Sermon Tone Analysis

Setting

The three prophecies to be studied in this session are messianic—pointing to Jesus’ birth as the Messiah—but they also had application in their historical setting.

Scholars typically interpret prophecy in one of three ways: as a word for the audience whom the message was given; as a prophecy exclusively pointing to Christ Himself; or that the prophecies have a dual fulfillment, one in the immediate future and also as an ultimate fulfillment much later in historical time in the person and work of Jesus.

Today’s study is about connections throughout God’s Word.

In these verses, Isaiah is warning Ahaz to place his faith in God, or face the consequences

Let’s begin with

Historical Setting

Ahaz was the eleventh king of Judah since the separation of Israel and Judah.

Ahaz’s accession was approximately in 735 BC and lasted 20 years.

remembered as one of Judah’s most evil rulers and for his apostasy, building altars to foreign gods and practicing such acts as child sacrifice.

Israel and Syria formed an allegiance against the Assyrian Empire and wanted to depose Ahaz to build a stronger coalition.

Ahaz instead appealed to the King of Assyria, which brought the condemnation of Isaiah

The Assyrians captured Syria and all of Galilee and Gilead from Israel ().

As Isaiah had foretold (), however, Ahaz’s petition came at a price, for he was required to pay a large tribute to Assyria and make Judah a vassal kingdom of the empire.

Why do you think Isaiah reprimanded Ahaz for not accepting God’s offer to test Him?

Aren’t we commanded not to put God to the test (see )

Though Ahaz is the heir of David’s throne, he has put his firm faith (v.

9) in the king of Assyria and he has given gold from the temple to the Assyrians, to induce them to attack Syria ().

Though Ahaz is the heir of David’s throne, he has put his firm faith (v.

9) in the king of Assyria and he has given gold from the temple to the Assyrians, to induce them to attack Syria ().

Thus Ahaz placed his hope for salvation in human power rather than in the Lord.

But Isaiah calls for Ahaz and all of Jerusalem to put their firm faith in a far more reliable ally: “the Lord himself” ().

Thus the Lord invites Ahaz to request a sign to strengthen his faith (v.

11), but Ahaz hypocritically refuses to do so (v.

12; cf. ).

Isaiah then addresses the “house of David,” accusing the royal house of wearying God, but Isaiah also offers them (“you” plural) a sign from the Lord himself ().

This sign is the famous announcement of a son born to a virgin, whose name will be Immanuel (see notes following).

This child’s life is to be the sign that confirms the truth of the divine word, which the Lord will bring upon you (“you” singular; i.e., Ahaz) and upon your people and upon your father’s house (i.e., the house of David; cf.

v. 13).

Christian interpretation of this passage requires doing justice to the meaning of Isaiah’s words both (1) as they were first addressed to Ahaz, and then (2) as these same prophetic words are used later by Matthew with respect to the birth of Jesus the Messiah ().

Ahaz reigned over Judah during a critical time in the history of the ancient Near East.

The Assyrians were pushing westward, threatening the Syro-Palestinian area.

Pekah, king of Israel, and Rezin, king of Syria, adopted a policy of resistance against the Assyrians and invaded Judah in order to effect a solid coalition by deposing Ahaz.

Blatantly revealing a lack of trust in God, Ahaz appealed to Tiglath-pileser III, the Assyrian king, for help.

That appeal brought the wrath of the prophet Isaiah upon Ahaz.

Ahaz’s lack of trust in God seems to have stemmed from his complete rejection of the Mosaic or traditional Jewish faith rather than from the dangerous political situation.

The Book of Chronicles describes him as erecting images for the Baals (deities who represented the god Baal, a Canaanite fertility deity).

Ahaz is also described as engaging in human sacrifice by offering his sons in pagan worship.

The Chronicler cites such practices as God’s reason for the invasion by Israel and Syria ().

Overview

Thus Ahaz placed his hope for salvation in human power rather than in the Lord.

This was not only an indictment on Ahaz but on the whole Davidic line

What significance do you draw from the possessive use of “my God” by Isaiah in verse 13?

the continued disobedience of Ahaz was a sign itself that the God of Israel and Isaiah was not Ahaz’s god

7:10–17 The basic issue in ch.

7 is that Ahaz and the Lord (speaking through Isaiah) have completely different views concerning the threat from the coalition of Syria and Ephraim.

Though Ahaz is the heir of David’s throne, he has put his firm faith (v.

9) in the king of Assyria and he has given gold from the temple to the Assyrians, to induce them to attack Syria ().

Thus Ahaz placed his hope for salvation in human power rather than in the Lord.

But Isaiah calls for Ahaz and all of Jerusalem to put their firm faith in a far more reliable ally: “the Lord himself” ().

Thus the Lord invites Ahaz to request a sign to strengthen his faith (v.

11), but Ahaz hypocritically refuses to do so (v.

12; cf. ).

Isaiah then addresses the “house of David,” accusing the royal house of wearying God, but Isaiah also offers them (“you” plural) a sign from the Lord himself ().

This sign is the famous announcement of a son born to a virgin, whose name will be Immanuel (see notes following).

This child’s life is to be the sign that confirms the truth of the divine word, which the Lord will bring upon you (“you” singular; i.e., Ahaz) and upon your people and upon your father’s house (i.e., the house of David; cf.

v. 13).

Christian interpretation of this passage requires doing justice to the meaning of Isaiah’s words both (1) as they were first addressed to Ahaz, and then (2) as these same prophetic words are used later by Matthew with respect to the birth of Jesus the Messiah ().

What about verse 14? Does it have any immediate application in history or do you see it as a Christ-only prophecy?

We must also look at

The NT describes the fulfillment of with the birth of Jesus in .

The NT describes the fulfillment of with the birth of Jesus in .

The NT describes the fulfillment of with the birth of Jesus in .

Reading verses 15 and 16 gives us also an immediate application: God’s promise of deliverance in verse 7 from he threats faced by Ahaz is found in these verses (Syria and Israel)

This is a threat to the Davidic line and therefore the Davidic covenant itself

Suffering attacks on all sides due to his refusal to join an alliance against Assyria, King Ahaz of Judah called upon Tiglath-pileser III (also called Pul) of Assyria for help.

7:14 The Hebrew term here, almah, indicates a young woman of marriageable age.

In the ancient world, a young unmarried woman who had reached puberty could reasonably be assumed to be a virgin because of the close social and familial restrictions on her activities.

The ultimate fulfillment of the sign points to the future restoration of God’s relationship with His people through the miraculous birth of God in human form ().

7:10–25 Isaiah’s meeting with Ahaz should have encouraged his faith in Yahweh to deliver Judah from its present predicament.

Instead, Ahaz discounts the reassurance Yahweh offers, and compounds his sin by refusing a divine sign.

The sign of Immanuel has implications for the immediate future: Within a year or two—the time it would take for a woman to conceive, give birth, and rear a young boy—the threat from the Syro-Ephraimite alliance will have passed.

The ultimate fulfillment of the sign points to the future restoration of God’s relationship with His people through the miraculous birth of God in human form ().

7:10–15.

Ahaz was given the opportunity to confirm God’s words by asking for a divine sign, or proof that what the Lord had declared would actually come about.

But Ahaz refused to ask for a sign, with false spirituality (v.

12).

The use of the word test suggests some connection with , although the latter text refers to the testing at Massah when the Israelites complained against the Lord.

They were challenging the Lord’s claims concerning His ability to care for them in the wilderness.

In contrast, Ahaz was given the opportunity to ask for a sign, with no restrictions.

Ahaz could ask for anything—a sign as deep as Sheol or high as heaven (v.

11).

Although the word sign in Hebrew can refer either to a miraculous or a natural sign, this offer indicates that it was to be viewed as a miraculous sign.

Ahaz was not constrained from asking for a sign because of a limited amount of options, but by his lack of faith.

By refusing, Ahaz revealed that he was not interested in entertaining the possibility that God could protect him from Rezin and Pekah.

It represented his implicit choice to deny the Lord.

Since Ahaz refused to ask for a sign, now the entire house of David, under a threat of destruction because of Ahaz’s lack of faith, would receive a sign: a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel (v.

14).

As such, it would provide a pointed message either to the fearful Ahaz or to the failing royal house.

Verse 11

7:11 The Lord’s invitation to Ahaz sets out the possibility of a sign as deep as Sheol or high as heaven, clearly inviting Ahaz to think beyond natural signs, indicating that the sign involves something more than a merely normal birth.

See note on vv.

10–17.

7:11 The sign can be otherworldly and supernatural.

7:12 Ahaz’s refusal to ask for a sign is rebellious, not pious.

Verse 12

Verse 13

7:13 The transition from addressing Ahaz alone to addressing the whole house of David provides a parallel with the previous oracle, which likewise concerned both the royal family and the one current occupant of the throne (vv.

2–3).

The failure shared by the whole house of David calls for a new, future hope—the sign of v. 14.

Verse 14

7:14 the Lord himself.

Failure of the human king to respond to the invitation (v.

12) results in the divine King again taking the initiative (cf.

v. 17).

Similarly, two such signs would be offered to Hezekiah, Ahaz’s son and successor (see 37:30; 38:7).