Monday, November 5, 2012

Isaiah 7:20


Copyright Ó 2012 J. Neely
Isaiah 7:20

20 In the same day [yowm] shall the Lord ['Adonay] shave [galach] with a razor [ta`ar] that is hired, [sakiyrah] namely, by them beyond [`eber] the river, [nahar] by the king [melek] of Assyria, ['Ashshuwr] the head, [ro'sh] and the hair [se`ar] of the feet: [regel] and it shall also consume [caphah] the beard. [zaqan] KJV-Interlinear

20 In that day the Lord will shave with a razor, hired from regions beyond the Euphrates (that is, with the king of Assyria), the head and the hair of the legs; and it will also remove the beard.  NASB

In the day of judgment, regardless of when that judgment is to occur, it is the Lord who brings that judgment, regardless of who He employs to bring about that judgment.

Jesus Christ controls history.  He is God.

God controls history in three ways.

He controls history directly by doing something directly Himself.  His direct will.

He controls history by utilizing the influence of truth and the principles of divine establishment.  His indirect will.

He controls history through permitting the free will decisions of mankind.  His permissive will.

In all of these ways, God knows what the circumstances are and what the outcome will be.  He foresaw all things in eternity past and decided to insert people and events into history at the appropriate time in order to guide and direct history, even to cause discipline and judgment.

In this situation, Ahaz and the people of Judah have been anti-God and anti-truth.  They are going to be judged.

Through their own decisions the king of Assyria will invade them, double cross them and take the land from them.

And in this manner, it is God who will permit this series of events to occur.  Therefore, the hired or employed army of Assyria, is hired by God through the events and decisions of history as brought about by man, but directed by God from eternity past.

God did not interfere with anyone's decisions, nor even in the decisions that were made to invade the land.  Man brought about all of the misfortune upon themselves.

To shave the hair off the head off the beard off the feet, means to bring into disgrace those who have placed their trust in their appearance.  The hair on the head and on the face was traditionally viewed as an appearance of honor.  But such appearances are on the external portion of ones body, not in the soul.  So the trust and therefore the arrogance of confidence by means of appearance is totally misplaced.

To cut off the hair on the head and on the feet means to cut the hair off all portions of the body that have hair.   This includes privates, and this emphasizes the disgrace and the total humiliation that will be inflicted on the people of Judah.

And note, that when an invading enemy army is cutting your hair off, they are not concerned with your appearance or your comfort.  Violence attaches with the cutting.  This applies to both male and female.  Torture accompanies the abuse of the males and abuse in many aspects accompanies the mistreatment of the females.