STUDY THEME: ONE SOLITARY LIFE: THE LIFE OF JESUS. 11-12-00

"GOD WITH US." ISAIAH 7: 10-14; 9: 6-7; 11: 1-5.

PLEASE OPEN YOUR BIBLE TO ISAIAH 7.

Since the lesson for today and next Sunday is from the
Book of Isaiah we should come to know something of this classic writing
prophet. Little is known about the prophet Isaiah except what his own words
reveal, tradition, and the parallel account in the second book of Kings.
His name Isaiah (Salvation of Jehovah) is almost identical in meaning with
Joshua (Jehovah is Salvation) which appears in the N.T., as Jesus, the
name of the Messiah who Isaiah heralded. Tradition suggests his father
Amoz may have been a person of prominence, since the prophet is so often
(13 times) called "the

son of Amoz." It is also suggested hat Amoz may have
been a brother of King Amaziah of Judah. If true, this would have made
Isaiah a cousin if King Uzziah. Isaiah would also be a cousin of Uzziah's
successors--Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah of Judah. The opening verse of the
book tells of the long duration of Isaiah's ministry--through the reigns
of all three of the kings.
Isaiah ws born in Jerusalem about 760 B.C. and at the
age of 20 he had a vision of

God. He was married and had two children to whom in Isa.
7:3 and 8:3 he gave significant names. There is a strong tradition that
Isaiah probably lived on into the early reign of the wicked king Manasseh
and that he was put to a horrible death by this king. If Isaiah was about
20 a the time of his call, he apparently lived to be 70 or 80.
The Book of Isaiah is at the beginning of the prophets,
not because it was written first but because of is significance. Isaiah
was one of four great prophets of the golden age of Hebrew prophecy. One
commentary says he was the greatest of the Hebrew prophets and the author
of the most sublime religious poetry in the O.T. In the eighth century
B.C. Amos and Hosea prophesied in the Northern Kingdom of Israel. Isaiah
and Micah preached in the Southern Kingdom of Judah. Mica was a country
preacher, and Isaiah was more of a city preacher. Isaiah was called to
preach in  dramatic vision recorded in Isa. 6: 1-8.
Isaiah's call came during the year that King Uzziah died.
It is supposed that Uzziah died the terrible death of a leper. King Uzziah
had a long prosperous reign. He was followed by his son Jotham. Both Uzziah
and Jotham were relatively good kings. Then came evil Ahaz, the son of
Jotham, who was the king during the time reflected in Isaiah 7-12. Isaiah
is best known for his predictions concerning the Messiah--three of which
we will study in today's lesson.
It was a turbulent time in the Near East. The two small
Hebrew kingdoms, Israel (Ephraim) and Judah, often at odds with each other,
were caught up in the clash of empires. In Isaiah's time, the dominant
power was Assyria, located in Mesopotamia.
1. PLEASE READ ISAIAH 7: 10-14.
Isaiah's encounter with King Ahaz occurred during a political
and military crisis. The larger theme is God's plea for the Southern Kingdom
of Judah to trust in Him not in other nations. The situation is described
in 7:1-2. Other records, including 2 Kings 16, show that the Assyrian Empire
was threatening to overcome the three smaller nations of Syria, Israel,
and Judah. King Rezin of Syria and King Pekah of the Northern Kingdom of
Israel--also called Ephraim--formed an anti-Assyrian alliance and tried
to get Judah to join. These two allied nations threatened to attack Judah
if Judah did not join them. King Ahaz of Judah was greatly agitated. In
that crisis the Lord sent Isaiah to Ahaz to assure him in Vs. 4-9 that
the alliance of Syria and Northern Israel would not succeed.
Vs. 1 summarizes the outcome of Syria's and Israel's attack
against Jerusalem, the capitol of Judah. Vs.2 describes the crisis before
its resolution. Ahaz was greatly upset at the news of the alliance of Syria
and Israel against Judah. The Lord then challenged Judah's King Ahaz to
trust in Him, but at some point King Ahaz sought aid from Assyria. Ahaz's
appeal opened the door to a greater threat from Assyria. Ahaz had already
made up his mind to entrust Judah's fate to an alliance with Assyria rather
than turn to God for help.
In Vs. 3 the Lord told the prophet Isaiah to seek out
King Ahaz. He also told Isaiah what to tell the wicked king. The message
was one of reassurance. God told Ahaz not to lose heart because the power
of Israel and Syria would be broken. In Vs. 10. the Lord spoke through
the prophet who was surrendered to the Lord.
The word AGAIN in Vs. 10 refers to what the Lord had spoken
through the prophet in Vs. 4-9. Vs. 10-11 continue the challenge to Ahaz
to believe the Lord's word. Ahaz was told to "ask thee a sign of the Lord
thy God." No limits were placed on the depth or height of the sign. Signs
were given to strengthen the faith of believers or to challenge unbelievers
to believe.
Ahaz said, "I will not ask, neither will I tempt the Lord,
or put the Lord to the the test." The answer sounds pious, as if the wicked
king was obeying the prohibition of Duet. 6:16 not to test God. Ahaz's
words, however, were pure hypocrisy. He tried to hide his refusal to God's
challenge by a pretended reverence. Ahaz claimed he was trying to avoid
testing God, but by refusing God's command he actually did test God.
The word "Behold"  in Vs. 14 was used at the beginning
of important announce- ments, especially birth announcements. Isaiah 7:14
is quoted in Matt. 1:23 as having its ultimate fulfillment in the virgin
birth of Jesus who became Immanuel (God with us.). In Vs. 15-16 Isaiah
predicted that the alliance of the two kings would fail before the child
reached the age of accountability. In Vs. 17 he predicted that the Assyrians
would come upon them then.
In light of the historical context it would seem that
the immediate fulfillment of the sign was the birth of a child to some
woman in that day. Possibly an unmarried woman within the royal house would
shortly marry and conceive. Her son would be called Immanuel (God is with
us.)......possibly as a presumptuous gesture to give the support of a complacent
piety to the king's pro-Assyrian policy. The child would be a sign to Ahaz
that the Lord was with them in that present crisis and that before the
child was old enough to eat the characteristic food of that day in solid
form or before he was old enough to discern right from wrong, the Assyrians
would defeat Syria and Northern Israel, which they did in 733-732 B.C.,
only a year or two after Isaiah made the prophecy.
At the same time the prophecy had a much grater future
fulfillment. The child's conception, birth, and name would foreshadow the
future conception, birth, and name of a far greater Immanuel, who literally
would be "God with us." Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is the fulfillment
of Isaiah 7:14, There is, however, an important and major difference between
the immediate fulfillment and the messianic fulfillment of this prophecy.
In the immediate fulfillment, the Child's mother was a virgin at the time
the prophecy was made. In the messianic fulfillment, the child's mother
was a virgin at the time of her conception.
As far as this lesson is concerned, the emphasis is on
the clear fulfillment of Isa.7:14 in Jesus. He was conceived of the Holy
Spirit and born to the virgin Mary. What could have been a more fitting
entry into the world for the unique Son of God? Myths about false gods
sometimes had them leaping into the world full-grown. The true Son of God,
who was both divine and human, came as an infant and was born of a virgin.
IMMANUEL makes the point that Jesus Christ was God in the midst of sinful
people.
This promise of this birth by Isaiah centuries before
it happened shows that God's sending His Son into the world has always
been part of His plan. God promised to send a virgin born son, who would
be the Son of God or "God with us." We believe that God's promise was fulfilled
in the birth of Jesus Christ.
PLEASE TURN TO ISAIAH CH. 9.
In these next verses the child who would be born would
have the characteristics of deity. He would reign in righteousness over
the everlasting kingdom promised to David.
2. PLEASE READ ISAIAH 9: -7.
Isaiah 8 describes the darkness and gloom of judgment
on wicked Israel. Ch. 9:1-5 portrays the coming of light out of darkness.
Vs. 1-2 are quoted in Matt. 4;15-16 as fulfilled in the ministry of Jesus.
This sets the stage for the positive message of Vs, 6-7.
The prophecy concerns the birth of a child. This child
is also a son. Although Isaiah 9: 6-7 is not quoted in the N.T., Christians
have no doubt that the child and son is Jesus Christ. The child of Isa.
9:6 is the same person whom the prophet's long-range prophecy foretold
in Ch. 7 as the Son of the virgin.
David's son who would establish the everlasting kingdom
came to be seen as the Son of God in the O.T. In Ps. 2:7, for example,
the Lord said to the future King, "Thou art my Son: this day have I begotten
thee." The word given in Vs. 6 reminds us that the coming of the child
is the gift of God. As N.T. believers, we think of Vs. such as John 3:16
to magnify what is foretold in the O.T.--"He gave His only begotten Son."
In Hebrew, the verbs is born
and is given in Vs. 6 are in the form that describes the action
that has already taken place. The context shows that this form is used
to emphasize the certainty of what will take place in the future. So certain
was the prophet that these events would occur that he described them as
if they already had occurred.
The five titles given in Isaiah 9: 1-7 are actually only
4 in those Bibles that remove the comma between Wonderful and Counselor.
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. These
titles and attributes of the Son establish His identity. These names given
the coming Ruler emphasize His wisdom, Absolute Deity, eternal being, and
His work as the Prince of Peace. Jesus Christ is the only one in all the
knowledge of men to whom these titles can properly and fully apply. Luke
must have had this passage in mind when in Luke 1:32-33 he quoted the proclamation
of the angel to Mary.
Christ came, of course, through the line of David. The
Kingdom He was to establish, unlike that of David, or any successor of
David, is to have no end. His purpose would be: "to uphold it with justice
and with righteousness."
PLEASE TURN TO ISAIAH CH. 11.
3. PLEASE READ ISAIAH 11: 1-5.
This text was also written against a background of war.
The house of David is described as the stump of Jessee. Jessee was
David's father and represents the royal line. Branch is used as a name
for the Messiah in Jeremiah 23:5; 33:15 and Zechariah 3:8 and 6:12. A stump
is all that is left after a tree has been cut down. Isaiah looks on the
once mighty dynasty of David as a great tree now reduced to a stump. The
metaphor refers to the fact that the Assyrians had left the kingdom of
Judah and the royal house of David as mere shadows of their former glory.
>From all appearances, the Davidic line was finished.
However, Isaiah saw growing out of that stump a shoot
that would become far greater than the original tree. When hope seemed
lost, the Messiah would come like a sprout out of a stump. The shoot will
become a branch, which will bear fruit. The mention of Jessee may indicate
the humble beginning from which the first David came; the same would be
true of the second and greater David.
Vs, 2 declares that "The Spirit of the Lord will
rest on this shoot. At His baptism the Spirit visibly came upon Jesus.
The
Spirit of wisdom and of understanding also rests on the shoot. This
Son of David will never fail through a lack of wisdom and sound judgment.
People in the ancient Near East gave a great deal of attention to cultivating
wisdom in rulers; but this leader would have the perfect wisdom of
God. The shoot also possesses the Spirit of counsel and power.
Counsel
conveys a ruler's ability to formulate plans to deal with complex situations,
and power is the ability to carry out these plans, especially to
defeat one's enemies. Finally, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear
of the Lord refers especially to this Ruler's understanding of the
way of God and to His submission to God.
Vs. 3-5 depict the Branch and Spirit-anointed One as the
Ruler-judge. Unlike human judges, He shall not judge after the sight of
his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears. Human judges are
limited to what they can see and hear. The divine Judge judges not by outward
appearances but by reality, which includes insight into the heart. The
Bible warns individuals against passing final judgment on others. We lack
two important qualities possessed by the divine Judge--all the facts and
the character of righteousness.
We may be surprised at how much of this description of
the shoot relates to government and war, but the situation in which Isaiah
wrote demanded it. Isaiah saw that the Davidic dynasty, which he thought
was eternally secure because of the promise of God, was on the verge of
collapse., Isaiah promised Judah that however bad it looked, God's promise
would not fail. The line of David would rise up under a King far greater
than any they had ever seen.
The Messiah destroys all the wicked and brings deliverance
to the poor of the earth. In the time of Isaiah, the old tribal unity of
Judah had broken down and society had been split by a two-class system.
On one side were the poor and powerless; on the other side were the rich
and powerful. Fairness in the administration of justice was virtually unknown.
The people longed for a king who would be fair, and Isaiah knew God wanted
such leadership in the land. Isaiah promised that someday God would provide
such a king, who would never take status into account but would deliver
the oppressed.
The line with the he breath of his lips he will slay the
wicked sounds very strange but it makes an important point. When God created
the world and the human race, He did not have to do anything; He simply
spoke. In Isaiah 11:4, the Messiah destroys all His enemies simply by speaking.
He has no need for weapons or armies. This tells us that the Messiah is
in fact God, because He has God's power to create and to destroy through
His word.  Rev. 19: 13-15 pictures the returning Messiah-Judge doing
just that in the final defeat of the Devil.
The phrase Righteousness will be his belt and faithfulness
the sash around His waist, tells us that righteousness is the
Messiah's fundamental inner quality. On the most intimate level, the Messiah
is righteous and good.
Faithfulness is the companion virtue of righteousness.
They go together. Faithfulness means to be dependable and true. God will
be true to His promises to His people. Together these two qualities are
the heart of what God is and what we are to be as we walk with Him. Paul
wrote in 1 Cor 4:2 that "It is required in stewards, that a man be found
faithful." We are to be people of uprightness and dependability.
The judgment is sure. Is his good news or bad news? It
is bad news for people living in sin and unbelief. It is good news for
those whose trust is in the Judge who is also their Savior from sin and
death.
NEXT SUNDAY IN ISAIAH 53 WE LOOK AT THE SUFFERING SERVANT.

A.V.  vhnbm DAUGHERTY     
11-12-00

 

 

 



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