You can read the entire chapter at the following links: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm/2-ne/18?lang=eng and https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/ot/isa/8?lang=eng
Isaiah
continues his prophecy about the perils of the Lord’s people allying themselves
with outside kingdoms. It’s interesting to think that in George Washington’s farewell
address as America’s first president, he warned against what he (and the
speech’s ghostwriter, Alexander Hamilton) called “entangling alliances” with
foreign countries. Occasional cooperation with other earthly powers is one
thing, but too close a relationship can be dangerous because it can erode
self-reliance and reliance on the Lord.
The
prophecy comes in very specific details from the Lord to Isaiah. The Lord warns
that what may seem logical to the people of Judah—an alliance with Assyria—is
exactly what they should avoid. If they “associate themselves,” they’ll be “broken
to pieces” (verse 9). It doesn’t matter how much effort they put into it if
they don’t follow the Lord’s instruction.
There’s
a very personal element here for Isaiah. The Lord is encouraging him to be
stronger than the rest of Judah. Remember, Isaiah may be a prophet, but he’s
also a man subject to frailties and the same temptations everyone else faces.
Think how difficult it must be for someone to explain to the people around him
what the Lord wants them to do, especially when that instruction conflicts with
what they initially see, hear, and feel. Mindful of Isaiah’s dilemma, the Lord
reminds Isaiah that he need not “fear ye their fear” (verse 12). Instead,
Isaiah is to fear and sanctify the Lord (verse 13). If he does this, the Lord
promises to be a sanctuary, but with that promise comes a caution that the Lord
will just as soon become a “stone of stumbling” (verse 14) to Isaiah or anyone
else who prioritizes earthly considerations over divine counsel.
Those
familiar with the New Testament will recognize that the Lord often uses the
image of a rock or stone to represent his status as a strong foundation for the
faithful and righteous—as Paul says (in his letter to the Ephesians 2:20), our
“chief cornerstone.” Isaiah’s words here show us that refusing to heed that
cornerstone can’t make it go away. Either we build on it by making choices in
line with what is right, or we find ourselves tripped up by it. No matter how
clever our schemes to gratify our selfish and prideful desires, the Lord’s
perfect plan of love, justice, and mercy is stronger than those schemes and the
only way to happiness and contentment.
The
Lord uses another metaphor to depict for Isaiah the dangers for Judah of
abandoning Him and His protecting power. The Lord likens Himself to the soft
waters of Shiloah (or Siloam) that run through Jerusalem and sustain life. He
warns Isaiah that if the people abandon this protection in search of earthly
alliances, they will find that the waters will run over their banks and
threaten to drown them. In verses 7 and 8, the Lord clearly likens these
floodwaters to the armies of Assyria reaching “even to the neck” of Judah. This
prophecy is later fulfilled when the Assyrians overrun Judah around 700 B.C. and
nearly (but not quite) seize Jerusalem.
The
Lord seems to know that Isaiah and his people need constant reminders that
God’s power is real and can be effective in their lives. This is no less true
for Nephi more than 150 years on or for us more than 2,700 years on. And just
as the people of Judah faced a difficult choice about whether to rely on
arrangements with the earthly powers around them or on the Lord, Nephi and his
budding civilization probably faced a similar dilemma as they pondered threats
from the Lamanites and maybe from others who lived in the surrounding area.
Certainly, this problem exists for us in our day. We face many decisions about
whether to tolerate or even work hand in hand with people engaged in
unrighteous causes in order to “live another day.” Sometimes this may be
necessary, but the main factor in our decision should be whether it is
sanctioned by our communication with God through the delicate impressions of
the Holy Ghost on our minds and hearts.
God
knows that for us to turn to Him, we need to remember Him. So it is important
to reinforce his reality in our everyday lives. For example, we see the Lord
instruct Isaiah to give his son a specific name (Maher-shalal-hash-baz, which
refers to a hastening destruction), probably so that whenever he uses the name,
his mind will be turned to the Lord as a reminder of His power. We also read
repeated pleas from the Lord for his people to look continually to the “law and
to the testimony,” which are records from several witnesses over many
generations about the reality of God’s existence and power. The Lord warns in
verse 19 against trusting people who claim to be spiritual mediums and make a
big show of their supposed link with the afterlife. He says “should not a
people seek unto their God for the living to hear from the dead?”
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