I Will Wait | Isaiah 8:16-18
Finding faith from family
Welcome to Gateways, where you experience the Nevi’im—the Prophets—through the teachings of Don Yitzchak Abarbanel, distilled into easy-to-follow lessons.
From chapters eight through ten, Isaiah continues to rebuke the people, with a focus on the Southern Kingdom’s failure to properly trust in God. Starting in this lesson, we’re going to select some of the most notable verses from this section in Isaiah.
For a full background on the people and history of this prophecy, please see His Story.
Jeff
Overview
These verses are part of the prophecy exhorting the Southern Kingdom to follow God and not face the fate of the Northern Kingdom.
Verses
טז. צ֖וֹר תְּעוּדָ֑ה חֲת֥וֹם תּוֹרָ֖ה בְּלִמֻּדָֽי׃
.יז. וְחִכִּ֙יתִי֙ לַיהֹוָ֔ה הַמַּסְתִּ֥יר פָּנָ֖יו מִבֵּ֣ית יַעֲקֹ֑ב וְקִוֵּ֖יתִי־לֽוֹ׃
יח. הִנֵּ֣ה אָנֹכִ֗י וְהַיְלָדִים֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר נָתַן־לִ֣י יְהֹוָ֔ה לְאֹת֥וֹת וּלְמוֹפְתִ֖ים בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל מֵעִם֙ יְהֹוָ֣ה צְבָא֔וֹת הַשֹּׁכֵ֖ן בְּהַ֥ר צִיּֽוֹן׃
16. Bind up the testimony seal the Torah in My disciples
17. I will wait for the Lord, who conceals His face from the house of Jacob, and I will hope for Him.
18. Behold, I and the children whom the Lord gave me, are to become signs and wonders in Israel, from the Lord of hosts, who dwells on Mount Zion.
Photo by cottonbro studio
Question
Abarbanel does not explicitly raise questions on these verses. However, based on his explanations, it is clear that he is addressing the following:
What is the message of “bind up the testimony”?
Why are his children described as signs and wonders?
Answers
After rejecting interpretations that apply this passage to Jesus, Abarbanel explains that the term “bind” is a language of guarding. The prophet is speaking either to the people of his generation or to Ahaz:
After you have seen—or after I have told you—the future that will come upon the house of Israel, namely the destruction of Samaria because they abandoned the Lord, angered the Holy One of Israel, and did not keep His Torah, you must guard yourselves so that such a fate does not befall you.
Accordingly, “Bind the testimony, seal the Torah” can be understood as a command to every individual in the generation, as well as to the king. The message is to guard and preserve the Torah and the testimony that I am teaching you. Through this, you will be saved from the hand of the king of Assyria, and you will not be exiled as the children of Israel were.
Abarbanel then addresses why Isaiah should be trusted. One reason is the signs and wonders that the Lord has given him in this matter—namely, his two children:
Maher-shalal-hash-baz, meaning “quick to plunder, swift to spoil,” which alludes to the imminent downfall and exile of Israel.
Shear-yashuv, meaning “a remnant will return,” which alludes to the eventual return of Judah to God and His mercy upon them.
Since God commanded Isaiah to give these names to his children, they serve as living symbols of God’s promises. Through repentance, Judah will be saved, as it is later stated: “A remnant shall return, the remnant of Jacob, to the mighty God.”
God will show this mercy because His presence dwells on Mount Zion—the Temple. Therefore, He will have compassion on the city, His house, and His sanctuary.
Takeaway
In these verses, Isaiah reflects on how to respond when it seems that society is heading toward destruction. The Northern Kingdom is seeking protection through foreign alliances, while the Southern Kingdom is not repenting. How, then, should one respond?
Isaiah answers: I will wait for God. Although He has hidden His face, I will trust in Him, for He has given me these children as signs to Israel.
We all experience moments when the world feels unstable or uncertain. One source of comfort and faith can be our children. In a very real and tangible way, they remind us of continuity and hope—that God intends for the world, and the Jewish people, to endure.