IntroductionThe common theme throughout the book of Isaiah is that the Lord is almighty. He is in control and he is trustworthy. In Isaiah chapters 7 and 8 we see one of the most misunderstood and well-known stories in the book. The setting of this story takes place during the split of Israel into the two kingdoms of Israel and Judah. There was already a lot of tension between the two kingdoms, but this tension was intensified by the powerful Assyrian nation which threatened many smaller surrounding nations. This imminent threat pushed the king of Israel, Peka, and the king of Syria, Rezin, to form an alliance in order to defend themselves against the Assyrians. Syria and Israel were pressuring Judah to join their coalition so that they could benefit from Judah's power and resources. However, King Ahaz was not in favor of this alliance, as he wanted to maintain a healthy alliance with Assyria. As a result, Israel and Syria conspired against Judah, planning to besiege the city. Isaiah 7:6 tells us that their desire was to replace King Ahaz with a man who would support them in their position against the Assyrians. This man must have been “the son of Tabeel”. Which means “good for nothing”. This could mean that they simply wanted to replace Ahaz with someone who would just be their pawn and do as they say. On the other hand, according to some scholars, "Tabeel" is the name of a real person or town in northeastern Palestine. Ahaz determined never to let himself be replaced by this good-for-nothing. So he prepared the city for the siege of Israel and Syria. The story really begins to take shape when the prophet Isaiah is sent to Ahaz and meets him at the end of the aqueduct of ...... middle of paper ...... He would protect this promise through the birth of a child to a virgin. Maher-shalal-hash-baz was the sign that God was faithful to keep Israel, and Jesus is the promise that God will be with us, even until the end of time. Works Cited Young, Edward J. The Book of Isaiah, the English Text, with Introduction, Exposition, and Notes. 5th ed. : Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1976Scullion, John J. "An Approach to Understanding Isaiah 7:10-17." » Journal of Biblical Literature 87, no. 3 (September 1968): Page No. Wolf, Herbert M. "A Solution to Immanuel's Prophecy in Isaiah 722:14-8." » Journal of Biblical Literature91, no. 4 (December 1972): 449-56. Gordon, Cyrus H. "'almah in Isaiah 7:14." Journal of Bible and Religion 21, no. 2 (April 1953): 106.Friedrich, Gerhard. Theological Dictionary of the New Testament. Stuttgart, Germany: W. Kohlahammer Werlag, 1967.