taken.
- 18:17 — Isaiah 8:17 (KJV)And I will wait upon the LORD, that hideth his face from the house of Jacob, and I will look for him.
- 18:18 — Isaiah 8:18 (KJV)Behold, I and the children whom the LORD hath given me are for signs and for wonders in Israel from the LORD of hosts, which dwelleth in mount Zion.
- 18:19 — Isaiah 8:19 (KJV)And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and that mutter: should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to the dead?
- 18:20 — Isaiah 8:20 (KJV)To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.
- 18:21 — Isaiah 8:21 (KJV)And they shall pass through it, hardly bestead and hungry: and it shall come to pass, that when they shall be hungry, they shall fret themselves, and curse their king and their God, and look upward.
- 18:22 — Isaiah 8:22 (KJV)And they shall look unto the earth; and behold trouble and darkness, dimness of anguish; and they shall be driven to darkness.