Isaiah Chapter 8:1-10

Isaiah Chapter 8:1-10

vs. 1-2

- “Then the Lord said to me, “Make a large signboard and clearly write this name on it: Maher-shalal-hash-baz.” I asked Uriah the priest and Zechariah son of Jeberekiah, both known as honest men, to witness my doing this.”

- Okay... couple of things. Maher-shalal-hash-baz (man what a word...) means “Swift to plunder and quick to carry away”.

- And Isaiah asked for witnesses to corroborate what he was doing. In Jewish tradition “The facts of every case must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.” (II Corinthians 13:1)

- If there was a question about anything that was done, then there needed to be two witnesses present to testify either on your behalf, or against you. Without at least two witnesses, the allegations would be thrown out.

- This is where surrounding yourself with godly people is a good thing... if there's any question about your character, or your actions... there should be somebody standing by who can vouch for you. Otherwise... you end up with people who maybe just want to see you fall... to see how you're going to react when your character is attacked... Or who just want your name to be less-than-spotless...

- I had a friend who, every time we'd hang out or anything, he'd try and get me to cuss, or drink, or... any number of random things... and at one point he told me that his goal was to see me do something I knew I wasn't supposed to... Great friend right?

- I had class with a guy... I think in high school... it's been a while, but he said his goal was to see me get angry... he wanted to know what I'd do when I got mad. So every day... he'd try and push buttons... just to see what would happen...

- If we're not careful about who we put around us... and we still try to take a stand for something... then that's the kind of characters we're going to end up with... As opposed to Isaiah.... putting men who were “known to be honest” around him.

- Jeremiah 15:15-21

- III John 1:11
- Deuteronomy 18:9-14
- Ephesians 4:11-5:20

vs. 3-4

- “Then I slept with my wife, and she became pregnant and gave birth to a son. And the Lord said, Call him Maher-shalal-hash-baz. For before this child is old enough to say “papa” or “mama,” the king of Assyria will carry away both the abundance of Damascus and the riches of Samaria.”

- What a name for the poor kid to be saddled with...

- OK, now we have two prophecies involving newborn children and their names. The last chapter we had, Immanuel was prophesied as a sign that deliverance was coming. This chapter, Isaiah's child is prophesied as a sign that destruction is coming... “Swiftly plundered and quickly carried away.”

- Judah is still refusing to turn away from their idols and their sin, to God. So... destruction is on its way. He's given them every chance He could. He even gave an evil king an obvious sign that there would be deliverance, and then brought deliverance! And even though they cannot deny His presence... cannot deny His existence... They still choose to turn away.

- When our hearts become hardened against the things of God... He can't speak to them anymore. The more He speaks, the more we turn away... And when we get to the place where we absolutely refuse to hear the voice of God...

- Well, okay... let me give you this example.

- We found out this week that our state education department has decided to put into policy a new discipline edict. It is based around the premise that positive reinforcement is the only way to go. We will not be allowed to “take” anything from students. For example, recess. Students can earn things, like reward trips, or play days, but we can't do anything that is a negative reaction to a behavior.

- Okay, well that's all well and good... however... as you can see in this article (http://www.ajc.com/news/mother-says-6-year-1422908.html) sometimes... positive reinforcement isn't a move you can make... This is a story about a 6 year old who was taken out of school in handcuffs in Florida. She was basically pitching a fit and going off the wall... and they couldn't restrain her. So for her safety and the safety of the people around her... they finally put her in handcuffs cause she refused to settle down enough to be allowed back into the regular population. Her mother is pitching a fit... and honestly... it's ridiculous.

- When the kids are going off the wall and become a danger to themselves or to others... as we have seen and heard many times before... there comes a time to take drastic measures. When you are not allowed to discipline... things get out of hand. Had there been a discipline system in place that would have allowed the school to restrain this child... I don't think there would have been a problem... however... we as teachers are told many times not to touch a child no matter what because of the impending doom of lawsuits by parents... Even if the child is a danger to another kid... we're told not to touch them if at all possible.

- In my own state we've had elementary students removed from the school grounds in handcuffs due to violent outbreaks. And it shouldn't be that way... There's no reason that a child, who is supposed to be learning from their elders... who's supposed to be under our authority... should be running all over us...

- In my opinion... in general... kids are becoming less and less well-behaved... and more and more difficult to control in any way... and I think that can be correlated to the lack of allowed discipline on the teacher's part... as well as the want of discipline within the home.

- I had an education professor who once said that we needed to discuss things with kids and let them decide on their punishment and basically talk them out of being bad... except that we had just went over I think the Piaget theory that said that the reasoning ability of a child did not fully develop until around age 10 or so. Up until that point, they're not really capable of successful reasoning on moral issues. So... why are we TALKING to and REASONING with the screaming 3 year old????

- Positive reinforcement only goes so far... eventually... you gotta have strong discipline. Especially with kids. Because kids aren't dumb... they learn REAL fast what they can get away with... they learn what buttons to push and what cards to play to ALMOST get in big trouble... They hang on the outskirts of going too far... they might even tip toe across the line every now and again... but they figure out really fast how to get out of actually needing to apologize... and mean it... crocodile tears...

- God loves positive reinforcement. He loves to reward us for doing good. He loves to give good gifts to His children. When Israel and Judah were turning away, He still tried to bless them. Still tried to make them see that He loved them... Tried to prove that He was able to do anything for them... if they would only turn back to Him....

- Matthew 7:9-11

- Luke 11:11-13

- Instead... they pushed too far. They kept trying to push the boundaries...

- God sees the heart... and what He saw in the hearts of His people... was wicked and dark. He could no longer speak to them. They had stopped their ears and turned their thoughts to other things. It was time for them to stop taking sucker punches at God. He'd been taken advantage of and abused enough. It was time for them to receive their just desserts.

- And yet He still sent warnings. He still tried to change their minds and hearts... Isaiah posted this huge, public sign so all could see it...

- Where are you in your walk? Have you allowed your heart to grow hard towards the things of God? Are you taking God for granted? Do you abuse the Grace and Mercy of God? What kind of warning signs has God placed in your life? Are you paying attention? Or choosing to ignore them when they come?

- “All of us must die eventually. Our lives are like water spilled out on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again. But God does not just sweep life away; instead, He devises ways to bring us back when we have been separated from Him.” (II Samuel 14:14)

vs. 5-8

- “Then the Lord spoke to me again and said, “My care for the people of Judah is like the gently flowing waters of Shilaoh, but they have rejected it. They are rejoicing over what will happen to King Rezin and King Pekah. Therefore, the Lord will overwhelm them with a mighty flood from the Euphrates River—the king of Assyria and all his glory. This flood will overflow all its channels and sweep into Judah until it is chin deep. It will spread its wings, submerging your land from one end to the other, O Immanuel.”

- okay... bear with me... A little history on Shiloh. Man there's a lot here...

- Okay... In Joshua 18, the setting of the Tabernacle was moved from Gilgal, to Shiloh. It was situated in the land of Ephraim and was kind of central for the people.

- Ephraim, at this point in Israel's history, was the strongest of the tribes. Ephraim was the youngest son of Joseph. One place it says that Ephraim had 10 thousands of men, and his brother tribe, Manasseh, had only thousands.

- If you remember, Jacob switched hands and blessed Ephraim above his elder brother Manasseh. (Genesis 48)

- Shiloh was a place of worship. It was known as a place of rest. So... the city that is for peace and rest... have turned away.

- Ephraim is sometimes used in place of Israel. Because it was a focal point for Israel. And remember that Shiloh was in Ephraim.

- In Hosea 13, God says this: “When the tribe of Ephraim spoke, the people shook with fear, for that tribe was important in Israel. But the people of Ephraim sinned by worshiping Baal and thus sealed their destruction. Now they continue to sin by making silver idols, images shaped skillfully with human hands. “Sacrifice to these,” they cry, “and kiss the calf idols!” Therefore, they will disappear like the morning mist, like dew in the morning sun, like chaff blown by the wind, like smoke from a chimney.”

- and in Hosea 5, “The leaders of Judah have become like thieves. So I will pour my anger on them like a waterfall. The people of Israel will be crushed and broken by my judgment because they are determined to worship idols. I will destroy Israel as a moth consumes wool. I will make Judah as weak as rotten wood.”

- Once a place of worship... now a place of sin... When Jeroboam first set up the gold calves so the people wouldn't go to Judah to worship, (I Kings 12) he set one up in Bethel... which wasn't that far from Shiloh. By then the temple was in Jerusalem and Shiloh was destroyed (it is assumed that Shiloh was destroyed by the Philistines following their capture of the ark of the covenant- I Samuel 4 and 5) So Bethel and Dan became the new places of worship.

- Oh... and by the way... Jeroboam was of the tribe of Ephraim (I Kings 11:26)

- So... In Shiloh... a place of rest... a place of peace... A place where God's house had been built in the middle of the nation so that anybody at any time could come to seek His presence... A place where God could actively show His people that He cared for them... This is the place... in which they chose to reject Him.

- “.... But they kept testing and rebelling against God Most High. They did not obey His laws. They turned back and were as faithless as their parents. They were as undependable as a crooked bow. They angered God by building shrines to other gods; they made Him jealous with their idols. When God heard them, He was very angry, and He completely rejected Israel. Then He abandoned His dwelling at Shiloh, the Tabernacle where He had lived among the people. He allowed the Ark of His might to be captured; He surrendered His glory into enemy hands. He gave His people over to be butchered by the sword, because He was so angry with His own people—His special possession. Their young men were killed by fire; their young women died before singing their wedding songs. Their priests were slaughtered, and their widows could not mourn their deaths.” (Psalm 78)

- Since they had rejected His healing waters... He will now flood them out. They will be washed in the water of destruction instead of cleansed in the water of holiness. They will be submerged just as in the first flood... to rid the nation of sin. To drown out that which holds them back from communion with God.

vs. 5-8 (Second Take)

- Now... looking at Israel's history... indeed... that is exactly what happened... however... I want to also look at the Messianic side of this portion...

- In Genesis 49, Jacob is blessing his sons before he dies. For Judah, he says this: “Judah, your brothers will praise you. You will grasp your enemies by the neck. All your relatives will bow before you. Judah, my son, is a young lion that has finished eating its prey. Like a lion he crouches and lies down; like a lioness—who dares to rouse him? The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from his descendants, until the coming of the one to whom it belongs, the one whom all nations will honor.”

- “until the coming of the one to whom it belongs” in the Hebrew reads “until Shiloh comes”.

- Christ, the Messiah is referred to as “The Lion of the Tribe of Judah”. Here, He is referred to as Shiloh. The God of peace and rest... hmm... sounds good huh? :)

- Now looking back at Psalm 78 again. This is Israel's history in a nutshell... all the times that they rebelled against God... and God took them back. Now... “He abandoned His dwelling at Shiloh, the Tabernacle where He had lived among the people.”

- The old covenant... replaced with a new one...

- “He allowed the Ark of His might to be captured...”

- Oh God! Christ came of His own free will! He delivered Himself up and “surrendered His glory into enemy hands.”

- “Then the Lord rose up as though waking from sleep...”

- Christ rose from the dead! Did He not!? Is He not alive still!?

- “He routed His enemies and sent them to eternal shame.”

- In Revelation 1:18, Christ says “I am the living One. I died, but look—I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and the grave.”

- Did He not conquer death! And Satan!

- Revelation 12 speaks about the battle between the angels and the dragon. “And they have defeated him by the Blood of the Lamb and by their testimony.”

- In John 1 the first little bit very much sums this up... As you read... replace “The Word” with “Jesus”... see how that reads to you. :)

- “In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. God created everything through Him, and nothing was created except through Him. The Word gave life to everything that was created, and His life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.... He came into the very world He created, but the world didn't recognize Him. He came to His own people, and even they rejected Him. But to all who believed Him and accepted Him, He gave the right to become children of God....”

- If we believe... we will be saved... maybe not from pain... maybe not from agony... in this life anyway... but definitely from the second death... the everlasting, spiritual death.

- But to those who have rejected Christ as Lord and King... destruction will come. Judgment comes to all men... and God is a just judge.

- “And I saw a great white throne and the One sitting on it. The earth and sky fled from His presence, but they found no place to hide. I saw the dead, both great and small, standing before God's throne. And the books were opened, including the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to what they had done, as recorded in the books. The sea gave up its dead, and death and the grave gave up their dead. And all were judged according to their deeds. Then death and the grave were thrown into the lake of fire. This lake of fire is the second death. And anyone whose name was not found recorded in the Book of Life was thrown into the lake of fire.” (Revelation 20:11-15)

- ALL were judged... not just the bad ones... not just the good ones... ALL. And there's no escaping...

- Mark 8:31

- Luke 17:20-37
- Matthew 21:33-44

vs. 9-10

- These verses to me... are those who have rejected Christ.

- “Huddle together, you nations, and be terrified. Listen, all you distant lands. Prepare for battle, but you will be crushed! Call your councils of war, but they will be worthless. Develop your strategies, but they will not succeed. For God is with us!”

- No matter how big the enemy looks... no matter if we die in the process of trying... GOD IS WITH US!!!! It is not us who should fear... but rather they... for THEY have no hope... all of their efforts are in vain... for even if they win every earthly battle... they have lost the eternal one. They have lost their souls...

- The enemy has many plans to thwart God... but none of them will succeed... In Daniel 8 when it's talking about the antichrist coming... verse 12 says “The army of heaven was restrained from responding to this rebellion.”

- God might even hold back His anger from the enemy... but only to give them another chance to change... just as He held His anger back from Israel, time and time again...

- But eventually... we read in verse 15, “He will even take on the Prince of princes in battle, but he will be broken, though not by human power.” Eventually... God's gonna take care of business. Maybe not in the way we expect Him to... cause... God generally never does things the way we think He should... but He WILL win in the end...

- Jeremiah 6

- I Peter 2:4-10; 4:12-19
- John 12:44-50
- Job 34:10-37:24

Isaiah Chapter 7:10-25

Isaiah Chapter 7:10-25

vs. 10-12

- “Later, the Lord sent this message to King Ahaz: “Ask the Lord your God for a sign of confirmation, Ahaz. Make it as difficult as you want—as high as heaven or as deep as the place of the dead.”

- God loves to reveal Himself to willing hearts. Here's Ahaz... an evil king. A man who is NOT seeking after God's heart... and yet God still longs to show Ahaz Who He is. So He gives Ahaz the opportunity to prove Him. “This is your chance! I'll do whatever you want me to do! And in doing so, I will prove myself to your heart!”

- Instead of following God's direction... or even instead of accepting God's challenge... Ahaz refuses.

- “No, I will not test the Lord like that.”

- Now, I understand not wanting to test God... in fact we are told in Matthew 4 and in Deuteronomy 6; “You must not test the Lord your God.”

- So, I can understand Ahaz NOT wanting to test God... for all he knew, the prophet was trying to get the king struck down...

- However, in Malachi 3:10, we have an example of God asking His people to put Him to the test. “Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do,” says the Lord of Heaven's Armies, “I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won't have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put me to the test!”

- God wants us to see His worth, His truth, His righteousness, His faithfulness. Sometimes in order to prove Himself to us, He will ask us to test Him with something... and that means trusting that He'll come through for us.

- Ahaz was given that opportunity. God said, “This is what I'll do... Let me prove myself to you! Test me! Ask me anything you want and I'll answer you!”

- And Ahaz... refuses. Why? Well... maybe out of fear of it being a trick... on God's part or on the prophets part...

- Or maybe... Ahaz, who'd spent his life growing up under the tutelage of a Godly grandfather and father... KNEW truth... and KNEW that God would indeed prove Himself... But then... He wouldn't have ANY excuse for chasing after his idols and his evil ways. He would have maybe felt compelled to follow God... or maybe felt like he now owed God something of himself. So... he didn't want God to prove Himself... because it would give him a conscience concerning his sin...

- John 6:22-40

vs. 13-16

- “Then Isaiah said, “Listen well, you royal family of David! Isn't it enough to exhaust human patience? Must you exhaust the patience of my God as well? All right then, the Lord Himself will give you the sign. Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means 'God is with us'). By the time this child is old enough to choose what is right and what is wrong, he will be eating yogurt and honey. For before the child is that old, the lands of the two kings you fear so much will both be deserted.”

- footnote- “Virgin is translated from a Hebrew word used for an unmarried woman who is old enough to be married, one who is sexually mature.....It is more likely that this prophecy had a double fulfillment.

(1) A young woman from the house of Ahaz who was not married would marry and have a son. Before three years had passed (one year for pregnancy and two for the child to be old enough to talk), the two invading kings would be destroyed.
(2) Matthew 1:23 quotes Isaiah 7:14 to show a further fulfillment of this prophecy in that a virgin named Mary conceived and bore a son, Immanuel, the Christ.”

- Ahaz refused to ask for a sign... so God decided to give him a sign anyway.

- Poor Isaiah... he sounds so frustrated here. His patience with this king is just about exhausted. He's trying his hardest to make him see the light... and Ahaz just keeps shutting his eyes or blocking him out.

- Sometimes we meet people in our lives like that. They don't want to know Truth. They don't want to be faced with their need for a savior. They want to live their lives as they please. They don't want to have someone prick their consciences.

- So here stands Isaiah... trying to do what God has asked him to do... and getting the door slammed in his face time after time.

- When we meet with situations like this... where God has asked us to speak to someone, or do something... and our goal is constantly set back because of circumstances... we cannot lose heart. We cannot give up. Even when the road gets rocky... we have to keep pressing on. If God asks us to go, He'll prepare us for the way...

- My pastor used to talk about the relentless love of God. God never stops loving people. He never stops pursuing their hearts. so... neither should we.

- My grandparents have a funny story about how they started dating... My grandfather decided that this was the woman for him. So he went to her house to pick her up. And she hid on the back porch roof so that the family could tell him she wasn't in the house...

- A couple of times she did this... she was determined that she was NOT going to go out with this man. Well... he was just as determined that she WAS going to go out with him. So one night, he finally parked his car along the road and sneaked up to the house. She was inside the house watering plants. He sneaked up to the window and then popped up when she got close to him and said “well, you're home... So can I take you out tonight?” She screamed and threw her water pot straight up in the air... lol

- But you know what? They've been married for over 50 years... persistence paid off...

- God is like that. He sees our hearts... and He wants us for His own. He wants us to love Him. So He goes after us. Time and time again.

- Since we are the body of Christ... sometimes that means that WE have to go after people for God. Time and time again, we have to go speak the love of Christ to them. Even when they turn us away.

- Dad reminded us of a story about my pastor the other night... He was going to talk to this old guy all the time. He was bed fast... and pretty ill. He was extremely bitter against God. Didn't want anything to do with Him.

- So Doug would go and talk to him about things... and always brought it back around to his need for God.

- So this one day, his daughter popped in to say “Dad, you have a visitor”. And he said “It's not that damn preacher again is it?” And Doug popped his head around the corner and said “Yep, it's that damn preacher...” and pulled up a chair and started talking with him again.

- Because Doug was persistent in his love for this man... He eventually did give his heart to God before he died. Doug didn't walk away when the guy asked him to. He didn't give up after one time of getting told that he wasn't interested in God. He didn't stop after the guy told him off. He knew this was where God wanted him... and that's EXACTLY where he went. And God worked in that man's heart.

- Just because people lash out at us about our faith... doesn't mean we should stop trying. We just keep loving on them until they can't stand it anymore... they're eventually gonna want what we have. We make our love apparent by spending time, by showing concern, and by speaking truth when it's needed.

- We don't have to compromise our beliefs in order to do this. For example, I used to go to lunch or dinner with a friend of mine all the time who was not saved. I never went to the bar with him... never went to a party... we spent time on neutral ground together... I didn't have to compromise my beliefs, and he didn't feel threatened by being in a place where he wasn't in control. He wasn't going to set foot in a church... but restaurants were ok. And they were places that we could sit down and talk without pressure.

- I have friends who know where I stand who will invite me when they're going to a movie or something, or out to lunch, but they know I won't go to a party with alcohol... so they won't invite me to those kinds of things... but they still seek my company for other things.

- Being in the world... but not part of it. Doesn't necessarily mean that we have to go TO the bar, or TO the brothel, or TO the drug dealer's residence to witness... just means we have to seek out people to love in God's way.

- I had friends in college who said they were going to the bar so they could witness... they were going to go where the sinners were... except that... they weren't strong enough in their faith to do that... and they themselves fell into alcoholism etc. Make sure it's a God thing when you walk into a place like that to witness... If God CALLS you to go there... you'll be fine... but if He doesn't... it'll be incredibly hard not to fall.

- Luke 11:5-13

- Sorry for the ramble... moving on...

- So the sign is that a virgin will conceive and bear a son. Now, if this indeed was a son in the house of Ahaz at the time... then Ahaz got to see first hand, the hand of God moving in his life. Because the nation of Israel and the nation of Syria, during the reign of Ahaz, was taken over by Assyria.

- Ahaz grew fearful of these nations... and he called on Assyria to come to his rescue... Instead of turning to God... he turned to an enemy nations. Well Assyria did their job. They conquered both nations... and then they came to Judah and attacked Judah. Ahaz took valuables from the Temple and gave them to the king of Assyria as a tribute payment so that he wouldn't destroy them.

- Instead of turning to God in this time of trouble... Ahaz... set up a pagan alters in every corner of Jerusalem and shut the doors of the Temple so that no one could worship there.

- Even after God proved Himself... Ahaz... walked away... and led the nation away with him.

- II Chronicles 28

- Now, looking at the prophecy fulfilled in Christ. This was indeed one of MANY prophecies that Christ fulfilled in his coming as He did.

- Matthew 1:23

vs. 17-20

- “Then the Lord will bring things on you, your nation, and your family unlike anything since Israel broke away from Judah. He will bring the king of Assyria upon you! In that day the Lord will whistle for the army of southern Egypt and for the army of Assyria. They will swarm around you like flies and bees. They will come in vast hordes and settle in the fertile areas and also in the desolate valleys, caves, and thorny places. In that day the Lord will hire a “razor” from beyond the Euphrates River—the king of Assyria—and use it to shave off everything: your land, your crops, and your people.”

- OK so in II Chronicles 28, Ahaz is king and Assyria has to be paid off.

- During Hezekiah's reign in chapter 32, Assyria yet again invades Judah. God sent angels to destroy Assyria because Hezekiah had worked a religious reform in the nation of Judah and he himself was a godly king. However... Babylon (who eventually took over Assyria) sent ambassadors to Judah to visit with Hezekiah. He was proud of his accomplishments... and showed them EVERYTHING that Judah owned.

- So we move on to Manasseh's reign in chapter 33. He was an evil king. Assyria came and captured Manasseh, put a ring through his nose and led him off to captivity. However Manasseh humbled himself before God, and before he died, God brought him back to Judah to be king.

- Josiah, chapters 34 and 35. Josiah was a godly king. He made huge religious reforms amongst the people. He found the law and reestablished it among the people. He got rid of all the idols in the land. However... Josiah heard that the king of Egypt was in the land... he went out to do battle with him... but the king of Egypt was on his way to do something else... and God told the king of Egypt to hurry. He asked Josiah not to interfere with him. But Josiah went up against him anyway and was killed in battle...

- Jehoahaz. Chapter 36. He was king a total of 3 months... Then the king of Egypt took over and demanded that they pay tribute. (Remember Isaiah said that Egypt would come?)

- So Jehoiakim, brother of Jehoahaz, was placed in charge by the Egyptians. He was another evil king. He reigned for 11 years... and then Babylon moved in and captured the land and the king.

- His son Jehoiachin was king for a little while... also an evil king... and then Zedekiah... also evil... He tried to rebel against Babylon... that didn't go so well for him...

- and finally... The Babylonians moved in and killed them all. They even chased them into the temple. “They had no pity on the people, killing both young men and young women, the old and the infirm.”

- And then Babylon burned the temple...

- It took a few years... but eventually... Assyria, as part of Babylon... did indeed take Judah captive... and did indeed destroy Jerusalem.

- God kept giving them opportunities to turn back... and they kept refusing. As a nation... they hardened their hearts and walked away from God... so... destruction came to them.

- The enemy came like a plague and took everything... the land, the crops, and the people... everything was killed or burned. Anything of value was destroyed. “The land finally enjoyed its Sabbath rest, lying desolate until the seventy years were fulfilled, just as the prophet had said.”

- So for 70 years... nothing grew. There was no one to tend the fields.

- Jeremiah 29:8-23
- Leviticus 26

vs. 21-25

- “In that day a farmer will be fortunate to have a cow and two sheep or goats left. Nevertheless, there will be enough milk for everyone because so few people will be left in the land. They will eat their fill of yogurt and honey. In that day the lush vineyards, now worth 1,000 pieces of silver, will become patches of briers and thorns. The entire land will become a vast expanse of briers and thorns, a hunting ground overrun by wildlife. Not one will go to the fertile hillsides where the gardens once grew, for briers and thorns will cover them. Cattle, sheep, and goats will graze there.”

- Remember that this promised land was called “the land of milk and honey?” God was still going to sustain the people left here... He was still going to give them their fill of milk and honey... but the land itself... was unusable. It grew wild...

- God keeps His promises... whether they are promises of provision... or promises of destruction... God never goes back on His promises. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

- Psalm 73; 81

- II Corinthians 1:17-22
- Hebrews 6:16-20

Isaiah Chapter 7:1-9

Isaiah Chapter 7:1-9

vs. 1-2

- This is a story from the time of King Ahaz.

- “When Ahaz, son of Jotham and grandson of Uzziah, was king of Judah, King Rezin of Syria and Pekah son of Remaliah, the king of Israel, set out to attack Jerusalem. However, they were unable to carry out their plan. The news had come to the royal court of Judah: “Syria is allied with Israel against us!” So the hearts of the king and his people trembled with fear, like trees shaking in a storm.”

- Jotham was the son of Uzziah. Both Uzziah and Jotham had this problem... They themselves followed God... but they didn't get rid of the shrines and idols in Judah. As leaders, they may have led by example... but they didn't bring the sin of the people into question. They let them do as they pleased.

- If we look at the king and nation relationship as a parent and child relationship... These kings... spoiled their children and let them do whatever they wanted... no questions asked. Every once in a while, they might have tried to reason with the people... or gave some kind of “Now, you really shouldn't do that” kind of statement... but... for the most part... they lived their lives and let the people run wild. They were more focused on themselves and their own well-being than they were the spiritual... “lostness” of the people.

- We can take a lesson from this in many aspects of our lives... not only towards children if you are a parent, but as a friend, or as a co-worker, or as family, or as church family... There sometimes comes a time in life when you have to confront the sin not only in your own life, but in the lives of those around you.

- Now this isn't to say that you go to everybody you know and start nit-picking at their lives... “Take the log out of your own eye” ring a bell?

- Luke 6:39-42

- However, blatant, open sin, cannot be allowed to grow in a life that claims the name of Christ.

- I don't watch much reality TV... but every once in a while I see this show advertised called “Intervention.” Basically, family and friends are getting together to have an intervention with someone who is addicted to drugs or alcohol. They all sit down and explain that this addiction is detrimental to their health and to these relationships, and that a change needs to happen...

- In my mind... that's what needs to happen in our relationships sometimes. It might not be a whole group setting... but sometimes, people don't see what kind of effects their lifestyle is having on other people.

- Granted... a conversation like this is not an easy one... you might lose the relationship for a while over it... but I guarantee it's a necessary conversation when it comes to a Christian insisting on persisting in their sin.

- I John 5 starts by explaining who a Christian is. Someone who believes that Jesus is the Christ. Someone who loves God and his children. Someone who obeys God's commandments... so on and so forth...

- Then in verse 16, he says 'If you see a Christian brother or sister sinning in a way that does not lead to death, you should pray, and God will give that person life. But there is a sin that leads to death, and I am not saying you should pray for those who commit it. All wicked actions are sin, but not every sin leads to death. We know that God's children do not make a practice of sinning, for God's Son holds them securely, and the evil one cannot touch them. We know that we are children of God and that they world around us is under the control of the evil one. And we know that the Son of God has come, and He has given us understanding so that we can know the true God. And now we live in fellowship with the true God because we live in fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ. He is the only true God, and He is eternal life. Dear children, keep away from anything that might take God's place in your hearts.”

- Now, give me a second to explain all this...

- What is the sin unto death? What is so terrible as to be unforgivable?

- Go with me to Matthew 12. The Pharisees have been keeping tabs on Jesus. They heard that He cast a demon out of a man. Their response to this was to say “No wonder He can cast out demons. He gets His power from Satan, the prince of demons.”

- Jesus then replied by saying, well... if I am empowered by Satan, then Satan is fighting against himself... so his kingdom is in a civil war. A kingdom divided cannot stand, so that doesn't really make any sense... Only someone stronger and greater than Satan can bind him up and plunder his house...

- Then Jesus says: “So I tell you, every sin and blasphemy can be forgiven—except against the Holy Spirit, which will never be forgiven. Anyone who speaks against the Son of Man can be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven, either in this world or in the world to come.”

- Matthew 12:22-37

- Mark 3:20-30

- Barnes Notes on the Bible on the Matthew verses reads thusly: “In this place, and in Mark 3:28-30, Jesus states the awful nature of the sin of which they had been guilty. That sin was the sin against the Holy Spirit. It consisted in charging him with being in league with the devil, or accusing him of working his miracles, not by the "spirit" or "power" of God, but by the aid of the prince of the devils. It was therefore a direct insult, abuse, or evil speaking against the Holy Spirit - the spirit by which Jesus worked his miracles. That this was what he intended by this sin, at that time, is clear from Mark 3:30, "because they said he had an unclean spirit." All other sins - all speaking against the Saviour himself - might be remitted. But this sin was clearly against the Holy One; it was alleging that the highest displays of God's mercy and power were the work of the devil; and it argued, therefore, the deepest depravity of mind. The sin of which he speaks is therefore clearly stated. It was accusing him of working miracles by the aid of the devil, thus dishonoring the Holy Spirit.”

- So this sin unto death is that in which we attribute the works and power of the Holy Spirit... to Satan.

- footnote: “Christians sometimes wonder if they have committed this sin of blaspheming the Holy Spirit. Christians need not worry because this sin is attributing to the devil the work of the Holy Spirit. It reveals a heart attitude of unbelief and unrepentance. Deliberate, ongoing rejection of the work of the Holy Spirit is blasphemy because it is rejecting God Himself. The religious leaders accused Jesus of blasphemy, but ironically they were the guilty ones when they looked Jesus in the face and accused Him of being possessed by Satan.”

- So, as Christians. When we see a brother or sister who is sinning... we are first to pray for them. Then to speak to them. If praying that they are convicted and that they see their need for a life change works... then there is no need to speak openly... However, if they persist after a time of praying, or seem to be under conviction, but not heeding the hints from God... then it is time to speak. But in Matthew 18:15-18, we have the rest...

- “If another believer sins against you, go privately and point out the offense. If the other person listens and confesses it, you have won that person back. But if you are unsuccessful, take one or two others with you and go back again, so that everything you say may be confirmed by two or three witnesses. If the person still refuses to listen, take your case to the church. Then if he or she won't accept the church's decision, treat that person as a pagan or a corrupt tax collector. I tell you the truth, whatever you forbid on earth, will be forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven.”

- In some translations “forbidden” is read as “bound”.

- So, to make the full circle...

- If the kings Uzziah and Jotham had done what they were supposed to do... then righteousness would have abounded... The people's hearts would have been affected and their own lives would have reflected the change.

- As it was... Ahaz came along... who was a very evil king. The apathy of his father and grandfather led to him being a completely evil king. He sacrificed his son to an idol. He wasn't just worshiping an idol... he was involved in human sacrifices...

- The story of Ahaz can be found in II Kings 16 and II Chronicles 28.

- Last chapter, God told Isaiah to say to the people to listen but not understand, to watch, but learn nothing. That their hearts would be hardened and their ears would be shut. That they would not understand with their hearts or turn to God for healing.

- The people were getting to the point that the only way that God was going to get through to them, was through trials and tribulations. “Until their towns are empty, their houses are deserted, and the whole country is a wasteland.” When things get rough... we HAVE to turn to God. It's our only choice. We either turn to God... or... perish. Judah was to the point... that God was going to have to present them with that choice.

vs. 3-9

- “Then the Lord said to Isaiah, “Take your son Shear-jashub and go out to meet King Ahaz. You will find him at the end of the aqueduct that feeds water into the upper pool, near the road leading to the field where cloth is washed. Tell him to stop worrying. Tell him he doesn't need to fear the fierce anger of those two burned-out embers, King Rezin of Syria and Pekah son of Remaliah. Yes, the kings of Syria and Israel are plotting against him, saying, “We will attack Judah and capture it for ourselves. Then we will install the son of Tabeel as Judah's king.”

- footnote- “Shear-jashub means “a remnant will return.” God told Isaiah to give his son this name as a reminder of his plan for mercy. From the beginning of God's judgment He planned to restore a remnant of his people. Shear-jashub was a reminder to the people of God's faithfulness to them.”

- Again, in the last chapter, the last verse talks about the stump being cut down and yet becoming a seed for the tree to regrow.

- Even though God was bringing judgment down upon His people... a remnant would remain and survive. And they would indeed grow again into the tree that He had intended them to be.

- And even though Ahaz was an evil, wicked king... God still was trying to speak to him. He sent Isaiah to the king to encourage him. To show him that God was still in control.

- Maybe God was yet again trying to prove His love through kindness and gentleness. Even though they were turning against Him... still He was going to try to win them back over.

- So God said this to Ahaz. Personally... I find this incredibly encouraging to look at from the perspective of possibly being ready to be attacked...

- “This invasion will never happen; it will never take place; for Syria is no stronger than its capital, Damascus, and Damascus is no stronger than its king, Rezin. As for Israel, within sixty-five years it will be crushed and completely destroyed. Israel is no stronger than its capital, Samaria, and Samaria is not stronger than its king Pekah son of Remaliah. Unless your faith is firm, I cannot make you stand firm.”

- What I get from this is simply that God is in control. A country is no stronger than its king... and God is stronger than all men... God is still in control.

- And furthermore, the prophecy that before 65 years were up, Israel would be destroyed... well... about 15 or 20 years after this event... Israel was indeed destroyed and taken captive by Assyria.

- However, God also gave Ahaz a warning. That unless his faith was firm, God couldn't make him stand against his enemies... His faith had to be placed in God in order for there to be victory.

- That's a good statement for us in general. God will make us victorious... but our faith must stay strong... This is not to say that bad things won't happen... just that we will be able to get through them because God is with us.

- In Romans 12:3, It says to “Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us.”

- And in Luke 17:5 the apostles asked Jesus how they could increase their faith. Jesus said 'If you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, “May you be uprooted and thrown into the sea, and it would obey you!'” (Matthew 17:20 says that the mountain could be moved and that nothing would be impossible.)

- What I get from all this is something along the lines of the parable of the talents. God has given each of us a measure of faith... now what we do with it... is up to us. God can put circumstances in our lives that act as faith builders. He can put people in our lives that demand growth of our faith. He can show us how much He deserves our faith by all the good things He gives to us... but ultimately... it's up to us what we do with our faith. Do we allow our circumstances to grow our faith? Or do we let them smother it out and end up with nothing?

- With faith... nothing is impossible... Without faith... things look pretty hopeless...

- Ahaz... well... had faith in many things... but I don't know how his faith was in God... as we shall see...

Isaiah Chapter 6

Isaiah Chapter 6

vs. 1-4

- “It was in the year King Uzziah died that I saw the Lord. He was sitting on a lofty throne, and the train of His robe filled the Temple. Attending Him were mighty seraphim, each having six wings. With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. They were calling out to each other. “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Heaven's Armies! The whole earth is filled with His glory!” Their voices shook the Temple to its foundations, and the entire building was filled with smoke.”

- For history on King Uzziah, read II Chronicles 26.

- My dad did a sermon on this a couple months or so ago. So some of this may be taken from that...

- Okay... The Lord is sitting on His throne, high and lifted up. He is above the rest. He is exalted in the heavens. For He is worthy of praise and adoration and His essence demands our obeisance.

- His train fills the Temple. His presence cannot be denied. He is everywhere. Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary says that a flowing train was a “badge of dignity in the East.” This wasn't just a little train... this one filled the entire Temple.

- The only thing I have to relate this to is a wedding dress with a really long train... There are trains that are like a foot long... and then there are trains that flow the length of the aisle and require assistance in managing...

- God's train wasn't a little one. His dignity demands a HUGE train. Something that shows just how much honor He deserves.

- Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary says this about the seraphim : “Above the throne stood the holy angels, called seraphim, which means burners; they burn in love to God, and zeal for his glory against sin. The seraphim showing their faces veiled, declares that they are ready to yield obedience to all God's commands, though they do not understand the secret reasons of his counsels, government, or promises. All vain-glory, ambition, ignorance, and pride, would be done away by one view of Christ in his glory.”

- “Seraphim” literally meant to burn... they were literally on fire for God. As they circled the throne, they called out “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Heaven's Armies (or the Lord of Hosts)! The whole earth is filled with His glory!”

- Now, yes, these were created beings... and yes their job may have been to circle the throne... but these created beings... could not help but cry out at the holiness of God.

- Now, when dad did his sermon, he used a picture that my brother had done. It was a pencil sketch of the Mona Lisa... done entirely with doodles. So the shading etc. was all done with doodles. Every part of the picture... was made up of hundreds of other little pictures. There were animals, and food, and people... all kinds of things hidden within each other.

- Dad had one of the kids come down and walk around the picture. He was to explain what he saw each time he walked past... And every time, he saw something new in the picture...

- The seraphim were the same way. As they circled the throne... they continually saw new aspects, or facets of God. As they saw God's glory revealed in the earth, they couldn't help themselves! They just had to cry out in amazement! “HOLY, HOLY, HOLY is this God! Look at all that He is! Look at all that He has done! WOW!!!!!!!!”

- They just kept circling and calling out to each other in amazement and awe over all that they saw and perceived.

- They called out so much and so loudly, that the whole Temple was shaken to its foundations and was filled with smoke...

- Smoke is usually perceived as the presence of God, or His Spirit...

- This just gives me such a picture of God's awesomeness and power. The Temple is shaking to its foundation and is completely filled with the presence of God. That just sounds like it would be scary to witness first hand. Can you imagine? And here stands Isaiah... what's his response?

vs. 5-7

- “Then I said, “It's all over! I am doomed, for I am a sinful man. I have filthy lips, and I live among a people with filthy lips. Yet I have seen the King, the Lord of Heaven's Armies.”

- Despair. Hopelessness. Sorrow.

- I was thinking a lot about the unclean lips thing. When the seraphim comes with the coal here in a second, He doesn't say, “now you can go speak to the people.” And I always thought it had to do with Isaiah being a prophet and speaking to the people.

- But then why would he say that the rest of Israel was also of unclean lips? Could none of them speak of God?

- Have you ever seen a movie where someone goes to meet the king or queen and they bow down before them and kiss their ring or their hand?

- Well, in idol worship, kissing the idol was a type of worship.

- In Job 31:26-28, it says: “Have I looked at the sun shining in the skies, or the moon walking down its silver pathway, and been secretly enticed in my heart to throw kisses at them in worship? If so, I should be punished by the judges, for it would mean I had denied the God of heaven.”

- In I Kings 19:18, God is talking to Elijah and He tells him that He has kept 7,000 others in Israel who haven't bowed down to Baal or kissed him.

- And in Hosea 13:2-3, it says: “Now they continue to sin by making silver idols, images shaped skillfully with human hands, “Sacrifice to these,” they cry, “and kiss the calf idols!” Therefore, they will disappear like the morning mist, like dew in the morning sun, like chaff blown by the wind, like smoke from a chimney.”

- One of the commentaries I was reading said that sometimes the ground was kissed as a sign of the fullness of submission.

- So here stands Isaiah... and all he can think of is... “how unworthy am I! Here I stand... not even worthy to kiss the feet of this God I serve! For I have sinned!” Whether that meant that Isaiah had at one point kissed an idol... or if that means simply that he was struck with the gravity of his sin...

- I am reminded of John the Baptist when he said “Someone is coming soon who is greater than I am—so much great that I'm not even worthy to stoop down like a slave and untie the straps of His sandals.” (Mark 1:7)

- And the rest of the nation! Not only is Isaiah a man of unclean lips... so too is the nation of Judah!

- In II Chronicles in the story of Uzziah and his son Jotham, it remarks that although the kings were godly... the people did not follow their example and continued in their idolatry.

- Have you ever felt like that before God? Unworthy. Presumptuous. Fearful. Dismayed. Hopeless.

- Isaiah is standing in the throne room of God, completely surrounded by this awesome display of power and holiness... and in the presence of that holiness, Isaiah finds himself sorely lacking in his own...

- And yet... here he stands in the presence of God...

- “Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a burning coal he had taken from the altar with a pair of tongs. He touched my lips with it and said, “See, this coal has touched your lips. Now your guilt is removed, and your sins are forgiven.”

- When we fall before God and ask for forgiveness for our sins... It is freely given... but then begins a purging process. This walk is not a one time commitment... This is a day in, day out walk that requires constant resubmission.

- This is not a simple or painless process. That coal probably hurt like crazy... But it was worth it.

- When God accepts us as we are... He then asks us to become more like Him in all our ways. Yes the initial acceptance is unconditional. He will take you as you are. You don't have to fix yourself up before you come to Him... however, you do have to allow Him to work in you after that point.

- Isaiah was letting God do a work in him. He saw the need in himself, and accepted the Father's work in changing something about him.

- Just as we should. When you find yourself faced with your sin... and the fact that you are guilty beyond repair... That's when you too should fall on your knees before an almighty God, crying out, “Woe is me! For I am doomed! I have sinned against a holy and righteous God!” Then allow God not only to take your sin and guilt and cleanse you from it... but also to start to work a change in who you are.

vs. 8-9

- “Then I heard the Lord asking, “Whom should I send as a messenger to this people? Who will go for us?” I said, “Here I am. Send me.” And He said, “Yes, go, and say to this people...”

- God starts a change in Isaiah... and the first thing He asks for... is for Isaiah to go speak to the people. A hard task in and of itself... but wait until you see what God tells Isaiah to SAY!

- Isaiah doesn't hesitate. He jumps at the chance to do something for God.

- When we have accepted this God, and we have seen our unworthiness... and still have been accepted and cleansed from our sins... we owe a debt to God. He could have let us die in our sin... He didn't have to provide a way out... but He did. And freely.

- Now when God asks us for something... what is our response? Do we sit and mull it over trying to think about how we can do this with as little effort as possible? Do we see if we can figure out a way to have somebody else do it and we still get the credit? Do we ask God not to make us do it? Do we try and bargain with God to see if we can do something more in our comfort zone?

- Or do we step up and say, “Yes God, I will go. Send me. I will do whatever You ask of me. No matter what it is... Just lead and guide me and I will trust that You will provide me with the answers, the strength, the wisdom, that I need to fulfill the purpose You ask of me.”

- That's a hard question. Sometimes God asks us to pick up and go somewhere new. Leave all we know behind. Sometimes God asks us to say hard things to people we love. Sometimes it means that we're probably going to be persecuted in some way for our words or actions.

- But it's not about us... it's about God... And it's about being obedient whenever He asks us to be.

- The purging and growing processes are not easy... but they are necessary for us to be healthy, growing, thriving Christians. If we're not growing and changing for the better... we're not letting Christ work in our lives... and if we're not letting Him do a work... we are growing stagnant, apathetic, or we are spiritually dying... None of which are great options...

vs. 9-13

- So what does God ask Isaiah to tell the people?

- “Listen carefully, but do not understand. Watch closely, but learn nothing.” Harden the hearts of these people. Plug their ears and shut their eyes. That way, they will not see with their eyes, not hear with their ears, nor understand with their hearts and turn to me for healing.”

- WHAT???? Aren't I supposed to lead them to You? Aren't I supposed to heal them? Make them better? Teach them to follow You? Why do You want to harden their hearts? Why do You not want them to turn to You for healing? Are they not Your people? Are they not Your children whom You love?

- “Then I said, “Lord, how long will this go on?”

- No arguments. No holding back... just... “okay, so how long will I do this? What comes next?”

- Surely there's hope here somewhere. Surely God wouldn't just leave them stranded with no hope. Surely there's more.

- “And He replied, “Until their towns are empty, their houses are deserted, and the whole country is a wasteland; until the Lord has sent everyone away, and the entire land of Israel lies deserted. If even a tenth—a remnant—survive, it will be invaded again and burned. But as a terebinth or oak tree leaves a stump when it is cut down, so Israel's stump will be a holy seed.”

- footnote- “When would the people listen? Only after they had come to the end and had nowhere to turn but to God. This would happen when the land was destroyed by invading armies and the people taken into captivity. The “tenth” refers either to those who remained in the land after the captivity or to those who returned from Babylon to rebuild the land. Each group was about a tenth of the total population. When will we listen to God? Must we, like Judah, go through calamities before we will listen to God's words? Consider what God may be telling you, and obey Him before time runs out.”

- The people had so hardened their hearts towards God... that He finally decided that drastic measures were in order... If they could not depend on Him in times of prosperity... or even times of a little persecution... then... they would learn to depend on Him by losing everything and having ONLY He to cling to. Nothing else would be available. He was giving them no other option.

- In order to do so however, He had to harden their hearts completely. Stop up their ears so they could not hear... and allow them to get to the place that He needed them to be... secure in and dependent on themselves. And then... He would rip out their foundations. He would take everything away so that they HAD to turn to Him.

- But... just as a tree leaves a stump that produces shoots after it is cut down... so would Israel become a holy seed. They would once again grow up to be a holy people. They would once again truly become His people... heart, mind, and soul.

- The means to the end... is not pretty... but the end... is very worth the struggle to get there...