Thus Says the LORD: God Speaks Through His Servants the Prophets

Volume I: A Kingdom Divided

Lesson 20 Isaiah Foresees Immanuel’s Birth
the Second Book of the Kings 15:32—16:20
the Book of Isaiah 6:1–13
the Book of Isaiah 7:1–17
the Book of Isaiah 8:14—9:7
the Book of Isaiah 11:1–10

Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)*
New American Bible Revised Edition (NABRE)*
Catechism of the Catholic Church
ex libris (in our library)
glossary for Thus Says the LORD—Volume I
cross references in Thus Says the LORD—Volume I
next lesson: Israel’s Sins Lead to Deportation

This material coordinates with Lesson 20 on pages 120–127 in Thus Says the LORD: God Speaks Through His Servants the Prophets—Volume I: A Kingdom Divided.

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“Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant which I made with their fathers when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant which they broke, and I showed myself their Master, says the LORD. But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it upon their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And no longer shall each man teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, says the LORD; for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”—the Book of Jeremiah 31:31–34

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welcome to Volume I of our in-depth study of the biblical prophets
We invite you to check out the sample first lesson and video from Volume I of this Turning to God’s Word two-part Catholic Bible study. Our online pages link to the free related lesson videos, a glossary, and cross references in the biblical text, and include maps, additional commentary, and prayers based on the primary Scripture in each lesson. Thus Says the LORD: God Speaks Through His Servants the Prophets—Volume I: A Kingdom Divided contains 28 lessons and has been granted an imprimatur. It may be purchased from our website shop. The companion 23-lesson Volume II: Restoration & Redemption also is available for purchase. If you have a Bible-study question or comment, click on the “ask us your question” or “what do you think” button on any study page.

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open with prayer
It’s always wise to begin any Bible study with prayer, whether reading the Scriptures alone or meeting with others in a discussion study group. You can pray using your own words or use one of the opening prayers on our website. We especially like the following:

Lord Jesus, you promised to send your Holy Spirit
to teach us all things.
As we read and study your word today,
allow it to touch our hearts and change our lives. Amen.

let’s review—the Second Book of the Kings 15:8–31, the Book of Hosea 1:1–10, the Book of Hosea 2:1–7, the Book of Hosea 2:10, the Book of Hosea 2:13–14, the Book of Hosea 2:16—3:5, the Book of Hosea 8:1–5, the Book of Hosea 11:9–12, and the Book of Hosea 13:4
In Lesson 19 Hosea’s Vision of God’s Covenant, turbulent rule continues in the northern kingdom of Israel. Zechariah rules only six months before being assassinated by Shallum, who is assassinated a month later by Menahem. After 10 years, Pekahiah succeeds his father on the throne but rules only two years before being assassinated by Pekah, whose reign then lasts a whopping 20 years. During that time, Assyria captures vast amounts of land in the northern region of Israel. Pekah’s reign ends when he’s assassinated by Hoshea in 732 B.C. The prophet Hosea prophesies coming destruction, introducing the image of Israel as a faithless wife to the LORD, who nevertheless continues to love his people. Meanwhile, Azariah rules over the southern kingdom of Judah. (Azariah sometimes is referred to as Uzziah. Jeroboam can refer either to the first ruler of the northern kingdom of Israel or to the son of Jehoash. In commentary for this study, Jeroboam II designates the northern king who succeeds his father Jehoash. Pul and Tiglath-Pileser are two names for the same Assyrian king. Referring to the online glossary can help avoid confusion.)

map notes—who are these people walking in darkness?
The Second Book of the Kings 16:6 records that during the reign of Ahaz, the Edomites recover Elath, a city south of the Dead Sea and outside of the original boundaries of the Promised Land. The Book of Isaiah 9:1 (Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition [RSVCE], which is the Book of Isaiah 8:23 in the New American Bible Revised Edition [NABRE]), identifies “the land of Zebulun, the land of Naphtali, …  and the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations” as places where God’s people who have been living in the darkness of sin will see a great light. Isaiah of Jerusalem (Proto- [First] Isaiah) prophesied during the reigns of Jotham and Ahaz to the kings and the people living in the southern kingdom of Judah. It’s historically significant that at that time the northern kingdom of Israel was being overrun by the Assyrians, who had conquered much of Zebulun, Naphtali, the land beyond the Jordan known as Gilead, and significant portions of Galilee. The ninth chapter in the Book of Isaiah emphasizes that people of the north are to be included the new kingdom of David that will be ruled by the Messiah to come. Click on the map (above right) to enlarge it. The original map is on page 126 in Thus Says the LORD: God Speaks Through His Servants the Prophets—Volume I: A Kingdom Divided. 

maybe the problem isn’t God’s fault (43:28)
In the video overview for Lesson 20, Turning to God’s Word author Matthew Phelps looks at the probable reason behind why Ahaz, ruler of the southern kingdom, abandons his ancestors’ traditional religious practices in favor of worshiping the gods of the Assyrians. From a military standpoint, Judah has been losing battles right and left. Assyria, on the other hand, is fast overtaking Syria as the major power in the region. Ahaz apparently assumes that the Assyrians’ political power and strength in combat is a reflection of the strength of the gods that the Assyrians worship. This leads Ahaz to forsake all pretense of worshiping the LORD and to begin imitating Assyrian religious practices in the hope of regaining some military clout for Judah.

The Scripture ranges for the videos that accompany this Catholic Bible study match the ranges for the sets of questions in Thus Says the LORD: God Speaks Through His Servants the Prophets—Volume I: A Kingdom Divided. You can follow along with the video as Turning to God’s Word author Matthew Phelps discusses Lesson 20, “Isaiah Foresees Emmanuel’s  Birth,” on pages 120–127 in the study book.

who wrote the Book of Isaiah?
Most scholars think that the Book of Isaiah, which describes historical events stretching over a period of about 200 years, was written by three people. This study looks at Proto- (First) Isaiah, the name given to the first 39 chapters that are thought to have originated with the original prophet sometimes referred to as Isaiah of Jerusalem. This section of the Book of Isaiah includes some of the Old Testament’s most beautiful prophecies attributed to Proto- (First) Isaiah about the birth of the Messiah. Scholars note a major shift in style and theology beginning with chapter 40. Deutero- (Second) Isaiah covers chapters 40 through 55, and that author supposes that Jerusalem has been destroyed and the Babylonian Exile is about to end. Trito- (Third) Isaiah, chapters 56 through 66, is thought to have been written by yet another author after the end of the Exile. The second volume of this Turning to God’s Word Catholic Bible study, Thus Says the LORD: God Speaks Through His Servants the Prophets—Volume II: Restoration & Redemption, covers the sections of the Book of Isaiah believed to have been written by Deutero- (Second) Isaiah and Trito- (Third) Isaiah.

the action moves to the southern kingdom
The Second Book of the Kings 15:32–38 identifies Jotham as an unexceptional king. Like all of the rulers of Judah before him, Jotham is criticized for not removing the high places. The twenty-seventh chapter in the Second Book of the Chronicles includes the information that Jotham doesn’t presume to offer incense in the Temple the way that his father Azariah (Uzziah) did, an act referred to in the Second Book of the Chronicles as “invading” the Temple. The account in the Second Book of the Chronicles also reports that it’s during Jotham’s reign that the Ammonites begin paying tribute to Judah.

what kind of king is Ahaz?
The sixteenth chapter in the Second Book of the Kings is harsh in its criticism of Ahaz, who’s described as walking in the ways of the kings of Israel. Not only does Ahaz fail to destroy the high places where the people of the southern kingdom have been burning incense to foreign gods, he joins in the worship of pagan gods and even goes so far as to burn one of his sons in sacrifice. Ahaz seems to be worshiping a multitude of gods other than the LORD, and the biblical text likens his religious behavior to that of the nations God assisted the descendants of Jacob in driving out of the Promised Land of Canaan.

additional information about trouble during the reign of Ahaz
The twenty-eighth chapter in the Second Book of the Chronicles provides significant details about the difficulties Ahaz is encountering with his neighbors. The king of Syria attacks Judah and captures a large number of people from the southern kingdom. Meanwhile, the northern kingdom also defeats Ahaz’s troops, slaying 120,000 fighting men of Judah, including one of Ahaz’s sons and two of the king’s advisers. Israel then takes 200,000 captives to Samaria, but returns them to Judah after being warned by the relatively obscure prophet Oded that keeping captives from the south will anger the LORD.

WHAT DO YOU THINK about the priesthood in Judah at the time of Ahaz?
The Second Book of the Kings 16:1–11 describes the priest Uriah complying with Ahaz’s request that an altar modeled on the one in Damascus be built in the Temple at Jerusalem.

?  How did Damascus, the former capital of Syria, become part of the territory of Assyria?
?  What might explain why Ahaz is visiting Damascus?
?  What might have motivated the priest Uriah to comply with Ahaz’s request to build an altar to Assyrian gods?
?  In addition to making offerings on the new altar, what other religious changes does Ahaz institute when he returns to Judah?
?  What do these changes suggest about Ahaz’s worship practices?
?  What do they suggest about the state of the priesthood? The Turning to God’s Word Catholic Bible study The Letter to the Hebrews: An Explanation of the Mechanism of Our Salvation examines the changes instituted by Jesus in the priesthood.
?  Consider whether these changes in worship might have anything to do with the fact that the LORD now sends a prophet to the southern kingdom.
?  Based on what’s been happening in the northern kingdom after the people there abandoned traditional worship of the LORD, what’s likely to happen in the south?

who is the mother of Ahaz?
Observant readers may notice that the Second Book of the Kings 16:20 fails to name the mother of Ahaz. The only other king of Judah whose mother isn’t named in the First and Second Books of the Kings is Jehoram, but the mothers of the rulers in the northern kingdom of Israel rarely are named. What reasons can you think of that might explain this discrepancy between the way that kings of the north and south are identified? What might explain why the mother of Ahaz isn’t named?

Isaiah sees the LORD as the true king
The Book of Isaiah 6:1 provides a clue about what to look for in the prophecies in the first 39 chapters in the Book of Isaiah. Proto- (First) Isaiah is the first major prophet sent to the southern kingdom, and his call is concurrent with the death of Azariah (Uzziah). The vision that Proto- (First) Isaiah is shown is of the LORD seated on a throne. At a time when the kingship in Judah is rapidly deteriorating, the prophet sees God as the rightful king. The major problem in the south is not infidelity but poor rule. For Proto- (First) Isaiah to see God on his throne is an alarming experience, and one that leads the prophet to recognize his own unworthiness. The book of Exodus 33:20 records the LORD warning Moses that it isn’t possible to see God and live—but instead of dying, Proto- (First) Isaiah is commissioned to speak for God. Learn more about Moses’ relationship with God in the Turning to God’s Word Catholic Bible study You Shall Have No Other Gods: The Book of Exodus.

holy, holy, holy
The first thing that the prophet Proto- (First) Isaiah understands about God is that the LORD is king. The hymn that Proto- (First) Isaiah hears the seraphim repeating—”Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts”—reflects the second important point that underscores the prophet’s message: God is holy. The word holy means “set apart,” and for Proto- (First) Isaiah, the LORD’s holiness sets God apart from humanity.

a man of unclean lips
It’s significant that before Proto- (First) Isaiah can be sent as a prophet to deliver God’s word to the people of Judah, his mouth must be cleansed and his sin forgiven. In the Book of Isaiah 6:5, Proto- (First) Isaiah indicates an awareness that his unworthiness is somehow related to his unclean lips. By his own account he’s been speaking things in that past that were contrary to God’s will. While the biblical text fails to tell us more about the prophet’s past, it does describe something new in terms of the way sins are forgiven. Isaiah’s guilt is taken away through purification by fire. Only after this is Proto- (First) Isaiah prepared to volunteer as a prophet who speaks for the LORD, the true king.

Isaiah’s message
Although the prophets can have different roles, their core message always is the same: Repent or die. Proto- (First) Isaiah is tasked with delivering a message that focuses on the negative. God isn’t happy. This is apparent in the Book of Isaiah 6:9–10, in which the LORD instructs the prophet to tell the people of Judah: “Hear and hear, but do not understand; see and see, but do not perceive.” In the Gospel According to John 12:40, Jesus quotes this passage. Although Jesus goes on to explain his meaning, the prophet’s words continue to disturb those of us who hear them. Consider what Proto- (First) Isaiah’s prophecy means to present-day Christians. You can learn more about Jesus referring to Proto- (First) Isaiah in Lesson 15 The Hour Has Come in the Turning to God’s Word Catholic Bible study The Gospel According to John: An Encounter with Grace & Truth.

Isaiah & Ahaz
In the seventh chapter in the Book of Isaiah, the LORD sends the prophet to talk to Ahaz. Although the prophet seems to be sent to push things toward necessary destruction, his first message is that if the king of Judah will trust the LORD everything will work out for the best. Proto- (First) Isaiah is speaking and visible, but Ahaz and the people do not hear, see, or understand.

WHAT DO YOU THINK about the names of Isaiah’s children?
We previously saw in the first chapter in the Book of Hosea that the names the prophet Hosea gave his children were significant. The names of the two sons of Proto- (First) Isaiah also carry meaning.

?  The Book of Isaiah 7:3 records that the elder son of the prophet was named Shearjashub, which means “a remnant shall return.” What might this name imply about how the LORD feels about the people of the southern kingdom?
?  The Book of Isaiah 8:3 records that the prophet’s younger son was named Maher-Shalali-Hash-Baz, which means “spoil quickly, plunder speedily.” What might this name imply about how the LORD feels about the people of the southern kingdom?
?  Cite instances of a name being changed in Scripture.
?  Consider whether your given name adequately reflects who you are in the eyes of God.
?  What’s the meaning of your Confirmation name?
?  Consider whether your Confirmation name adequately reflects who you wish to be in the eyes of God.
?  What other instances of renaming occur in the Church?
?  What purpose is served by a name change?