Tuesday January 19
What’s in a Name? (Isa. 8:1-10)
Can you imagine playing a ball game with Isaiah’s second boy? By the time you could say “Maher-shalal-hash-baz, throw me the ball!” it would be too late. But even longer than his name is its meaning: “swift is booty, speedy is prey” or “speed the spoil, hasten the plunder.”
The message of the name clearly has to do with rapid conquest, but who conquers whom? Isa. 8:4.
Isaiah 8:1-10 reinforces the message of chapter 7.
8:1 Moreover the LORD said unto me, Take thee a great roll, and write in it with a man's pen concerning Mahershalalhashbaz.
8:2 And I took unto me faithful witnesses to record, Uriah the priest, and Zechariah the son of Jeberechiah.
8:3 And I went unto the prophetess; and she conceived, and bare a son. Then said the LORD to me, Call his name Mahershalalhashbaz.
8:4 For before the child shall have knowledge to cry, My father, and my mother, the riches of Damascus and the spoil of Samaria shall be taken away before the king of Assyria.
8:5 The LORD spake also unto me again, saying,
8:6 Forasmuch as this people refuseth the waters of Shiloah that go softly, and rejoice in Rezin and Remaliah's son;
8:7 Now therefore, behold, the Lord bringeth up upon them the waters of the river, strong and many, [even] the king of Assyria, and all his glory: and he shall come up over all his channels, and go over all his banks:
8:8 And he shall pass through Judah; he shall overflow and go over, he shall reach [even] to the neck; and the stretching out of his wings shall fill the breadth of thy land, O Immanuel.
8:9 Associate yourselves, O ye people, and ye shall be broken in pieces; and give ear, all ye of far countries: gird yourselves, and ye shall be broken in pieces; gird yourselves, and ye shall be broken in pieces.
8:10 Take counsel together, and it shall come to nought; speak the word, and it shall not stand: for God [is] with us.
Before a child could reach a certain stage, spoils of war from the capitals of Syria and northern Israel would be taken by Assyria. Furthermore, because Judah had refused God’s message of assurance, represented by the gently flowing waters of the Shiloah stream in Jerusalem, it would be overwhelmed by the mighty power of Assyria, represented by flooding from the great Euphrates River.
Because Ahaz turned to Assyria, the names of Isaiah’s sons referred to Judah, as well as to northern Israel: “swift is booty, speedy is prey,” but “a remnant shall return.” Why was there still hope? Because although Assyria would fill Immanuel’s land (Isa. 8:8 ), they still had the promise that “God is with us” (Isa. 8:10). Indeed, what we see here is a theme that permeates the entire book of Isaiah, which is though there would be judgments on God’s enemies in Judah and other nations, delivered in the form of military disasters, suffering, and exile, the Lord would be with the faithful survivors of His people and restore them to their land.
Why does Isaiah tell us he legally recorded the child’s name and had marital relations with his wife (“the prophetess”)? Isa. 8:1-3.
The timing of this son was central to his significance as a sign. As with the sign of Immanuel, from the time he was conceived and born until the time Assyria defeated Syria and Israel would be less time than it would take for the boy to reach an early developmental stage, in this case calling for his father or mother (Isa. 8:4). When Isaiah legally recorded the boy’s name even before his conception, he made the child and his name a public prophecy that could be tested by subsequent events.
Despite repeated mistakes on the part of His professed people, the Lord was still willing to save them. How can we take this principle and apply it to ourselves personally, especially when we fail and fall in our own spiritual life?
The promise to Israel and to us today as individuals has conditions. First, Christ must come into this dark spot in the universe a helpless baby subject to the weakness of humanity to fight the battle of life as we must fight it at the risk of failure and eternal loss for Him and His Father. Jesus could have failed, but He did not. And even after that many will reject His love and offer. Only those who love the Lord our God with the whole heart shall be saved. God gives us a period of time, a probationary time to learn of Him so we can trust Him with all we are and all we have. This is the condition we must meet. He is still willing to save all who will love Him supremely. How can we apply this to ourselves? It would be well to spend a thoughtful hour a day contemplating the life of Christ, especially the closing scenes when He was lifted up being made sin for us. By beholding such grace we shall be transformed in character and will love Him with the whole heart. Today, most of us still have an Intercessor who will forgive our sins if we love Him supremely. And if we don't, most of us will still have time to learn of Him who gave all that we might live. Some today will pass the point of being able to hear that still small voice that they have been rejecting over and over, and their probationary period will close. How very sad! Today is the day of salvation, today we may spend time with Jesus and by beholding His glory we shall be changed into His image (2 Cor. 3:18).
And the promise to Israel is still going to be kept, that a remnant shall be saved. Not for the nation of Israel, but for modern day Israel, Seventh-day Adventists. A remnant of God's professed church shall be saved.
