December 8, 2019

Scripture: Isaiah 7:10-17

I. God is always sovereign over all nations and all people.

A. Isaiah 7:2: “When the house of David was told, ‘Syria is in league with Ephraim,’ the heart of Ahaz and the heart of his people shook as the trees of the forest shake before the wind.” Syria and Ephraim (the northern kingdom of Israel) had formed an alliance. They were afraid of the rising superpower in their region, the Assyrians. So, the nations of Syria and Ephraim had tried to put pressure on King Ahaz to join their alliance, and they fought against Ahaz (vs, 1) when he refused to join.

B. God knows that we want some kind of proof that He can do what He says. So God says to Ahaz in vs. 11, “Ask a sign of the LORD your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven.” God is ready to move heaven and earth to prove to Ahaz that He will keep His promise to protect Judah (vs. 7). God has all nations and people under His control (vs. 18).

II. God always blesses those who trust in Him.

A. There is one thing that God wants from His children more than anything else: trust. God was asking, “Ahaz, do you really trust my promise to keep you safe?” Sadly, we will see that the answer is no. It sounds like in vs. 12 that Ahaz is quoting from Deuteronomy 6:16: “You shall not put the Lord your God to the test, as you tested him at Massah.” But when the Israelites were at Massah, they rebelled against God and doubted Him. Clearly, we should never demand proof from God that comes out of rebellion and doubt. But a testing of God that comes out of faith in His love and His goodness and His power, is a kind of testing that God invites.

B. The real reason Ahaz did not ask God for a sign was because his mind was already made up. He trusted in an alliance with Assyria more than he trusted in God. Where is Jesus in this story? Jesus is in verse 14. In the Gospel of Matthew, we see that this verse is fulfilled in Jesus. Matthew 1:21-23: “She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins. All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: ‘Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel’ (which means, God with us).” All of the promises of God for His people would come to ultimate fulfillment in Jesus. Jesus is a sign to us that God is still with us and for us.

III. God always saves those who trust in Him.

A. King Ahaz was worried that he and his kingdom would not be saved in his moment of crisis. But God had promised Ahaz in vs. 7 that Syria and Ephraim would not be able to defeat Judah. So, through Isaiah, God told Ahaz what to do at the end of Isaiah 7:9: “If you are not firm in faith, you will not be firm at all.” What did God want from Ahaz? Trust. Faith. He wants the same thing from us. If you have faith in Christ, He will save you. Ephesians 2:8-9: “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” It is faith that saves. If you have faith that Christ died on the cross for your sins, you will be saved from the judgment of God. And if you have faith in Christ, you will also be saved during all your crises here in this world.

Application:
Pray to Jesus as your Immanuel. He will prove to you that He is God with us.

Sources:
The prophecy of Isaiah
Commentaries on Isaiah by J. Alec Motyer, John Oswalt, and Barry Webb.