Isaiah- Hope for a renewed creation.

 

Good morning class

Question of the day:

Read together: Isaiah chapter 7.

The Sign of Immanuel

7 When Ahaz son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, was king of Judah, King Rezin of Aram and Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel marched up to fight against Jerusalem, but they could not overpower it.

2 Now the house of David was told, “Aram has allied itself with Ephraim”; so the hearts of Ahaz and his people were shaken, as the trees of the forest are shaken by the wind.

3 Then the Lord said to Isaiah, “Go out, you and your son Shear-Jashub,[b] to meet Ahaz at the end of the aqueduct of the Upper Pool, on the road to the Launderer’s Field. 4 Say to him, ‘Be careful, keep calm and don’t be afraid. Do not lose heart because of these two smoldering stubs of firewood—because of the fierce anger of Rezin and Aram and of the son of Remaliah. 5 Aram, Ephraim and Remaliah’s son have plotted your ruin, saying, 6 “Let us invade Judah; let us tear it apart and divide it among ourselves, and make the son of Tabeel king over it.” 7 Yet this is what the Sovereign Lord says:

“‘It will not take place,
    it will not happen,
8 for the head of Aram is Damascus,
    and the head of Damascus is only Rezin.
Within sixty-five years
    Ephraim will be too shattered to be a people.
9 The head of Ephraim is Samaria,
    and the head of Samaria is only Remaliah’s son.
If you do not stand firm in your faith,
    you will not stand at all.’”

10 Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz, 11 “Ask the Lord your God for a sign, whether in the deepest depths or in the highest heights.”

12 But Ahaz said, “I will not ask; I will not put the Lord to the test.”

13 Then Isaiah said, “Hear now, you house of David! Is it not enough to try the patience of humans? Will you try the patience of my God also? 14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you[c] a sign: The virgin[d] will conceive and give birth to a son, and[e] will call him Immanuel.[f] 15 He will be eating curds and honey when he knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right, 16 for before the boy knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right, the land of the two kings you dread will be laid waste. 17 The Lord will bring on you and on your people and on the house of your father a time unlike any since Ephraim broke away from Judah—he will bring the king of Assyria.”

Assyria, the Lord’s Instrument

18 In that day the Lord will whistle for flies from the Nile delta in Egypt and for bees from the land of Assyria. 19 They will all come and settle in the steep ravines and in the crevices in the rocks, on all the thorn bushes and at all the water holes. 20 In that day the Lord will use a razor hired from beyond the Euphrates River—the king of Assyria—to shave your head and private parts, and to cut off your beard also. 21 In that day, a person will keep alive a young cow and two goats. 22 And because of the abundance of the milk they give, there will be curds to eat. All who remain in the land will eat curds and honey. 23 In that day, in every place where there were a thousand vines worth a thousand silver shekels,[g] there will be only briers and thorns. 24 Hunters will go there with bow and arrow, for the land will be covered with briers and thorns. 25 As for all the hills once cultivated by the hoe, you will no longer go there for fear of the briers and thorns; they will become places where cattle are turned loose and where sheep run.

To start I think it is important to look at who Ahaz was.  

In     we learn....

Ahaz King of Judah

16 In the seventeenth year of Pekah son of Remaliah, Ahaz son of Jotham king of Judah began to reign. 2 Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem sixteen years. Unlike David his father, he did not do what was right in the eyes of the Lord his God. 3 He followed the ways of the kings of Israel and even sacrificed his son in the fire, engaging in the detestable practices of the nations the Lord had driven out before the Israelites. 4 He offered sacrifices and burned incense at the high places, on the hilltops and under every spreading tree.

King Ahaz was a terrible king. He even brought idols from other places, ordered the priests to put them in the temple and offer them sacrifices.  He was quite despicable.  It is important to note that, because here we see God through the prophet Isaiah trying to communicate with Ahaz.  

What does that tell us about who God is?

What was God's message to Ahaz?

I find this so incredibly important! Whether you are in the highest heights or in the deepest depths, God is willing and wanting you to reach out to Him!   All too often I think we are way too quick to right others and even ourselves off as hopeless, too sinful, too far gone to be "working" with God or for God.  Our sin keeps us from being a part of the work.  Yet here one of the most despicable Kings, God is still wanting to reach him.  He wants him to trust Him, to ask for a sign.  

No matter where you have been or even where you are in this walk with Jesus Christ, he still wants to be in relationship with you.  He wants you to have faith in Him, to ask for a sign, to be willing to listen.  You are not a lost cause, too evil for Him.  He is in the business of taking our ick and washing us clean. He is in the business of making us whole and using broken people to do remarkable things.  I find this so important. 

What was Ahaz's response?  It is important to remember that we always have a choice. Because of His great love for you, He won't force you! 

Isaiah then goes on to talk about Emmanuel.  "God with us."  Here Isaiah is letting Ahaz know that no matter what he does, there will be someone who comes...  

It is so important for us to remember that God's providence is working out.  He won't control you, you have a choice, but ultimately, in the end, His providence will reign.  The question is will you be working for Him, or against Him? 

Ahaz could have had God's guidance, and his reign would have been very different. But no matter what he did or didn't do, there was a King coming! 

Jesus is still coming! God is still on the throne!  No matter what you believe.  No matter what you decide, He will come again.  He will save His people from their sins.  The question is will you be one of His people?  Will you have faith?  Will you trust Him?  Are you willing to ask for His guidance in your life? 

King Ahaz was enamored with other gods, with the culture and practices of other nations. He was wanting what other kings had.  He didn't want to be a king that was taking instruction from the One true God.  He didn't want a God that calls us to a life of humility.  Yet the result of not following God brought great humiliation.  

God calls us to a life of humility and yet that brings great reward.  Humility and surrender to God brings everlasting life, joy, peace, love, etc.  A life without trusting God, brings destruction and the ultimate humiliation. (Here represented by the shaving of heads and beards and eating of the curds and honey.) 

I see it this way...

A humbles surrender to Christ bring eternal joy.

Or 

Seeking after glory and happiness on our own, brings humiliation and ultimately death. 

What will you chose? Who will you chose? 

When Ahaz was King Israel was divided, it wasn't a good time in the history of God's people.  Things were a mess.  God gave Ahaz the opportunity to turn things around, to be part of His plan to restore Israel, but Ahaz refused, and destruction came. 

We are in a challenging time.  Our nation, our churches, and even our families are divided.  It is a challenging time for God's people.  

Are you willing to have faith, to trust God, and ask for His guidance?

Some interesting things to note is that curds and honey was humble food, so this is speaking to the humility that would fall on the nation.