| | | | Isaiah Chapter 8 - Who ya gonna call? When things get tough, when danger is at the door, who do you call on?
I've found that life can throw some real curveballs at you. There are people and forces operating that are always looking for opportunities to destroy. When we see danger on the horizon, when we need backup, there are two possible options:
We can trust in the Lord...
...or we can look to the world for help.
One option brings deliverance with a blessing, the other option brings deliverance with a price. The choice we make can be life-changing.
Moreover the Lord said to me, "Take a large scroll, and write on it with a man's pen concerning Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz. And I will take for Myself faithful witnesses to record, Uriah the priest and Zechariah the son of Jeberechiah." Then I went to the prophetess, and she conceived and bore a son. Then the Lord said to me, "Call his name Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz; for before the child shall have knowledge to cry 'My father' and 'My mother,' the riches of Damascus and the spoil of Samaria will be taken away before the king of Assyria." Isaiah 8:1-4
Isaiah chapter 8 is a continuation of the prophecy of chapter seven, dealing with the alliance between Syria and Israel (the northern kingdom) against Judah. The Lord had sent a message to king Ahaz of Judah, essentially saying "don't worry about these two nations, their invasion of your land will not be successful. Trust in me, and you'll live." But instead of trusting the Lord, king Ahaz went to Tiglath-Pileser, king of Assyria, for help.
So, the Lord instructs Isaiah to write down another word for Judah, and God uses Isaiah's next son to be a witness for the prophetic word. The name Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz means, "Speed to the spoil, hurry to the plunder," speaking of the coming attack on Syria, Israel, and Judah by Assyria. The name Shear-Jashub (Isaiah's first son) means, "A Remnant Shall Return," speaking of the restoration God would eventually bring. The name Isaiah means, "Salvation is of the LORD." This spoke of the attitude and hope Judah needed to have.
The Waters of Shiloah
The little stream of Shiloah sprung from Mount Zion on the southwesterly side of Jerusalem. It flowed as softly as oil without any murmur, and Jerusalem's existence and continuation depended on it. God's people didn't appreciate their humble streams, Shiloah, instead, they rejoiced in wicked leaders (in Rezin and Remaliah's son). So, God will give them a different kind of river - the waters of "the River," strong and mighty;
"Inasmuch as these people refused the waters of Shiloah that flow softly, and rejoice in Rezin and in Remaliah's son; Now therefore, behold, the Lord brings up over them the waters of the River, strong and mighty— The king of Assyria and all his glory; He will go up over all his channels and go over all his banks. He will pass through Judah, he will overflow and pass over, he will reach up to the neck; And the stretching out of his wings will fill the breadth of Your land, O Immanuel.
(Isaiah 8:6-8)
The Assyrian Empire contained two great rivers; Tigris and the Euphrates. God is using the difference between the small, humble, yet adequate waters of Shiloah, and the mighty, yet uncontrolled rivers of Assyria to make a point:
"You don't like what I have given you? You persist in rejecting what I give you? Then I will give you something different, but you won't like it either. It will flood you."
Trusting God vs Trusting the World
King Ahaz had placed his trust in Assyria to save him from Syria and Israel, which made human sense because Assyria was the stronger nation. But although Assyria was a strong partner, Assyria did not have Judah's best interest at heart. Assyria would act only in Assyria's interest.
Saints, this speaks to why God's people are called to trust in God, not the powers of this world. The powers of this world might be strong and powerful, but their allegiance and objectives are not aligned with God's people. The world may come to our aid, but there is a price. The world may help us through a time of crisis, but later they will act in continuity with their true master, the "god of this age" (2 Cor 4:4). When we place our trust in the world, we're eventually going to give the devil his due! And his due isn't good - He has come only to steal and kill (John 10:10a).
God, on the other hand, and His Son Jesus Christ, have come to bring life abundant (John 10:10b)! When we place our trust in God, we can be assured that no matter what, His heart is for us!
As well, God's heart was FOR Israel and Judah, if they would only turn from their false gods, and turn to the true and living God, they would experience life and blessing!
So what did Judah choose? Instead of trusting in the Lord, king Ahaz trusted the world, and it came with a price. Assyria would eventually conquer the northern nation of Israel. The ten northern tribes would cease to be a nation after the Assyrians conquered them.
While the Assyrians would not conquer the southern nation of Judah. They would "flood" them (fill the breadth of Your land), and reach up to the neck, but not over their heads. Judah would survive the Assyrian invasion, but they would suffer much destruction from the Assyrians, and pay dearly for their survival;
2 Kings 18:13 describes the extent of the Assyrian invasion against Judah:
And in the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, Sennacherib king of Assyria came up against all the fortified cities of Judah and took them. Then Hezekiah king of Judah sent to the king of Assyria at Lachish, saying, "I have done wrong; turn away from me; whatever you impose on me I will pay." And the king of Assyria assessed Hezekiah king of Judah three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold. So Hezekiah gave him all the silver that was found in the house of the Lord and in the treasuries of the king's house. At that time Hezekiah stripped the gold from the doors of the temple of the Lord, and from the pillars which Hezekiah king of Judah had overlaid, and gave it to the king of Assyria. 2 Kings 18:13-16
Hezekiah was able to keep the king of Assyria away from Jerusalem by paying a ransom of riches from the temple, even stripping gold from the temple doors to appease the pagan king!
When you are in trouble, who are you going to call on? The choice you make can be life-changing.
Pastor Clay | | | | | | | |
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