Isaiah 7:17

The Lord shall bring. Ahaz has already made it plain that he will not turn to the Lord for help. Instead, he plans to rely on Assyria (Kings 16:5-7). But Isaiah warns him that Assyria will not prove a help to Judah, but rather a source of distress (Isa. 7:17-20; 8:7, 8; 10:6). Later, when Assyria invades Judah, the latter would seek help from Egypt, but that would likewise prove in vain (chs. 30:1-3; 31:1-3, 8). All these things the prophet now endeavors to make clear to the king.

King of Assyria. Days of darkness and peril were ahead for Judah, days of distress such as had not been experienced since the revolt of Jeroboam two centuries earlier. The king of Assyria would invade not only Israel but Judah as well. Had Judah turned to the Lord He would have extended His blessings, and not permitted the Assyrians to come against the land. Isaiah earnestly sought to lead the king and his people back to God, but they refused. For this reason Assyria would be allowed to invade the land.