Cyber-Chapel Blog

Isa 8:21-9:7 has three parts:

• 8:21-22, prediction of the darkness of those who have abandoned the law of God (8:20)
• 9:3-7 (ET; MT 9:2-6), prediction of the light that will come upon them
• 9:1-2 (MT 8:23-9:1), a transition that moves back and forth between the dark past and the bright future.

This week’s study discusses this transition, and gives attention to some points of translation that are clarified once we observe the broader progress of the argument.

In this week’s message, God responds to the Messiah’s words, and confirms the importance of cleaving to “the law and the testimony,” apart from which there is no light. This sad condition explains the dismay that the nation feels. Its remedy awaits the coming of the Messiah mentioned already in 8:13-15, and presented as the dawning of a new day in 9:1-2.

This week’s study explores two verses (8:14 and 8:18) that are quoted in the NT as applying to the Messiah. Be sure to take a look at the handout that accompanies the message. We show how this interpretation is consistent with the context in Isaiah, and learn about the Messiah’s own trust in God, his care for his people, and the judgment he will bring on those who reject him. In a separate post, I will explain why we should understand 8:16-18 as being uttered by the Messiah.

Isaiah 7:1-8:10 is structured as a chiasm, with 7:17-25, the predicted coming of the nations against Israel, as its center and focal point. The encompassing material has three levels, organized as follows:

This week’s message deals with the first (8:1-4) and second  (8:5-10) of these levels as we work out way back out from the center. The first of these contains a promise of a symbolic son that balances, but does not fulfill, the Immanuel prophecy of 7:10-16, while the second, with two references to Immanuel, repeats the assurance of 7:7-9 that it is futile for the northern coalition to attack God’s people.

(This post was erroneously entered originally on 1/12/09 as a page.)

This week’s study presents Isaiah’s theological explanation for the proposition we discussed earlier, that worry is a sin. A study of the usage of the expression “sanctify the Lord” (Isa 8:13) leads us to the sin of Moses and Aaron at the waters of Meribah (Num 20:12). They claimed for themselves the power to draw water from the rock, rather than setting the Lord apart as the only one with such power. Similarly, only the Lord is worthy of our fear (cf. Matt 10:28), and fearing anyone else is to deny the Lord the preeminence in our thoughts that he deserves. The exposition illustrates the power of the Bible study principle of paying attention to the Bible’s comments on itself.

This week’s study explores Isa 7:17-25, a passage with numerous allusions to the parable of the divine vineyard and its interpretation in ch. 5. This passage is the heart of 7:1-8:15, and emphasizes that the coming Assyrian invasion will result, not from Ahaz’s labored attempts at diplomacy, but from the Lord’s sovereign command over the nations.

This week’s message explores the Immanuel prophecy. It argues that

• the meaning “virgin” for עלמה is legitimate, and it is not true that  בתולה would be a more appropriate word to convey this sense;
• the emphasis on the virgin birth of one who would be “God with us” would be profoundly meaningful to Ahaz in the context, and is probably intentional on the part of Isaiah;
• thus Matthew’s quotation of Isa 7:14 is not a loose adaptation of a non-messianic prophecy, but entirely in keeping with how the verse functions in its context.

Continue reading King Ahaz and the Virgin…

This week’s study on Isa 7:1-9 introduces the war between Judah and its northern enemies Israel and Syria. King Ahaz, fearful of losing his throne, seeks help from Assyria, but the Lord sends Isaiah to command him not to fear, and instead to believe in the Lord. Isaiah’s command reminds us that worry is a sin. Our Lord would have us to be without care (1 Cor 7:32a).

The study highlights evidence, both in the text and in the historical context from 2 Kings 15-16 and 2 Chr 28, that Ahaz’s great concern at this time is losing his place in the dynastic succession. Recognizing his fear is crucial for understanding the Immanuel prophecy, which we will study next week.

This week’s study includes a review of the NT quotations of Isa 6:9-10, and a study of the threatened judgment and the remnant in vv. 11-13.

The latest study is on Isaiah 6:9-10, which commands Isaiah to harden people to the Word of God. How does hardening happen? Continue reading Hardening Hearts…