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Isaiah and the names of his sons

God gives Isaiah's sons names with special meanings.
Contributed by Jack Foster
Story also available on our translated website: German
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Isaiah was a faithful and bold prophet of God. The name Isaiah means ‘Salvation of the Lord’. He spoke about the birth, death and resurrection of the Saviour God promised to send. Isaiah also told of God’s judgment on the Israelites as they continued to turn from Him. However, Isaiah understood not only God’s judgment but also His salvation, mercy, grace, and compassion. He told of these things and confirmed God’s promise that His people would not be completely destroyed. – Slide 1
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Isaiah tells about a day when he saw the Lord sitting on a throne. He was surrounded by angels who kept praising God saying ‘Holy, Holy, Holy Lord of hosts. The earth is full of your glory!’ <br/>The earth shook and Isaiah trembled. ‘I am not worthy to even be here! I am a sinner! How can I, a man of unclean lips be here before the King of Kings?’ <br/>Then one of the angels took a hot coal and touched it to Isaiah's lips and declared him cleansed of his sins. Then God asked Isaiah, ‘who shall I send to the kings with my message?’ Isaiah responded. ‘Send me Lord!’. – Slide 2
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Isaiah went to disobedient King Ahaz and told him that God would give him a sign to convince him that His word was true. The King refused to listen. <br/>God told Ahaz, through Isaiah, ‘Very well, then I will send you a sign anyway. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.’ <br/>This is one of the most famous prophecies about the birth of Jesus the Messiah in the Bible. We know this passage speaks of Jesus as an angel later told Mary, ‘Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel, which is translated, “God with us.’” Matthew 1:23 – Slide 3
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In chapter 8, God tells Isaiah to take a large board and write the words ‘Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz’ which means, ‘Plunder and Carry Away’. The word plunder means to steal by force, usually during an invasion. So Isaiah did as God commanded. Isaiah had two witnesses, Uriah and Zechariah, to see him write it so no one could say that he wrote it after the fact. The words were a warning what would happen to the Israelites if they continued to disobey God. – Slide 4
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Isaiah was told to name his son Shear-Jashub, which means, ‘A Remnant Shall Return’. Soon afterward Isaiah's wife became pregnant with their second son. After he was born, God came to Isaiah and said, ‘Remember those words I asked you to write on a scroll last year? That is what I want you to name your son, Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz." God told Isaiah that before the baby was old enough to speak, Assyria would attack Damascus and Samaria. – Slide 5
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Isaiah went before the people. ‘See my two sons? God has asked me to give them specific names as a warning to you. Before my youngest son will be able to speak, the Assyrian army will attack and plun-der. But my older son is a symbol of hope. There will be an Israelite remnant who will return.’ – Slide 6
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Many of the things God told the prophet Isaiah have already happened and the remaining events are being fulfilled or will happen in the future. The Assyrians attacked the Northern kingdom of Israel and took its people into captivity. But it was not the end, for God promised that a remnant would return to live in the land of Israel again. And of course, we know that a Saviour, Jesus, ‘God with us’ was born several hundred years later in Bethlehem. He suffered and died for us just as God had told Isaiah. – Slide 7
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