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:
| Fear of the Syrian-Ephraimite Confederacy | 7:1-6 | 8:11-15 |
| Futility of Opposition to God’s People | 7:7-9 | 8:5-10 |
| Birth of a Symbolic Son | 7:10-16 | 8:1-4 |
| Center: Fulfillment of the Vineyard Prophecy from ch. 5 | 7:17-25 | |
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.)
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