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The Text
Many credobaptists see the remedy of infant salvation in the Age of Accountability and use Isaiah 7 as evidence. Some believe when Isaiah’s son Shear-jashub is old enough to “refuse evil and choose good,” is the functional equivalent of guiltlessness or sinlessness before God prior to the "Age of Accountability."
I disagree. The age when the child “refuses evil and chooses good” is a Hebraism. It is much closer to the meaning of “maturity and immaturity” than “guiltlessness and sinlessness” of Isaiah’s child and the context bears this out.
The Context of Isaiah 7.
King Ahaz in Jerusalem is deeply troubled about being invaded by the alliance of Northern Israel and Syria. God tells Isaiah to take his young son Shear-jashub, to go to Ahaz and have Ahaz ask for a sign from God for Jerusalem not to be conquered. Ahaz refuses to ask for a sign, but God gives Ahaz not one sign but two signs.
The first sign is remote and Messianic ( v. 14); the second sign (vs. 15-16) is immediate and specifically deals with the maturing age of Isaiah’s son.
What vs. 15 means is when Isaiah’s child as infant or a toddler, can distinguish between the mild taste of curds (substance of milk obtained by coagulation, like cottage cheese) and the appreciate the harsher taste of honey, Jerusalem will be safe from a military attack from the Northern Kingdom and Syria. This will occur in just a few years.
Isaiah’s child will eat mild foods like cottage cheese but being so young will spit out harsher tasting foods like honey. As the child grows and matures in developing his taste in food, he will be able to eat honey. The prophecy to Ahaz is when the Isaiah's child matures and can consume honey, the threat of Jerusalem will be no more.
The prophecy is strictly tied to a time in the future when Shear-jashub has the ability to consume honey— the Hebraism -- to refuse evil and choose good.
Within a few years of this prophecy, Shear-jashub is able to eat honey. Through God's providence, Assyria conquers the Northern Kingdom and Syria and took them into captivity. The last part of vs. 16 prophecy refers to this: "the land whose two kings you dread will be forsaken."
God saves Jerusalem through the sign of Isaiah's son.
Isaiah 7 has nothing to do with the sinlessness or guiltlessness of infants or toddlers. It is not a proof text for the Age of Accountability.
14) Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel.
15) He will eat curds and honey at the time He knows enough to refuse evil and choose good.
16) For before the boy will know enough to refuse evil and choose good, the land whose two kings you dread will be forsaken.
Many credobaptists see the remedy of infant salvation in the Age of Accountability and use Isaiah 7 as evidence. Some believe when Isaiah’s son Shear-jashub is old enough to “refuse evil and choose good,” is the functional equivalent of guiltlessness or sinlessness before God prior to the "Age of Accountability."
I disagree. The age when the child “refuses evil and chooses good” is a Hebraism. It is much closer to the meaning of “maturity and immaturity” than “guiltlessness and sinlessness” of Isaiah’s child and the context bears this out.
The Context of Isaiah 7.
King Ahaz in Jerusalem is deeply troubled about being invaded by the alliance of Northern Israel and Syria. God tells Isaiah to take his young son Shear-jashub, to go to Ahaz and have Ahaz ask for a sign from God for Jerusalem not to be conquered. Ahaz refuses to ask for a sign, but God gives Ahaz not one sign but two signs.
The first sign is remote and Messianic ( v. 14); the second sign (vs. 15-16) is immediate and specifically deals with the maturing age of Isaiah’s son.
What vs. 15 means is when Isaiah’s child as infant or a toddler, can distinguish between the mild taste of curds (substance of milk obtained by coagulation, like cottage cheese) and the appreciate the harsher taste of honey, Jerusalem will be safe from a military attack from the Northern Kingdom and Syria. This will occur in just a few years.
Isaiah’s child will eat mild foods like cottage cheese but being so young will spit out harsher tasting foods like honey. As the child grows and matures in developing his taste in food, he will be able to eat honey. The prophecy to Ahaz is when the Isaiah's child matures and can consume honey, the threat of Jerusalem will be no more.
The prophecy is strictly tied to a time in the future when Shear-jashub has the ability to consume honey— the Hebraism -- to refuse evil and choose good.
Within a few years of this prophecy, Shear-jashub is able to eat honey. Through God's providence, Assyria conquers the Northern Kingdom and Syria and took them into captivity. The last part of vs. 16 prophecy refers to this: "the land whose two kings you dread will be forsaken."
God saves Jerusalem through the sign of Isaiah's son.
Isaiah 7 has nothing to do with the sinlessness or guiltlessness of infants or toddlers. It is not a proof text for the Age of Accountability.
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