Trust in Jehovah in the Face of Adversity, Chapter Nine

ISAIAH chapters 7 and 8 are  a study in contrasts.  Isaiah and Ahaz both belonged to a nation dedicated to Jehovah; both had God-given  assignments, one as  a prophet, the other as a king of Judah; and both faced the same threat-the invasion of Judah by superior enemy forces.  Isaiah, however, faced the threat with confidence in Jehovah, whereas Ahaz  gave way to fear.  Why the different reactions?  Since Christians today are likewise surrounded by hostile forces, they do well to examine these two chapters of Isaiah to discover what lessons they contain.

Facing a Decision

Much like an artist who defines the outline of a new painting with a few sweeping strokes, Isaiah starts his account with a few broad statements that mark the beginning and the end of events  he is about to relate:  "It came about in the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham the son of Uzziah, the king of Judah, that Rezin the king of Syria and Pekah the son of Remaliah, the king of Israel, came up to Jerusalem for war against it, and he proved unable to war against it." -Isaiah 7:1.

It is the eighth century  B.C.E. Ahaz has succeeded  his father, Jotham, as king over  Judah. Rezin, the king Syria, and Pekah, the king of the northern kingdom of Israel, invade Judah, and their armies hit hard. Eventually, they will besiege Jerusalem itself.  However, the siege will fail.  (2 Kings 16:5, 6; 2 Chronicles 28:5-8)  Why? That we will learn later.

Earlier in the war, "a report was made to the house of David, saying:  'Syria has leaned upon Ephraim.'  And his heart and the heart of his people began to quiver, like the quivering of the trees of the forest because of a wind." (Isaiah 7:2) Yet, it is frightening to Ahaz and his people to learn that the Syrians and the Israelites have teamed up and that their armies are at this  very moment encamped on Ephraim's  (Israel's) soil.  They are merely a two-or-three day march from Jerusalem!

Next time: Conclusion of Trust in Jehovah in the Face of Adversity

From the Book Isaiah's Prophecy Light for all Mankind