Isaiah’s Message About the Coming Invasion
The Lord said to me: Take a large scroll. Write on it with a regular pen about Maher-shalal-hash-baz. I got faithful witnesses to write down what happened. They were Uriah the priest and Zechariah, the son of Jeberechiah. I went to the prophetess. She had a baby boy. Then the Lord said to me: Name him Maher-shalal-hash-baz. Before the child learns to say 'My father' and 'My mother,' the riches of Damascus and the treasures of Samaria will be taken away by the king of Assyria.
The Lord Warns His People
The Lord spoke to me again. He said: 'This people has refused the gentle waters of Shiloah. They are happy about Rezin and Remaliah’s son. So the Lord will bring against them the waters of the river, strong and powerful. This means the king of Assyria and all his army. He will come up over all his channels and go over all his banks. He will pass through Judah. He will overflow and go over. He will reach up to the neck. His armies will spread out and fill your land, O Immanuel.'
'Join together, you nations, but you will be broken into pieces. Listen, all you from far away countries. Get ready for battle, but you will be broken into pieces. Get ready for battle, but you will be broken into pieces. Make your plans together, but they won’t work. Speak your word, but it won’t happen. God is with us.'
Trust God, Not People’s Fears
The Lord spoke to me with power. He taught me not to follow the ways of this people. He said: 'Don’t call everything a plot that these people call a plot. Don’t be scared of what they are scared of. Don’t be afraid. Honor the Lord of hosts as holy. Let him be what you fear. Let him be what you dread.
He will be a safe place. But he will be like a stone people trip over. He will be like a rock that causes trouble for both houses of Israel. He will be like a trap and a snare to the people living in Jerusalem. Many of them will trip and fall. They will be broken. They will be snared and taken.'
Wait for the Lord
'Tie up the testimony. Seal the law among my disciples.' I will wait for the Lord, who hides his face from the house of Jacob. I will look for him. I and the children the Lord has given me are signs and wonders in Israel. We come from the Lord of hosts, who lives on Mount Zion.
Don’t Seek Spirits, Seek God
When people say to you: 'Ask those who talk to spirits. Ask the wizards who whisper and mutter.' But shouldn’t people ask their God for help? Should the living ask the dead? Listen to the law and the testimony. If people don’t speak according to this word, it’s because there is no light in them.
They will pass through the land in hard times and hungry. When they are hungry, they will get upset. They will curse their king and their God. They will look up. They will look at the earth. They will see trouble and darkness and terrible pain. They will be pushed into 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.