Isaiah: Lesson 3

Overview

A Crisis of Trust and the Promise of Immanuel

When the Assyrian Empire began to dominate the ancient Near East, the northern kingdom of Israel and Syria (Aram) joined forces and pressured Judah to enlist in their alliance. King Ahaz and his people trembled "as the trees of the forest shake before the wind" Isaiah 7:2. Into this fear, the Lord sent Isaiah with a steadying word: do not be afraid of these "two smoldering stumps of firebrands." History confirmed God's verdict—Damascus fell in 732 B.C., and the northern kingdom soon followed.

God even invited Ahaz to ask for a sign, "deep as Sheol or high as heaven" Isaiah 7:10–11. Ahaz refused under a pretense of piety, and the Lord gave a sign anyway: "the young woman is with child and shall bear a son and shall name him Immanuel" Isaiah 7:14. Luther noted two layers here. The near sign promised deliverance from Israel and Syria within the span of a child's birth and weaning. The far sign reached forward to the virgin-born Son of God, fulfilled in Christ as Matthew explicitly tells us: "All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet" Matthew 1:22–23.

Rather than rest in this promise, Ahaz schemed. He stripped silver and gold from the temple and bought protection from Assyria 2 Kings 16:7–9. The "ally" he trusted would become the very razor that shaved his land bare Isaiah 7:17–25, the floodwaters rising "up to the neck" Isaiah 8:7–8. When God's people abandon His promises, they inevitably reach for false hopes—mediums, idols, political alliances—and find only "distress and darkness" Isaiah 8:19–22. We cannot read this account at arm's length; we repeat Ahaz's sin whenever we trust our own plans over God's clear Word.

Yet after the darkness, dawn. The very regions devastated first—Zebulun and Naphtali—would be the first to see the great light, fulfilled when Jesus began His ministry in Galilee Matthew 4:12–17. The child of Immanuel is named "Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace" Isaiah 9:6—our Counselor and Helper John 14:16, the One with all authority Matthew 28:18, the very revelation of the Father John 14:9, and our peace Ephesians 2:14. Whatever crisis presses upon you, the sign of Immanuel rises above it. God binds that promise to us in tangible ways—washing us in baptism, placing the body and blood of Christ in our mouths—so that in every joy and sorrow we know with certainty: God is with us.

Transcript

Good morning. 4s

Let's hear our prayer together, please. 8s

Holy God, we give you thanks for this day unique in all of history, but bathed in your 11s

promises and in your grace. 17s

Blessed we pray this time of study to your glory and to your honor in Jesus' name. 19s

Amen. 26s

Well, last week we were taking a look at chapters 2 through 5 in Isaiah and we divided our time 26s

together in four different sections. 34s

Peace pried a picture and planting. 38s

In applying that to us, we saw the picture, the beauty of the picture of peace itself in 43s

heaven. 51s

There will never be peace this side of heaven. 52s

Because of the reality of sinfulness. 56s

But peace will be in heaven. 59s

We saw the reality of our pride and the picture that we see, we deserve nothing but God's 62s

judgment. 70s

And then we studied the planting of us as branches on his vine. 71s

We took a look at the book ends of grace that we saw in chapters 2 and in chapter 5. 76s

We see how our baptism and the promise of eternal life is at the book end of grace for 85s

us as we live this side of heaven. 90s

Well, today I want to examine with you chapter 7, 8 and then we're going to get into a little 95s

bit of chapter 9. 100s

So we'll start in Isaiah chapter 7 today. 102s

The people of God stared into an overwhelming threat that was in front of them. 108s

The rise of the Assyrian Empire, it upset the balance of power that was in the end of 118s

the Middle East. 127s

In Israel, the northern kingdom and Syria, they joined together to form an alliance, 128s

to hopefully stave off this Assyrian aggression that they were seeing. 136s

Remember, it's Israel and the North, Judah in the south. 144s

And so Israel and Syria joined together. 148s

They want to abandon together to fight here this Assyrian aggression. 151s

So that's the backdrop of chapter 7. 158s

So let's start in verse 1. 160s

In the days of Ahaz, son of Jaffam, son of Uzziah, king of Judah, 165s

king resin of Aram. 171s

Now you can put in parentheses next to Aram, just put Syria, 174s

just a different designation for Syria. 177s

And king Peca, son of Ramalaya of Israel, 180s

went up to attack Jerusalem, but could not mount an attack against it. 184s

When the house of David heard that Aram had allied itself with Ephraim, 191s

and Ephraim you can just put northern kingdom. 198s

Next to that, this another designation you can just put Israel. 200s

When the house of David, that's the southern kingdom that's Judah, 204s

heard that Aram, Syria, had allied itself with Ephraim, the northern kingdom, 208s

the heart of Ahaz, and the heart of his people, shook as the trees of the forest shake before the wind. 213s

The Lord then sends Isaiah to Ahaz. 225s

Remember Ahaz here is king of Judah. 230s

So Syria and the northern kingdom of Israel have bonded together here. 234s

They want to fight here Ahaz, and Ahaz is the king here in the south. 240s

Ahaziah is sent then to Ahaz, of herstery. 249s

Then the Lord said to Ahaziah, go out to meet Ahaz. 254s

You and your son, Shia Shippah, isn't that a great name? 258s

At the end of the conduit of the upper pool on the highway to the fuller's field, 263s

and say to him, take heed, be quiet, do not fear. 269s

It do not let your heart be faint because of these two smoldering stumps of firebrands, 273s

because of the fierce anger of Reson and Aram and the son of Remalaya. 280s

Because Aram with Ephraim and the son of Remalaya has plotted evil against you saying, 285s

let us go up against Judah and cut off Jerusalem and conquer it for ourselves and make the sun of 293s

Tobiel king in it. See what the alliance wants to do now? They want to take over the southern kingdom, 300s

right? So they're threatened by Assyria, they ban together, and what they want also is the southern 310s

kingdom under their control to go against Assyria. God says that together Assyria and Israel they are 318s

just smoldering stubs that this threat here of them is meaningless. History records the truth. 332s

In 732, Assyria's capital Damascus fell to Assyria, and in the same year, so did 346s

Israel. God said they were smoldering stubs, and indeed they were. 354s

God wanted Ahaz to trust him, and God still takes the initiative and still wants us to trust him 361s

also. He comes and he binds his promise in our lives to the tangible, to baptism and to holy 370s

communion. He binds the promise of who we are in Christ. He washes us in his promise so that we know 379s

it is his. He places in our mouths the very body and blood of our Lord. Notice what he does for Ahaz. 388s

Chapter 7, Dicking up in verse 10. Again, the Lord spoke to Ahaz saying, 400s

Ask a sign of the Lord your God, let it be deep as she, O'er Ahaz's high is heaven. 407s

But Ahaz said, I will not ask and I will not put the Lord to the test. 414s

Then Ahaz said, here then, O'er house of David, is it too little for you to weary mortals 420s

that you weary my God also? Isn't that a great word here of gestion towards Ahaz? 426s

Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign. Look, the young woman is with child and 434s

shall bear a son and shall name him Emmanuel. He shall eat curds and honey by the time he knows how 442s

to refuse the evil and choose the good. For before the child knows how to refuse the evil and 451s

choose the good, the land before you, whose two kings you are in dread will be deserted. 458s

Now there are two signs here that are given. The first is this. The Lord is promising Ahaz 468s

that in the period of the nine months and the weaning process, typical here of the child birth 476s

and the weaning process, he is going to deliver Ahaz and the southern kingdom from these two kings 483s

that have joined together. So that's one sign, falsehood another sign. It's a sign that Ahaz won't see, 492s

but it's prophetic word that points forward that the Son of God will be born of the versioned Mary 500s

by the work of the Holy Spirit. Emmanuel, God, with us. So when you come to this section here, 508s

Luther said there's two signs here. There's two signs here. One is first the sign that God is 517s

going to deliver his people here in this span of time, this period of the nine months and the 524s

and the weaning. During that period he's going to deliver from the two kings and also here is the 532s

sign of the Messiah to come. Let's keep our finger here and let's go over into Matthew chapter one. 538s

First book in the New Testament, Matthew chapter one, 549s

verse 22. 564s

Let's go into 20, give us a little bit more context. 568s

But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and 574s

said, Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in 579s

her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save 585s

his people from their sins. All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through 592s

the prophet. Look, the version shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel, 600s

which means God with us. So there's two signs then, right? Two signs here in Isaiah. One is the 606s

immediate, and then one is pointing ahead to the birth of a manual. The Lord Jesus Christ. 617s

The meaning of a manual, God with us is such a word of comfort, is it not? It is such a word of 624s

comfort for us. That indeed God has come, he took on flesh, that the justice of God for sin falls 631s

upon the Son, the mercy of God shown in the actions of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is such a word of comfort. 642s

It's such a word of comfort when you're ministering with people to remind that Jesus is a manual God 652s

with us. God with us. It's all of the joy, I miss all the sorrow, I miss all the laughter, I miss 658s

all the tears. God is still sovereign, and God is with us. The sign of a manual, such a tremendous, 665s

tremendous word of comfort. Okay. So we see there, we shift into seven, what's going on? A 675s

Syria here is a powerful, powerful empire. The two kings of Syria and Israel, they join together 684s

with an alliance. They want to take control, put in their puppet king for the southern kingdom 693s

to go against a Syria, right? God says, don't worry about these smoldering little stumps here. 698s

They're going to go away exactly what we see happen historically exactly what God said 732 BC, 707s

Damascus falls in Syria, and then in the same year we see Israel fall. The word of comfort here 717s

for a has the word of comfort of a manual, the two signs of the period of time that that would happen 727s

and in the sign that points ahead to the Messiah. But rather than trusting God, rather than trusting God 735s

and his promises, A has decides to say it himself, and A has comes up with a plan, and A has turns to 750s

a Syria and wants to form an alliance with a Syria because what's A has a freedom. He's afraid 768s

of Syria and Israel squashing him to get control of the southern kingdom. So God says, 785s

this is what's going to happen. This is a time frame that's going to happen. Don't worry about this, A has. 796s

I got this. A has says, no, I've got this, and I've got my own plan. Okay, let's keep our finger here. 801s

Let's go to second kings, please. Genesis, Exodus, the Vitticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, 814s

Judges, Ruth, then First Kings, and then Second Kings. So Second Kings, chapter 16, verse 1. 821s

And Second Kings, 16, verse 1. 835s

In the 17th year of Peca, son of Remalaya, King A has, son of Jaffam of Judah began to reign. 844s

A has was 20 years old when he began to reign. He reigns 16 years in Jerusalem. 855s

He did not do what was right in the sight of the Lord, his God, as his ancestor David had done. 864s

But he walked in the way of the kings of Israel. He even made his son pass through fire, 871s

according to the abominable practice of the nations, whom the Lord drove out before the people of Israel. 879s

He sacrificed and made offerings on the high places on the hills and under every green tree. 887s

Then King Resen of Aram and King Peca, son of Remalaya of Israel, came up to wage war on Jerusalem. 898s

They besieged A has, but could not conquer him. At that time, the king of Edom recovered 908s

E-Lath for Edom and drove the Judeans from E-Lath, and the Edomites came to E-Lath where they lived to this day. 915s

A has sent messengers to King Kicklath, Palser of Assyria, saying, 925s

I am your servant and your son. Come up and rescue me from the hand of the King of Aram, 933s

remember that Syria, and from the hand of the King of Israel, who are attacking me. 940s

A has also took the silver and gold found in the house of the Lord, 946s

and in the treasures of the king's house, and sent a present to the King of Assyria. 951s

The King of Assyria listened to him. The King of Assyria marched up against Damascus and took it, 957s

carrying its people captive to Kerr, then he killed Resum. 964s

So God's got the promises here. God says, this is what's going to happen. Don't worry about these two. 972s

A has takes it, matters into his own hand, doesn't trust the promises of God, moves and forms, 979s

and aligns then with Assyria. This plan would backfire and blow up in his face. 985s

Assyria did defeat Judah's enemies and crushed the threat that they posed. 998s

That's 732 BC. The complete destruction of Israel didn't occur until 722 BC. 1007s

But Assyria, they had no intention of stopping at the border of Judah. 1021s

So here A has reached his out to form this alliance with Assyria here. 1031s

Thinks it's a fantastic plan. And after Assyria defeats Israel and Syria, 1038s

they're not going to stop at the border of Judah. Not at all. In fact, notice here the word that is 1045s

given in verse 17 of chapter 7. The Lord will bring on you and on your people and on your 1056s

ancestral house such days as have not come since the day that Ephraim, the northern kingdom Israel, 1068s

departed from Judah. And who's going to come? The prophetic word? 1077s

The king of Assyria. Very one A has that you've entered into this alliance with. He's the one 1084s

that's going to come. And notice the descriptors here what will happen. On that day, 1093s

the Lord will whistle for the fly that is at the sources of the streams of Egypt. 1100s

And for the bee that is in the land of Assyria. And they will all come and settle in the steep 1106s

ravines and in the clefs of the rocks and on all the thorn but bushes and on all the pastures. 1114s

On that day the Lord will shave with a razor hired beyond the river with the king of Assyria, 1125s

the head and the hair of the feet. And it will take off the beard as well. 1134s

That is an image a way of saying that Assyria is going to shave your land into nothing. 1143s

It will be desolate and bear. Verse 20 or 21. On that day, 1153s

one will keep alive a young cow and two sheep. And will eat curds because of the abundance of 1164s

milk that they give for everyone that is left in the land shall eat curds and honey. Those two 1171s

verses talk about the fact you're not you're not going to have haschers of the animals when the Assyrians 1180s

come. You're going to have a cow and two sheep. That's all you're going to have. They're going to 1187s

devastate everything. They're going to take everything. These two verses here speak of scarcity 1197s

that will come. There will still be provision from the little that you have your cow and your two 1203s

sheep. But the images here of the flocks pasturing, the images here of abundance, it'll be destroyed 1209s

as Assyria comes with the razor and devastates whatever is in its path. 1220s

Verse 23. On that day, every place where there used to be thousand vines worth a thousand 1231s

shackles of silver will become briars and thorns. With bow and arrows, one will go there for all the 1239s

land will be briars and thorns. And as for all the hills that used to be hod with a hole, you will not 1249s

go there for fear of briars and thorns. But they will become a place where cattle are let loose 1256s

and where sheep tread. A Syria, 1264s

a Syria, a city of the very one a has that you made an alliance with. 1270s

Now down into chapter 8, verse 5. The Lord spoke to me again. Because this people has refused the 1281s

of Shiloh that flow gently and melt in fear before resin and the sun of Ramalaya. 1293s

Therefore the Lord is bringing up against it the mighty flood waters of the river. 1301s

The king of Assyria with all his glory, it will rise above all its channels and overflow its banks. 1306s

It will sweep on into Judah as a flood and pouring over it, it will reach up to the neck and its 1315s

outspread wings will fill the breadth of your land. Oh, Emmanuel. 1325s

You understand the imagery here, right? Of course, the imagery of of of the Syrians are so great 1333s

and number there that that is like water overflowing the banks and it's going to come up here. 1339s

So high on the people that there will be overcome, but it's also referring to Emmanuel. 1344s

Also referring to the fact that what a pity that the one who owns the land, the Messiah, Emmanuel 1352s

must see it in such a devastated condition. I mean, it's just powerful imagery, powerful stuff, 1364s

isn't it here? That you've got the prophetic word here of the Messiah to come and now the grief 1373s

expressed by God. That the Lord Jesus Christ, the second member of the Trinity, will be hold 1381s

this devastation here. Obviously, prior to His being worn here, He beholds it from heaven, 1389s

this devastation that will come. Many in Judah continue to reject the sign, the promise that God 1399s

had given and instead they turn to worldly sources of hope and the false hope. Chapter 8 verse 19. 1411s

Now if people say to you, consult the ghosts and the familiar spirits that chirp and mutter, 1427s

should not have people consult their gods the dead on behalf of the living for teaching and for 1434s

instruction? Surely those who speak like this will have no dawn. They will hast through the land 1440s

greatly distressed and hungry. When they're hungry, they will be enraged and will curse their king 1449s

and their gods. They will turn their faces upward, or they will look to the earth, but will see 1454s

only distress and darkness, the gloom of anguish, and they will be thrust into thick darkness. 1460s

People here, God gives the promise, it is clear. King A has, goes a whole different direction, 1470s

comes up with His plant because He doesn't trust God and the people don't trust God either and 1477s

they turn to sources of false hope. We are tempted to do the exact same thing. The God continues to come 1485s

with His promises. He continues to tell us, the Lord Jesus is a manual, God with us. 1496s

He continues to come with a book full of His promise, full of His sovereignty, full of His control 1505s

of us, that nothing happens that God is not aware of. God continues to come with His promises, 1511s

and we are continually tempted to doubt His promises, aren't we? We're continually tempted to come 1518s

with our own thought processes and our own beliefs and trust in the plans that we put together 1524s

instead of trusting in the plan of God for us. We keep repeating the same sin as the people of 1535s

old. You see, we can't read this section and say, hey, has what a mess up you are? 1544s

What we can't just read this section say, people would have messed up you are, how clear God was 1552s

with regard to the promises and yet you don't trust him and then, but you trust a Syria? 1558s

And you think that that is a wonderful plan? We see, we can't read it detached like that 1565s

because we see ourselves in this, don't we? That we fall into the same pattern and the same sin 1571s

of a lack of trust of God. After the darkness comes the dawn, 1578s

and Isaiah sees a bright and glorious future. That day would come to the first part that was 1589s

devastated was up in the north, so it wouldn't come to Jerusalem first. But God said it would come 1601s

to the regions in the north first. Let's read chapter 9, verse 1, 1610s

but there will be no gloom for those who were in anguish. In the former time he brought into 1623s

contempt the land of Zebulin and the land of Naftali, but in the latter time he will make glorious 1630s

the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee, the nations. The people who walked in darkness 1636s

have seen a great light, those who lived in a land of deep darkness on them light has shy. 1647s

So the light will first shine here in the northern territory in Galilee. Now let's keep our 1656s

finger here. Let's go over to Matthew chapter 4, Matthew chapter 4, verse 12. 1665s

Now in Jesus' heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew to Galilee. He left Nazareth 1686s

and made his home in Capernaum by the sea in the territory of Zebulin and Naftali, 1694s

so that what had been spoken through the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled, land of Zebulin, 1700s

land of Naftali, on the road by the sea across the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles, 1707s

the people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and for those who sat in the region and 1713s

shadow of death light has dawned. From that time Jesus began to proclaim repent for the kingdom 1719s

of heaven has come near. Jesus begins his ministry in Galilee of the Gentile. 1727s

So this gorgeous word then of prophecy comes to this people absolutely devastated here by a 1740s

Syria and it points ahead here to Emmanuel, God with us coming and the light will come first, 1748s

the first areas that were affected in the north and Jesus would begin his ministry there. 1756s

Let's go back here to chapter 9 of Isaiah, jump down into verse 6. 1764s

For it child has been born for us, a son given to us. 1777s

authority rests upon his shoulders and he's named wonderful counselor mighty God, 1784s

everlasting father, prince of peace. You know we're at Christmas, Sargway. 1790s

Our at Christmas. You see we had we had an advent, right? Oh come, oh come, Emmanuel, 1797s

well it's not a Christmas cure. That's why we sing it in an advent. Oh come, well come, 1803s

Emmanuel is advent. And now Isaiah is moving from advent, he's moving into Christmas here. 1808s

And the glorious prophecy of the Messiah. Let's go to John chapter 14, Matthew, Mark, Luke, 1816s

and then John. John chapter 14 verse 16. 1827s

And we see how Jesus fulfills these prophecies. 1845s

And I will ask the Father and He will give you another advocate to be with you forever advocate. 1850s

Helper counselor. Let's go to Matthew chapter 28 verse 18, Matthew 28 verse 18. 1857s

And Jesus came and said to them, all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me is not 1880s

only the wonderful counselor, he is mighty God. Let's go to John chapter 40, Matthew, Mark, 1889s

Luke, and then John, John 14 verse 9. 1897s

Jesus said to him, have I been with you all this time Philip and you still do not know me? 1911s

Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say show us the Father? Do you not believe 1917s

that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you, I do not speak on 1925s

my own, but the Father who dwells in me does his work. The Messiah, wonderful counselor, mighty God, 1931s

everlasting Father. And last, the Prince of Peace, let's go to Ephesians 2 chapter, Matthew, 1939s

Mark, Luke, John, Acts, and Romans. First and second Corinthians, Galatians, and then Ephesians. 1947s

Ephesians chapter 2 verse 14. Ephesians 2 verse 14, for he is our peace, speaking of Jesus, 1956s

for he is our peace in his flesh, he has made both groups into one and is broken down the 1971s

dividing wall, that is the hostility between us. He's abolished the law with its commandments and 1977s

ordinances that he might create in himself one new humanity in place of the two thus making peace. 1983s

And might reconcile both groups to God in one body through the cross, thus putting to death 1992s

that hostility through it. So he came and proclaimed peace to you who were far off and 1999s

peace to those who are near, for through him both of us have access in one spirit to the Father. 2007s

Wonderful counselor, mighty God, everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace. See, we see this swing 2017s

once again in Isaiah, where he's dealing with the immediacy of the prophecy of what will happen 2029s

this invasion, and then he swings and he gives the fuller prophetic view. It's perfectly exemplified 2036s

in the prophecy there that we studied about the birth of Emanuel, those two signs that are 2046s

that are given. So he swings from addressing the situation and also pointing ahead to the Messiah. 2057s

The Emanuel prophecy rises above the situation, rises above the immediacy of the situation he's 2065s

dealing with with the Syria. It rises above everything and then we see the fulfillment in the Lord 2074s

Jesus Christ. Rising above all the situations that we face, all of the sin in the world, 2081s

rising above it is the sign of Emanuel, that incredible word of comfort, that God is with us. 2090s

His very body and blood assures us of His presence in the sacrament and He will be with us until 2101s

Emanuel comes again. Isaiah saw rich, isn't it? I mean, it's just so amazingly rich. 2110s

When you see how the prophet is inspired by God and how he's addressing here, 2119s

the immediacy of that which was and would be and also holding the lens back to Emanuel, the Lord, 2125s

Jesus Christ. Well, next week we're going to pick up here in chapter 9. We're going to hint 2134s

our way into chapter 12 and we're going to take a look at the topic of His hand, is stretched out, 2139s

still. We'll continue next week. 2145s