When the Heart is Shaking
Isaiah 7: 1-9
We live in troublesome times and the hearts of many people are shaking. The adversaries coming against us are numerous. They are both foreign and domestic, physical and mental, visible and invisible, secular and sacred. There is no need to list them here since you all know them well.
In the 8th Century B.C., the people of Judah and its capital, Jerusalem, were facing similar circumstances. In this passage from the prophet Isaiah, we may find some cause for hope Isaiah 7:1–9 (NKJV):
1 Now it came to pass in the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, king of Judah, that Rezin king of Syria and Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, went up to Jerusalem to make war against it, but could not prevail against it. 2 And it was told to the house of David, saying, “Syria’s forces are deployed in Ephraim.” So, his heart and the heart of his people were moved as the trees of the woods are moved with the wind.
3 Then the LORD said to Isaiah, “Go out now to meet Ahaz, you and Shear-Jashub your son, at the end of the aqueduct from the upper pool, on the highway to the Fuller’s Field, 4 and say to him: ‘Take heed, and be quiet; do not fear or be fainthearted for these two stubs of smoking firebrands, for the fierce anger of Rezin and Syria, and the son of Remaliah. 5 Because Syria, Ephraim, and the son of Remaliah have plotted evil against you, saying, 6 “Let us go up against Judah and trouble it, and let us make a gap in its wall for ourselves, and set a king over them, the son of Tabel”. 7 thus says the Lord GOD: “It shall not stand, nor shall it come to pass. 8 For the head of Syria is Damascus, and the head of Damascus is Rezin. Within sixty-five years Ephraim will be broken, so that it will not be a people. 9 The head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is Remaliah’s son. If you will not believe, surely you shall not be established.”
As we have mentioned in earlier writings, there is much to be learned from names and places in such passages. We will attempt to draw on that point in this study.
Ahaz was the king of Judah (742 – 726 B.C.). During that time, Judah (known as the Southern Kingdom in Biblical studies) was a relatively small country with minimal influence in the Middle Eastern world. The “powers” – Assyria, Babylon, and Egypt – were constantly vying for dominance in the region, primarily for control of the trade routes from the West (now Europe/ Mediterranean) and the Far East (China and India). That would bring economic prosperity and political advantage over the others.
At this time, Assyria enjoyed superiority and was continually acting to expand its borders by militarily conquering surrounding countriesand subjecting them to Assyrian rule. Meanwhile, even those less powerful states were trying to gain recognition by attacking those around them.
As Chapter 7 opens, King Ahaz and Judah find themselves facing an immanent siege from a coalition force of Syrian and Israel (known as the Northern Kingdom in Biblical studies) The two attacking kings were Rezin of Syria and Pekah of Israel. The name Rezin has a root meaning of “firm; self-pleasure, self-desire”, so here was a man strongly driven to satisfy his own fulfillment and wants at any cost. He conspired with Pekah, meaning “one who is open-eyed, watchful”. Pekah, then, would always be looking for a good deal for himself and seize the opportunity when he saw it (note II Kings 15: 27,28).
We hear later in the passage that God labeled these two as “two stubs of smoking firebrands” and said they were filled with “fierce anger”. The Hebrew meaning here for “firebrand” is “a poker used for turning or gathering burning embers”.
Let us now return to King Ahaz of Judah. He was the son of Jotham (“the Lord is upright”) and grandson of Uzziah (“power of the Lord”), both kings of Judah, However, Ahaz (“to seize and possess”) did not follow in the steps of his fathers. He was 20 years old when became king and reigned for 16 years. He did not do what was right in the sight of the Lord, made his son pass through fire as the pagans did, and sacrificed to idols on the high places of the false gods (see II Kings 16: 2-4). Surely, he was no different from Rezin and Pekah! But God cared for His people and, despite Ahaz’s corrupt life, He still offered to be their protector. More on this point a little later.
Upon hearing of the impending attack, “his (Ahaz) heart and the heart of his people were moved (“shaken”) as the trees of the woods are moved with the wind” (vs. 2). Many of us can recall similar circumstances in our lives, when fears gripped us, “our hearts raced”, “our stomachs rose into our throats”, etc. The fear of death can, indeed, thrust people into a state of physical and/or mental bondage (Hebrews 2:15).
But “the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and His ears are open to their cry” (Psalm 34:15) and “He who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep” (Psalm 121:3,4).
It was then that the Lord intervened. He called upon His servant Isaiah (“God has saved”) to carry His message of hope and instruction to His shaking people. Isaiah, along with his son, Shearjashub (“a remnant shall return”), would meet Ahaz “at the end of the aqueduct from the upper pool, on the highway to the Fuller’s Field” (vs. 3).
A word of explanation … In order to get water into Jerusalem from the nearby springs, a series of tunnels/aqueducts were constructed. These were likely initiated when Solomon built the Temple and were improved by later kings. The “upper pool” spoken of here was apparently located at, or near the Spring of Gihon, just east of the city on a road that led to “Fuller’s Field”. The aqueduct was designed to carry the water to a “lower pool” very near the Temple. It was purposely hidden so that any invaders would be denied access to water as they attempted to attack the city. The Fuller’s (launderer’s) Field was an area outside the city where the cleaning and whitening of garments and cloths used in the Temple services was done. Certainly, these were specific places which would be familiar to the inhabitants of the area. However, we may find that there was a message in this meeting place of Isaiah and Ahaz.
God has promised to save (Isaiah) His people. He has an upper pool of abundant heavenly blessings from which to provide living water (John 4:10-14) for those who choose to travel along a path of cleansing and forgiveness (highway to the Fuller’s Field), whose eyes are open to His truth (2 Corinthians 4: 3-6) but unseen by His enemies (hidden aqueducts).
God’s message through Isaiah to Ahaz and meant to be passed on to the people of Judah (“praise, thanksgiving, celebration”) was clear and concise. It was intended to bring promise and peace to their shaking hearts as a father to His children.
“Take heed, and be quiet; do not fear or be fainthearted …“ (vs.4).
Herein was the divine counsel of our great God who created us in His image and has loved us with an everlasting love. He wanted these words to pierce their hearts and rest in their souls such as they did with King David about 250 years earlier, “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” (Psalm 27: 1,2).
Isaiah further reminded Ahaz and the people that these adversaries would not be victorious; that they would be shattered within 65 years. These words were uttered about 740 B.C. That prophecy did, indeed, take place in 721 B.C. when the Northern Kingdom (Israel/Ephraim) was overthrown by Assyria and its people taken into exile. That nation was never restored; it became known as the “Lost tribes of Israel”.
Another note may be in order. Despite the words of Isaiah, Ahaz was unwilling to trust the Lord God to do as He had promised. His heart had turned from God and continued to shake in fear of the angry firebrands. He appealed to Tiglath-Pileser (“mother of the gods”), king of Assyria for help, “I am your servant and your son. Come and save me from the hand of the king of Syria and from the hand of the king of Israel, who rise up against me.” (2 Kings 16:7). As if that wasn’t bad enough, we look further – “And Ahaz took the silver and gold that was found in the house of the Lord, and in the treasuries of the king’s house and sent it as a present to the king of Assyria.” (2 Kings 16:8).
As we look back on that series of events long ago and far away, we may reflect upon the times in which we live. First, and foremost, may we gather a renewed sense of the promises of God and the peace that He so desires for us, even in those times of our shaking hearts. We are not, yet, facing attacks of marching armies, but the Rezins and the Pekahs still exist in other guises.
Also, there are Ahaz’s in many high places eager for the taking and possessing of that which belongs to the people. Ahaz’s who seem unwilling to hear and trust in the word of the Lord. In fear and trembling for their lives, they resort to taking from the house of the Lord and from the treasuries of the king’s house in order to solicit the help of foreign powers.
Brothers and sisters, let us pray:
“Lord, send us Isaiah’s who will travel that highway and stand at the upper pool. Give them the courage and conviction to speak Your word to the rulers and all the people.
Lord, in place of the Ahaz’s, appoint civil rulers who will not be overcome by fear of adversaries and who will not rob the church of her treasures –freedom to worship, sanctity of life, sacred traditions, virtues and values – and scatter them under the feet of a godless culture.
Lord, speak to Your people the words of comfort and assurance that the assaults of our enemies will not succeed, nor will their goals come to pass. Please remind us that there will be living water in the lower pools, and You Yourself call, “Let him who thirsts come. And whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely” (Revelation 22:17). “
Pardon the length of this post, but that same God is with us Who spoke then and there are still some Isaiah’s who will meet Ahaz at the upper pool and stand and speak,
“Take heed, and be quiet; do not fear or be fainthearted … “
Fr. Andrew
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