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Articles 2021-2023
King Ahaz of Judah was such a wicked man that he actually offered his son in fire to false gods (2Kings 16:3). But he was the man that God had designated to reign at that time. When other evil men tried to topple him from his throne (Isaiah 7:1), God opposed them and their plans.
And He sent Isaiah who brought along with him his son Shear-jashub (whose name meant “a remnant shall return”) to give Ahaz prophetic direction. With all the sin amongst His people and with all the judgments that were coming upon both the northern nation of Israel and the southern nation of Judah, God had and would always have a remnant people who loved Him and would walk in relationship with Him. As a result, and as Shear-jashub’s name indicated, there was an ultimate hope for His people and their relationship with their land. A remnant would return. And Isaiah’s prophetic word to Ahaz was clear.
Take care and be calm, have no fear and do not be fainthearted because of these two stubs of smoldering firebrands, on account of the fierce anger of Rezin and Aram and the son of Remaliah.
These two men (Rezin, king of Aram or Syria and Pekah, son of Remaliah, king of Israel) plotting against Judah’s king Ahaz were but smoldering stubs. They were not torches igniting a forest fire; they were smoking sticks about to be extinguished. So, concerning their plot to defeat Judah and overthrow Ahaz, God made this promise.
thus says the Lord GOD: “It shall not stand nor shall it come to pass.”
The Lord even encouraged Judah’s king to then ask for a confirming sign. And though Ahaz refused, God promised to give one anyway.
Therefore the Lord Himself will give you (the house of David) a sign: behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel.
Of course, the greater fulfillment of this verse occurred when many years later, the Holy Spirit overshadowed the virgin Mary and she conceived and bore a son who was Christ the Lord. The incarnation of Christ was Heaven’s greatest invasion into the world that man had ever experienced. God became one of us and fulfilled the meaning of the name “Immanuel” – God with us. He was now among His people in a whole new way.
But Isaiah was also prophesying about a sign to Ahaz during his lifetime. A young woman who was as yet unmarried would marry and the couple (one of whom was probably a member of the royal family) would have a son that they would then name Immanuel. And when this happened, it would be a sign to the house of David. And, like Isaiah’s son’s name Shear-jashub was a prophecy that a remnant of God’s people would ultimately return to their land, so also, this child’s name would be a promise that in the face of what seemed like a powerful military alliance (Israel and Syria’s plot against Judah), God was with His people.
Today in our own nation, the powers of darkness seem powerful and unstoppable. Then when we consider some of our political leaders and their policies affecting the country, we wonder if there is hope for the years that lie ahead. But like Judah in Ahaz’s day, we have this promise – Immanuel. Through the incarnation, death, resurrection, and ascension of Christ, God has manifestly committed Himself to His people worldwide – again, Immanuel. In this time of great spiritual darkness, we can take courage in the reality that God is with us. And His commitment to us reflects His steadfast faithfulness to fulfill His purpose for the whole earth.
The fact that God could give a sign to the evil king Ahaz and then from that bring forth through the birth of Christ a massively greater fulfillment centuries later reveals how His thoughts and ways are far above ours. It reveals how we must trust in Him and in His faithfulness, not in our limited understanding that has been influenced by the seeming pervasiveness of the spiritual darkness around us in our generation. We must fix our eyes upon Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us (Ephesians 3:20).
The primary question facing us is not about what the wicked are planning to do next. It is not about the “behind the scenes” plotting of those who want to try and impose upon us their agenda for our nation. The question is – “Have we sought and gained insight into the plans and purpose of the One whose agenda for the earth was determined in His own heart from eternity?” His narrative revealing His unfolding purpose is referred to in scripture as the Gospel of the Kingdom of God. Let us lift up our eyes toward heaven and prophetically proclaim among men the increasing success, viability, and visibility of that kingdom.
The Lord then went on to reveal through Isaiah that the years ahead would have great difficulty for Judah (Isaiah 7:15 - 25).
Then He spoke to the prophet to write out a message – “swift is the booty, speedy is the prey”. The Hebrew wording is maher-shalal-hash-baz. Swiftly, the northern coalition allied against Judah would become prey and plunder. To go along with the written message, God then had the prophet name his new-born son Maher-shalal-hash-baz. And His promise was that before the child would even be able to talk, Syria and the northern nation of Israel would be conquered by the Assyrian empire (Isaiah 8:3 - 4).
Judah’s enemies could have humbled themselves and allied themselves with what God was doing in Judah – “the gently flowing waters of Shiloah” (probably a reference to Siloam). But instead they chose the violent path of their leaders (Isaiah 8:6). As a result, they would reap a mighty destructive river of death.
Now therefore, behold, the Lord is about to bring on them the strong and abundant waters of the Euphrates, even the king of Assyria and all his glory; and it will rise up over all its channels and go over all its banks.
And Judah would not escape unscathed. The destructive river would then turn south.
Then it will sweep on into Judah, it will overflow and pass through, it will reach even to the neck; and the spread of its wings will fill the breadth of your land, O Immanuel.
Judah would be neck–deep in the water. The Assyrians would fill the land and even put the head of the nation (i.e., the capital city of Jerusalem) under siege. But it would go no further because God had a plan. And Judah had Heaven’s commitment – Immanuel. You can read the story of the Assyrian army’s destruction in Isaiah 36 - 37.
As for the surrounding nations who did not know Him; they had no such guarantee.
Be broken, O peoples, and be shattered; and give ear, all remote places of the earth. Gird yourselves, yet be shattered; gird yourselves, yet be shattered. Devise a plan, but it will be thwarted; state a proposal, but it will not stand, for God is with us (Hebrew – Immanuel).
With all the plotting and schemes of evil men that were taking place in Isaiah’s day, the key word in all the above verses is – Immanuel. The commitment of God to be with His people and to fulfill His purpose had to be the truth undergirding Isaiah’s life and ministry. He was not to focus on what men were conspiring to do. Here is what the Lord told him.
You are not to say, “It is a conspiracy!” In regard to all that this people call a conspiracy, and you are not to fear what they fear or be in dread of it. It is the LORD of hosts whom you should regard as holy. And He shall be your fear, and He shall be your dread. Then He shall become a sanctuary (Hebrew, MIQDASH – a sacred place).
Was there an actual conspiracy against Judah? Yes. But it would indicate a lack of the fear of the Lord in his heart if the prophet focused on what men were plotting. Only if he wholly turned toward God and gave Him His rightful place in his heart would he then discover the Lord to be the sacred place of abiding that He longed for His people to embrace. Many years later, Jesus revealed what God had always been after among His people. O Jerusalem…how often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling (Matt. 23:37).
Today, we can hear God’s call to come and abide in Him or we can make man and his plans, schemes, and collusions our focus. It is not that we are to be totally ignorant of what is going on in our nation. But where is our focus? What is our message? We can speak with accuracy on all the latest news of fraud and corruption among men. And how it all threatens to destroy our nation. Or, we can proclaim Heaven’s narrative and His means of fulfilling it – Immanuel.
Many in Israel would ignore God’s emphasis. The result would be that instead of Him becoming for them a sacred place of abiding, He would become...
…to both the houses of Israel, a stone to strike and a rock to stumble over, and a snare and a trap for the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
Let us not stumble over what the Lord is doing in these days. Even though men are loudly saying that evil is good and that good is evil, the still small voice of Heaven is saying – Immanuel.
Donald Rumble – July 2022
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1 Name : DianeClick to compress comments
Subject: Conspiracies
Time : 2022-07-03 17:09:54
Thank you thank you! This has been one of the most encouraging messages you've shared. So true. The presence of Jesus as we hear through His Spirit in our heart is our focus. Active listening to His voice as He unfolds His story. And Isaiah 8 is phenomenal.
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