Something Greater

Isaiah 9, Part 2: The LORD's Anger Verses 8-21 #80752464 / gettyimages.com Despite the promise of a future Saviour the reality of the moment is that Israel is divided by civil war and foreign intrigue. Isaiah 9:8-10 (ESV) The Lord has sent a word against Jacob, and it will fall on Israel; and all the people will know, Ephraim and the inhabitants of Samaria, who say in pride and in arrogance of heart: “The bricks have fallen, but we will build with dressed stones; the sycamores have been cut down, but we will put cedars in their place.” Isaiah's message is against those in Israel who are swollen with pride and arrogance. "Bricks have fallen" refers to their current anguish, the country's convulsive civil unrest, the rioting and the bloodshed, loss of support and supply, and the desolation described in the previous chapters of this book. The people of northern Israel know their condition is pathetic, but still they do not turn to the LORD. Their hope...

Isaiah 9, Part 1: The Promised Prince (verses 1-7) Previously in chapter 8: With his child's name as an omen, Isaiah responded to God's inspiration and preached a warning to "this people", the Jews in Israel and Judah. They would be inundated by an invasion from Assyria, shattering their idolatrous fear and superstition. Distress, darkness and gloom would bring the people anguish. Overview of chapter 9: Those without hope in the LORD would suffer the gloom of anguish, but for those once thought contemptible there will be no such gloom. A Child would come from Zebulun Naphtali, a Son Who would be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father and Prince of Peace. Yet the present circumstances are dire. God's anger brings Assyrians, Syrians and Philistines against Israel. The horrors of war and genocide become terrifying symbols of Israel's moral and spiritual wickedness against the LORD. The Promised Prince of Peace (verses 1-7) In t...

Isaiah 8: Waiting and Hoping (Part 4 of 4) VERSES 16-22 The Prophecy Isaiah's voice now becomes personal, speaking perhaps for himself, or perhaps as the One chosen by the LORD. The testimony of Isaiah given him by the LORD is to be bound and sealed, kept secure and sacred by disciples of the LORD. Isaiah proclaims himself and his children as signs and portents from the LORD, warning the people to reject mediums and necromancers. Rather, the people are to cling to the word of God alone, else they will perish. After Isaiah had inscribed "Maher-shalal-hash-baz" in a tablet and displayed it in public, it is likely he wrote in more detail in a parchment roll: Isaiah 30:8 (ESV) And now, go, write it before them on a tablet and inscribe it in a book, that it may be for the time to come as a witness forever. The book would be sealed in order that nothing be added or taken out, but also to imply that it relates to distant events and is therefore a sealed and not ...

Isaiah 8: The Conspiracy (Part 3 of 4) Isaiah felt pulled into fear. The people he preached to were shaken to the core and their fear was contagious. But the LORD spoke to Isaiah, warning him not to fear as the people feared. But the LORD did not tell Isaiah not to fear at all. Rather, the LORD told Isaiah to fear the LORD only, and that fear would be their only salvation. The LORD warned Isaiah against fear of conspiracy: Isaiah 8:11-12 (ESV) For the LORD spoke thus to me with his strong hand upon me, and warned me not to walk in the way of this people, saying: Do not call conspiracy all that this people calls conspiracy, and do not fear what they fear, nor be in dread. CONSPIRACY: qesher "KEH-sher" (an unlawful alliance); from qashar (to tie, physically or mentally) This word can mean tied up physically. When twins were born to Tamar, the midwife tied a scarlet thread on the hand of one babe as a way of distinguishing them (Genesis 38:38). Proverbs urges ...

Isaiah 8: The Flood (Part 2 of 4) The LORD compares the Assyrian invasion to a mighty river that will sweep over the land, including Judah. The armies of Syria and Israel will be shattered, bringing their dream of domination to nothing. The people "refused the waters of Shiloah that flow gently." The Shiloah (Shelah or Siloam) ran through Jerusalem's royal garden (Nehemiah 3:15), forming pools used often for healing (John 9:7-11). SHILOAH: shiloah "shee-LO-akh" (a rill; a small stream); from shalah (to send away) "This people" refused the gentle stream of the LORD and sought happiness in Rezin and the son of Remaliah (the king of Syria and the king of Israel). "This people" referred to both Israel and Judah. Israel preferred an alliance with Syria, and Judah sought alliance with Assyria (2 Kings 16:7). The LORD promised judgement of "this people", using the Assyrian army as his instrument of wrath. He compared Assyri...

Isaiah 8: The Witnessess (Part 1 of 4) The LORD directs Isaiah to seal the documentation concerning the future Assyrian invasion of Israel, again using Isaiah's child as a sign. The LORD compares Assyria to a mighty river flooding all of Israel and Judah, all the land belonging to God's Chosen: Immanuel. The LORD gave Isaiah a stern warning: do not allow Israel's fear to infect you: "Fear God alone". Isaiah responds in the voice of Immanuel: "I will hope in the LORD". Those who seek the occult forces of necromancery will be thrust into thick darkness. This chapter will be divided into four parts, each part posted weekly for the next four weeks: The Witnesses The Flood The Conspiracy Waiting And Hoping The Tablet Isaiah writes the words of the LORD on a tablet and has two witnesses seal it for authenticity. The prediction is accompanied by a symbol: Isaiah's child. The tablet is large, and Isaiah is to write on it in "common c...

Isaiah 7: God With Us Two generations after the downfall of King Uzziah, Jerusalem was attacked by two enemy nations: Syria and Israel. How could Israel have become an enemy of itself, an enemy of Judah's capital city, Jerusalem? The LORD spoke to the prophet Isaiah, giving him a message for Ahaz, king of Judah: Do not let your heart be faint. The two enemy forces would be shattered within 65 years. The LORD gave to Ahaz a sign of his sovereign power over people and events: a virgin shall conceive and bear a son who shall be named Immanuel, and the king of Assyria will sweep away the nation of Syria and the rebellious state of Israel. The remnant remaining will enjoy abundance and comfort. THE ATTACK: Verses 1-2 The political situation in Israel was chaotic. Civil war had divided Israel north and south. The northern state, still called Israel, joined with Syria to attack the southern state, called Judah. The king of Judah, Ahaz, a descendent of David, was shaken to his co...