Isaiah 8:15-22 - Mediums, Spirits, and Other Bad Yelp Reviews - 326

When anxiety spikes, most of us don’t stop seeking answers; we just start seeking them faster. That’s what makes Isaiah 8:15–22 feel so uncomfortably current: Judah is surrounded by fear, rejects God’s instruction, and then goes hunting for “hidden insight” from mediums and necromancers instead of asking the living God.

We walk verse by verse through one of the darkest stretches in Isaiah 8 and trace the fallout: stumbling, being snared, spiritual hunger, rage, and finally “distress and darkness, the gloom of anguish.” Along the way, we slow down on Isaiah’s call to “bind up the testimony” and “seal the teaching among my disciples,” a picture of preserving Scripture and forming a faithful remnant amid a spiritually compromised wider culture. We also talk about Isaiah’s personal posture: waiting for the Lord even when God seems to hide his face and holding on to hope when obedience feels lonely.

Then we bring it home. Most people today aren’t booking a séance, but we are surrounded by counterfeit voices that promise clarity and identity: trends, influencers, politics, horoscopes, self-help, and endless hot takes. Isaiah gives a simple filter for discernment: “To the teaching and to the testimony.” If a voice won’t line up with God’s Word, it has no dawn. Isaiah 8 ends in thick darkness, but it intentionally sets the stage for Isaiah 9 and the promise of great light, which we point to as messianic hope fulfilled in Jesus Christ.

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Transcript

Why Seek The Dead For Help

Daniel Moore 0:05

So instead of listening to the living God, Judah decided to consult mediums and people whispering to the dead? I guess because apparently heaven wasn't answering fast enough for them? And then God gave them his word, his prophets, and repeated warnings. But they still thought, you know what we need? A seance. Really? And when wandering around in darkness, hungry, angry, and confused became the outcome, was there ever a moment that they thought maybe ignoring God wasn't the best life strategy? Well, this week's episode reminds us that people have always had a strange talent for looking literally everywhere except God for answers. This week in Isaiah 8, verses 15 to 22 is one of the darker moments in the chapter. The people are stumbling spiritually, rejecting God's instruction, and then, because apparently bad decisions like company, they start turning to mediums, spiritists, and anyone claiming to have some hidden supernatural insight. Basically, Israel was spiritually doom-scrolling before smartphones even existed. And honestly, the sarcasm almost writes itself here. God is essentially saying, why would people consult the dead on behalf of the living? It's one of those moments in Scripture where you can almost hear the divine frustration. Instead of standing on God's truth, the people chased voices that only led them deeper into confusion, darkness, and despair. This week's episode is all about what happens when people reject the light of God's word and start chasing counterfeit answers, and why confusion is often the natural result of ignoring the one who actually knows the way forward. Let's get to it.

Welcome And Where To Find Us

Daniel Moore 1:52

Welcome to Connecting the Gap. This is a podcast about marriage, Bible, and book studies. I'm Daniel Moore, your host. Thank you guys for joining us this week. If not familiar with our show, check out our website, connectingthegap.net, for our platforms. Our YouTube and Rumble links are there. We're also on the Christian Podcasting app Edifi. And we're also on your Google and Alexa smart devices. You can also visit us on social, on Facebook, Instagram, and X at CTGapOnline. If you're a fan of our show, please subscribe. Feel free to leave a comment on our platforms. Give us a thumbs up or a five-star review and Apple Podcast, and we'd be thankful to you for doing that. Also, while you're at our website, you can go to our resources page. We have some good marriage books there that we've released with the ministry. And if you haven't picked one of those up, you can pick those up there. There's also a form on the website you can reach out to us, and we'd love to hear from you. Well, this week, as we continue our verse-by-verse study in Isaiah, we're going to wrap up chapter 8 in this book as we're going to be going through verses 15 through 22.

Reading Isaiah 8:15 To 22

Daniel Moore 3:13

So to get started this week, let's go ahead and start it off like we usually do. Let's go ahead and read our text. So get your Bibles out, we're going to be in Isaiah chapter 8. We're going to read verses 15 to 22, and this is from the ESV version of the Bible. It says, And many shall stumble on it, they shall fall and be broken, they shall be snared and taken. Behold, I and the children whom the Lord has given me are signs, importance in Israel from the Lord of hosts, who dwells on Mount Zion. And when they say to you, Inquire of the mediums and the neocromancers, who chirp and mutter, should not a people inquire of their God? Should they inquire of the dead on behalf of the living? To the teaching and to the testimony, if they will not speak according to this word, it is because they have no dawn. They will pass through the land, greatly distressed and hungry. And when they are hungry, they will be enraged and will speak contemptuously against their king and their God, and turn their faces upward. And they will look to the earth. But behold, distress and darkness, the gloom of anguish, and they will be thrust into thick darkness.

Stumbling Snared And Taken

Daniel Moore 4:34

So to get started this week, let's go ahead and start in and jump right into it with verse 15 in Isaiah chapter eight. It says, And many shall stumble on it, they shall fall and be broken, they shall be snared and taken. This verse continues the theme of judgment from the previous verse that we studied and ended up with last week, and emphasizes the result for those who do not respond to God's holiness with faith. Their refusal leads to falling, breaking, being caught in a snare, which are all images of total defeat and capture. This metaphor of a trap echoes the war context Isaiah's audience was in. Those who refuse to fear God are ensnared in their fears of men and suffer the consequences of their misguided trust and idolatrous alliances. Historically, the judgment here points to the disasters shortly following Isaiah's prophecy, the fall of the northern kingdom of Israel to Assyria in 722 BC, and the subsequent turmoil in Judah. These events illustrated the danger of refusing God's counsel. John Calvin observes that this verse solemnly warns of the consequences of unbelief. The pulpit commentary notes that the repetition of terms stumble, fall, be broken, snared, taken. Those intensifies the weight of the judgment and aligns with the motif of covenantal accountability in Isaiah's writings.

Seal The Teaching For Disciples

Daniel Moore 6:03

Chapter 8 verse 16 says, Bind up the testimony, seal the teaching among my disciples. This verse marks a transition in Isaiah's prophetic ministry. Having delivered the warnings and instructions from God, he is now commanded to preserve them, to bind and seal the word of the Lord among a faithful remnant, here called my disciples. This means that Isaiah is encouraged to protect and pass on the divine revelation, even if the majority of the people ignore or reject it. The word testimony refers to the prophetic message from God, and law, or teaching in some translations from the Hebrew Torah, refers to the divine instruction. Historically, this action could be viewed as a preparation for coming times of blindness and judgment. Since the broader nation would not listen, the message was to be preserved for those who would, a remnant who remained loyal and teachable. Albert Barnes explains that sealing it among disciples means they're being trained to safeguard and transmit God's truth. The expositor's Bible commentary notes that Isaiah begins focusing more narrowly on a faithful core, a prophetic community that would endure even if the nation fell. This action anticipates themes developed further in Isaiah, such as the idea of the remnant and the value of faithfully preserving divine truth in times of national failure. Here as we read through chapter 8 and read through verses 13 through 16, the prophet calls the people to fear and honor the Lord above all else, not to be driven by the fears of the surrounding culture. God is presented as a sanctuary for those who trust him, but also a stumbling block and a source of judgment to those who reject him. Many in Israel will fail because of unbelief. Isaiah is told to preserve God's message among his faithful disciples, emphasizing that the truth must be guarded, even when the majority have turned away.

Waiting When God Hides His Face

Daniel Moore 8:03

As we move on to verse 17 in chapter 8, it says, I will wait for the Lord, who is hiding his face from the house of Jacob, and I will hope in him. Here in this verse, this is Isaiah's personal declaration of faith and patient trust in God, even during a time when God appears to be distant or inactive. The phrase hiding his face reflects a common biblical expression for divine displeasure or judgment. In this context, it indicates that God has withdrawn his manifest favor from the people of Judah or the house of Jacob due to their disobedience and lack of faith. Despite this divine withdrawal, Isaiah insists on waiting and hoping in the Lord. This is a strong statement of prophetic faith and perseverance. Waiting for the Lord implies active trust and expectancy, not passive resignation. Historically, this verse reflects the period of spiritual decline in Judah during the Syro Ephraimite crisis, the nation looked to human alliances such as Assyria rather than trusting God's promises. Isaiah distances himself from the prevailing faithlessness and identifies himself with the faithful remnant. The pulpit commentary explains that Isaiah places himself in contrast with a disbelieving nation. John Calvin says that when God hides his face, it is especially important for believers to wait with hope, knowing that trust is most needed in times of silence. And Matthew Henry marks on this verse that Isaiah encourages himself and others to stand firm in faith, even when God's presence is not evident.

Isaiah’s Family As Living Signs

Daniel Moore 9:41

So as we move on to verse 18, here in chapter 8, it says, Behold, I and the children whom the Lord has given me are signs importance in Israel, from the Lord of hosts who dwells on Mount Zion. Here Isaiah refers to himself and his sons, such as Shir Jeshub and Marhalahishbaz, as living symbols or prophetic signs to the nation. Their names carry prophetic meanings. Shirjashub means a remnant shall return, and Mahershala Hashbaz means quick to the plunder, swift to the spoil, both of which communicated God's message to Judah regarding judgment and future restoration. This continues Isaiah's function as more than just a messenger. He and his family are living testimonies of God's purposes. They serve as reminders of God's word amid a society largely ignoring or resisting divine instruction. Isaiah also reminds the hearers that it is the Lord of hosts, the sovereign commander of heavenly armies, who is behind these signs, and he still dwells on Mount Zion, symbolizing God's ongoing presence among his people despite their rebellion. The Cambridge Bible for schools and colleges notes that Isaiah sees his family as an embodied prophecy, both warning of coming judgment and pointing toward eventual hope. The Expositor's Bible commentary points out how God uses real life circumstances to provide visible witnesses to his truth. And Matthew Henry emphasizes that God's people should be as wonders in the land, distinct in character, marked by their testimony.

The Warning Against Mediums

Daniel Moore 11:22

Verse 19 of chapter 8, and when they say to you, Inquire of the mediums and the neocromancers who chirp and mutter, should not a people inquire of their God? Should they inquire of the dead on behalf of the living? This verse here strongly condemns the popular practice of engaging in occultism, such as consulting mediums or necromancers. In Judah's context of crisis and fear, people turn to forbidden spiritual practices for guidance instead of seeking the Lord. The phrase chirp and meatter describes the ghostly secretive ways these occult practitioners claimed to communicate with the dead. These practices were explicitly forbidden in the Mosaic Law, and you can read about that in Deuteronomy 18, verses 10 through 12. We've actually kind of discussed and went through this in prior sections here in Isaiah. Isaiah rebukes the people's irrational and sinful behavior, pointing out the absurdity of seeking knowledge from the dead instead of from the living God. Historically, this reflects Judah's spiritual desperation and the rejection of God's word. It also illustrates how quickly people turn to superstition when they abandon revelation. John Calvin writes that this verse reveals how corrupted the people had become. They preferred darkness to light, consulting the dead rather than the God who created them. The pulpit commentary explains that Isaiah is incredulous that the people would consult the dead rather than the living God, who alone holds truth and power. And the Geneva Study Bible adds that it was a grievous fall for God's people to seek help from mediums, and it was an affront to God's sovereign authority.

Testing Every Voice By Scripture

Daniel Moore 13:05

Chapter 8, verse 20, we continue to the teaching and to the testimony. If they will not speak according to this word, it is because they have no dawn. Here Isaiah concludes this section with a call to the revealed word of God, the teaching and the testimony. He asserts that any spiritual guidance or counsel that does not conform to God's word is to be rejected because its source is darkness, not light. They have no dawn speaks to the spiritual blindness and judgment upon those who reject God's revelation. The dawn symbolizes hope, clarity, and vision, all qualities absent from those who reject divine truth. Isaiah essentially declares that the authority of God's word is the ultimate standard for truth in all matters. Anyone or anything that contradicts it is without divine guidance and remains in darkness. Matthew Henry comments that this is a clear statement about the sufficiency and supremacy of God's Word. It is the true light in a dark world. The Expositor's Bible commentary notes that this verse marks Isaiah's call for a return to scriptural authority and the rejection of superstition. And John Calvin emphasizes that this proves the fundamental principle of all true religion, that nothing should be taught or believed except what is grounded in the Word of God. This verse also sets the stage for the theme of messianic hope that emerges in Isaiah 9, where light is promised for those living in darkness, pointing forward to Christ, the true dawn. So in these four verses, verses 17 through 20, Isaiah expresses his unwavering trust in God even as God appears to hide his face from Israel due to their unfaithfulness. He affirms that he and his children serve as signs from God to the nation. Isaiah rebukes the people for seeking guidance from mediums and the dead instead of turning to God. He emphasizes that only God's word, his teaching and testimony, is the true source of light. Those who reject it are left in spiritual darkness. And

Hunger Rage And Thick Darkness

Daniel Moore 15:10

as we jump into the final two verses of this chapter here in chapter eight, we'll look at verse twenty-one. They will pass through the land greatly distressed and hungry, and when they are hungry, they will be enraged and will speak contemptuously against their king and their God and turn their faces upward. This verse here depicts the judgment that falls upon those who have rejected God's word and sought guidance through forbidden means such as necromancers and mediums. These people, having spurned divine truth, are left to experience the consequences of the rebellion, national distress, famine, and deep spiritual crisis. The phrase they will pass through the land suggests wandering or roaming brought on by destruction or exile. Greatly distressed and hungry, likely has both a literal and figurative meaning. Historically, during Assyrian invasions, culminating in the fall of Samaria in 722 BC and the pressure on Judah around 701 BC, famine and dispress were common as warfare ravaged the countryside. Spiritually, hunger represents emptiness due to the absence of God's guiding presence. When the people realize their situation, their frustration turns into rebellion and blasphemy. They will be enraged and will speak contemptuously against their king and their god. This defiant reaction shows deep bitterness towards both civil leadership or the king and religious authority, which is God, indicating a full collapse of trust in all institutions. The pulpit commentary notes that hunger often leads to frenzy and moral breakdown, and here the people curse their fate and the authorities, even God, as their situation worsens. John Calvin comments that such contemptuous speech shows the height of human pride and rebellion, blaming God rather than turning in repentance. The Geneva Study Bible sees this as a picture of obstinate and penitence, rather than humbling themselves under God's hand, the people blaspheme. The phrase in the scripture turns their faces upward could be seen as a gesture of anguish or defiance, looking toward heaven either in appeal or an accusation. It parallels similar biblical scenes where people in distress either cry out or they curse God. And the final verse in chapter eight, verse twenty-two. And they will look to the earth, but behold distress and darkness, the gloom of anguish, and they will be thrust into thick darkness. This verse completes the prophecy of judgment by showing that those who reject God's word are left with no illumination or hope. When they look to the earth, that is, when they seek guidance or help in human efforts, policies, or institutions, they find only distress and darkness, the gloom of anguish. The accumulation of terms describing darkness, distress, gloom, anguish, thick darkness, is deliberate and poetic, emphasizing the total lack of clarity, direction, and deliverance. These people have rejected the light of God's revelation, or the teaching and the testimony, as stated in verse twenty, and as a result are overwhelmed by moral and spiritual darkness. The phrase in the Scripture they will be thrust into thick darkness depicts an almost judicial act. It is not a passive result, but an active consequence of their refusal to hear God. The Hebrew phrase can denote utter blackness, like the darkness described in the plagues of Egypt in Exodus 10 21, representing full divine judgment. Historically, this speaks not only of the immediate consequences of Assyrian aggression, but carries theological weight. It captures the plight of a people who have abandoned covenant obedience and who now face the fruit of that rebellion. The Expositor's Bible commentary describes this verse as one of the starkest pictures of judgment in the book, a society in total exile from the divine presence. Matthew Henry writes that when people leave the true light, they are left in utter confusion and ruin. John Calvin observes that this points to God's final verdict. When men refuse light, they are punished with darkness, which leads to destruction. So in these final two verses, the transition from this gloomy description in Isaiah 8 ends with no hope in sight. However, it sets up the glorious contrast which comes at the beginning of Isaiah 9, where Isaiah predicts that those walking in darkness will see a great light, a messianic prophecy fulfilled in Jesus Christ, Matthew 4, verses 15 through 16. Thus Isaiah 8 closes with darkness, but Isaiah 9 opens with hope. So to wrap up this episode for this week, as we finish chapter 8 here in Isaiah, just want to remind you to visit our website at connectingthegap.net for everything about our ministry. Our platforms are there. And if you really enjoyed this episode and you've been enjoying all the other episodes we put out during this verse-by-verse study, please subscribe and share. And we'd be thankful to you for doing that as that helps our podcast to grow.

Modern Counterfeits And Practical Application

Daniel Moore 20:47

So as we do a wrap-up here this week, we'll go ahead and do a wrap-up application for the verses we've read first, and then we'll do a wrap-up and do some key themes for the entire chapter since we finished chapter 8 up for this week. One of the clearest applications from this passage this week is the importance of knowing where we go for truth and guidance. While most people today may not literally consult mediums or spiritists, our culture is still filled with counterfeit voices promising clarity, identity, peace, and direction apart from God. People look to trends, influencers, politics, self-help philosophies, internet personalities, horoscopes, and countless other sources hoping to find answers for problems that only God can truly address. Isaiah 8 reminds us that whenever we stop seeking God's wisdom first, we open ourselves to confusion and spiritual drift. The question still echoes today. Should not a people inquire of their God? Another major application is the call to remain faithful even when the culture around us is spiritually compromised. Isaiah stood firm in a nation that was collapsing morally and spiritually. He waited on the Lord, even when it seemed like few others were listening. That kind of faithfulness is incredibly relevant today. It's easy to follow God when obedience is popular, comfortable, and culturally accepted. But real faith is revealed when we continue trusting him even when society moves in the opposite direction. We are called to be people who anchor ourselves in God's word rather than being tossed around by every new idea or emotional wave. This week's passage also challenges us to evaluate what we do when life becomes difficult. The people in Isaiah 8 became distressed, frustrated, and angry, but instead of humbling themselves before God, they harden themselves further. That response is still common today. Pain can either drive us closer to God or deeper into bitterness. When hardship comes, we must guard our hearts against blaming God while refusing to seek Him. Spiritual darkness often grows when people choose resentment over repentance. And finally, this passage this week reminds us that God's word is a dividing line between light and darkness. Verse twenty has told us to the law and to the testimony, meaning that truth must always be measured against what God has already spoken. In a world full of competing voices and opinions, Scripture remains the standard. Feelings change, culture changes, public opinion changes, but God's truth remains steady. If we want clarity in confusing times, we must become people who consistently return to the light of God's Word.

Chapter 8 Themes And Final Wrap

Daniel Moore 23:39

So as we look at the whole chapter eight as a whole, it serves as a continuation of the message of judgment that began in the earlier chapters of the book. While chapter seven introduced the prophecy of Emmanuel as a sign to the house of David, chapter eight shifts focus back to the immediate threat facing the people of Judah from the Assyrian invasion and their own spiritual unfaithfulness. God instructs Isaiah to write a message on a large tablet concerning the swift coming of judgment using the symbolic name Mahershalahishbaz, meaning quick to plunder and swift to the spoil. This is also the name of Isaiah's son, who serves as a prophetic sign that Assyria will soon conquer Syria or Aram and Israel or Ephraim, the northern kingdom. The people of Judah had feared the Syriphramite alliance, but God's message is that both nations will soon fall to the rising power of Assyria. Although Judah is spared immediate destruction, the people face their own judgment for rejecting God's provision and choosing to trust political alliances over the Lord. The waters of Shiloh, which are gentle, representing God's care, are rejected by the people, and in contrast they will experience the flood waters of the Euphrates, symbolizing the devastating invasion of Assyria. This chapter also introduces strong language against those who turn to occult practices like mediums and necromancers instead of seeking God. Isaiah warns them to seek truth in God's instruction and testimony. And in the final verses of this chapter, Isaiah describes a people without hope or light. Their rejection leads to spiritual blindness and suffering. The key themes that we crossed in Isaiah chapter eight are number one, trust in God versus fear of man. The people of Judah feared the wrong things. God calls them to fear Him alone and trust in Him, not in alliances or military strength. The second theme is rejection of God's word. Ignoring God's message leads to darkness, confusion, and despair. Seeking guidance from other sources only compounds the judgment. The third thing, God's presence as a sanctuary or a stumbling block. To those who trust him, God is a refuge. To those who reject him, he becomes a stone of offense and a rock that causes them to fall. And the fourth theme we saw in Isaiah eight was spiritual leadership and discipleship. Isaiah commits himself and his children to serve as signs from God, contrasting the unfaithfulness of the people with his obedience. So how can we apply this chapter to our lives today? Well, here in Isaiah chapter 8, it challenges both us as individuals and communities to consider where we place our trust. In a world filled with uncertainty, fear, and competing voices, we are tempted to find security in alliances, politics, or human wisdom instead of seeking God's counsel. This passage reminds us that rejecting the gentle provision and guidance of God in favor of human solutions can lead to spiritual famine and moral darkness. Just as people in Isaiah's time turn to false guidance, we too are warned against turning to unbiblical solutions, whether ideologies, self-help philosophies, or worldly counsel instead of turning to God's word. This chapter also calls believers to live as faithful witnesses in a hostile culture. Like Isaiah, we are called to hold fast to the testimony of God and entrust ourselves and our families to his purposes, even when the world around us refuses to listen. So wrapping up chapter 8 here in Isaiah shows that God's presence is either a place of refuge or a stumbling block, depending on how we respond to him. It invites us today to re-examine our fears, refocus our trust on God, and live by his truth in the midst of darkness. Well, that's going to be all for this week. Next week, when we come back, we'll kick off Isaiah chapter 9 as we continue our study here in Isaiah. But as we go, we believe that God's word never fails us. God's word has stood the test of time, and through Jesus' death on the cross, he has connected the gap. This is an extension of Connecting the Gap Ministries, and we pray that you have a blessed week.