Only God Can Protect

KEY VERSE: “Say unto him, Take heed, and be quiet; fear not, neither be fainthearted for the two tails of these smoking firebrands, for the fierce anger of Rezin with Syria, and the son of Remaliah.” —Isaiah 7:4

SELECTED SCRIPTURE: Isaiah 7:2-6, 10-17

THIS WEEK’S LESSON begins with Ahaz as king of Judah, who was of the royal lineage of David. (I Chron. 3:9-13) During Ahaz’s reign, Pekah was king of the northern kingdom of Israel, while Rezin was king of Syria. (Isa. 7:1) Although problems often arose between Judah and Israel, on this occasion an alliance had been formed between Syria and Israel which, in turn, had caused the king of Judah to tremble in fear. We read in verse 2: “Syria is confederate with Ephraim. And his heart was moved, and the heart of his people, as the trees of the wood are moved with the wind.”

Ahaz knew that an alliance of this nature could result in disaster to himself and his people. The uniting of the two nations against Judah had actually been formed during the latter part of the reign of Ahaz’s father, Jotham. (II Kings 15:32-38) Ahaz apparently inherited this problem after his father’s death. There may also have been something of a personal nature in the alliance against Judah. “Then Rezin king of Syria and Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel came up to Jerusalem to war: and they besieged Ahaz, but could not overcome him.” (II Kings 16:5) Perhaps Rezin and Pekah had a personal quarrel with Ahaz.

Although Ahaz had done much evil during his reign—even to the extent of offering his own children in sacrifice (II Chron. 28:1-4)—he, nevertheless, carried on tilt line of David from which our Lord Jesus was born. (Matt. 1:9) Isaiah, therefore, received instructions from God to take his son, Shearjashub, with him to rendezvous with Ahaz.—Isa. 7:3

God instructed Isaiah to reassure Ahaz that the alliance against him would fail in its attempt to depose the House of David, and place the son of Tabeal on the throne of Judah. If they had been allowed to succeed, it would have meant the end of the Royal House, along with its Messianic promises. “Thus saith the Lord God, It shall not stand, neither shall it come to pass. For the head of Syria is Damascus, and the head of Damascus is Rezin; and within threescore and five years shall Ephraim be broken, that it be not a people.”—Isa. 7:7,8

Isaiah continued by saying, “The head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is Remaliah’s son [Pekah]. If ye will not believe, surely ye shall not be established.” (vs. 9) A more detailed account of this war is recorded in II Kings 16, and II Chronicles 28. However, when the Edomites and the Philistines joined the confederation against Judah (II Chron. 28:17,18), Ahaz, in turn, appealed to Tiglathpileser, king of Assyria, to come to Judah’s aid.—II Kings 16:7-9

Isaiah’s message to Ahaz was to inform him that not only would the alliance against him fail, but that Ephraim itself would cease to be a nation within a period of sixty-five years.

Even more importantly, there was to be a ‘sign’ to indicate the continuance of the House of David, notwithstanding the king’s unbelief. Ahaz declined the offer of a sign because of his unwillingness to seek the will of God in the matter. He, no doubt, also reasoned that his new alliance with the king of Assyria would resolve the immediate danger, as well as preserve his involvement in idol worship. Nevertheless, the sign was publicly rejected.

The House of David was to be preserved, “therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”—Isa. 7:14

Only God could preserve the royal genealogy of Immanuel—even through one such as Ahaz.

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