Introduction
When faced with a crisis in life, there are several different ways to respond. One of the most common responses is the emotion of fear -- to mull over all the possible negative outcomes and become terrified by the potential for disaster.
Not many of us have ever been faced with a crisis such as the one Ahaz is facing in our text today. Ahaz was about 20 years old and probably in the first year of his reign. He ascended as king of Judah after his father died in 735 BC. And ever since his grandfather, Uzziah, died, the kingdom was in a state of great decline due in part to national enemies. Rumors were abounding, and some of them were even true. Assyria was a real threat, both to Judah as well as Aram (Syria) and Israel. But the immediate threat to Ahaz and his throne was the threat from the north, from Israel and Aram. These two nations were attempting to defeat Judah and replace Ahaz. What a dilemma for a young king with no experience in governing, let alone running a military operation.
God was well aware of the dilemma as well as the ultimate outcome. He sends Isaiah with a message urging Ahaz to consider, not the threat of men, but the Sovereign God whose plans for his people cannot be thwarted. God's call was to stand by faith or not stand at all.
Sadly, Ahaz succumbs to his natural bent and relies on human alliances rather than on the God of his fathers. He takes gold from God's temple and tries to buy protection from Assyria. What appear as the rational decision, given the relative strength of Assyria in comparison to his northern enemies, is actually human wisdom and a faithless response. And the consequences are devastating for both Ahaz as well as Judah.
This section of the Scriptures is replete with signs. Three children are mentioned, all pointing in part to God's sovereign plan. God uses these signs as warnings and encouragements. To the person whose faith is in God, the signs bring hope and assurance that God is in control. But to the faithless -- the ones whose eyes are on their own circumstances rather than God's plan -- they are signs of distress and despair.
The theme, "God with us", is a common theme throughout Scripture. Adam and Eve had unimpeded fellowship with God in the garden, prior to their rebellion. Enoch walked with God and then he was no more because God took him. Abraham walked with God, believed God, and was counted as righteous. Moses talked with God face to face as a man talks with a friend. Israel had the presence of God dwelling with them in the tabernacle and the temple that Solomon built. But the ultimate fulfillment of "God with us" was yet to come. God was foretelling a time when He would provide a way in which God's people could have intimate fellowship with him. There would be a change in man due to a work of God. God gave this sign to a godless man, Ahaz. But it was meant for those whose faith is in God. A sign which points to God's faithfulness in spite of man.
A Call to Faith (Isaiah 7:1-9)
Fear is inevitable without faith in God.
When was the last time faith, and not fear, was your first response in a
crisis?
How well are you preparing yourself for life's big crisis?
A Sign of God's Faithfulness (Isaiah 7:10-16)
God is always with His people.
What response have you made to God's fulfillment of Immanuel, God with
us?
What Scripture passages are you taking out of context to suit your
purposes?
Right Faith - Right Fear, Wrong Faith - Wrong Fear (Isaiah 7:17-8:18)
Fearing God is wise but all other fear is misdirected.
God is the unavoidable Reality that all men must reckon with.
How have you experienced God's hand of protection during a time of
danger?
How well are you doing at avoiding conspiracy theories and the fears that
those around you fear?
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
A Note On Order
My posts for Isaiah will not necessarily be in chapter order according the the book of Isaiah. I started posting too far into the year to start from the beginning. I plan on periodically going back to past lessons and posting from them. But don't hold your breath on past lessons because you will only get a headache and I don't want to be responsible for that :)
The Great Light (Isaiah 8:19-10:4)
Introduction
In this section of Isaiah's prophecy, we see a great contrast between darkness and light. Darkness is a metaphor used to describe the condition of Israel, a nation called out from slavery, given a covenant with God, God was with them, they had received God's Special Revelation, and yet they had rejected God and His word. And because of their rejection, they were reaping the results, "distress and darkness, the gloom of anguish" (Isaiah 8:22 ESV).
How do we, in the 21st century reject God and His word? Though we may not be visiting spiritists and mediums, as God had warned Isaiah not to do, we may be doing the same types of things in more subtle ways: horoscopes, zodiac, secret encoded message in the Bible, positive thinking theology, Godless entertainment, etc. In our day, just as in Isaiah's day, the culture and world in which we live can subtly draw us away from God to the point that we think we are okay with God. When we begin to feel comfortable in a Godless society, we need to watch out. That is when we are in danger of losing the light we have been given.
But the darkness of man has never been a detriment to God's plan. He is not surprised by the depravity of humanity. Appalled, yes, but not surprised. Into the backdrop of this human darkness, we see God sending a Great Light into the world. This Light is the One YHWH had promised all the way back in Genesis to Adam and Eve. He was the descendant He had promised Abraham through whom all nations of the world would be blessed. He was the One promised to David, a descendant who would build a house for God and reign on David's throne forever. We see in chapter 9 that this One to be born is one and the same as the child mentioned in Isaiah 7:14, Immanuel, God with us. To be born of a virgin, conceived by the Holy Spirit. He had no earthly father. The Eternal Son of God humbled himself and was born like any other child. Completely vulnerable -- needing the care of his mother and adoptive father.
This Light that shined in the darkness was not just a man, however. As we read further along in chapter 9, we see attributes that point to his deity. Wonderful Counselor indicates that this one is able to direct and guide our lives. Indeed He is the living word made flesh as John writes in his gospel. Mighty God points to the fact that this is not just a man but this is the second person of the Trinity, God the Son. No man could ever bear this name. And finally, Everlasting Father or Father of Eternity. This Light was and is eternal, He had no beginning, and is in fact the source of our beginning -- both physically and spiritually.
The Light was given in a dark place in order to expose what was hidden by darkness. Man is born into this world fallen. We all are recipients of a fallen sin nature because of our father, Adam. Original sin is not something we earn, but it is ours by birth. God sent His Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that by him, we might be saved. He lived a life of perfection -- a life that Adam, our first father, did not. He experienced every type of temptation and trial that any human ever experiences, but he did it without compromise in any way. He lived in absolute moral perfection in the midst of a dark world. And he died as a final sacrifice -- bearing the sin of man and the wrath of God for humanity.
Without light, we are doomed to a life of distress and gloom and despair. A life that ends tragically, without hope, and under the certain and just wrath of a holy God. But God, in his grace, has not left us in the dark. His light has dawned. He has shed abroad his light for us. Don't run from the light because it exposes who you really are. Do as Isaiah did when confronted with the Sovereign of the universe. Cry out, "I am undone! I am unclean!". And this God of grace, who exposes sin, will cleanse you of all your sin and fill you with the "light of life."
The Gloom of a Godless Life (Isaiah 8:19-22)
God's Living Word is a sufficient guide for all issues pertaining to
life.
How would you rate your adherence to God's word?
What un-Biblical practices are you involved in and what do you intend to
do about these practices?
What are you adding to God's word to make it 'better'?
What are you avoiding in God's word because is seems bitter?
The God Who Dispels the Gloom (Isaiah 9:1-7)
Only God can turn a godless life into a godly life.
Whose government is ruling in your life? Is it a government that brings
joy, peace, justice, and righteousness?
How is your life a testimony of God shining a light into darkness?
The Wrath of a Gracious God (Isaiah 9:8-10:4)
Sin's darkness deserves God's wrath but His grace gives life to the
repentant.
What does God's wrath tell you about His character?
What does your view of God's wrath tell you about yourself?
What needs to change?
In this section of Isaiah's prophecy, we see a great contrast between darkness and light. Darkness is a metaphor used to describe the condition of Israel, a nation called out from slavery, given a covenant with God, God was with them, they had received God's Special Revelation, and yet they had rejected God and His word. And because of their rejection, they were reaping the results, "distress and darkness, the gloom of anguish" (Isaiah 8:22 ESV).
How do we, in the 21st century reject God and His word? Though we may not be visiting spiritists and mediums, as God had warned Isaiah not to do, we may be doing the same types of things in more subtle ways: horoscopes, zodiac, secret encoded message in the Bible, positive thinking theology, Godless entertainment, etc. In our day, just as in Isaiah's day, the culture and world in which we live can subtly draw us away from God to the point that we think we are okay with God. When we begin to feel comfortable in a Godless society, we need to watch out. That is when we are in danger of losing the light we have been given.
But the darkness of man has never been a detriment to God's plan. He is not surprised by the depravity of humanity. Appalled, yes, but not surprised. Into the backdrop of this human darkness, we see God sending a Great Light into the world. This Light is the One YHWH had promised all the way back in Genesis to Adam and Eve. He was the descendant He had promised Abraham through whom all nations of the world would be blessed. He was the One promised to David, a descendant who would build a house for God and reign on David's throne forever. We see in chapter 9 that this One to be born is one and the same as the child mentioned in Isaiah 7:14, Immanuel, God with us. To be born of a virgin, conceived by the Holy Spirit. He had no earthly father. The Eternal Son of God humbled himself and was born like any other child. Completely vulnerable -- needing the care of his mother and adoptive father.
This Light that shined in the darkness was not just a man, however. As we read further along in chapter 9, we see attributes that point to his deity. Wonderful Counselor indicates that this one is able to direct and guide our lives. Indeed He is the living word made flesh as John writes in his gospel. Mighty God points to the fact that this is not just a man but this is the second person of the Trinity, God the Son. No man could ever bear this name. And finally, Everlasting Father or Father of Eternity. This Light was and is eternal, He had no beginning, and is in fact the source of our beginning -- both physically and spiritually.
The Light was given in a dark place in order to expose what was hidden by darkness. Man is born into this world fallen. We all are recipients of a fallen sin nature because of our father, Adam. Original sin is not something we earn, but it is ours by birth. God sent His Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that by him, we might be saved. He lived a life of perfection -- a life that Adam, our first father, did not. He experienced every type of temptation and trial that any human ever experiences, but he did it without compromise in any way. He lived in absolute moral perfection in the midst of a dark world. And he died as a final sacrifice -- bearing the sin of man and the wrath of God for humanity.
Without light, we are doomed to a life of distress and gloom and despair. A life that ends tragically, without hope, and under the certain and just wrath of a holy God. But God, in his grace, has not left us in the dark. His light has dawned. He has shed abroad his light for us. Don't run from the light because it exposes who you really are. Do as Isaiah did when confronted with the Sovereign of the universe. Cry out, "I am undone! I am unclean!". And this God of grace, who exposes sin, will cleanse you of all your sin and fill you with the "light of life."
The Gloom of a Godless Life (Isaiah 8:19-22)
God's Living Word is a sufficient guide for all issues pertaining to
life.
How would you rate your adherence to God's word?
What un-Biblical practices are you involved in and what do you intend to
do about these practices?
What are you adding to God's word to make it 'better'?
What are you avoiding in God's word because is seems bitter?
The God Who Dispels the Gloom (Isaiah 9:1-7)
Only God can turn a godless life into a godly life.
Whose government is ruling in your life? Is it a government that brings
joy, peace, justice, and righteousness?
How is your life a testimony of God shining a light into darkness?
The Wrath of a Gracious God (Isaiah 9:8-10:4)
Sin's darkness deserves God's wrath but His grace gives life to the
repentant.
What does God's wrath tell you about His character?
What does your view of God's wrath tell you about yourself?
What needs to change?
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Yesterday's Tomorrows
You may have noticed, in my last post, that "tomorrow" would be the day in which I made an attempt to remedy the lack of content in this blog. As you see, it is now ten days past "tomorrow" and still nothing. However, I do see an opportunity to begin posting in the near future. I know! I know! You're probably thinking, "If his meaning of 'near future' is anything like his meaning of 'tomorrow', I'll check back next year." Please, put such thoughts from you head immediately! Certainly I will attempt a more substantive post before 2011!
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Coming Soon
I want to apologize to anyone who has tried to read this blog up until now. i had every intention of posting early and often, but here we are in Isaiah 6 and all I have to post is this lame apology. Some might say that if I were truly sorry I would post something of substance. Well, I will try to do just that tomorrow. Thanks for your patience.
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