Exposition by Max A Forsythe
Just suppose that on that one day in April of 1775 when Paul Revere galloped into history, that the rabble of farmers had stayed in bed, not turning out for Lexington Green nor Concord bridge? History for certain, would record an alternative chain of events. But such what-ifs of history and the might-have-beens of everyday people are just that: will-o-the-wisp daydreams. So why is it that so many people spend half their life worrying about their past and in so doing never get around to having a future? Hmmm, just what are we getting at in the course of considering the eighth chapter of Isaiah? Well, let us divide the chapter into these portions and then get on with the lessons provided here for us all today. There are five portions in this chapter.
The first is in verses one and two. There Isaiah is commissioned to publicly display the theme of his prophecy before all of Israel. The second portion is in verses three and four. There we see the prophecy dramatized. The third portion is in verses five through ten where Isaiah and Judah might learn that even they will be affected by the destruction of their neighboring kingdoms. The fourth portion is in verses eleven to seventeen where the Lord encourages and admonishes Isaiah for the task ahead. Finally in the fifth portion in verses eighteen through twenty-two we will see the despair of those who refuse to heed the law and the testimony, thus justifying the history that God is revealing ahead of its happening through the mouth of His prophet.
The situation as we have it at this point in Judah's time is this: It is the year 732 BC and the events spoken of in chapter seven have begun to take place. Within a year or so, Damascus of Syria would be destroyed and the brutish armies of Assyria will be spoiling portions of northern Israel. Yet, even in the face of such turmoil, Isaiah will encourage the people to live before God in a way that is pleasing to Him.
The first thing that Isaiah does to please our Father in heaven is to publicly display a large poster or sign, as we would describe it. On it he is to write the strange phrase
"belonging to Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz". The theme of upcoming judgment that is the center of Isaiah's prophecy is to be made material and advertised graphically. Translated literally it means:
"hastening is the booty; speeding is the prey."
In a more simple translation J.B. Phillips would have it "Quick-pickings-easy-prey". Now we could only speculate where such a scroll might be posted. We might also ask if there was more information available to the general public. Or was it sufficient that the people knew through the two witnesses that Isaiah was up to his old Chicken Little tricks of declaring that the sky was about to fall. After all, Isaiah's theme of coming judgment is not a popular one. His continual life long insistence that the "brutish" Assyrians are coming is not one that people would look forward too. How much less would they appreciate a poster on the front gate or in the town square that their neighbors as well as themselves were
"Quick-pickings-easy-prey". That is not a sign that you would hang out to scare burglars away, now, is it?
Step two in the working out of this prophecy is for Isaiah to dramatize the message by naming a son Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz. But this is at least several seasons away. And Isaiah makes it known that even before Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz can call his parents, the quick-pickings-easy-prey of northern neighbors will be faultlessly fulfilled within God's providence. Now, when trouble comes to our neighbors, we are certainly going to be affected. Just last week, one of our close neighbors was broken into and their house was trashed and some electronic gear stolen. It had to be someone who knew our neighbor's schedule and who knew when the retired couple across the road would be away. Somehow the old neighborhood doesn't seem so secure anymore! Isaiah would tell the residents of Judea that times, they are a changing, things are going to get a lot worse before they ever get better.
In our third portion, the Lord reveals the reason behind the fall of the pagan neighbors there in Palestine and Isaiah will imply that this fate is likely to befall Judah unless they repent of their sins and reform their lives and revive their faith in the Lord God. The prophecy here in verses six and seven are full of images. The peaceful trickle of Jerusalem's main water supply is contrasted to the floodwaters about to wash through Palestine.
The gently flowing waters of Shiloah are in fact the eastern stream outside of Jerusalem, which provided the people with their daily water supply. Contrasted to that dependable trickle is the mighty "flood waters" of the Euphrates, which is how that river's name would be translated. That flood will sweep into Judah, swirled over it, and pass through. How very much like our mid-west this summer as the mighty Mississippi transformed miles and miles of crops and suburbs. Has the image of this flood become too much for patriotic Isaiah? Look there at the last phrase in verse eight:
"O Immanuel!" Here he addresses the Lord's anointed yet to come.
Then he returns to making the Lord's coming history known. Okay, you nations, go ahead make my century!
"Raise the war cry and be shattered!" Prepare for battle, and be shattered!" Devise your strategy, but it will be thwarted; propose your plan, but it will not stand, for God is with us." Yes, the floodwaters may come all the way up to our necks, but God will keep us standing. Will the people listen and know that the future is in the Lord's hands? Or will they ignore the prophecy of Isaiah that the brutish Assyrians are coming and coming?
As we move into the fourth portion I am reminded of two of my students who constantly want to be running their hands over each other. Warning after warning is ignored. In the hallway, the cafeteria, in class if they could get away with it, they want to demonstrate their fond feelings. It just makes you want to pick up a two-by-four and reach out and touch someone! But that is the way of the world and violence there is enough. No matter how discouraged we get with the revolting developments in our society, we are not to copy the way of the worldly and use their methods.
Years ago, there was a dirty drive-in theater in our area. Some pervert who hung out around that place chased one of my parishioners down the highway. The county government would do nothing! One of the elders suggested that it might be appropriate to go in after dark during the off-season and saw away the supports and cut the guy wires some rainy windy night! We decided to be patient, within a year and a half, the Lord sent a wind to blow large sections of the screen away and the owners were unable to repair the run down mess. The problem was finally solved. So is Isaiah charged not to imitate the ways of the worldly, he is to be set apart as God's people are called in all times and places. Like Isaiah we are not to be worried about conspiracies, we are not to share the common fears. We are to stand in awe before our God.
"Bind up the testimony and seal up the law among my disciples."
Yes, even as we well know, the worldly will not hear the word of our God, therefore even as Isaiah's words are preserved and understood by those who know God, so are we to treasure in our hearts all that the Lord reveals to us. Even though we today are waiting for a revival like that which Isaiah hoped for, we like Isaiah are not to be discouraged, we like all the saints of both Old and New Testament Churches are to put our trust in God even as troubles assail us.
In our last section, Isaiah would have us understand our purpose. See it there in verse eighteen:
"We are signs and symbols in Israel from the Lord Almighty, who dwells on Mount Zion."
We are a holy people set apart for a providential purpose. When the world runs after mediums and spiritists we are to point them to the law and to the testimony.
In the desperate days ahead for Israel, the troubled times will cause some to turn to God but cause the utter destruction of the worldly. As we stand in a declining civilization, even as the hallmarks of that civilization become dim, we must understand that we have a calling to remain true to our God. In the fifties, C.S. Lewis observed that the time was soon coming when Christians would shine out like a light in the darkness and taste like salt in a rotten world. May, we like Isaiah hold firm in our commitment to the Word and to our first love for Jesus Christ. Amen.
Resources Used:
Thomas, Derek..
Welwyn Commentery Series: God Delivers.
Young, Edward J.
The Book of Isaiah.
The Holy Bible.
New International Version (1984 Edition)
NOTE: I am not able to automatically
recommend any future editions.
Christ Covenant Reformed (Presbyterian Church in America) -
Box 13926 - Columbus, OH 43213
(c) 2001
14 November 93
Permission granted to redistribute unedited versions with this notice.