
Left: Isaiah’s lips anointed by the angel (Isaiah 6.7)
Isaiah, the greatest of the writing Hebrew prophets, lived in the eighth century BCE. His children become signs, acts of God incarnate.
Here are some names for your baby book:
- Shear-jashub (a few will come back)
- Maher-shalal-hash-baz (swift the spoil, prompt the plunder)
No?
Perhaps this one suits you better:
Isaiah 7.14. Isaiah, the fifth gospel, predicts the virgin birth of Jesus. Right?
Matthew understood it that way, and used the Septuagint (the Greek KJV of the ancient Jews and Christians), which read, “A virgin (parthenos) shall conceive…” Matthew understood it to be a prediction of Jesus’ birth of Mary “who knew not a man” 700 years in advance.
Trouble is, the king to whom Isaiah delivered this prophecy-child—Ahaz (735-715 BCE)—didn’t give a flip about his own kids:
He even made his son pass through fire…
2 Kings 16:3-4 (NRSV)
He put his own son to death. Why would he care about a child born 700 years later?
Isaiah’s family
Nobody’s questioning Matthew’s coopting this text for his purposes later.
What you miss if that’s all you see is Isaiah’s children, named above. For, Immanuel, the child promised by Isaiah, is good old Maher, born to Isaiah and his unnamed wife the prophetess shortly after this prophecy.
Before this child reaches the age of accountability, the foes Ahaz dreads will be smoke and cinders:
For before the child knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land before whose two kings you are in dread will be deserted.
Isaiah 7:16 (NRSV)
Ahaz ignored Isaiah’s warning, and turned to Assyria for help. By 721 BCE Assyria would help itself to the entire Northern Kingdom, and threaten the South, Ahaz’s country, as well.
Eventually Isaiah shut up, entrusting his message to his children, his disciples (Isa 8.16-18).
Isaiah’s fear
If you see a snake on the highway, you’re scared, right? But if an 18-wheeler comes barreling down that highway toward you at 80 mph, you run for your life!
The kings plotting against Israel are the snake. God is the 18-wheeler.
Fear God!
That’s Isaiah’s message.
Do not call conspiracy all that this people calls conspiracy, and do not fear what it fears, or be in dread. But the LORD of hosts, him you shall regard as holy; let him be your fear, and let him be your dread.
Isaiah 8:12-14 (NRSV)
“Fear of the LORD” is a Hebrew idiom for the faith of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Moses in Yahweh.
But, though it doesn’t mean “to be scared of,” it does admonish us “to have a healthy respect for, to reverence.”
Since 9/11 our government likes to bandy about words like “terrorism” and “national security.”
No doubt these matters need attending to. But far more critical to the health of the nation is the state of our faith. In the powerful Message paraphrase, Isaiah puts these questions to you and me:
Why this frenzy of sacrifices?” GOD’s asking. “Don’t you think I’ve had my fill of burnt sacrifices, rams and plump grain-fed calves? Don’t you think I’ve had my fill of blood from bulls, lambs, and goats?
When you come before me, who ever gave you the idea of acting like this, Running here and there, doing this and that– all this sheer commotion in the place provided for worship?
“Quit your worship charades. I can’t stand your trivial religious games: Monthly conferences, weekly Sabbaths, special meetings– meetings, meetings, meetings–I can’t stand one more!
Meetings for this, meetings for that. I hate them! You’ve worn me out! I’m sick of your religion, religion, religion, while you go right on sinning.
When you put on your next prayer-performance, I’ll be looking the other way. No matter how long or loud or often you pray, I’ll not be listening. And do you know why? Because you’ve been tearing people to pieces, and your hands are bloody.
Isaiah 1.11-15 The Message
Isaiah’s fate
We don’t know for sure what happened to Isaiah of Jerusalem. He produced the most majestic Hebrew poetry in the Book. He foresaw more clearly than anyone else in ancient times the One who was to come.
It may have been, not himself, but one of his children, his disciples, who penned Isaiah 40-55 which called the exiles from comfort in Babylon to the rigors of faithful living in Palestine. (Scholars call this disciple “Isaiah of Babylon.”)
Yet another may have produced the messages of Isaiah 56-66 and helped the disillusioned returnees to see God at work in their severe circumstances. This disciple, called “Third Isaiah,” described God’s chosen fast, a life given to serving the poor and releasing the captive.
According to tradition, Hebrews 11.37, “they were sawn in two,” refers to Isaiah of Jerusalem, put to death by Manasseh, Ahaz’s grandson. About 60 years later, in 587/6 BCE the Southern Kingdom Judah was destroyed.