Isaiah 7: The Sign of Immanuel — ReidOne Bible Study

Isaiah 7 (WEB)

1 In the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, king of Judah, Rezin the king of Syria, and Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, went up to Jerusalem to war against it, but could not prevail against it.

2 It was told the house of David, saying, “Syria is allied with Ephraim.” His heart trembled, and the heart of his people, as the trees of the forest tremble with the wind.

3 Then Yahweh said to Isaiah, “Go out now to meet Ahaz, you, and Shearjashub your son, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool, on the highway of the fuller’s field.

4 Tell him, ‘Be careful, and keep calm. Don’t be afraid, neither let your heart be faint because of these two tails of smoking torches, for the fierce anger of Rezin and Syria, and of the son of Remaliah.

5 Because Syria, Ephraim, and the son of Remaliah, have plotted evil against you, saying,

6 “Let’s go up against Judah, and tear it apart, and let’s divide it among ourselves, and set up a king in its midst, even the son of Tabeel.”

7 This is what the Lord Yahweh says: “It shall not stand, neither shall it happen.”

8 For the head of Syria is Damascus, and the head of Damascus is Rezin; and within sixty-five years Ephraim shall be broken in pieces, so that it shall not be a people;

9 and the head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is Remaliah’s son. If you will not believe, surely you shall not be established.’”

10 Yahweh spoke again to Ahaz, saying,

11 “Ask a sign of Yahweh your God; ask it either in the depth, or in the height above.”

12 But Ahaz said, “I will not ask, neither will I tempt Yahweh.”

13 He said, “Listen now, house of David. Is it not enough for you to try the patience of men, that you will try the patience of my God also?

14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin will conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

15 He shall eat butter and honey when he knows to refuse the evil, and choose the good.

16 For before the child knows to refuse the evil, and choose the good, the land whose two kings you abhor shall be forsaken.

17 Yahweh will bring on you, on your people, and on your father’s house, days that have not come, from the day that Ephraim departed from Judah; even the king of Assyria.

18 It will happen in that day that Yahweh will whistle for the fly that is in the uttermost part of the rivers of Egypt, and for the bee that is in the land of Assyria.

19 They shall come, and shall all rest in the desolate valleys, in the clefts of the rocks, on all thorn hedges, and on all pastures.

20 In that day the Lord will shave with a razor that is hired in the parts beyond the River, even with the king of Assyria, the head and the hair of the feet; and it shall also consume the beard.

21 It shall happen in that day that a man shall keep alive a young cow, and two sheep;

22 and it shall happen, that because of the abundance of milk which they shall give he shall eat butter: for everyone will eat butter and honey that is left in the midst of the land.

23 It will happen in that day that every place where there were a thousand vines at a thousand silver shekels, shall be for briers and thorns.

24 People will go there with arrows and with bow, because all the land will be briers and thorns.

25 All the hills that were cultivated with the hoe, you shall not come there for fear of briers and thorns; but it shall be for the sending out of oxen, and for the treading of sheep.”

Isaiah 7 (KJV)

1 And it came to pass in the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, king of Judah, that Rezin the king of Syria, and Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, went up toward Jerusalem to war against it, but could not prevail against it.

2 And it was told the house of David, saying, 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.

3 Then said the Lord unto Isaiah, Go forth now to meet Ahaz, thou, and Shear–jashub thy son, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool in the highway of the fuller’s field;

4 And 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 of the son of Remaliah.

5 Because Syria, Ephraim, and the son of Remaliah, have taken evil counsel against thee, saying,

6 Let us go up against Judah, and vex it, and let us make a breach therein for us, and set a king in the midst of it, even the son of Tabeal:

7 Thus saith the Lord God, It shall not stand, neither shall it come to pass.

8 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.

9 And the head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is Remaliah’s son. If ye will not believe, surely ye shall not be established.

10 Moreover the Lord spake again unto Ahaz, saying,

11 Ask thee a sign of the Lord thy God; ask it either in the depth, or in the height above.

12 But Ahaz said, I will not ask, neither will I tempt the Lord.

13 And he said, Hear ye now, O house of David; Is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will ye weary my God also?

14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

15 Butter and honey shall he eat, that he may know to refuse the evil, and choose the good.

16 For before the child shall know to refuse the evil, and choose the good, the land that thou abhorrest shall be forsaken of both her kings.

17 The Lord shall bring upon thee, and upon thy people, and upon thy father’s house, days that have not come, from the day that Ephraim departed from Judah; even the king of Assyria.

18 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall hiss for the fly that is in the uttermost part of the rivers of Egypt, and for the bee that is in the land of Assyria.

19 And they shall come, and shall rest all of them in the desolate valleys, and in the holes of the rocks, and upon all thorns, and upon all bushes.

20 In the same day shall the Lord shave with a razor that is hired, namely, by them beyond the river, by the king of Assyria, the head, and the hair of the feet: and it shall also consume the beard.

21 And it shall come to pass in that day, that a man shall nourish a young cow, and two sheep;

22 And it shall come to pass, for the abundance of milk that they shall give he shall eat butter: for butter and honey shall every one eat that is left in the land.

23 And it shall come to pass in that day, that every place shall be, where there were a thousand vines at a thousand silverlings, it shall even be for briers and thorns.

24 With arrows and with bows shall men come thither; because all the land shall become briers and thorns.

25 And on all hills that shall be digged with the mattock, there shall not come thither the fear of briers and thorns: but it shall be for the sending forth of oxen, and for the treading of lesser cattle.

Isaiah 7 (ASV)

1 And it came to pass in the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, king of Judah, that Rezin the king of Syria, and Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, went up to Jerusalem to war against it, but could not prevail against it.

2 And it was told the house of David, saying, Syria is confederate with Ephraim. And his heart trembled, and the heart of his people, as the trees of the forest tremble with the wind.

3 Then said Jehovah unto Isaiah, Go forth now to meet Ahaz, thou, and Shear-jashub thy son, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool, in the highway of the fuller’s field;

4 and say unto him, Take heed, and be quiet; fear not, neither let thy heart be faint, because of these two tails of smoking firebrands, for the fierce anger of Rezin and Syria, and of the son of Remaliah.

5 Because Syria, Ephraim, and the son of Remaliah, have purposed evil against thee, saying,

6 Let us go up against Judah, and vex it, and let us make a breach therein for us, and set up a king in the midst of it, even the son of Tabeel;

7 thus saith the Lord Jehovah, It shall not stand, neither shall it come to pass.

8 For the head of Syria is Damascus, and the head of Damascus is Rezin; and within threescore and five years shall Ephraim be broken in pieces, so that it shall not be a people:

9 and the head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is Remaliah’s son. If ye will not believe, surely ye shall not be established.

10 And Jehovah spake again unto Ahaz, saying,

11 Ask thee a sign of Jehovah thy God; ask it either in the depth, or in the height above.

12 But Ahaz said, I will not ask, neither will I tempt Jehovah.

13 And he said, Hear ye now, O house of David: Is it a small thing for you to weary men, that ye will weary my God also?

14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

15 Butter and honey shall he eat, when he knoweth to refuse the evil, and choose the good.

16 For before the child shall know to refuse the evil, and choose the good, the land whose two kings thou abhorrest shall be forsaken.

17 Jehovah will bring upon thee, and upon thy people, and upon thy father’s house, days that have not come, from the day that Ephraim departed from Judah—even the king of Assyria.

18 And it shall come to pass in that day, that Jehovah will hiss for the fly that is in the uttermost part of the rivers of Egypt, and for the bee that is in the land of Assyria.

19 And they shall come, and shall rest all of them in the desolate valleys, and in the clefts of the rocks, and upon all thorn-hedges, and upon all pastures.

20 In that day will the Lord shave with a razor that is hired in the parts beyond the River, even with the king of Assyria, the head and the hair of the feet; and it shall also consume the beard.

21 And it shall come to pass in that day, that a man shall keep alive a young cow, and two sheep;

22 and it shall come to pass, that because of the abundance of milk which they shall give he shall eat butter: for butter and honey shall every one eat that is left in the midst of the land.

23 And it shall come to pass in that day, that every place, where there were a thousand vines at a thousand silverlings, shall be for briers and thorns.

24 With arrows and with bow shall one come thither, because all the land shall be briers and thorns.

25 And all the hills that were digged with the mattock, thou shalt not come thither for fear of briers and thorns; but it shall be for the sending forth of oxen, and for the treading of sheep.

Summary

In the days of King Ahaz, Syria and Ephraim ally against Judah and march on Jerusalem, and the house of David trembles like trees shaken by the wind. God sends Isaiah, with his son Shear-jashub, to meet Ahaz and steady him: be careful, keep calm, do not fear these two smoldering stumps of kings, for their plot will not stand. God adds a warning that without faith Ahaz will not be established. Then the LORD invites Ahaz to ask for any sign, deep as Sheol or high as heaven, to confirm the promise. Ahaz, cloaking unbelief in false piety, refuses to put God to the test. So the Lord himself gives a sign: the virgin will conceive and bear a son and call his name Immanuel, and before the child is old enough to choose good over evil, the two kings Ahaz dreads will be abandoned. Yet because Ahaz trusts in Assyria rather than God, that same Assyria will become a razor God hires to devastate the land, leaving briers and thorns where vineyards once stood. The chapter holds together a tender promise of God-with-us and a sober warning that unbelief opens the door to judgment.

Key Figures

Ahaz, king of Judah — The fearful, faithless king of the house of David who refuses God's offered sign and trusts in Assyria rather than in the LORD.
Isaiah and Shear-jashub — The prophet sent to steady Ahaz with God's word, accompanied by his son whose name means a remnant shall return.
Immanuel — The promised son whose name means God with us, the sign God gives, pointing beyond the moment to the coming Messiah.

Key Verse

Isaiah 7:14 (WEB)

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin will conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

Lessons Learned

Fear tempts us to trust in human alliances rather than in God's promise (Isaiah 7:2, 17).
God graciously offers signs and assurances to steady our faith (Isaiah 7:11).
Refusing to trust God, even under a religious cover, is a serious failure of faith (Isaiah 7:12).
The promise of Immanuel reveals God's intention to be with his people in person (Isaiah 7:14).

Faith steadies the fearful heart. Isaiah tells Ahaz, “Be careful, and keep calm. Don’t be afraid” (Isaiah 7:4, WEB). God's word calls trembling hearts to trust rather than panic.
Believing is the ground of standing firm. “If you will not believe, surely you shall not be established” (Isaiah 7:9, WEB). Security comes from faith in God, not from political maneuvering.
Pretended piety can mask unbelief. Ahaz says, “I will not ask, neither will I tempt Yahweh” (Isaiah 7:12, WEB), but his refusal hides a heart already set on Assyria, not God.
God's greatest sign is his presence with us. “They shall call his name Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14, WEB)—God with us. The deepest answer to fear is the nearness of God himself in Christ.

What is the threat facing Ahaz, and how does the house of David respond (7:1-2)?
What does God promise Ahaz through Isaiah, and what does he ask of him (7:4-9)?
Why does Ahaz refuse to ask for a sign, and what does his refusal reveal (7:11-12)?
What does the name Immanuel mean, and how does the New Testament see it fulfilled in Jesus (7:14; Matthew 1:22-23)?
When you face threatening circumstances, where are you tempted to seek security apart from trusting God?

Syria and Ephraim have allied to attack Jerusalem, and the house of David trembles like wind-shaken trees (7:1-2). The royal house, meant to embody faith in God's promises to David, is gripped by fear, setting the stage for God's call to trust rather than scheme.
God promises that the enemy plot will not stand and that the threatening kings are mere smoldering stumps (7:4-7), while calling Ahaz to believe: “If you will not believe, surely you shall not be established” (7:9). God asks for trust, offering both reassurance and a clear condition.
Ahaz dresses up his refusal as reverence, but he has already decided to rely on Assyria for protection (7:12, 17). His false piety masks a heart unwilling to trust God. Help the group see how religious language can sometimes cover a refusal to actually depend on God.
Immanuel means “God with us.” In its first setting it assured Ahaz that God's timetable of deliverance was near, but Matthew shows its ultimate fulfillment in the virgin birth of Jesus, in whom God truly came to dwell with his people (Matthew 1:22-23). The sign reaches from Ahaz's day to Bethlehem.
This is a personal-application question. Invite members to name the “Assyrias” they lean on when afraid—money, influence, control—and to consider what it would look like to rest in the promise that God is with them. Point to Immanuel as the deepest reassurance in every fear.