An uneasy alliance

Xanthe Galanis

Raise the war cry, you nations, and be shattered! Listen, all you distant lands. Prepare for battle, and be shattered! Prepare for battle, and be shattered! Devise your strategy, but it will be thwarted; propose your plan, but it will not stand,for God is with us .Isaiah 8:9-10

As we saw yesterday, Isaiah had already prophesied about the fall of the Syrian-Israel alliance (Isaiah 7:7-9). Now he gives another prophecy about the same event.  Isaiah gets a big banner and he writes on it "Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz." It was a public message, one that everyone could read and understand (Isaiah 8:1-4). Isaiah didn’t know it at the time, but it was to be the name of his son that was yet to be conceived.

Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz is the longest name in the Bible and it means "Quick to the plunder, swift to the spoil". The boy would be a reminder of the Lord’s message. Within in a matter of months, the Assyrians would attack and seize everything of value.

Put yourself in King Ahaz's place. Yesterday we learned that he decided to trust the King of Assyria instead of God. Using the furnishings from the temple, he bribes the King of Assyria to defeat his enemies, Syria and Israel (2 Kings 16:8). The King of Assyria does just that, and I imagine that at that point King Ahaz was quite pleased with himself. However, Ahaz could not control the Assyrians, and their violence and destruction would destroy Judah as well.

But why did Isaiah write the boy's name on a banner for all to see, before the child was even conceived? Isaiah’s prophecy proved that God was in control, not Ahaz’s strategies or the military strength of the Assyrians.

Have you been in the place of King Ahaz before? Where you’ve trusted in yourself or in other people and it worked out just fine? Perhaps you think something happened because of the influence of someone else rather than God’s power.

Today, as in Isaiah’s time, uncontrollable circumstances are still under God's control. Don't join with God's enemies simply because things might change in the future. In every change of circumstances, God will hold the winning hand.

Prayer: Lord, we live in such an uncertain world and when we fear for the future we often put our trust in people or things other than you. Today, help me to trust in you and your plans for my future. Amen