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Isaiah 8 Commentary
by Brad Boyles
There are many prophecies to sort through in this text. First, we have the prophecy of Samaria falling to Assyria. This was written in verse 4 and would occur in 722 BC. Verses 5-10 begin a new prophecy. The Lord moves from Israel’s defeat (Samaria) to Judah’s looming destruction. This punishment will come because of their lack of belief and failure to trust in God. They will be devastated but not completely overcome by Assyria.
The text then moves on to describe future events for Judah and how God will overcome their enemies. Overall, the message from the Lord is not a good one. The main problem with the nation right now is that they lack discernment. They have trusted the counsel of man instead of God. How often do we do this same thing?!
Nelson’s New Illustrated Commentary sums up the chapter like this…
Reliable counsel…
- listens carefully to God (Isa 8:11)
- is not quick to identify “conspiracies” (Isa 8:12)
- avoids acting solely out of fear (Isa 8:12)
- praises and respects the Lord (Isa 8:13)
Unreliable counsel…
- ignores God’s Law and testimony (Isa 8:19-20)
- allows anger to distort things (Isa 8:21)
- leads to trouble and anguish (Isa 8:22)