Isaiah 7 describes God ready to back King Ahaz of Judah when faced with the threat of a Syro-Israel alliance between King Rezin of Syria and King Pekah of Israel. God sent Isaiah to go and meet Ahaz telling him to keep calm and not be afraid. God said that the Syro-Israel alliance would not be successful but Ahaz had to stand firm in his faith. God told Ahaz to seek a divine sign, but Ahaz refused. So Isaiah prophesied: “The Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son who will be named Immanuel. However Ahaz trusted in the aid of Assyria rather than God and for this reason Ahaz would suffer the humiliation of having his head and beard shaved by an Assyrian and the land of Judah will be covered by briers and thorns.
