Digging Deeper Days
Finding the original intent of Scripture and making good application to our everyday lives as we become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!
Today is 2-for-1 Friday!
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The Questions
1) What was the prophet Isaiah speaking about in verse 13 regarding the house of David?
2) Isaiah’s prophetic word had personal meaning to him. Where do we see this in the verses?
3) Instead of repaying their unfaithfulness in kind, the Lord would give a sign to them of His mercy and presence. What would be the sign?
Isaiah 7:13-14
Isaiah said, “Listen, house of David! Is it not enough for you to try the patience of men? Will you also try the patience of my God? Therefore, the Lord himself will give you a sign: See, the virgin will conceive, have a son, and name him Immanuel.
Original Intent
1) What was the prophet Isaiah speaking about in verse 13 regarding the house of David?
In the house of David (referring to his descendants) resided the rebellious people of Judah. David had feared and honored God. Ahaz feared his enemies. King Ahaz was a ruler in Judah. He worshipped other gods and even sacrificed his own son to one of them (2 Kings 16:1-4 ). Ahaz would eventually enter into an evil alliance with Assyria, proving he feared man and not God. This passage is to be understood as being addressed to the princes and rulers of Judah, as well as the king. But as always, God had offered an alternative to the king through the prophet Isaiah. Using the prophet’s spoken words to Ahaz, God was providing the king an opportunity to request a sign to help him with his unbelief. Unlike Joseph who truly had a humble heart and chose to obey and believe God (Matthew 1), the king’s refusal to ask for a sign revealed his unbelieving heart, not a godly heart. (Isaiah 7:10-12 )
2) Isaiah’s prophetic word had personal meaning to him. Where do we see this in the verses?
Isaiah proposed a personal question to Ahaz. “Will you try the patience of my God”. (v. 13) Previously he had referred to God as “your God” (v. 11) when speaking to Ahaz. But it quickly came to light that the king was obstinate and rebellious toward God. His refusal to accept God’s sign was an indicator of his heart. The sign was a message from God. Refusing the offer, Ahaz now provided the evidence that Isaiah needed to see his ungodly motives. The rulers of Judah had mistreated many people in that day. But Isaiah is even more appalled at the treatment the king is demonstrating toward the Lord’s patience. From Isaiah’s response, we can conclude that Ahaz communicated distrust in the Lord’s promises and disdain for how He worked. Isaiah took it personally that the king would show such contempt for the Lord. Under the inspiration of God, the prophet spoke to Ahaz about his future, and it was bad news for the king. Trusting in Assyria rather than God would temporarily appear to be a clever move. But Ahaz’s unbelief would be his ultimate and eternal downfall, as well as for the people of Judah. (Isaiah 7:17-19) (netbible.org)
3) Instead of repaying their unfaithfulness in kind, the Lord would give a sign to them of His mercy and presence. What would be the sign?
Verse 14 tells us that the sign will come in the form of a son – a son given to a virgin (also translated “young woman.”) The child would be called “Immanuel.” Isaiah’s prophecy often had a double fulfillment which is likely the case in verse 14, though there is no clear scripture that tells of the immediate fulfillment. Within a few years of Isaiah’s prophecy, Israel and Syria would be defeated, proving at first to be beneficial to Ahaz, giving him confidence in himself. Ultimately, though, God would demonstrate that He is the one who protects and provides for His people. Whether or not this referred to Isaiah’s or another’s child, there is certain scriptural reason to believe that Matthew referred to Jesus as the fulfillment of this prophecy. “It is no objection that another name than ‘Immanuel’ was given to a child. It was a common thing to give two names to children, especially when one name was symbolic, as Immanuel was. Jesus Christ was never called Immanuel as a proper name, though almost all scholars agree that the prophecy referred to Him in some sense.” (David Sweets, Homiletic Review)
Everyday Application
1) What was the prophet Isaiah speaking about in verse 13 regarding the house of David?
We know that God’s testing is never evil but is a way to expose to us and others what our motives are. (James 1:13) It is possible that King Ahaz was bitter toward God as a result of the destruction and disaster Judah had already encountered at the hands of Israel and Syria. Like the king, it’s not too difficult to remember times we’ve rejected the gracious and generous gifts of God for selfish reasons. God doesn’t always work in our families and lives like we think He would or should. Maybe we realize that accepting God’s offer will require trust and obedience from us. Sometimes we may be tempted to look back and decide that God wasn’t there for us and we want to take things into our own hands. God was present with His people. God is present with us. We are always better to take Him at His word than to make decisions based on appearances and experiences. The hope of Christmas is sharing that God always keeps His promises. And that it is always GOOD for us that He does.
2) Isaiah’s prophetic word had personal meaning to him. Where do we see this in the verses?
Ahaz declined God’s offer to ask Him for a sign. He did not want to hear God’s promise that He would protect Judah because he had already determined in his heart not to put his trust in God’s plans and ways. His pious response was not a demonstration of a strong faith in God, nor was it a godly dread of testing God in an unrighteous way. Ahaz’s desire to appear to have great faith did not trick God at all. The Lord knew that his heart was toward himself and that he had predetermined to follow his own plan. Isaiah’s response shows us the importance of taking God at His word. It’s a sad thing to live a life distrusting people even though they have proven trustworthy. It’s a far greater offense to distrust God – who has never been anything but Faithful and True!
3) Instead of repaying their unfaithfulness in kind, the Lord would give a sign to them of His mercy and presence. What would be the sign?
God would choose to come to us despite our unfaithfulness and wandering. (In our own way, we are all like the people of Israel.) Bible commentator David Guzik offers such wonderful insight here:
“We know this passage speaks of Jesus because the Holy Spirit says so through Matthew (Matthew 1:23 ). We know this passage speaks of Jesus because the prophecy is addressed not only to Ahaz, but also to David’s entire house (House of David!). We know this passage speaks of Jesus because it says He will be known as Immanuel, meaning ‘God with Us.’ Immanuel speaks both of the deity of Jesus (God with us) and His identification and nearness to man (God with us).”
And Adam Clarke sums it all up: “Jesus is called Immanuel, God with us … through every action of our life, that we begin, continue, and end in his name. He is God with us, to comfort, enlighten, protect, and defend us, in every time of temptation and trial, in the hour of death, in the day of judgment; and God with us and in us, and we with and in Him, to all eternity.”
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Digging Deeper is for Everyone!
1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read it, and the verses around it,
several times
3) Write down your questions
as you think of them.
4) Ask specific culture related questions and be ready to dig around for your answers. Google them, use www.studylight.org, or look them up in a study Bible and read the footnotes (click on the little letters next to a word and it will show you
other related verses!). (www.esvbible.org)
5) Check your applications with other trusted Christians that you are in community with and embrace the fullness of God
in your everyday!
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Why Dig Deeper?
Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.
In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!
Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.
Study Tools
We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources, providing the original Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament) with an English translation.
Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Discover “origin”, “definition” and hear the original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!
Want more background? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))
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