Daily Bible Reading - December 15th, 2019 | American Bible Society

Daily Bible Reading - December 15th, 2019 | American Bible Society: Isaiah 8:1-20: King Ahaz ruled Judah (southern kingdom) from 735-715 B.C., and King Pekah ruled the northern kingdom of Israel from 752-732 B.C. Between 735 and 732 B.C., Israel and Syria invaded Judah (2 Kings 15:27—16:20; 2 Chronicles 28:1-27). At first Pekah and King Rezin of Syria tried to force Ahaz to join them in their battles against Assyria. When Ahaz didn’t cooperate, Pekah and Rezin tried to replace him with a king who would be friendlier to their purpose (Isaiah 7:5, 6). The prophet Isaiah told Ahaz that the LORD would give him a sign to indicate that God will be with Judah and that there will be no need for Judah to seek an alliance with Assyria (Isaiah 7:14). In today’s reading Isaiah’s wife bears him a son, and the LORD tells Isaiah to give his newborn son a name that symbolizes that the kings of Israel and Syria will be destroyed quickly by their Assyrian foes (verse 3). Because King Ahaz prefers to seek an alliance with Assyria rather than rely on God, Isaiah receives a warning from the LORD about the upcoming Assyrian invasion.