Isaiah 7:10-25--The Sign of Immanuel

Isaiah 7:10-25
English Standard Version

The Sign of Immanuel
10 Again the LORD spoke to Ahaz: 11 “Ask a sign of the LORD your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven.” 12 But Ahaz said, “I will not ask, and I will not put the LORD to the test.” 13 And he said, “Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary men, that you weary my God also? 14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. 15 He shall eat curds and honey when he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good. 16 For before the boy knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land whose two kings you dread will be deserted. 17 The LORD will bring upon you and upon your people and upon your father's house such days as have not come since the day that Ephraim departed from Judah—the king of Assyria!”

18 In that day the LORD will whistle for the fly that is at the end of the streams of Egypt, and for the bee that is in the land of Assyria. 19 And they will all come and settle in the steep ravines, and in the clefts of the rocks, and on all the thornbushes, and on all the pastures.

20 In that day the Lord will shave with a razor that is hired beyond the River—with the king of Assyria—the head and the hair of the feet, and it will sweep away the beard also.

21 In that day a man will keep alive a young cow and two sheep, 22 and because of the abundance of milk that they give, he will eat curds, for everyone who is left in the land will eat curds and honey.

23 In that day every place where there used to be a thousand vines, worth a thousand shekels of silver, will become briers and thorns. 24 With bow and arrows a man will come there, for all the land will be briers and thorns. 25 And as for all the hills that used to be hoed with a hoe, you will not come there for fear of briers and thorns, but they will become a place where cattle are let loose and where sheep tread.

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This is a prophecy, like many others, that has both near-term, and long-term fulfillment.  We probably know the long-term fulfillment better as this passage is quoted in Matthew 1:23 to say that ultimately this prophecy pointed to the virgin birth of Jesus.  In the short-term, there was a young woman who was a virgin who gave birth to a child (see the beginning of chapter 8 as it appears the near-term fulfillment of this prophecy is the next agenda item in God's prophetic narrative here), but the difference is that the virgin in chapter 8 gave birth through the natural process--she was no longer a virgin after she became pregnant.  Mary was a virgin all throughout her pregnancy with Jesus and up through His birth.  She had other sons and daughters after Jesus by natural conception, but Jesus was the only one born by the Holy Spirit without any human male contribution.

Neither the child in chapter 8 nor Jesus is directly called Immanuel, but Immanuel was more of a nickname because this child was the embodiment of God's fulfilment of His promise to be with His people, but Jesus truly was "God with us."  While the child is still young and unable to make decisions about good and evil for himself, the two kings that threatened Judah would be destroyed by the LORD (that's a near-term promise, though Jesus provided a much greater deliverance from our greatest enemies of sin and death).

In the day of judgment for the wicked, the LORD will cause all manner of insects associated with plague and uncleanness to swarm and execute His judgment, and the LORD will also use pagan kings to accomplish His plans and purposes (more on that later as we get further into this book).  Those who keep their livestock will be very rich indeed at that time (though they will only be able to afford to keep a few of them), but most of the Land will become infertile and will not produce grapes, figs, or olives for the people of Judah that remain or their captors.  People will let their flocks and herds trample over what were vineyards which now have broken-down walls and no one to protect them.

Even though it seems the LORD has turned all of His blessings into curses for His people, there is still hope for them that in a short time, salvation and relief is coming.  We also know that God meant to tell us about a better salvation that was coming that this was only a glimpse of.  We look forward to the ultimate salvation that the Lord Jesus Christ will provide for all of those who belong to Him and plague or enemy will ever be able to harm us ever again.