1 And it came to pass in the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, king of Judah, that Rezin the king of Syria, and Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, went up toward Jerusalem to war against it, but could not prevail against it.
Uzziah died in the last chapter, and his son Jotham (a good, godly king) reigned sixteen years. (Actually, he reigned 20, but the first four were a co-rule with his father.) So this is at least seventeen years later. Isaiah most likely continued to preach and prophecy during the time of Jotham; he just didn’t write anything down.
Ahaz was not a godly king.
2 And it was told the house of David, (not “Ahaz,” not “the king,” but “the house of David”) saying, Syria is confederate with Ephraim (biggest tribe in Israel). And his heart was moved, and the heart of his people, as the trees of the wood are moved with the wind.
They were upset.
3 Then said the LORD unto Isaiah, “Go forth now to meet Ahaz, thou, and Shear-jashub thy son, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool in the highway of the fuller's field;
God told Isaiah to take his son with him to talk to the king. The boy’s name means “A remnant shall return.” So his presence alone would be a reminder of God's promise to preserve a lineage to Jacob.
It is interesting to note that there was a battle with Israel just before this (2 Chronicles 28:8-15) where 200,000 captives were taken by Israel and many Judeans were slaughtered, including the king’s son. God sent a prophet, Oded, to scold the king of Israel and make him give back the captives. So a remnant likely had just returned.
4 “And say unto him, ‘Take heed, and be quiet; fear not, neither be fainthearted for the two tails of these smoking firebrands, for the fierce anger of Rezin with Syria, and of the son of Remaliah.
“Tell him to stop worrying. Tell him he doesn't need to fear the fierce anger of those two burned-out embers, King Rezin of Syria and Pekah son of Remaliah.” -NLT
5 “’Because Syria, Ephraim, and the son of Remaliah, have taken evil counsel against thee, saying,
6 “’”Let us go up against Judah, and vex it, and let us make a breach therein for us, and set a king in the midst of it, even the son of Tabeal:”
This may be the reason for “The house of David” in verse 1. Syria and Israel intended to replace the Davidic line of kings in Judah with their own puppet.
7 Thus saith the Lord GOD, “It shall not stand, neither shall it come to pass.
8 "For the head of Syria is Damascus, and the head of Damascus is Rezin; and within threescore and five years shall Ephraim be broken, that it be not a people."
Within Sixty-five years Israel will cease to exist. This prophecy was probably given in about 659BC. Assyria destroyed Israel in about 640BC, 19 years later. So Ephraim certainly ceased to exist within 65 years.
9 And the head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is Remaliah's son. If ye will not believe, surely ye shall not be established.
“If you don’t believe Me, you will lose your throne.”
Ahaz was the ruler during the destruction by Assyria.
10 Moreover the LORD spake again unto Ahaz, saying,
11 “Ask thee a sign of the LORD thy God; ask it either in the depth, or in the height above.”
It isn’t often God tells people to ask for whatever sign they want.
12 But Ahaz said, “I will not ask, neither will I tempt the LORD.”
I don’t know if Ahaz just believed Isaiah and didn’t need a sign, or if he wouldn’t believe no matter what, so a sign would be irrelevant.
It’s not tempting God to do what He says.
Ahaz is recorded as sending to the Assyrians for help at this time. However, the king of Assyria attacked him instead. In fact, Judah is attacked on all sides because God is punishing them for Ahaz’s sin.
13 And he said, “Hear ye now, O house of David; Is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will ye weary my God also?”
“Then Isaiah said, “Listen well, you royal family of David! Isn’t it enough to exhaust human patience? Must you exhaust the patience of my God as well?” –NLT
Sounds like Ahaz had decided not to believe, no matter what. Because Ahaz won’t choose a sign, God chooses one for him.
14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
The first prophecy quoted in the New Testament. Also in the stars. (See, “The Gospel in the Stars”) Immanuel is Hebrew for Savior. Jesus is Greek for the same word.
15 Butter and honey shall he eat, that he may know to refuse the evil, and choose the good.
“By the time this child is old enough to choose what is right and reject what is wrong, he will be eating yogurt and honey.” - NLT
16 For before the child shall know to refuse the evil, and choose the good, the land that thou abhorrest shall be forsaken of both her kings.
“Before THIS child …” Isaiah’s small son he has with him. Both kingdoms were destroyed within a few years of this prophecy by Assyria.
17 The LORD shall bring upon thee, and upon thy people, and upon thy father's house, days that have not come, from the day that Ephraim departed from Judah; even the king of Assyria.
“Then the Lord will bring things on you, your nation, and your family unlike anything since Israel broke away from Judah. He will bring the king of Assyria upon you!” -NLT
18 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the LORD shall hiss for the fly that is in the uttermost part of the rivers of Egypt, and for the bee that is in the land of Assyria.
19 And they shall come, and shall rest all of them in the desolate valleys, and in the holes of the rocks, and upon all thorns, and upon all bushes.
20 In the same day shall the Lord shave with a razor that is hired, namely, by them beyond the river, by the king of Assyria, the head, and the hair of the feet: and it shall also consume the beard.
21 And it shall come to pass in that day, that a man shall nourish a young cow, and two sheep;
22 And it shall come to pass, for the abundance of milk that they shall give he shall eat butter: for butter and honey shall every one eat that is left in the land.
The Assyrians left the poor to keep the land. Since they were all that were left, all the resources of the land were theirs. This produced great prosperity for them.
23 And it shall come to pass in that day, that every place shall be, where there were a thousand vines at a thousand silverlings, it shall even be for briers and thorns.
24 With arrows and with bows shall men come thither; because all the land shall become briers and thorns.
Unused land grows wild and weedy.
25 And on all hills that shall be digged with the mattock, there shall not come thither the fear of briers and thorns: but it shall be for the sending forth of oxen, and for the treading of lesser cattle.
“18 In that day the Lord will whistle for the army of southern Egypt and for the army of Assyria. They will swarm around you like flies and bees.
19 They will come in vast hordes and settle in the fertile areas and also in the desolate valleys, caves, and thorny places.
20 In that day the Lord will hire a “razor” from beyond the Euphrates River—the king of Assyria—and use it to shave off everything: your land, your crops, and your people.
21 In that day a farmer will be fortunate to have a cow and two sheep or goats left.
22 Nevertheless, there will be enough milk for everyone because so few people will be left in the land. They will eat their fill of yogurt and honey.
23 In that day the lush vineyards, now worth 1,000 pieces of silver, will become patches of briers and thorns.
24 The entire land will become a vast expanse of briers and thorns, a hunting ground overrun by wildlife.
25 No one will go to the fertile hillsides where the gardens once grew, for briers and thorns will cover them. Cattle, sheep, and goats will graze there.” –NLT