Isaiah 8, What Are You Afraid Of?

Isaiah 8: The Sign of Immanuel and the Fear of the Lord

Isaiah chapter 8 starting verse 1. Hear the word of the Lord. Then the Lord said to me take a large tablet and write on it in common characters belonging to may hair shall al-hashbaz and I will get reliable witnesses Uriah the priest and Zechariah the son of Jarrah Jebra Rekhiah to a test for me and I went to the prophetess.

And She conceived and bore a son. Then the Lord said to me call his name May her shall al-hashbaz for before the Lord before the boy. Knows how to cry my father or my mother. The wealth of Damascus and the spoil of Samaria will be carried away before the king of Assyria.

The Lord spoke to me again because this people has refused the waters of Shaloha that flow gently and rejoice over resin and The the son of Amalia and the son of Ramallah. Therefore behold the Lord is bringing up against them the waters of the river mighty and many the king of Assyria and all his glory.

And It will rise over all its channels and go over all its banks and it will sweep on into Judah It will overflow and pass on reaching even to the neck and its outspread wings will fill the breadth of your land.

Oh.

Emmanuel. To be broken you peoples and be shattered. Give ear all you far countries. Strap on your armor and be shattered. Strap on your armor and be shattered. Take counsel together and it will come to nothing.

Speak a word. But it will not stand. For God is with us. But the Lord spoke thus to me with his strong hand upon me and warned me not to walk in the way of this. People saying do not call conspiracy all that this people calls conspiracy and do not fear what they fear nor be in dread.

But the Lord of hosts him you shall honor is holy let him be your fear and let him be your dread and he will become a sanctuary and a stone of offense and a rock of stumbling to both houses of Israel.

A Trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and many shall stumble on it. They shall fall and be broken. They shall be snared and taken. Bind up the testimony seal the teaching among my disciples.

I will wait for the Lord who is hiding his face. From the house of it from the house of Jacob and I will hope in him. Behold, I and the children whom the Lord has given me are signs importance in Israel from that Lord of hosts who dwells on Mount Zion and When they say to you inquire of the mediums and the necromancers who chirp and mutter.

Should not a people inquire of their God. Should they inquire the dead on behalf of the living? To the teaching and the testimony if they will not speak according to this word it is because they have no dawn.

They will pass through the land Greatly distressed and hungry and when they are hungry they will be enraged and will speak contemptuously against their king and their God and turn their faces upward and they will look to the earth but behold.

Distress and darkness the gloom of anguish and they will be thrust into thick darkness. May the Lord add his blessings to the reading of his Holy Word. Well kind of continuing from where we were last week if you are most afraid.

That what you depend on will fail. Well, what makes you most afraid? That's what you depend on most. You know if you're a big sports fan. You fear your team losing. Alabama fans just fear all year long that Auburn Will beat them and that's just the fear now.

I was busy yesterday. I'm gonna go to the NC State game and I DVR that game. So don't tell me how it turned out, but I'm just looking forward to seeing Alabama beat them down. But you know most Alabama fans just really fear that somehow Auburn will manage to of course that will never happen.

But you you know, I know Alabama fans who can't even enjoy watching Alabama actually play because they're just overwhelmed by this fear that they might lose. But of course, we know that will never happen.

If when it comes to Alabama other teams that happens all the time now, you might think well. No one loves sports that much at least not outside the state of Alabama, but I've seen people who are who are literally dying.

Have I've been diagnosed with cancer and you know in terminal can they're dying and even with the approach of death. They're still obsessed. With their team. That's just what fills their minds. They write a journal and they're talking about their team that shows what they depend on for meaning.

Maybe you're most afraid of losing your spouse or a family member. Is that where you put all your hopes. But the sad reality is, you know, if you're married one of you will die first. Oh Yes, you could be like George and Jean Spear who were married in August 1942 and stayed married for 75 years and died within just a few hours of each other last September 15th that could happen.

I hope it does but most often one of you will die before the other and if you bought into this kind of modern American story that the meaning of life is that having that one quote soulmate. What will you do then?

Or maybe you're afraid of losing your money. Like the lady who carefully saved her money and stuffed it in a mattress didn't trust banks. They could fall they could collapse. So she kept all her money hoarded it away one day though.

Her daughter thought that she would give her mother a special treat. And she's been sleeping on that ratty old mattress for years now, you can get her a new mattress. She did and threw out the old one not knowing that there was over a million dollars hidden inside.

They never found it. Or maybe you're afraid of disease and death of you know. Getting old and weak and so you're gonna do everything you can to keep that off. You're gonna eat these special diets where nothing is cooked or whatever.

Kale put in a blender and drink that down and you're gonna do all kinds of exercises and take all kinds of vitamins and supplements and you go to the doctor all the time and therapies and stretching or whatever and.

You're afraid of even going out too much meeting too many people because you might catch germs from them. And you don't want that to happen and you end up depriving yourself of so many good things like Dairy Queen.

Just to add a few extra years to your life. Even if you succeed. There are years you didn't really enjoy. You fear most what you depend on most. Here we see what Judah Depends on most by what they fear here.

Judah is seized by fear. Remember in chapter 7 it says that they were they were being threatened by an alliance of Syria and the northern kingdom of Israel and it says in chapter 7 verse 2 that their hearts shook as the Trees of the forest shake before the wind and this chapter chapter 8 is just continuing on the same story.

It's the same situation Isaiah has been told. Isaiah has told them That you don't need to be afraid. You're fearful. You're terrified. You don't need to be this conspiracy against you this alliance against you.

It won't work be firm in faith and then just to soothe their fears. The Lord tells them, you know, ask me for a sign any sign. It doesn't matter no matter how spectacular. How supernatural. I'll do any sign you say and then King a has you know, you won't do it.

He says no, I won't ask the Lord for a sign. And so the Lord says I'll give you a sign then I'll give you a sign of my choosing and it's the sign of a son a son will be born and before he's old enough.

Now you got to remember from chapter 7 first remember and back in chapter 7 before he's old enough to know right from wrong. Figure what age is that? I don't know. Few years in before that happens. The son is born and before he grows enough old enough to know right from wrong.

These two kingdoms you're so terrified of they will be crushed. They'll be gone. Don't worry about them. That's son will be a sign. That God is with you. That's why his name shall be called Emmanuel. God with us now in the long term.

That sign will be literally fulfilled as God would be with them in the sign of a son born of a virgin. But in this in the short term in their own situation to alleviate their fears. The Sun was going to be that Isaiah's son as we see here now in chapter 8.

So we see that here in four parts who not to fear and then more importantly who to fear first the sign second the spring.

Shaloh.

Third the stone and fourth the seal. So first of all, there's the sign and the sign is literally a sign. The Lord tells Isaiah to make a sign. Right in a way, you know says common characters in a way that anyone can understand.

You know in a large tablet or what could be translated as a placard other words make a sign. You know put it out there right on it may hair shall out hash baths. I like that Hebrew term which means swift plunder hastening booty.

Other words soon an army is coming to take away plunder. It's coming fast. Swift is hastening the and then he calls these witnesses in To witness the sign so it's gone public. But in the sign in chapter 7 was a son so he has a son.

He has a son with mrs. Prophet his wife. Okay calls her the prophetess. I think not just because she's his wife. She's the wife of the Prophet, but she too is prophesying and she's prophesying by giving birth to signs to sons.

Who become signs and they give their sons names. To show what the sign is all about and the first we already met in chapter in their chapter the last chapter chapter 7. Which year Joshu I'd like this you can consider these those of you still having children as names for future children.

A remnant shall return. In other words, don't fear. Although, you know, it is kind of a double meaning there a remnant which means only a little bit left over. But there will be a remnant. Few survivors will be left over.

God will protect his people. It might look sometimes like God's people will be wiped out like it's the end of them that they will maybe you're like today. But they will all succumb to apostasy or to justifying sin the law become quote liberal or whatever.

We want to call it today. They'll all just give in. Sometimes it feels that way now. But they'll all forsake the Lord for money or for acceptance by the world. Because they're just afraid of being thought of as one of those, you know, one of those weirdos.

You know like one of those weirdos who meets in a gym. But the Lord Jesus said that the gates of hell will not prevail against his church and Isaiah's first son Was a sign of that. But now Isaiah and mrs. Prophet, she didn't give her name.

But mrs. Prophet are going to have mrs Isaiah, I guess are going to have another son and he too is a sign and his name is Gotta love this one may hair shall I'll hash baths? All right. I always thought we shouldn't name Micah that but he doesn't like that idea but swift plunder hastening booty so we first but first in other words He put this on a sign and then he had a son and named him that and he's named that in verse 4.

Before he's even old and it says it says in verse 4 before this child Is even old enough to cry he has not been born yet. He's been conceived yet, but before he's old enough to cry my father Abbi in Hebrew Zabi.

Our daddy we would say daddy our my mother in me our mommy. You know remember before in chapter 7 it was before the child knows. Before he grows old enough to know right from wrong. But now God has shortened the time.

Then he had to wait to know right and wrong now was shortened the time to when he's old enough to say mommy or daddy then before that time comes His name will become true. It says the wealth of Damascus and the spoil of Samaria will be carried away.

Before the king of Assyria and was the king of Assyria is coming and he's gonna take their stuff away. The plunderer is hurrying. Spoiler is hastening now remember we saw last week sometimes the prophecies have a near-term fulfillment for the people that the Prophet is directly speaking to in his day and also a Long-term fulfillment an ultimate fulfillment and the sign that the Sun This the sign of the Sun was that that God was with us in Hebrew Immanuel memory says his name will be called Immanuel now.

He wasn't literally named Immanuel. But he was a sign. That that was true that Immanuel was true. Immanuel means God with us. God is with you. So that what you feared you're in terror. What had you quaking like a tree in a storm?

All it's gonna be taken away and it's gonna be taken away before this baby who's about to come who is not even yet conceived. Before he's begins to say his first words. What it figure about two years right or less.

And the long term? Of course and long term ultimately another son is born and here we are now. What I consider not quite Christmas time. But most of you seem to consider it already is Christmas time. The signs of the season are already out.

You know, there's the commercials with the big red bows on the top of cars and Everything trying to get us to believe that that's the reason for the season. You get us get stuff. Trees are already up.

Okay, I won't complain about it. I shouldn't no one listens to it anymore. Anyway Trees are already up for some people and this is the most wonderful time of the year. One song says now the truth is that The Bible doesn't say a whole lot about the birth of Christ.

I mean two of the Gospels don't even mention the brother. They just skip right to his ministry. But one of the things it does say is that he was born of a virgin quoting from Isaiah chapter 7 verse 14.

That he is a sign. Jesus is a sign of who he literally is God with us in the long term. He's the one who takes away what we fear most the wrath of God and our sins. Judgment is swift. The end is hastening.

May her shall. I'll hash baths, but the sign that Christmas is about.

Says.

Don't fear God is with us. Now he shows us that in the second part beginning in verse 5, which is the spring. Which is literally called Shalom. Ah, the Lord speaks to Isaiah again. He says because this people and he got asked which people is he talking about?

Well, he's probably referring to the Israelites the northern kingdom of Israel and you get that by the what he says about them they have refused the waters of Shalom. Ah, I got no a thing about that. The Shalom. Ah was just the name for the main spring.

The are the main stream really the stream that came from the spring called Gihon spring and it gave Jerusalem its water. Remember last week the king was out by the waterworks. Taking care of the water.

And so the main stream that gave water to the city of Jerusalem. It's called Shalom. Ah, and he said these people they don't care about Shalom and he means that to represent Jerusalem itself this people Reject Jerusalem.

They don't care about Jerusalem the promise of even though God has promised protection for them. Even though it's there, you know that God said his name will dwell where he puts his his presence at his temple.

It was there when he made a covenant.

With the king.

And instead but these people don't care about all that stuff. Instead they rejoice over Reza The king of Syria. I mean, he's much more powerful. He's a king of Syria. Not some measly little kingdom down south of Israel.

They made an alliance with him and then the son of Ramallah a Pekka who's the king of the northern kingdom? You fear losing? What you trust in? What gives you the most joy what you rely on for protection what you think your life is all about.

You fear losing that I. I know someone, you know. Who's it was training hard to run a good race in a marathon so that he could qualify for the Boston Marathon. Because that's what that's what meant the most to him that accomplishment.

His strength his endurance and his training was going very well. Until he got an injury in his in his hip and he couldn't run without pain. He went to the doctor. It didn't help he couldn't run and Wouldn't make it to Boston.

He said that he was so frustrated or he said this right my presence. He was so frustrated. He felt like blowing his brains out. What a crazy thing to do. Kill yourself because your body won't destroy your body because it won't do what you want.

But he what he dreaded most came on him taking away from him what he wanted most. Now these people here. They don't care about Jerusalem and all that stands for all the God has promised to it where Shaloh flows.

Gently.

Even though you know wondrous things of thee are spoken. Zion city of our God. They're more impressed though by the world. By Syria now, there's a strong power. After all look at Jerusalem. Measly stream that provides all its water.

You know, it's probably no bigger. It's Shaloh. Ah, it's no bigger. It's probably no bigger than that Creek down by the Scruggs house. It's about the size of that thing. It's small potatoes. Who cares about the church?

It's mostly old little old lady sitting around singing old songs and writing it, you know talking about an old book. Who cares about that? It's weak. It's not impressive. It's nothing. And they were impressed these people here by by the river.

Not that measly stream by the river the Euphrates now have you seen that as a river? It's impressive River. So since they are so impressed by the world the world will like a river.

Flood them.

The Lord is bringing against them an empire the Lord says from. The river from Euphrates and like a river is big and mighty it will rise over them and sweep them all away. Judah looked to them for help instead of the Lord.

So we so that river will not only sweep away the northern kingdom of Israel completely. Which it did and the year 721 BC, but it will rise so far right up to Judah's Neck says leaving just their heads above the water.

But just like just Jerusalem in other words from being swept away. This is what happened now for everyone else all these other kingdoms all these other people's you nations. You will be shattered by the flood from that River.

The river represents a Syria. The stream Shiloh is Jerusalem. They're a fear. They're afraid of this river. That's some impressive. Anybody warns them in verse 9, you know, you don't care about Jerusalem you care about but God's promises, but in verse 9 give ear listen to this pay attention.

Even if you strap on your armor, I can fight them off. These are Syrians even if you prepare for the coming invasion. You get your weapons together stock up on ammo. They will shatter you and he says it twice because it's certain strap on your armor and be shattered.

Otherwise prepare yourself for battle that it won't help you'll still lose. Even if you conspire together like Syria and the northern kingdom of Israel your alliances will come to nothing talk it up. Sure, you could go to have your United Nations.

You can have your NATO's your alliances your treaties to all to band together and fight off these Assyrians but they will not stand against the judgment that the Lord is unleashing because. The same reason that people of God will have a remnant Emmanuel.

Because God is with us. And by application not you. Now sure the outstretched wings of God judgment will will fill the earth but still God saves His people it's Emmanuel's.

Land.

God can judge the whole earth and still save his people in it. That's what the sign of the Sun Christmas is all about Emmanuel. And notice that the separation the distinction. We could even say that the discrimination The Lord makes the the world is judged but within it God's people are separated.

And spared saved and protected in John chapter 17 verse 9 the Lord Jesus prays. I am praying for them. For the Apostles and then for all who believe for their testimony in other words for the church. He says specifically in verse 9 7 John 17.

I am NOT praying for the world. He's making a distinction right the world. No but for my people I Says I'm but I'm praying for those whom you have given me for they are yours. There's a distinction. There's a separation.

There's. You don't mind the work discrimination. Now here in Isaiah 8 There's these the people's he calls in the the countries that the Gentiles the the far countries in verse 9. The world we could call them.

They can do all that they can to stop God's judgment strap on their armor. Stock up on ammo and survival gear, you know be a survivalist. Build a bunker in their basement prepare for battle make alliances talk strategy, but it will not work.

To stop God's judgment. They will be shattered. But even though God's people are in the middle of all this with all this going on even though it comes right up to their neck. What literally happened when the Assyrians invaded Judah and destroyed almost all of it?

But couldn't take Jerusalem. The angel the Lord wiped out their army outside the walls of Jerusalem the city of our God. That little place that measly place is fed by this little spring this small potatoes this nothing Empire.

How could they not take? Jerusalem, but they couldn't even though God's people are surrounded by it. Even though a thousand may fall at our side and ten thousand at our right hand is in Psalm 91. It does not come near.

Them.

God's people God discriminates between his people and the world. Now people today are are taught that all discrimination is bad. That even though you know, actually even though they discriminate all the time against people.

Who don't don't agree with them don't mock them and call them names, but whatever. They don't they don't see that but they do a people whose minds are shaped by the by the rhetoric of the world. That all just all discrimination is bad find it abhorrent that God makes a distinction.

Among people that he chooses some to be his people to save and others. He doesn't others are swept away by his judgment. They might they might can accept. Distinction based on people's actions on our choices, you know, like the ways, you know schools discriminate all the time.

It's between bad students and good students. At least they should sometimes they're not even don't do it when they don't do that. They're really in trouble. But on the basis of grades on performance. Courts discriminate that's what they're there for actually.

It's what we have courts for just discriminate against between kinds of people. So they find this is a criminal. We're discriminating against you. We're putting you in prison these other people. You're not guilty.

We let you go free. That's discrimination. But to suggest that God's discrimination is based ultimately on his choice because people get it when it's based on our choice. But if we say it's based on God's choice, the worldly person finds that just abhorrent we get to choose.

He doesn't but here notice that the judgment comes on the world and not on God's people on the fateful remnant what do we want to call up the church because Emmanuel at the end of verse 10 God is with us in the ESV here.

They translated it for some reason, but it's it's Emmanuel God with us.

Emmanuel.

What do you fear? Whatever it is. Does that show you don't really believe that God is with you.

Emmanuel.

Next the Lord spoke to Isaiah again starting in verse 11.

This gets to the to this.

To the seal this time. He says God's strong hand was upon him. In other words, this is important. He felt God's present heavily that God was really impressing this and speaking strongly to him. The Lord warned him not to walk.

Lord says to him not to walk in the way of this people. In other words, don't walk like don't live like the world around you. Now, why do we so easily? Think and just live like the culture around us. We're shaped by it.

We might have heard that Christmas time is all about Emmanuel.

But really.

Don't we often just make it just like the world all about the stuff and the decorations and the big red bows on cars. Or the games whatever it is. We might know that money isn't everything. But we're still gonna live like it was don't we?

We might believe on some level that God is Almighty and Sovereign and that he deserves all our heart in our mind and our soul. But you know, we don't want to appear too radical. We don't want to look like it.

That's you know, those people that see us think we're we're just too extreme. We want to be thought of as respectable people by others, even though we know that God sees us. But we're not so much. We're not really embarrassed by what he sees.

Are we embarrassed by what people see but not what God see. So we can be singing with all our hearts as we're driving down the road the radio blaring. But some stranger happens to look over and see us at a stoplight, you know, we're gonna quiet down and Look respectable.

We're embarrassed. What's some anonymous person that we may never see again thinks of us. Even though how God sees us. We're not too embarrassed by we might fear not being liked maybe by our co-workers or For our extreme views.

Oh, you have extreme views or even by our children for our discipline. We fear losing their approval fear not being seen as the as the caring loving parent. And so we care more about being the cool mom or dad Than being the good one.

So we need people's.

Approval.

Even our children's approval. We need it why. For ourselves and we need it more than we love them for the glory of God. So we're manipulated by the threat of acceptance. Think of that a perfect stranger we probably never see again can get us to quiet down and stop singing in a car just because we're gonna be embarrassed if we.

Look to.

Like we're too caught away in our song. How easy to manipulate it we are like but what others to think of us. Manipulated by the threat of acceptance or of approval or be ever being taken away. You know.

Wanting that the smiling signal. Yeah, we're the we're the cool parent or boss or friend or pastor. If we don't get that human approval, we don't get it. We're shaking something's wrong. We're afraid.

Afraid that maybe we're bad. We're depressed. Maybe we're failures because we're not getting approved of by. So-and-so we fear losing human approval more than God's. We have fallen for that sin was described in a book by a man named Ed Welch and reviewed by Greg Gilbert at nine marks.

Whose title says it all? When people are big and God is small. We stumble into being conformed to the world because we think too much of people and too little of God. The approval of people of our neighbors our co-workers that stranger in the car next to us at the red light.

Even our children that means too much to us. We depend on the approval of these people. We've been seen by them. It's cool as we depend on being liked by them more so. Then we depend on what the true God thinks of us.

That'll have to take a back seat. We think what do you fear? You fear being called a bigot or a hater an uncaring ogre a radical. Maybe a nut. Well here the Lord tells Isaiah not to fear not fitting in.

He says do not call conspiracy all that that's people call. It's conspiracy. Don't go along with their irrational conspiracy theories. You know the way they just know. They think that the things really are.

Just because everyone is believing that now. Do not fear what they fear. Nor being in you know, don't be in dread what they're in dread of. Don't fear missing out on the newest gadget. Apple 10s coming out you got to have it the newest style.

The newest cause now, it's transgenderism. You're not cool. If you're not on board with that. Don't fear of being what they say is on what they say is the wrong side of history. No history is his story.

So they don't know history very well. But in verse 13, here's what you should fear the Lord of hosts him. You should honor is holy. Let him be your fear and let him be your. Dread you honor him as holy when you come to know him like Isaiah Did and you remember in the year King Uzziah died high and lifted up the seraphim proclaiming holy.

Holy holy.

Then Isaiah himself.

Feared.

Woe is me. He was in dread. Now this isn't the fear, you know, I fear if you're hiking in the woods and you come across a hungry bear. You have some fear there. This is the fear of Standing in awe. You feel wonder and shrink back With a sense that you can't cope with the magnificence the majesty of the one that you are before.

You dread the the exposure of your inadequacy because a sinfulness compared to the perfection and the holiness of the one who is revealed to you and. Then that happens. What other people think of you Doesn't even enter your mind.

You dread what he thinks of you. But that even that dread is overwhelmed by a love for that perfection and holiness.

You you do feel a.

Fear for him. Now it's not just not just that you fear punishment for how far you fall short. Yeah, you do feel that fear. You fear him who can kill both body and soul in hell. You fear him more than you fear anything else.

But even that fear is overwhelmed by your by your love for him that you know now.

Loves you.

So because perfect love drives out all fear.

You dread.

Disappointing. Him who you know loves you with a perfect love. He loves you so much that you don't have to fear. And so now because of this fear of the Lord and love for the Lord Whom you fear who drives out all fear.

You don't fear.

What the world fears? You're not in dread Of the things it's in dread of the death the old age that the weakness the future. That the world is in dread of. You're not you're not a dread of the insults that you might earn from people in the world for believing in the Lord.

You're in dread of hearing the Lord say. You were a lazy servant who only did what was expected. You're in dread of that. You care far more about pleasing the Lord Than your children Than pleasing your children.

You are more manipulated you aren't now because you fear the Lord you aren't manipulated by them, but now you're free. To do what's best for them he becomes a sanctuary a secure place. From from this world from from this troubled world.

While others are offended by the Lord others stumble over him as in verse 14. They stumble you're secured on him. Now the natural use of religion like the Israelite religion described in in Romans 9. The natural use of religion is to turn it into a tool to tame God.

To turn him into someone that we no longer have to fear. Remember the story of Aslan and the lion the witch in the wardrobe one of the one of the children I think it was Lucy asked is Aslan who stands for Christ.

Is he a tame lion? Someone's response. Oh, no, he's not tame. But he's good. But the natural use of religion is to try to turn it into way to tame God. To make him someone who's under our control now, we don't have to fear him.

We don't have to fear that he might do something that's unpredictable. That's out of our control so we claim that God has given us a list of rules and rituals and if we keep these rules follow these rituals like Training a dog right you follow the rules the dog will probably learn.

Keep these commandments save this prayer get baptized if you do that. Then we can be then we can be free of having to fear God. We've tamed him. We know we'll only do what we want him to do now because we've done the right thing.

Israel pursued a law that they thought Would put them right with God would tame God for them so they wouldn't have to fear him anymore. I'm not giving it, you know, like a gift of a diamond ring that will buy off an angry wife.

It will tame her for a while, but Israel never succeeded in getting that right relationship. They didn't get it. They didn't get a right Paul calls it righteousness in Roman nine. In other words a right relationship with God.

Israel did not get it because in Romans chapter 9 verse 32 quote they pursued it as if. It were based on works as if what does that tell you it was never based on works it was based on. Because here as they ate the stone the chief cornerstone the one who was God with us Emmanuel a right relationship was always based on faith alone in Christ alone.

So you trust you hide yourself like in a sanctuary a safe place in Him you build on him as a foundation stone. I don't know all the other things the world trust in on him. But they wouldn't. Israel wouldn't.

Instead he got in their way. They stumbled over him. Like An unsuspecting animal might stumble into a trap and is taken. Christ is either the one you build on or the one you stumble over.