In the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, son of Uzziah, king of Judah, Rezin the king of Syria and Pekah the son of Remaliah the king of Israel came up to Jerusalem to wage war against it, but could not yet mount an attack against it. When the house of David was told, “Syria is in league with Ephraim,” the heart of Ahaz and the heart of his people shook as the trees of the forest shake before the wind. Comment: by now Samaria (Israel) had separated from Judah and David’s descendants were not kings in Samaria but they were in Judah.
And the LORD said to Isaiah, “Go out to meet Ahaz, you and Shear-jashub (this name means ‘a remnant shall return’) your son, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool on the highway to the Washer’s Field. And say to him, Be careful, be quiet, do not fear, and do not let your heart be faint because of these two smoldering stumps of firebrands, at the fierce anger of Rezin and Syria and the son of Remaliah. Because Syria, with Ephraim and the son of Remaliah, has devised evil against you, saying “Let us go up against Judah and terrify it, and let us conquer it for ourselves, and set up the son of Tabeel as king in the midst of it,” thus says the Lord GOD:
“‘It shall not stand, and it shall not come to pass.
For the head of Syria is Damascus, and the head of Damascus is Rezin.
And within sixty-five years Ephraim will be shattered from being a people. Comment: The Northern Kingdom (Ephraim) was overthrown by invaders many years before Judah was overcome by Nebuchadnezzar.
9 And the head of Ephraim is Samaria,
and the head of Samaria is the son of Remaliah.
If you are not firm in faith,
you will not be firm at all.’” Comment: Isaiah’s message to Ahaz was in two parts. a) Be confident and courageous! This included an assessment of the enemies character – ‘two smoldering stumps of firebrands’, have ‘devised evil against you’. and b) A challenge to faithfulness – ‘If you are not firm in faith,
you will not be firm at all.’ There follows a list of the names used at the commencement of this passage.
- Judah – Jerusalem – David’s progeny – Ahaz. Country, capital, King
- Israel (Ephraim) – Samaria – not in David’s line – Pekah, (son of Remaliah, Remaliah was never a king), – King.
- Syria – Damascus – Rezin, King.
Proverbs 24: 10-11 – If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small.
Rescue those who are being taken away to death; hold back those who are stumbling to the slaughter.
Prayer: Father, not only do I want character but please let me, have by Your gifts and by my choice, good character!
As I read it! 