# Isaiah 08 š: Trust God, Not Assyria
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> [!info] Table of Contents
> [[#š Scripture Text (NET)]]
> [[#š Verse-by-Verse Commentary]]
> [[#š¤ Interesting Facts / Historical and Cultural Insights]]
> [[#š§ Chapter Summary]]
> [[#āļø Christ in This Chapter]]
> [[#š Key Observations / š Life Application]]
> [[#š¬ Discussion Questions]]
> [[#āļø Key Verses to Remember]]
> [[#š Related Passages]]
> [[#š Devotional Reflection]]
> [[#š Internal Notes]]
## š Scripture Text (NET)
#### A Child is Born for a Sign
[[#Verse 01.]] TheĀ LordĀ told me, āTake a large tabletĀ and inscribe these wordsĀ on it with an ordinary stylus:Ā āMaher Shalal Hash Baz.āĀ
[[#Verse 02.]]Ā Then I will summonĀ as my reliable witnesses Uriah the priest and Zechariah son of Jeberekiah.āĀ
[[#Verse 03.]]Ā I then approached the prophetess for marital relations;Ā she conceived and gave birth to a son. TheĀ LordĀ told me, āName him Maher Shalal Hash Baz,Ā
[[#Verse 04.]]Ā for before the child knows how to cry out āMy fatherā or āMy mother,ā the wealth of Damascus and the plunder of Samaria will be carried off by the king of Assyria.ā
[[#Verse 05.]]Ā TheĀ LordĀ spoke to me again:Ā
[[#Verse 06.]]Ā āThese peopleĀ have rejected the gently flowing waters of ShiloahĀ and melt in fear over Rezin and the son of Remaliah.
[[#Verse 07.]]Ā So look, the LordĀ is bringing up against them the turbulent and mighty waters of the Euphrates Riverāthe king of Assyria and all his majestic power. It will reach flood stage and overflow its banks.Ā
[[#Verse 08.]]Ā It will spill into Judah, flooding and engulfing, as it reaches to the necks of its victims. He will spread his wings out over your entire land,Ā O Immanuel.ā
[[#Verse 09.]]Ā You will be broken,Ā O nations; you will be shattered! Pay attention, all you distant lands of the earth. Get ready for battle, and you will be shattered! Get ready for battle, and you will be shattered!
[[#Verse 10.]]Ā Devise your strategy, but it will be thwarted.
Issue your orders, but they will not be executed!
For God is with us!
### The Lord Encourages Isaiah
> [!NOTE]- [[1 Peter 03]]
> [[1 Peter 03]]
> - Peter quotes this to help the Christians understand God's desire for them to see Him as the only "fear" object in their life.
[[#Verse 11.]] Indeed this is what the Lord told me quite forcefully. He warned me not to act like these people:
[[#Verse 12.]]Ā āDo not say, āConspiracy,ā every time these people say the word.
Donāt be afraid of what scares them; donāt be terrified.
[[#Verse 13.]]Ā You must recognize the authority of theĀ LordĀ of Heavenās Armies.
He is the one you must respect;
he is the one you must fear.
[[#Verse 14.]]Ā He will become a sanctuary,
but a stone that makes a person trip,
and a rock that makes one stumbleā
to the two houses of Israel.
He will becomeĀ a trap and a snare
to the residents of Jerusalem.
[[#Verse 15.]]Ā Many will stumble over the stone and the rock,
and will fall and be seriously injured,
and will be ensnared and captured.ā
[[#Verse 16.]]Ā Tie up the scroll as legal evidence,
seal the official record of Godās instructions and give it to my followers.
[[#Verse 17.]]Ā I will wait patiently for theĀ Lord,
who has rejected the family of Jacob;
I will wait for him.
[[#Verse 18.]]Ā Look, I and the sons whom theĀ LordĀ has given meĀ are reminders and object lessonsĀ in Israel, sent from theĀ LordĀ of Heavenās Armies, who lives on Mount Zion.
#### Darkness Turns to Light as an Ideal King Arrives
[[#Verse 19.]]Ā Ā They will say to you, āSeek oracles at the pits used to conjure up underworld spirits, from the magicians who chirp and mutter incantations.Should people not seek oracles from their gods, by asking the dead about the destiny of the living?āĀ
[[#Verse 20.]]Ā Then you must recall theĀ Lordās instructions and the prophetic testimony of what would happen.Ā Certainly they say such things because their minds are spiritually darkened.Ā
[[#Verse 21.]]Ā They will pass through the landĀ destitute and starving. Their hunger will make them angry,Ā and they will curse their king and their GodĀ as they look upward.Ā
[[#Verse 22.]]Ā When one looks out over the land, he seesĀ distress and darkness, gloomĀ and anxiety, darkness and people forced from the land.
## š Verse-by-Verse Commentary
- [2] Verse 11-18.
- Isaiah is giving encouragement and direction to the people of the nation. They are being harassed by the government and rival nations to line up with them for various reasons. God is reminding them to make God their top priority. That will give them wisdom and direction.
###### Overall.
###### Verse 01.
###### Verse 02.
###### Verse 03.
###### Verse 04.
###### Verse 05.
###### Verse 06.
###### Verse 07.
###### Verse 08.
###### Verse 09.
###### Verse 10.
###### Verse 11.
###### Verse 12.
###### Verse 13.
###### Verse 14.
###### Verse 15.
###### Verse 16.
###### Verse 17.
###### Verse 18.
###### Verse 19.
###### Verse 20.
###### Verse 21.
###### Verse 22.
## š¤ Interesting Facts / Historical and Cultural Insights
1. Maher-shalal-hash-baz (8:1, 3) means quick to the plunder, swift to the spoil. It is the longest personal name in the Bible.
2. Isaiah's wife is called the prophetess (8:3).
3. Isaiah wrote the name on a large tablet before reliable witnesses (8:1-2) so the prophecy could be verified later.
4. Before the child could say father or mother, Damascus and Samaria would be plundered (8:4). Assyria conquered Damascus in 732 BC.
5. The waters of Shiloah (8:6) were a small, gentle stream supplying Jerusalem, a picture of God's quiet care.
6. The mighty River (8:7) is the Euphrates, a picture of the overwhelming Assyrian army.
7. Peter quotes 8:12-13 to encourage believers to honor Christ as Lord in their hearts (1 Peter 3:14-15).
8. Hebrews 2:13 places the words of 8:17-18 on Jesus' lips.
9. The stone of stumbling (8:14) is quoted in Romans 9:33 and 1 Peter 2:8.
10. Mediums who chirp and mutter (8:19) was a mocking description of the sounds used in ancient necromancy.
## š§ Chapter Summary
> [!note] š± Still growing. This section is on its way.
## āļø Christ in This Chapter
Christ is the stone that becomes a sanctuary for those who trust Him and a stone of stumbling for those who reject Him (8:14). Peter and Paul both apply this verse to Jesus (1 Peter 2:7-8; Romans 9:33).
## š Key Observations / š Life Application
> [!note] š± Still growing. This section is on its way.
## š¬ Discussion Questions
1. God told Isaiah not to fear what the people feared or call conspiracy everything they called conspiracy (8:12). How does fear shape our view of the world?
2. The people rejected the gently flowing waters of Shiloah (8:6). Where are we tempted to reject God's quiet provision for something louder?
3. Isaiah urges God's people to consult God's instruction rather than mediums (8:19-20). Where do people go for guidance today instead of God's Word?
## āļø Key Verses to Remember
- š verses 12-13: Do not fear what others fear; the Lord is the One you must respect.
- š verse 14: The Lord will be a sanctuary but also a stone that makes people stumble.
- š verse 20: Go to the Lord's instruction and testimony for guidance.
## š Related Passages
- š [[1 Peter 02#Verse 06.|1 Peter 2:6-8]] - A stone of stumbling and a rock to trip over.
- š [[Romans 09#Verse 32.|Romans 9:32-33]] - They stumbled over the stumbling stone.
- š [[1 Peter 03#Verse 14.|1 Peter 3:14-15]] - Do not fear; set Christ apart as Lord.
- š [[Hebrews 02#Verse 13.|Hebrews 2:13]] - Here I am, and the children God has given Me.
- š [[Deuteronomy 18#Verse 10.|Deuteronomy 18:10-12]] - Do not consult mediums or spirits.
## š Devotional Reflection
š SOAP: [[Isaiah 08 - SOAP|Donāt Believe Conspiracy Theories]]
## š Internal Notes
Date: 4.30.25
Text: Isaiah 8:11-13 (and Isaiah 9:6-7a)
Where: RLC
Occasion: Communion for Worship Night