You arrive at your child’s new daycare on Monday morning to drop off your 1 year old Son. You fill out all necessary the paperwork and hand him over to the nice young person who will be watching him for the day. As you attempt hurry out the door, she asks “what’s his name” in lieu of looking at the paperwork for the obvious answer. “America will be destroyed, her wealth plundered”, you reply knowing that any chances of arriving at work on time have been dashed.
She looks at him with a confused gaze and looks back at you as if you’re playing a practical joke on her. “Ummm, no seriously what is his name?” “That’s his name” you respond back with some emphasis. “God visited me in a vision and told me when I have a Son, that’s what I will name him.” Hoping this response satisfies her curiosity you bolt though the main door of the daycare while shouting at the top of your voice “I’ll be back around 5:15 to get him, thank you…”
Are you’re thinking the same thing the confused babysitter was thinking? Huh? I think we’re safe to assume it’s what the people of Judah were thinking when Isaiah named his Son, Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz. What’s in a name as the old saying goes? Well this name, given to Isaiah from God, held prophetic meaning for Judah and her enemies.
Judah was about to see God punish the Nations of Israel and Syria and worst of all this punishment would spill over in to Judah and they would also suffer greatly at the hands of the Assyrians. All of this was to happen soon, much sooner than many of Isaiah’s prophecies which took centuries to be fulfilled. The Nation of Israel is completely conquered by Assyria and much of Judah. However, this is some light in this darkness as God leaves a remnant for his coming glory. Isaiah once again points to Immanuel in this Chapter (verse 8) and for the sake of the coming Messiah, Jerusalem is spared destruction.
The Chapter is closed with a call back to God. God reminds his people to not seek the dark forces or consult the dead, but to refer to his word. His word is freedom, His word saves and this lesson for the Nation of Judah is just as applicable today as it was then.