Book of Prophets Isaiah Chapter 7

ISAIAH 

CHAPTER 

7

1. In the days of Ahaz son of Jotham son of Uzziah, king of Judah, King Rezin of Aram and King Pekah son of Remaliah Of Israel went up to attack Jerusalem but could not mount an attack against it.

(Book of Prophets Isaiah Chapter 7 verse 1)

Oh God it seems that Your people were totally divided among themselves. They made for themselves worldly kings who were doing more harm than good to the people as You had told the prophet Hosea that they would carry the burdens of their kings who would rule over them.  During our times 2016 we are also to be aware of whom we elect as rulers, for not all rulers have the values of the Roman Catholic Church and as a consequence as we are witnessing laws may be passed that go against Your will my God. However as in the case of the history of the Church even though the forces of evil tried to bring it down, not even the Nazis succeeded because You have promised to lay Your protection on it and it has survived throughout the years. For this I greatly thank You my God and my Father.

2. When the house of David heard that Aram had allied itself with Ephraim the heart of Ahaz and the heart of his people shook as the trees of the forest shake before the wind.

(Book of Prophets Isaiah Chapter 7 verse 2)

Oh God what was once a united tribe coming out of Egypt with heads held high because You had spread Your hand and manifested Your power and love, now degenerated into a fragmented mention, fighting against each other and causing fear to be experienced in their hearts. Oh God when we remove You and Your presence from our hearts we end up at war with others and even with our selves because we lose the peace of Your Divine presence.

3. Then the LORD said to Isaiah, Go out to meet Ahaz, you and your son Shear-jasub at the end of the conduit of the upper pool on the highway to the Fuller's Field, 4. and say to him, Take heed, be quiet, do not fear, and do not let your heart be faint because of these two smoldering stumps of firebrands, because of the fierce anger of Rezin and Aram and the son of Remaliah.

(Book of Prophets Isaiah Chapter 7 verses 3 to 4)

Oh God my Father many times both online and offline I meet people who are in need of You and Your Word of consolation or enlightenment. I thank You for these moments of prayer and growth for by means, of the messages that You give me, I can be of help to others. On the other hand at times such people act as beacons of light for me and also provide me with important insights on many levels of thought both spiritual and even social and psychological. Without their knowing they are pawns in Your hands for the purpose of passing on to me a particular message. I thank You oh God for sending such people in my life.

5. Because Aram-with Ephraim and the son of Remaliah-has plotted evil against you, saying, 6. Let us go up against Judah and cut off Jerusalem and conquer it for ourselves and make the son of Tabeel king in it;

(Book of Prophets Isaiah Chapter 7 verses 5 to 6)

Oh God You are wisdom itself. You are aware of what is happening behind the scenes and what is not yet known to us. Therefore You can guide us throughout the crooked paths of this life and help us to end our trip victoriously and overcome the traps of those who try to harm us. With You on our side my God and Father I am able to face the strongest of enemies even though in might and power the enemy may be greater. However, You are my shield and my over comer, tower of refuge and fortress forever amen.

7. therefore thus says the Lord God; It shall not stand and it shall not come to pass

(Book of Prophets Isaiah Chapter 7 verse 7)

Oh  God my Father as humans we make many plans, however not all may be according to Your will and plan for our salvation. There are moments when You make alterations in them for our own good that may not always match with our agendas. I wanted to help others by becoming, a social worker, this was my original plan however unconsciously my agenda was that of showing members of my family who had been degrading me since I was a child that I could succeed in life. In this sense You helped me oh God and I graduated and worked for some time, however when this goal had been reached  in order to protect me and maybe even humble me, You did not permit me to work in this profession any more. However I still thank You my God, for now You have given me the opportunity if sharing my prayers to You with others, which otherwise I would not have had the time or opportunity. Thank You Jesus. Indeed my plans are not always You plans but I love both You and the changes that You make on my behalf and even that of my family.

8. For the head of Aram is Damascus, and the head of Damascus is Rezin. (Within sixty-five years Ephraim will be shattered, no longer a people.) 9. The head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is the son of Remaliah. If you do not stand in faith, You shall not stand at all.

(Book of Prophets Isaiah Chapter 7 verses 8 to 9)

Oh God as You well know evil has many heads, and that negative forces are in some way related even within ourselves. We all have triggers that cause us to lose control over ourselves such as those things that make us become angry. Therefore, in order to establish a balance within ourselves, we are to become more self-aware  and analyze those triggers and do our best with the help of God to take care of them before they take care of us.

10. Again the LORD spoke to Ahaz, saying, 11. Ask a sign of the LORD your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven. 12. But Ahaz said I will not ask, and I will not put the Lord to the test.

(Book of Prophets Isaiah Chapter 7 verses 10 to 12)

Oh God if I was Ahaz, I think that I would also not want to put You to the test. In order for me to believe, I need not see signs and wonders. My faith and love for You is enough for me my God and Father.

13. Then Isaiah said: "Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary mortals, that you weary my God also?

(Book of Prophets Isaiah Chapter 7 verse 13)

Oh God I imagine how much we weary You. All the time You wish us to be happy, and many times we make the wrong decisions that make us feel more unhappy than ever. Our greatest happiness is in being with You, for only in Your presence can we ever feel fulfilled. However, as humans, we try to find our happiness in things of the world that give us only momentary happiness.

14. Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Look the young woman is with child and shall bear a son and shall name him Immanuel. 15. He shall eat curds and honey by the time he knows how to refuse evil and choose the good. 16. For before the child knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land before whose two kings you are in dread will be deserted.

(Book of Prophets Isaiah Chapter 7 verse 14 to 16)

Oh God since early times before Your birth, You are already making Your human birth known to us by means of the prophet Isaiah. It could be the case that the people of these times did not understand the meaning of this sign as at times the same thing happens to us, however, there has never been anybody in history who was proclaimed so early before one's actual birth. Oh God indeed You are trustworthy and reliable, I pray that You always remain a sign for us to follow. Amen

17. The LORD will bring on you and on your people and on your ancestral house such days as have not come since the day that Ephraim departed from Judah-the king of Assyria."18. On that day the LORD will whistle for the fly that is at the sources of the streams of Egypt, and for the bee that is in the land of Assyria. 19. And they will all come and settle in the steep ravines, and in the clefts of the rocks, and on all the thornbushes, and on all the pastures. 20. On that day the Lord will shave with a razor hired beyond the River-with the king of Assyria-the head and the hair of the feet, and it will take off the beard as well.

(Book of Prophets Isaiah Chapter 7 verse 17 to 20)

Oh God by means of Your birth as in the sign promised and referred to by the prophet in these verses after having endured bitter times of exile under the king of Assyria, better times will come. As in the case of the king of Assyria, Your coming would bring a renewal in our spirits, giving us the power, strength and motivation to move on as led by You in our lives. Amen.

21. On that day one will keep alive a young cow and two sheep, 22. and will eat curds because of the abundance of milk that they give; for everyone that is left in the land shall eat curds and honey. 23. On that day every place where there used to be a thousand vines, worth a thousand shekels of silver, will become briers and thorns. 

(Book of Prophets Isaiah Chapter 7 verses 21 to 23)

Oh God by means of the prophet You are showing Your people, that better days await them, where there situation will be greatly improved. It will be a time of prosperity, however,  the situation appears to be rather ambiguous, for in one sense there will be prosperity and in the other sense some things that were positive will change into negative in the sense that valuable vines will turn into briers and thorns. Oh God even though we may experience moments of great prosperity and even peace this is not long lasting, for the world is not our home. You did not create us to be citizens of the earth, but of heaven, therefore, even though our lives seem to be fulfilled we may never be totally happy if we do not have You in our lives. We will still be living limited lives, conditioned by our sins and by our sinful nature as a human race.

24. With bow and arrows one will go there, for all the land will be briers and thorns; 25. and as for all the hills that used to be hoed with a hoe, you will not go there for fear of briers and thorns; but they will become a place where cattle are let loose and where sheep tread.

Oh God even though You permit us to experience negative situations such as invasions. illness or unemployment and other negative situations, You always give us renewed hope by changing a seemingly negative situation, to one that although still appears to be negative also has positive qualities. A typical example is that when You save us from tragic incidents that although may leave us to be physically impaired, You also give us the faith to endure and accept the event as being part of Your will and plan for us, and therefore our attitude will be one of thanksgiving instead of anger and condemnation.

I would like to end this chapter with the following prayer:-

Oh God, I thank You for the tribulations that You permit me to experience because it is by such tribulations that You help me to mature in my relationship with You and with others. Although I am currently experiencing times of trial and tribulation You have promised me better times, a hope for a better future, which although may have its restrictions it will be far better than the future. I thank You in advance  for You always keep Your promises Amen.