Isaiah 8

Mahershalkalhashbaz

Isa 8:1 Moreover the LORD said unto me, Take thee a great roll, and write in it with a man's pen concerning Mahershalalhashbaz.
Isa 8:2 And I took unto me faithful witnesses to record, Uriah the priest, and Zechariah the son of Jeberechiah.

Isaiah was to write plainly on a scroll, for everyone to read concerning Mahershalkalhashbaz, which means speed to the spoil, hurry to the plunder.The prophecy was concerning Assyria coming swiftly to defeat Syria and Israel; a promise to king Ahaz. Two witnesses are needed to establish a truth. Uriah and Zechariah, were witnesses to the written message.

Isa 8:3 And I went unto the prophetess; and she conceived, and bare a son. Then said the LORD to me, Call his name Mahershalalhashbaz.

This was the name of their son; Mahershalalhashbaz, Isaiah's wife would conceive. She may have been a prophetess, but probably this was a name given meaning, the wife of the prophet.

Isa 8:4 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.

Assyria was coming before the child could speak mama, abba; to take the spoil of Syria and Israel.

Overflowing river

Isa 8:5 The LORD spake also unto me again, saying,
Isa 8:6 Forasmuch as this people refuseth the waters of Shiloah that go softly, and rejoice in Rezin and Remaliah's son;
Isa 8:7 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:

Jerusalem was once named Shiloh, the stream of water that ran from Mount Zion was called Shiloah.

"The little stream of Shiloah sprung from Mount Zion on the southwesterly side of Jerusalem. It flowed as softly as oil without any murmur. Jerusalem's existence and continuation depended on it." (Bultema)

Judah had forsaken the God of Mount Zion and the living waters, for the gods of Assyria, where flowed the mighty Tigris and Euphrates rivers. The LORD uses a metaphor to contrast the gentle peace of God's spirit, flowing smoothly from Mount Zion to the hoards of Assyria, rushing over them like a river overflowing it's banks. Peace is found in the God of Israel, when they worship and obey Him.

Isa 8:8 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.

The armies of Assyria would pass over Judah and onto Syria, with destructive force. The ten Northern tribes of Israel would be conquered and no longer exist as a nation, but Judah would survive. King Hezekiah and Jerusalem survived because Hezekiah gave them the gold and silver from the temple. They had an arrangment.

2 Ki 18:13 Now in the fourteenth year of king Hezekiah did Sennacherib king of Assyria come up against all the fenced cities of Judah, and took them.
2 Ki 18:14 And Hezekiah king of Judah sent to the king of Assyria to Lachish, saying, I have offended; return from me: that which thou puttest on me will I bear. And the king of Assyria appointed unto Hezekiah king of Judah three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold.
2 Ki 18:15 And Hezekiah gave him all the silver that was found in the house of the LORD, and in the treasures of the king's house.
2 Ki 18:16 At that time did Hezekiah cut off the gold from the doors of the temple of the LORD, and from the pillars which Hezekiah king of Judah had overlaid, and gave it to the king of Assyria.

...thy land, O Immanuel.

The prophesy gives the rightful owner of the land of Jerusalem as Immanuel; God owned the land. God would come again, Immanuel, King Jesus to inherit the land in the end times. The people of Judah were looking for this king to rule in the first coming, but first he must have gone to the cross, to cleanse us from our sins. O Immanuel, what a savior you are.

Isa 8:9 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.

Resist the Assyrians and you will be broken to pieces, speaking to Syria, Israel and Judah. Why? Because God is using Assyria against you, to chastise you. You would not obey God, so he is sending an enemy nation, even if the nation does not believe in God, he can use them to punish those he chooses to correct. Are we listening to this?

Isa 8:10 Take counsel together, and it shall come to nought; speak the word, and it shall not stand: for God is with us.

As a messenger of God, Isaiah warns them not to counsel together, no cabinet meetings on how to defend themselves or defeat the enemy, because God has spoken. His word is with them and He is well aware of what is coming. It is the will of God.

Prepare for the invasion

Isa 8:11 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,
Isa 8:12 Say ye not, A confederacy, to all them to whom this people shall say, A confederacy; neither fear ye their fear, nor be afraid.

The LORD, Adonai, spoke to Isaiah, warning him to not live the way this people does. Do not regard as an alliance what this people calls alliance and don't fear what they fear, nor you be so afraid as they.

Isa 51:12 I, even I, am he that comforteth you: who art thou, that thou shouldest be afraid of a man that shall die, and of the son of man which shall be made as grass;

Isa 8:13 Sanctify the LORD of hosts himself; and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread.

Consecrate the LORD. Let Him be the object of your fear and awe.

Isa 26:3 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.

Isa 8:14 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.

Jer 17:12 A glorious high throne from the beginning is the place of our sanctuary.
Jer 17:13 O LORD, the hope of Israel, all that forsake thee shall be ashamed, and they that depart from me shall be written in the earth, because they have forsaken the LORD, the fountain of living waters.

But for both houses of Israel, He shall be a stumbling stone and a rock of offence; a trap and a snare.

Rom 9:33 As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.

Mat 21:44 And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.

Isa 8:15 And many among them shall stumble, and fall, and be broken, and be snared, and be taken.

Many of the people shall stumble and fall and be captured.

Prepare by waiting on the LORD

Isa 8:16 Bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples.

Wrap up this document, and share it's contents with those who listen to my teaching.

Mat 7:6 Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.

Isa 8:17 And I will wait upon the LORD, that hideth his face from the house of Jacob, and I will look for him.

I will wait for Adonai, who is hiding His face from the house of Jacob, yes, I will look for Him.

Psa 27:14 Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.

Jer 33:3 Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.

When not sure, wait on the LORD, seek His face. By doing so, he will show you things and be with you as you go forth.

Isa 8:18 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.

Meanwhile, I and the children Adonai has given me, shall be for signs and wonders from the LORD of hosts, living on Mount Zion.

Acts 14:3 Long time therefore abode they speaking boldly in the Lord, which gave testimony unto the word of his grace, and granted signs and wonders to be done by their hands.

Keep speaking the Word of life, even with opposition and God will add to this, signs and wonders.

Mark 16:20 And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.

Prepare by seeking light, not darkness

Isa 8:19 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?

Being concerned about the coming invasion, why seek the occult? Why seek the darkness and the dead for the help of the living? Is not God the God of your help? Is he not the God of the living?

Mark 12:26 And as touching the dead, that they rise: have ye not read in the book of Moses, how in the bush God spake unto him, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob?
Mark 12:27 He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living: ye therefore do greatly err.

Psa 124:8 Our help is in the name of the LORD, who made heaven and earth.

Isa 8:20 To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.

You have the law and the testimony, the word of God and the stories in the Bible. If you have any truth or light in you, rely on these.

Isa 8:21 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.

They walk past the word of life, with no hunger for it. When the need comes and they become hungry for help and wisdom, they worry and are upset, crying and complaining, because they did not hunger for God's truth. They curse the president and those in authority and they blame God for their problems.

Isa 8:22 And they shall look unto the earth; and behold trouble and darkness, dimness of anguish; and they shall be driven to darkness.

They see the troubles on the earth and rather than seeking God, they are driven to darkness. Dark despair, depression, false religion, and evil thoughts.

Luke 21:26 Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.

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