Isaiah 8

I am amazed that so many people are allied with the Lord. At times we imagine that we are virtually alone, but then if some tragedy should take place in our lives, we are comforted by many who say, "You are in my prayers." We did not even suspect that they believed in God.

As we look at our own lives we seem to exhibit such a minimal commitment to the Lord. Perhaps if we were to speak to someone about faith or prayer, they might be surprised to find out about this side of us. Perhaps they would not have suspected us to be believers. The Old Testament prophet did not always fit into the wallpaper of his society so very easily and comfortably. His words attracted enemies and the Lord's call upon His life sometimes pressed him into unusual acts of obedience.

God gives His servant Isaiah an interesting instruction in this chapter. He was to father a son and to give the boy a Hebrew name that designated the coming of an invading army. Before the boy would have any significant speech, the Assyrians would march through Syria and Israel, subduing these two nations which were currently threatening Jerusalem and Judah. Not only that but the rush of the Assyrian army would "sweep on into Judah" like an overwhelming flood.

The Assyrians are pictured as a devouring bird of prey. "It's outspread wings will fill the breadth of your land, O Immanuel." While the prophesy is one of grave difficulty that lies ahead of Judah, the prophet seems to be moved by the way that God called them the land of "Immanuel" in His words. We remember that Immanuel means "God with us." In the verses that follow that prophet takes the leap of thinking that this designation is an encouragement from God that somehow everything is alright for Judah, since God is with her.

There is a sense in which this is true. Ultimately no weapon of the enemy will finally win the day against the people of God. Even concerning the particular threat of the Assyrians, they would not be able to achieve complete dominance over Judah. Yet God is intent in revealing to His people that everything is not going to be according to their own plans for peace and prosperity. Just because they are the land of Immanuel does not mean that God's judgments will never fall upon them.

Most of all, it is important for the people who are following the Lord that they not be led astray by all their neighbors into misunderstandings concerning who should be their fear. The Lord Himself should be regarded as the Holy One. He should be their fear. Everyone may be worried about the conspiracy between Israel and Syria. Maybe some percentage of people are even rightly concerned about the threat of Assyria. Yet none of that changes the fact that the One we must ultimately deal with is God Himself. He is the One who can send body and soul into hell.

How do we deal with an unseen God? Many have assumed that the way to approach the Lord of the Spirit world is to go through the spirits of those who have died, and to thus enter the world of God's unseen power. This is not the way to go, even if it is the popular opinion of everyone in a society. God directs us instead to His teaching and His testimony. We turn to the special written speech of God given to us. We attend to His Word. The people who will hear His Word are brothers to us, "children" that the Lord has given to the prophet and livings signs from the God of heaven and earth.

We today must stay firmly grounded in the Word of God. Everything else is very unstable, and often quite dangerous. Jesus, the incarnate Word from heaven, also directed His disciples to the teaching and the testimony of God. We are to hear Him and to follow Him. All of the Scriptures testify concerning Him. This Immanuel is our hope, and He is with us. The teaching and the testimony of God speak to us of his righteousness, his suffering and death, his resurrection and eternal victory. Though others are continually moved by the latest crisis or scandal, however genuine these troubles may be, we have the fear of God and the love of Christ which must compel us, comfort us, and inspire us more than anything that our neighbors may consider to be a dangerous conspiracy or trouble.