Weekly Meditations: Is. 14 (3)

The Lord of hosts has sworn: “As I have planned, so shall it be, and as I have purposed, so shall it stand, that I will break the Assyrian in my land, and on my mountains trample him underfoot; and his yoke shall depart from them, and his burden from their shoulder.”

This is the purpose that is purposed concerning the whole earth,and this is the hand that is stretched out over all the nations. For the Lord of hosts has purposed, and who will annul it? His hand is stretched out, and who will turn it back?

In the year that King Ahaz died came this oracle:

Rejoice not, O Philistia, all of you, that the rod that struck you is broken, for from the serpent's root will come forth an adder, and its fruit will be a flying fiery serpent. And the firstborn of the poor will graze, and the needy lie down in safety; but I will kill your root with famine, and your remnant it will slay. Wail, O gate; cry out, O city; melt in fear, O Philistia, all of you!For smoke comes out of the north, and there is no straggler in his ranks. What will one answer the messengers of the nation? “The Lord has founded Zion, and in her the afflicted of his people find refuge.” (Is. 14: 24-32)

In verses 24-27, Isaiah reverts back to the prophetic proclamation of doom over Assyria, the immediate enemy of Judah. Swearing by His Name (v. 24), the Lord promised impending doom upon Assyria as He Himself will crush Assyria while they were invading Judah (v. 25), a fact realized in the elimination of the Assyrian army at the walls of Jerusalem (Is. 37:36), thus ending Assyria's oppression of His people as symbolized by the departing of the yoke from Judah. In verses 26 and 27, the Lord states that this is God's purpose and no one can stop God and His plans in this regard. God's purposes concerning the whole earth is that He will protect His people from their enemies, of which Assyria functions here in typology.

Verse 28 however starts off on a note about the death of the wicked 3rd king which Isaiah served under, King Ahaz. The Philistines could possibly have been rejoicing with the death of King Ahaz, as they had envisioned an even greater time of further victories against Judah as they have had in the time of King Ahaz (2 Chron. 28:18). God however pronounces judgment against them through the prophet Isaiah. Judah has been broken in the time of wicked King Ahaz, but the Philistines were asked not to rejoice as they will face an even deadlier foe (v. 29). Although God will protect the poor and the needy, yet God will send famine and sword against the Philistines (v. 30). Through the coming king Hezekiah, the Philistines will face the wrath of Almighty God in attacking His people, as King Hezekiah will struck down the Philistines even to their major city of Gaza (2 King. 18:8), and their fortifications will do them no good in averting this judgment of God. Philistia is thus called to wail as their judgment is near (v. 31). Far from it that they would grow in strength and numbers, they would face a strong army in the army of Judah under King Hezekiah who would crush them resoundingly.

The passage thus ends in a note of comfort to God's people, which also functions as a testimony of God's glory to the nations. To those from other nations who came to enquire about the happenings in Judah, Judah is to proclaim the strength of YHWH God on her behalf. Those of His people who are afflicted can find strength and refuge in Him and in the place where they can meet Him, the temple in the city of God, Zion. The power of God on the behalf of His people is thus to be proclaimed among the nations as to the greatness of the God of Israel. It is God that is to be glorified in this, not the tactical brilliance or military prowess of the Jews.

For us too therefore, we are to continue trusting God to work on our behalf in vindicating us from our enemies. God will do so in His own time, as He works all things together for our good (Rom. 8:28). Yet through our afflictions, we can find strength and refuge in the Lord who will aid us. And when the deliverance does come, we are to give glory to God for the good things He has done on our behalf, NOT to boast about our competence but about how God has saved us in this regard. Soli Deo Gloria. Amen.

Weekly Meditations: Is. 14 (2)

“How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star, son of Dawn! How you are cut down to the ground, you who laid the nations low! You said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; above the stars of God. I will set my throne on high; I will sit on the mount of assembly in the far reaches of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’ But you are brought down to Sheol, to the far reaches of the pit. Those who see you will stare at you and ponder over you: ‘Is this the man who made the earth tremble, who shook kingdoms, who made the world like a desert and overthrew its cities, who did not let his prisoners go home?’ All the kings of the nations lie in glory, each in his own tomb; but you are cast out, away from your grave, like a loathed branch, clothed with the slain, those pierced by the sword, who go down to the stones of the pit, like a dead body trampled underfoot. You will not be joined with them in burial, because you have destroyed your land, you have slain your people.

“May the offspring of evildoers nevermore be named! Prepare slaughter for his sons because of the guilt of their fathers, lest they rise and possess the earth, and fill the face of the world with cities.”

“I will rise up against them,” declares the Lord of hosts, “and will cut off from Babylon name and remnant, descendants and posterity,” declares the Lord. “And I will make it a possession of the hedgehog, and pools of water, and I will sweep it with the broom of destruction,” declares the Lord of hosts. (Is. 14:12-23)

The judgment of Babylon continues in this passage, and the last two verses in verses 22 and 23 restates God's judgment in rendering Babylon into a wasteland. This passage however is infused with an interesting element which is otherwise foreign to the judgment of Babylon — that of Satan and God's judgment of Satan.

Verse 12 starts off with a remark on the fall of the Day Star. The Day Star typically refers to Venus which can be seen brightly early in the morning or in the early evening from the earth, and is thus the most prominent of all the astral bodies from earth besides the Sun and the Moon. Stars typically are used to symbolize angels (cf Job 38:7; Rev. 12:4) or the child(ren) of God (cf Gen. 37:9; Num. 24:17). So on the one hand, the narrative continues to proclaim judgment on Babylon and the king of Babylon, and then introduces him as being akin to Satan, who is the Day Star, brighter than the other stars (angels). Both of their sins and fates in this passage parallel each other to a certain extent.

From verses 13 and 14, it can be seen that the Day Star desires to ascend to the heavens, above the stars of God, setting his throne over multitudes, and even be like the God the Most High. This at once describe the unbridled and proud ambition of the King of Babylon who desires through astrology and magic etc to reach heaven and control the future if possible (cf King Nebuchadnezzar's act of defiance in Dan. 3:1 in imitation of the image in the God-given vision in Dan. 2:31-35), and also his desire to conquer all nations and rule over them. And such pride and ruthless ambition mirrors that of Satan who similarly desires to be over all the angels and rule over the world which God creates, and desire to be equal to God Himself.

God's judgment on such pride and godless ambition will be swift. The King of Babylon will be destroyed and brought down to the grave to its lowest depths (v. 15), as Satan himself is thrown into hell. He will be punished worse than the others for his gross wickedness and pride (v. 20), thus becoming a mockery to those he had formerly conquered (v. 16-19). And their offspring would be cut off so that the wicked seed would not flourish in the land (v. 21). This is not talking about the physical offspring of the King of Babylon per se as much as the rulers and their heirs of the Babylonian throne, as judgment on the King of Babylon and her dynasty. Similarly, Satan will have seeming great success in ruling over the world and subjugating the wicked under him, but in the end his end would be the worst off, being thrown into the lake of fire and punished the most severely.

So therefore, through all this, let us not be fearful of the devices of the enemy. Their rage is for a while, but their doom is sure. As Luther mentioned in his great hymn A Mighty Fortress is Our God, "One little word shall fell him".

And though this world, with devils filled, should threaten to undo us, we will not fear, for God has willed His truth to triumph through us The Prince of Darkness grim, we tremble not for him; his rage we can endure, for lo, his doom is sure; one little word shall fell him

(Martin Luther, A Mighty Fortress is our God, Third stanza)

Weekly Meditations: Is. 14 (1)

For the Lord will have compassion on Jacob and will again choose Israel, and will set them in their own land, and sojourners will join them and will attach themselves to the house of Jacob. And the peoples will take them and bring them to their place, and the house of Israel will possess them in the Lord's land as male and female slaves. They will take captive those who were their captors, and rule over those who oppressed them.

When the Lord has given you rest from your pain and turmoil and the hard service with which you were made to serve, you will take up this taunt against the king of Babylon:

“How the oppressor has ceased, the insolent fury ceased! The Lord has broken the staff of the wicked, the scepter of rulers, that struck the peoples in wrath with unceasing blows, that ruled the nations in anger with unrelenting persecution. The whole earth is at rest and quiet; they break forth into singing. The cypresses rejoice at you, the cedars of Lebanon, saying, ‘Since you were laid low, no woodcutter comes up against us.’ Sheol beneath is stirred upto meet you when you come; it rouses the shades to greet you, all who were leaders of the earth; it raises from their thrones all who were kings of the nations. All of them will answer and say to you: ‘You too have become as weak as we! You have become like us!’ Your pomp is brought down to Sheol, the sound of your harps; maggots are laid as a bed beneath you, and worms are your covers.

(Is. 14:1-11)

Following the prophesying of the destruction of Babylon, Isaiah moves on to the restoration of Israel the people of God in verses 1 and 2. After destroying their oppressors, God will once again have mercy upon Israel and bring them back to their own land (v. 1). And whereas previously, they were oppressed by foreigners, the Lord will now give the foreigners to them as their slaves, in a mighty reversal of roles. Those who oppress the people of God are now in turn subjugated to them (v. 2).

This restoration was fulfilled in part in history when the Jews returned back to Jerusalem during the time of the Persian Empire. And verse 2 did in fact occur in some small measure for example in periods like the time of Esther and Mordecai. Yet, such fulfilment is fleeting and temporal, as the Israelites were once again subjugated first by Greek and then Roman rule, before finally the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70 under Titus brought an end to the Jewish Kingdom until the modern era.

The passage therefore point towards the true fulfilment of the restoration of the people of God in the future for us. God who is gracious will one day restore His persecuted people by destroying the persecutors and their false religion (representing Babylon), and thus gathering us unto Him. Those who oppress the Church will pay on that day for their crimes against Him who is on the throne, and the roles will be reversed figuratively speaking (cf v. 2). Now, these oppressors will be subjugated to the people of God and to God Himself, as He punishes the oppressors with His wrath and judgment.

Verse 3 starts with a taunt that the people of God are to take up against Babylon, which represents the oppressors of the people of God and the ensnarement of all false religion, and who oppress the people of God with "pain and turmoil and hard service". The insolence of the oppressor has ceased (v. 4) and the power of the oppressor which was used to oppress and persecute the people of God (v. 6) has been destroyed by God Himself (v. 5). The people of God rejoiced at this event, and this good thing so joyous that it is stated as being celebrated by the earth itself (v. 7-8). Sheol or Hell/Hades is figuratively stated as coming forward to meet Babylon as represented by the King of Babylon as Babylon is destroyed. Proud Babylon, the oppressor of God's people and the center of all idolatry, has fallen (Rev. 18:2)! She who considers herself strong and mighty will be dragged down to the grave, to the mockery of all those defeated kings before her (v. 9-10). The strength and might and status of Babylon would not help her at all, but will follow her to the grave in destruction (v. 11).

So therefore, in this time of on-going persecution and oppression of God's people, let us look ahead to Christ's second coming. For at that time, God's people will emerge triumphant as Babylon tumbles and falls, and we will finally be at peace as our oppressors come crashing down. This is our hope and our joy; so may we look earnestly to that day of our Lord. Amen!

Weekly Meditations: Is. 13

The oracle concerning Babylon which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw.

On a bare hill raise a signal; cry aloud to them; wave the hand for them to enter the gates of the nobles. I myself have commanded my consecrated ones, and have summoned my mighty men to execute my anger, my proudly exulting ones.

The sound of a tumult is on the mountains as of a great multitude! The sound of an uproar of kingdoms, of nations gathering together! The Lord of hosts is mustering a host for battle. They come from a distant land, from the end of the heavens, the Lord and the weapons of his indignation, to destroy the whole land.

Wail, for the day of the Lord is near; as destruction from the Almighty it will come! Therefore all hands will be feeble, and every human heart will melt. They will be dismayed: pangs and agony will seize them; they will be in anguish like a woman in labor. They will look aghast at one another; their faces will be aflame.

Behold, the day of the Lord comes, cruel, with wrath and fierce anger, to make the land a desolation and to destroy its sinners from it. For the stars of the heavens and their constellations will not give their light; the sun will be dark at its rising, and the moon will not shed its light. I will punish the world for its evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; I will put an end to the pomp of the arrogant, and lay low the pompous pride of the ruthless. I will make people more rare than fine gold, and mankind than the gold of Ophir. Therefore I will make the heavens tremble, and the earth will be shaken out of its place, at the wrath of the Lord of hosts in the day of his fierce anger. And like a hunted gazelle, or like sheep with none to gather them, each will turn to his own people, and each will flee to his own land. Whoever is found will be thrust through, and whoever is caught will fall by the sword. Their infants will be dashed in pieces before their eyes; their houses will be plundered and their wives ravished.

Behold, I am stirring up the Medes against them, who have no regard for silver and do not delight in gold. Their bows will slaughter the young men; they will have no mercy on the fruit of the womb; their eyes will not pity children. And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the splendor and pomp of the Chaldeans, will be like Sodom and Gomorrah when God overthrew them. It will never be inhabited or lived in for all generations; no Arab will pitch his tent there; no shepherds will make their flocks lie down there. But wild animals will lie down there, and their houses will be full of howling creatures; there ostriches will dwell, and there wild goats will dance. Hyenas will cry in its towers, and jackals in the pleasant palaces; its time is close at hand and its days will not be prolonged. (Is. 13)

Isaiah moves from prophetic proclamation over Assyria to her successor, Babylon, who will be the one who will destroy Jerusalem and subjugate Judah historically. Here Isaiah proclaims the destruction of Babylon (even before she rises) as a judgment sent by God on the wicked empire who oppresses His people. The picture is here given of a signal raised on the hill calling upon Babylon's conqueror to come and enter Babylon to conquer it (v. 2). Furthermore, the conqueror enters through "the gate of the nobles", thus showing forth first, Babylon's wealth and her cultured people, and secondly, that all of that would not help Babylon but instead be the reward for her conqueror. The people doing this are set apart for God for this very purpose (ie 'consecrated' in this sense) (v. 3), and are therefore ordained and empowered by God for the very purpose of destroying Babylon and therefore executing God's wrath on her.

Verse 4 shows us the gathering army comes from diverse people, of which Media and Persia is made up of. The various tribes and kingdoms of Media and Persia would unite together to form a great army, and behind this is the hand of God in gathering them. They came from a place which is rather distinct for people during that time living in the Middle East, as further east is the land of India which they do not know much about, and thus the threat posed by them was ignored. Functioning as the LORD's tool of His indignation at the way Babylon oppress His people, the conquering army would put to waste the cities and strongholds of Babylon, laying waste to the pomp of Babylon.

In light of this fact, the people are called to wail and mourn, for the Lord's anger is coming in judgment and they are doomed (v. 6). The courage and strength and hope of the people will melt because nothing can withstand the power of God through the conquering army, looking aghast as the futility of their situation would become known to them (v. 7-8)

The wrath of God will manifest itself in the cruelty of the invading army against the objects of God's wrath, to execute God's judgments against the wicked (v. 9). Borrowing an imagery from apocalyptic literature, the day would seem as if the end of the world has came (v. 10) for such people, as their world is destroyed in one fell stroke and pandemonium reigns. Through the cruelty of the conquerors, God will judge the proud and wicked empire of Babylon and her rulers and humiliate her people (v. 11). Again using hyperbole, the destruction of Babylon is likened as to making people there rare, as multitudes would be killed, so that expensive and rare gold, even the rare gold of Ophir, is more plenteous than people (v. 12).

The news of the destruction of Babylon would reverberate throughout the nations, and the heavens is said to tremble as the wrath of God is manifested in such cruelty (v. 13), and all peoples will scatter, each back to their own peoples (v. 14) instead of presenting a united front against the (outside) conqueror. The cruel and horrific judgment of God on Babylon can be seen in verses 15-16, as all who are found will be killed, infants killed without pity (v. 18), their wives raped as the invaders invaded.

Verse 17 identifies for us the identity of the invader ordained by God to perform such a task. — the Medes, who as hill people aren't exactly so civilized to delight in gold and silver. Yet, it is God's will that they be His instrument to punish Babylon and deal with them so cruelly. Babylon that is so glorious, the head of Gold (Dan. 2:36-38), would fall in judgment for persecuting God's people as well as her idolatry (being the location of Babel and thus the progenitor of all idolatry), and God will make her into a wasteland like Sodom and Gomorrah (v. 19). The entire area of Babylon was prophesied to be made desolate such that nobody will live in it ever (v. 20), nor even an Arab herdsman coming to tent there, thus showing forth that the area would not be a place for people to settle in. In a final insult to Babylon, wild animals will be her inhabitants, even in her towers and pleasant palaces (v. 21-22). The whole area is destined to be a wasteland where once it was a thriving metropolis.

With regards to the destruction of Babylon, the destruction was not immediate as the invading Persians did not wipe it out immediately. Yet, over time, the city known as Babylon was abandoned and fell into ruins. Where once God's people were mocked by the Babylonians, yet God overthrew their oppressors and their pride and arrogance (v. 19) and eliminated them as punishment for gloating over the plight of His people. God will repay the wicked even as they gloat in their victory and oppress God's people. In the end, God's name will be vindicated and His justice manifest.

So therefore, we, like the Israelites of old, have no need to fear. For God's enemies, even if they triumph, will not have the last word. Instead, God will in judgment punish our oppressors and the enemies of His truth. This should serve to comfort us, who see the growth in wickedness and persecution of Christians worldwide. Yet God is not silent, and in time will punish our oppressors, even in cruelty. Let us therefore trust God, knowing that in the end justice will be served and His cause vindicated.

Weekly Meditations: Is. 12

You will say in that day: “I will give thanks to you, O Lord, for though you were angry with me, your anger turned away, that you might comfort me.

“Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the Lord God is my strength and my song,and he has become my salvation.”

With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. And you will say in that day:

“Give thanks to the Lord, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the peoples, proclaim that his name is exalted.

“Sing praises to the Lord, for he has done gloriously; let this be made known in all the earth. Shout, and sing for joy, O inhabitant of Zion, for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.” (Is. 12)

Following on the heels of the prophecies of the coming Messianic Kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ comes an outpouring of praise. Isaiah representing the people of God praises and thanks God for how good he is in averting His anger from us. As formerly God's people were subjected to God's wrath and punishment, yet now God's anger has turned away and He is there to comfort us once again. God indeed is our salvation, our strength and our song who works all things together for our good (cf Rom. 8:28). For God in the Messiah has reconciled His people to Him (2 Cor. 5:19) and therefore we are no more under His wrath. Because Jesus is spotless and His propitiation perfect, therefore our salvation is assured and we can completely trust God for it. Therefore, we can praise God for His exceedingly great salvation He has wrought for us.

Such a reality is indeed cause for joy, for we who were once under God's judgment because of our sins are now saved from it by God's grace (v. 3; cf Rom. 5:8-9), with the resultant overflowing of that joy in exalting His name among the nations and making known His deeds (v. 4). Historically, this shows the global scope of Israel's mission, which is to glorify God's name among the nations, which she failed to do time and time again. Nevertheless, God is not limited to Israel's failures and His cause would spread into the nations with or without Israel, as indeed it happened when Israel rejected her Messiah.

So let us come and sing and shout for joy to God (v. 5) for God the Holy One is in our midst (v. 6), for us and not against us. Amen and Amen!

Weekly Meditations: Is. 11 (2)

In that day the root of Jesse, who shall stand as a signal for the peoples — of him shall the nations inquire, and his resting place shall be glorious.

In that day the Lord will extend his hand yet a second time to recover the remnant that remains of his people, from Assyria, from Egypt, from Pathros, from Cush, from Elam, from Shinar, from Hamath, and from the coastlands of the sea.

He will raise a signal for the nations and will assemble the banished of Israel, and gather the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth. The jealousy of Ephraim shall depart,and those who harass Judah shall be cut off; Ephraim shall not be jealous of Judah,and Judah shall not harass Ephraim. But they shall swoop down on the shoulder of the Philistines in the west, and together they shall plunder the people of the east. They shall put out their hand against Edom and Moab, and the Ammonites shall obey them. And the Lord will utterly destroy the tongue of the Sea of Egypt, and will wave his hand over the River with his scorching breath, and strike it into seven channels, and he will lead people across in sandals. And there will be a highway from Assyria for the remnant that remains of his people, as there was for Israel when they came up from the land of Egypt. (Is. 11:10-16)

The Messiah at the initiation of the Messianic Kingdom will stand forth "as a signal for the peoples" (v. 10), and therefore this refers to the public nature of the coming of the Messiah on that day. The nations will come to submit (inquire) to Him and and His restful reign will be glorious, as He will subdue all His enemies under His feet.

Verse 11 tells us about the ingathering of the people of God who are found in various nations, which is made more explicit in verse 12 that are from the four corners of the earth. It must be noted that the Lord will extend His hand a second time, thus showing that this does not refer to the first prophesied and fulfilled gathering of Israel during the time of the Persian Empire. This gathering therefore is to be seen at the end of ages as the Messianic Kingdom intrudes physically into history, therefore telling us that the people of God, the elect, from all nations will be gathered by the Lord to Himself before that dreadful day, both believing Jews and Gentiles.

Ephraim and Judah represented the northern and southern kingdoms of Israel, and they generally detest each other. Yet verse 13 shows forth that on that day, God Himself will unite all who are called by His name. Jealousy is the characteristic attitude of Ephraim towards Judah with its temple worship, while Judah was uncharitable of their northern cousins who have abandoned God. But in that day, God Himself will purge the church and purify her finally, and only then will the people of God be one. Visible unity in the churches, as it can be seen, is impossible this side of heaven. Visible churches are plagued with varying degree of compromise and apostasy, and only until Jesus returns will He make us wholly one. This is of course not to take a laid-back attitude towards ensuring the purity of the Church, but it most definitely should show us that there is no such thing as a perfect church, and we shouldn't expect one either. Perfection and perfect unity among believers will only exist when Christ returns, and we should long earnestly for that day.

In verse 14, we can see that that day would be the day of defeat of our enemies and oppressors. While on earth, the Church and individual Christians will always be persecuted (2 Tim. 3:12). Only when Jesus returns will there then be total relief. Using the language of military victory and conquest of Israel's bitter and most immediate enemies figuratively, God depicts the ultimate victory of the church, NOT in literally plundering and killing people, but as those who will stand over them by the blood of Christ over the defeated rebellious reprobates who have no hope but only the stark reality of destruction and utter damnation in hellfire. Showing Himself strong, the Lord vindicates His people on their behalf against their enemies (v. 15) and delivers them once more from their persecutors. Just as the Lord has previously delivered them from Egypt, the Lord will also deliver them from Assyria and from other "Assyrias" that the people of God are found in (v. 16), removing all obstacles from their coming to Him (ie striking the Euphrates into seven channels) Broken but not crushed, subjected but not destroyed, the people of God under persecution will experience the power of God on that day in supernaturally delivering all of them, while God Himself will simultaneously destroy all His enemies, the oppressors of the Church, on that day of judgment.

Amen. May we yearn and long for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will vindicate us and bring all things to an end. So come, Lord Jesus (Rev. 20ff). Amen.

Weekly Meditations: Is. 11 (1)

There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding,the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. And his delight shall be in the fear of the Lord. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide disputes by what his ears hear, but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked. Righteousness shall be the belt of his waist, and faithfulness the belt of his loins.

The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together; and a little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall graze; their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. The nursing child shall play over the hole of the cobra, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder's den. They shall not hurt or destroying all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. (Is. 11:1-9)

The Messiah will come, and in this passage Isaiah prophesied with more details regarding this Messiah. For He alone is the hope of Israel, and of the remnant that remains (Is. 9:1-7). He shall come forth from the family line of David, of the stump of Jesse (v. 1). We can see here that He would come in a day when the southern kingdom of Judah was no more, since the Davidic line was likened to a stump, thus showing forth that the Davidic dynasty have been brought to an end politically.

The Messiah who comes will have the Spirit of the LORD resting upon Him, of which it can be seen that this is the Holy Spirit who is the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, counsel and might, and of knowledge and fear of the Lord (v. 2). The Messiah delights in God's law and will judge impartially (v. 3-4), judging not merely by appearances or what others say (v. 3), but in true righteousness and equity, meting out punishments against the wicked (v. 4). In fact, so righteous is the Messiah that righteousness is as it were part of his nature; part of his daily clothing (v. 5)

The prophecy then continues into describing the characteristics of the Messianic Kingdom (v. 6-9; in fact till the end of the chapter). In the historical context of Isaiah's time, this prophecy is truly a description of paradise. As opposed to wars and rumors of wars, the prophetic vision tells us of the wolf dwelling with the lamb, thus showing forth the contrast with peace in the Messianic Kingdom that extends even among Creation's predator and prey. Ditto for the leopard and the young goat, the calf and the lion and the fattened calf, which through repeated emphasis on this theme shows forth the great peace and tranquility of the Messianic Kingdom to come (v.6).

And a little child shall lead them. Nature would finally be placed back under the dominion of Mankind with even someone as small and powerless as a little child having dominion over the animals in leading them. Whereas before the curse was brought about by sin and is in effect, the Messianic Kingdom will bring the curse to an end and bring back the Creation order unpolluted by sin. The animals will similarly stop eating each other and have peace among themselves (v. 7), and such will be the recognition of Man's dominion over them that the cobra and the adder, both snakes, will not harm children who even intrude into their living spaces (v. 8). Since the snake/ serpent was the one used by Satan to tempt Eve and Adam into sinning, the curse on the serpent as Satan's instrument is that snakes in general are at enmity with Man (as a type of the spiritual reality of the enmity of Man against the Devil). Therefore, this language in verse 8 portrays to us explicitly that the Messianic Kingdom envisioned here refers to a kingdom where the effects of sin are totally reversed. Verse 9 carries on in showing us and emphasizing once again that there would no violence in God's Holy Mountain which symbolizes the place where God reigns. This turns out to be everywhere on that day, when "the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the water covers the sea". The whole earth will be filled with God's glory and praises as the elect remnant left rejoice in His holy name and revel in the knowledge of Him.

So what exactly is this Messianic Kingdom? As it can be seen, the description of this Kingdom can be nothing more the eternal Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ at His second coming, for only after sin is destroyed can there be the reversal of the effects of the fall and the glory of God and the knowledge of God filling the whole earth. Yet, we have seen in earlier passages (cf. Is. 9) that the coming of the Messiah must not be too far off in the future, bring born of a virgin (Is. 7:14). When one looks at Jesus' first coming, the prophecy makes little sense until we see it as the Messiah coming two times (which is made necessary by passages such as Is. 53). Therefore, in Jesus' first coming, this Messianic Kingdom has already come spiritually in the hearts of Man for all who believe through submission to and believing in Jesus Christ, who are the firstfruits of redemption, and they will experience for themselves the peace of God in their hearts; peace between them and God. This same peace and submission would be extended to all of Creation when Christ comes again to set up His kingdom, which we have seen is without end (Is 9:7). Putting all of these together therefore shows us the identification of the Messianic Kingdom stated here with the reign of God at the end of ages, and this Messiah must therefore be very God Himself, since God will not have an equal king beside Him.

As a slight diversion, this passage is totally inconsistent with the traditional Dispensationalist scenario of the end times. For if the Messianic Kingdom was merely an earthly kingdom ruled by Christ for a thousand years, following which would arise the last great apostasy followed by the Great white throne judgment, then it must be said that sin was still present in that "millennial" kingdom, and therefore verses 6-9 cannot be used to describe it. For if we are called the firstfruits of salvation (Rom. 8:23), then we must be excised of sin and its effects before the Creation will be set free from the bondages of sin, and therefore such peace and tranquility in Creation would not happen unless we the people of God have been fully sanctified and glorified by God first.

So dearly beloved, are you therefore eagerly awaiting your Messiah and Lord? Are you seeking His second coming? Are you weary of this world with its depravity and wickedness and injustice? Look therefore unto Christ, and may He be your hope all your days. Amen.

Weekly Meditations: Is. 10 (2)

In that day the remnant of Israel and the survivors of the house of Jacob will no more lean on him who struck them, but will lean on the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, in truth. A remnant will return, the remnant of Jacob, to the mighty God. For though your people Israel be as the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them will return. Destruction is decreed, overflowing with righteousness. For the Lord God of hosts will make a full end, as decreed, in the midst of all the earth.

Therefore thus says the Lord God of hosts: “O my people, who dwell in Zion, be not afraid of the Assyrians when they strike with the rod and lift up their staff against you as the Egyptians did. For in a very little while my fury will come to an end, and my anger will be directed to their destruction. And the Lord of hosts will wield against them a whip, as when he struck Midian at the rock of Oreb. And his staff will be over the sea, and he will lift it as he did in Egypt. And in that day his burden will depart from your shoulder, and his yoke from your neck; and the yoke will be broken because of the fat.”

He has come to Aiath; he has passed through Migron; at Michmash he stores his baggage; they have crossed over the pass; at Geba they lodge for the night; Ramah trembles; Gibeah of Saul has fled. Cry aloud, O daughter of Gallim! Give attention, O Laishah! O poor Anathoth! Madmenah is in flight; the inhabitants of Gebim flee for safety. This very day he will halt at Nob; he will shake his fist at the mount of the daughter of Zion, the hill of Jerusalem.

Behold, the Lord God of hosts will lop the boughs with terrifying power; the great in height will be hewn down, and the lofty will be brought low. He will cut down the thickets of the forest with an axe, and Lebanon will fall by the Majestic One.

(Is. 10: 20-34)

With judgment proclaimed over the enemy — Assyria, the prophetic message moves to comfort the people of God who are severely chastised by God and understandably distressed by the apparent victory of the enemy over God's people. The severe chastisement sent unto Israel will lead the remnant of God's people (v. 21) by faith back to God and not to their afflictors. (v. 20). They will lean on Him in truth and therefore truly know God, not superstitiously as their forefathers did. Such is the severity of judgment, that the remnant is a very small figure compared to the external people of God who are like the sand of the sea, by the wrath of God expressing itself out in destruction of the wicked reprobate among the Covenant community (v. 22). And this destruction would proceed according exactly to God's plan, and fulfils His purpose (v. 23)

From this short passage, we can already see a few things. In verse 20, we can see that God is not responsible for the afflictions on His people, although He sovereignly controls them for their chastisement, as He is not the "him who struck them". This already shows us that God is not the author of sin, though He is sovereign over it. And God's people will return and lean on Him in truth, which shows that returning to Christ is based on doctrine in truly knowing Him, yet that doctrine is experiential in its outworking (leaning on Him, not mere "head knowledge")

In verse 24, God comforted the believing remnant of believers not to be afraid of the Assyrians when they ravage the land, and they can not be afraid because God has in mind already their deliverance and salvation, and judgment on the Assyrians who will face God's wrath and fury for their unrighteousness (v. 25). Using the analogy of Israel's victory against the Midianites (Judges 7: 19-25) and of Israel's victory against Egypt at the Red Sea (v. 26), both of which Israel did absolutely nothing to gain their victory but only God did all the actions, God promised once again to do the same in delivering Israel from Assyria. And it did in fact happened miraculously during the reign of King Hezekiah exactly as prophesied (Is. 37:36). God did all the work of deliverance, and the people did nothing to contribute to their salvation besides having faith in God.

This prophesied account is a story of our salvation from God, which verse 27 hints at ('because of the fat', or 'the anointing' - KJV). Our salvation mirrors that of the Israelites here, for it is God and God alone who will save us from the "Assyria" of sin without any help from us. We just have to belief in Him and trust in Him while He monergistically save us from our slavery to sin into the glorious freedom of His Son, who is forever praised. Amen.

The cities mentioned in verses 28-32 are cities of Judah which the Assyrians wold pass through in their attempted conquest of Jerusalem, accompanied by the fleeing of the inhabitants from the mighty power of Assyrian's army. And within one day, the armies of Assyria would reach the area near Jerusalem and shake her fist against her for her destruction (v. 32).

And yet, God will pass His judgments. To those who in their pride proclaimed themselves strong and lofty, God promised that He Himself will destroy them and bring them low (v. 33), using the analogy of bringing down of the lofty trees of Lebanon to emphasize the point (v. 34). Assyria will face the full force of God's wrath in judgment for their pride and arrogance and wickedness, and God will cut off their strength. As we can read for ourselves, God wiped out nearly their entire army overnight (Is. 37:36), totally destroying the source of their strength, and which would ultimately lead to the destruction of Assyria as they start to decline as a nation.

So, beloved in the Lord, do not be afraid of the enemies of our God, no matter how strong they may seem to be to us. For God is our strength if we but trust in Him, and He Himself will be against our enemies and eliminate them on our behalf as long as we trust in Him. So be calm and at peace, for God Almighty is still on His throne, and nobody, not even the devil, can do anything without Him using it for our own good (Rom. 8:28). Lean on Him, and see our deliverance come even as the enemy seems to win for the moment. After all, the war has been won already in our favor, so why do we fret over seeming defeats in battles? Could it be that our God is allowing the enemy to win for the moment so that He can gain the greater glory for wiping them all out in an instance when they are on the verge of total victory? So continue to trust in God, and by faith we know that our God has the ultimate victory. May we trust Him in this on all that we do. Amen.

Weekly Meditations: Is. 10 (1)

Ah, Assyria, the rod of my anger; the staff in their hands is my fury! Against a godless nation I send him,and against the people of my wrath I command him, to take spoil and seize plunder, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets. But he does not so intend,and his heart does not so think; but it is in his heart to destroy, and to cut off nations not a few; for he says: “Are not my commanders all kings? Is not Calno like Carchemish? Is not Hamath like Arpad? Is not Samaria like Damascus? As my hand has reached to the kingdoms of the idols, whose carved images were greater than those of Jerusalem and Samaria, shall I not do to Jerusalem and her idols as I have done to Samaria and her images?”

When the Lord has finished all his work on Mount Zion and on Jerusalem, he will punish the speech of the arrogant heart of the king of Assyria and the boastful look in his eyes. For he says:

“By the strength of my hand I have done it, and by my wisdom, for I have understanding; I remove the boundaries of peoples, and plunder their treasures; like a bull I bring down those who sit on thrones. My hand has found like a nest the wealth of the peoples; and as one gathers eggs that have been forsaken, so I have gathered all the earth; and there was none that moved a wing or opened the mouth or chirped.”

Shall the axe boast over him who hews with it, or the saw magnify itself against him who wields it? As if a rod should wield him who lifts it,or as if a staff should lift him who is not wood! Therefore the Lord God of hosts will send wasting sickness among his stout warriors, and under his glory a burning will be kindled, like the burning of fire. The light of Israel will become a fire, and his Holy One a flame, and it will burn and devour his thorns and briers in one day. The glory of his forest and of his fruitful land the Lord will destroy, both soul and body, and it will be as when a sick man wastes away. The remnant of the trees of his forest will be so few that a child can write them down.

(Is. 10:5-19)

The prophetic scene moves straight onto the Assyrians; the powerful Empire that cruelly laid waste cities and entire nations in her conquest to rule the world. Isaiah here prophesies against the cruel Assyrians, who are nearing the peak of their power then as they lay waste the northern kingdom of Israel/ Emphraim and the kingdom of Syria, both weakened in their failed military campaign against Judah.

The Assyrians are God's chosen tool of judgment and his rod of anger to do His will on the earth (v. 5), and in His sovereign plan God used them and sent them against godless nations to punish them for their wickedness; to plunder them and to destroy both the material wealth and the pride and spirit of the inhabitants of the nations they conquer (v. 6) Yet this is not what the Assyrians in their wickedness have purposed to do. They desire to conquer the entire world if they are able to and to destroy them, not punish them as God intended (v. 7). The Assyrians in their arrogance boasted in their prowess even as they plot the conquest and subjugation of Israel and Judah. Likening each of their commanders to the power and status of kings (v. 8), and thus able to take over each nation by themselves, militarily and more importantly in terms of their glorious status, the Assyrians lusted after the lands of other nations, to annex them and control them such that each commander is in charge of a former kingdom as a vassal state of the great Assyrian Empire. In verse 9, the Assyrians are stated as contrasting cities that are on the verge of or are falling (Calno, Hamath, Samaria — in or near Israel) to those which have fallen (Carchemish, Arpad, Damascus — all in Syria) and stated that there is no difference between them. As she had conquered these lands and destroyed their "gods" who are supposed to be greater than those in Israel and Judah (v. 10), so she boast that she will do the same with the God in Judah, whom she contemptuously regarded as "just another god" (v. 11).

Such pride, arrogance and boastfulness of course will not go unpunished by God, who will punish the Assyrians after he has finished using them as a tool of chastisement on Judah (v. 12). Months or years even before the actual judgment against Assyria took place, the prophecy of judgment has been proclaimed against this haughty nation. The Assyrians boasted in their prowess — their strength and wisdom through which they have done all these great things against other nations (v. 13) and have plundered them severely and taken all their treasures such that all yielded to the power of the Assyrians as they are without might to resist (v. 14). Yet, they attempted to elevate themselves above God — the God who is the one who has given them all these capabilities. God called them to account as being profane and foolish, for trying to elevate themselves above the one who gave them all these things and used them for His purposes. For who stupid can it be for an axe to boast that it does the work when it is only the tool used for such purposes, and thus by itself it is nothing? Or that of a saw, a rod or a staff — all inanimate tools! (v. 15) It is utterly foolish for inanimate tools to boast that they did the work, when they are mere tools unable to do anything without someone using them. Such is the foolishness of the Assyrians who mock God who is the One who is actually giving them their successes.

The judgment of God for so doing would fall upon the Assyrians in due time (cf Is. 37:36-38). The LORD will send a wasting disease to eliminate her military might (v. 16) and God Himself will inflict destruction on her and her economy (v. 17-19), such that the land would be so barren "even a child can write down the number of trees in the forest" (v. 19). Such is the destruction which God prophesied over Assyria, which will be realized much later.

In this passage, there are a few important things to take note of. This passage first of all teaches us about the sovereignty of God, and how that functions in a compatabilistic understanding of "free will". The Assyrians are most definitely free, yet God is absolutely sovereign over them as well, turning the hearts of the king wherever He wills it to go (Prov. 21:1). In this particular passage, God is sovereign in ordaining that Assyria be His tool of judgment. Yet this is not what Assyrian actually intended, which is to destroy the nations and rule over the world. The same actions that Assyria did, God intended it for His holy purpose of judgment while Assyria intended it for her cruel ambition. And thus we can see how the will of God acts in the affairs of Man. Man plots, plans and schemes according to the desires of their heart, but God uses their actions and overrides and harness them to accomplish His purposes, all without any heed to the "free will" of Man or what Man actually desire. And when the tools intend to do something contrary to God's will, God can use other tools to stop them so that God's will is supreme over all and His sovereign will is always accomplished.

The next thing we must humbly remember that is taught here is that all successes ultimately come from God. The Assyrians think that they have earned and worked for their successes, and that is indeed true humanly speaking. Yet, God is the one who has given them both the ability and the success that comes with its practice, and when the Assyrians boast about their successes, God proclaimed judgment against her. We are therefore to thank God for all abilities and successes we have and not to boast in ourselves, for ultimately they are not our doing but Christ who gave all of them to us.

The third lesson we can learn is that God is the Ruler of the entire earth and of all peoples whether they like it or not. Assyria does not know YHWH at all, neither were they having any relation to Him unlike the northern kingdom of Israel. Yet, God is sovereign still over that cruel pagan power, and holds them all by the same rule. So who cares whether such and such acknowledge God's laws or submit to them at all? God will still be their judge and condemned them in their sins regardless of whether they have even heard of Jesus or God before. God does not say that just because such and such do not know God therefore they are exempted from obeying the laws of God. This we can see in the case of homosexuality for example. God commands that homosexuality be termed sin, and regardless of what anyone says or believes, God will still demand that of them. Unrepentant homosexuals who do not believe or even heard the Gospel are nevertheless held to God's moral standard regardless.

Weekly Meditations: Is. 9 -10

The Lord has sent a word against Jacob, and it will fall on Israel; and all the people will know, Ephraim and the inhabitants of Samaria, who say in pride and in arrogance of heart: “The bricks have fallen, but we will build with dressed stones; the sycamores have been cut down, but we will put cedars in their place.” But the Lord raises the adversaries of Rezin against him, and stirs up his enemies. The Syrians on the east and the Philistines on the west devour Israel with open mouth. For all this his anger has not turned away, and his hand is stretched out still.

The people did not turn to him who struck them, nor inquire of the Lord of hosts. So the Lord cut off from Israel head and tail, palm branch and reed in one day— the elder and honored man is the head, and the prophet who teaches lies is the tail; for those who guide this people have been leading them astray, and those who are guided by them are swallowed up. Therefore the Lord does not rejoice over their young men, and has no compassion on their fatherless and widows; for everyone is godless and an evildoer, and every mouth speaks folly. For all this his anger has not turned away, and his hand is stretched out still.

For wickedness burns like a fire; it consumes briers and thorns; it kindles the thickets of the forest, and they roll upward in a column of smoke. Through the wrath of the Lord of hosts the land is scorched, and the people are like fuel for the fire; no one spares another. They slice meat on the right, but are still hungry, and they devour on the left, but are not satisfied; each devours the flesh of his own arm, Manasseh devours Ephraim, and Ephraim devours Manasseh; together they are against Judah. For all this his anger has not turned away, and his hand is stretched out still. (Is. 9: 8-21)

Woe to those who decree iniquitous decrees, and the writers who keep writing oppression, to turn aside the needy from justice and to rob the poor of my people of their right, that widows may be their spoil, and that they may make the fatherless their prey! What will you do on the day of punishment, in the ruin that will come from afar? To whom will you flee for help,and where will you leave your wealth? Nothing remains but to crouch among the prisoners or fall among the slain. For all this his anger has not turned away, and his hand is stretched out still. (Is. 10:1-4)

The LORD speaks forth prophetic judgments against Ephraim, the northern Kingdom of Israel. After previously prophesying with regards to the hope of the people of God which is the coming Messiah, and consoling the remnant that their hope is in fearing God and obeying Him, Isaiah spoke forth the terrifying prophecy against the northern Kingdom of Israel, for being so wicked as to ally with a pagan nation (Syria) against their Jewish brothers. Their wicked action in rising against their brothers will be severely punished by God, as this passage shows.

Verse 8 starts the prophecy of Isaiah against the northern kingdom, and the judgment of God will be such that the people will know God is against them (v.9a). In their pride and arrogance of heart (v. 9b), they not only rely on their strength, but they boast of even greater strength after being punished previously for their many errors. "No bricks? Use stronger and more expensive dressed stones. The symacores have been cut down? We would plant stronger cedar trees in their place", thought the Israelites (v. 10). But God in His wrath would not allow that to happen. He would stir up the enemies of Israel (the adversaries of Israel's then king Rezin) (v. 11), leading the Syrians on the East and Philistines on the West to attack them and conquer and devastate their land (v. 12).

We can here notice that Syria who will attack Israel had previously allied themselves with them, all of which probably happened just before the march of the Assyrians. What irony! Those who attack the people of God will be paid back in full, even more when it is Covenant breakers who commit such treachery. Since Israel wanted to be like the nations, she will suffer like them also.

Verse 13 shows the hardened state of the Israelites in the northern kingdom, that they would not seek God when disaster strikes. And therefore the LORD would cut off the rulers of society: the elder and honored being the head, and the [false] prophet who teaches lies being the tail (v. 14-15). The leaders are the ones who lead the people astray to their ruin (swallowed up) (v. 16), such that apostasy is endemic to the entire nation, manifesting in that 'everyone is godless and evildoer and every mouth speaks folly' (v. 17b) and therefore God will have no joy or compassion over all of them, whether young or old, not even the poor, the fatherless and the widow because they too are wicked (v. 17a). [Btw, those who are poor and helpless, and at the bottom of society can be wicked as well, contra Liberation "Theology"]

The pervasive and awful wickedness of the Israelites here is portrayed as like a fire (v.18) which destroys things around it and throwing up smoke that is offensive to God (as opposed to the sweet smell of incense offered by a clean heart). The wrath of the LORD of host will thus cleanse the land by scorching it in His wrath and spending them on the Israelites who will be as fuel for the fire of God's wrath (v. 19). An appalling vision is described, as the Israelites are driven to treachery against each other and cannibalism in their desperation, eating of others (on their right and left) and even themselves in their impoverishment (v. 20). And yet, though they attack and devour each other, they remain steadfast in their hatred of Judah (v. 21), thus showing forth their depravity in which even the severe judgments of God did not bring them to repentance.

Is. 10 starts off with pronouncing judgment against those who are the people causing the most injustice and calamity in society by their godlessness. Those who twist the law of the land as putty to legally approve sin are detestable to God and woe is pronounced on them (v. 1). The same is pronounced on all who oppress the powerless people of society in order to gain advantage at their expense (v. 2), most definitely whether it is legally correct or not. God calls upon them to consider as all their petty benefits they have gain through all of this would not help them one bit when judgment comes through the destruction of their nation (v. 3), with the only two options given to them is either to be a prisoner or to die (v. 4a), of which all that they have materially etc will not be able to avail them in the day of judgment against Israel.

"For all this His anger has not turned away, and His hand is stretched out still". This phrase occurs in Is. 9:12b, 17c, 21b and 10:4; a total of 4 times. We can see here the wrath of God against unrepentant Israel who steadfastly refuses to repent of their gross wickedness. God has continued to pour out His wrath upon them, and yet even after all these horrid calamities, God's justice and wrath is not yet satisfied — so great is their wickedness. In the end, Israel as a nation would be destroyed and people deported among pagan nations, as Israel drank the judgment of God down to its very dregs.

Weekly Meditations: Is. 9 (1): Messianic Prophecy

But there will be no gloom for her who was in anguish. In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he has made glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations.

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shined. You have multiplied the nation; you have increased its joy; they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest, as they are glad when they divide the spoil. For the yoke of his burden, and the staff for his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, you have broken as on the day of Midian. For every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult and every garment rolled in blood will be burned as fuel for the fire. For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.

(Is. 9:1-7)

The prophet Isaiah, after pronouncing severe judgment against Judah and those within her who disbelief God, carries on here to prophesy about the Messiah who will save Israel from her enemies. He has already prophesied that the Messiah is to come to bring peace to His people, and the sign of the Messiah is that he comes from a virgin (Is. 7:14). Such peace is the true peace which only He can give, and in this passage, we can see Isaiah proclaiming much more regarding this great Messiah who will bring peace to Israel.

In verses 1, we can see the prophecy being proclaimed of the place where the Messiah is to come from (not his birthplace but his place of residence and hometown so to speak). Galilee is situated at the Northeastern region of Israel in the land given to the tribe of Naphtali, and it is from this place where hope would shine forth. God starts off by promising that "there will be no gloom for those who are in anguish", thus showing forth that God is here offering consolation for those who are in deep sorrow over sin and the judgment because of sin. This area has not featured as an important area at all in God's plan previously, and as such is described as being "brought into contempt", yet this will change as God will use this backward area as the hometown for the coming Messiah. Galilee the backward, uncouth and rustic area, the place at the edge of the land of Israel where Gentiles are very much present, will be the place which God decides to honor as the place where the Messiah would grow up and hail from.

Verses 2 to 7 proclaims the exceeding wonders and glories of the coming of the Messiah, of which we can meditate on its fullness just by itself. The Messiah here is the Light that comes into the world (Jn. 1:9; 8:12). To a dark and dreary land full of darkness and hopelessness, He came to give joy (v. 3) and light, as He is the One who can give them peace. The Messiah will come to release His people from bondage from the oppresor (v. 4), though such a delivery was most definitely not what the Jews of Jesus' time expected as they were too carnal to understand true spiritual truths. The garments of war would be burned up and destroyed in the fire at His coming, thus signifying the ceassation of war and the coming of peace as the Kingdom of God breaks into the lives of people as they submit to Christ. Truly, the Messiah would bring peace and joy to His people, which is certainly great news to those who are in the midst of war and/or oppression.

Verse 6 is the mighty proclamation not only of the lofty titles of the Messiah, but also of His identification with Divinity itself! This child the Messiah is born and is given for us, and He shall be the ruler and sovereign over His people, finally shattering the kingdoms of the world when He comes again and takes His rightful Kingship over the whole world. He is called Wonderful Counselor, showing His tender-hearted care of His people and binding up their wounds. He is also the Prince of Peace who will bring peace over our souls and our lives and, when He comes again, over the whole world. And He is called Mighty God and the Everlasting Father, which are titles of divinity and thus identifying the Messiah as being God Himself; God incarnate since He would come in the flesh, being born of a virgin (Is. 7:14), as a child and a son! What an astounding revelation God made to those who have eyes to see and ears to hear this astounding prophecy uttered by the prophet Isaiah, which was canonized in the Old Testament before Christ even came on the scene historically? Yet, the Jews in Jesus' time (including the religious leaders) were so blind to their own scriptues which prophesied about their own Messiah that they think it is blasphemy for Jesus who claim to be the Messiah to claim to be God (Jn. 8:58; 10:30-33)! How tragic!

Verse 7 carries on with the proclamation of the victorious, ever-growing and everlasting nature of the reign, rule and peace of the Messiah's Kingdom, which will be established in perfect justice and righteousness. The Messiah is prophesied to sit on the throne of David and is thus the eternal heir of David's throne. We can see here the phrase that "there will be no end" applied to his kingdom and of peace, thus showing that no mere earthly reality and Kingdom is meant here, nor is this ruling Messiah a mere mortal since all human beings must die and "lose" their kingdoms to either their heirs, usurpers or conquerors (And no, they cannot bring their kingdom to heaven either unless he is God). From this, we can immediately see that the Messiah must be more than human if such a prophecy is to come true, so this should immediately put to rest all Jewish speculations about an earthly Messiah, which sadly it didn't.

This entire prophetic utterance is concluded by the sure word of the Lord promising the fulfilment of this prophecy, because God Himself as it were places His Name and honor on the line for its fulfilment. "For the zeal of the LORD of host will do this", and therefore it will be done, and absolutely nobody can stop it.

Truly, what a powerful Messianic prophecy of encouragement to the remnant during Isaiah's time, and to us too as we look back to the Cross. For God so loved us that He promised and placed His honor on the line to fulfil His promise for our deliverance and hope. Absolutely nothing can stop God from sending the Messiah our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ to come and save us from our sins, to liberate us from darkness in the power of sin into His glorious light, and thus bringing us into His Kingdom where he reigns in our hearts and brings peace to our troubled souls. Let us therefore come now and spend some time in awe of this God who has done all this for us, and worship Him who is worthy of all our praises and honor and glory! May the Lamb who was slain receive all glory, honor, power and praise now and forever, world without end, Amen!

Weekly Meditations: Is. 8 (2)

For 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 as 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 Jacob, and I will hope in him. Behold, I and the children whom the Lord has given me are signs and portents in Israel from the 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 of the dead on behalf of the living? To the teaching and to 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 (Is. 8:11-22)

The firs part of chapter 8 shows us the mighty wrath of God coming over and against His people the Jews for sinning against him. God is sending the mighty Assyrian Empire as his rod to chastize Judah for her sins, and especially for the wicked sin of King Ahaz who decided to trust in Man rather than in God. In this climate of judgment, there is hope for those whose faith in in God, which we shall certainly see.

The passage opens with verse 11 which informs us of God's instruction to Isaiah, that he should not worry about the conspiracies nor call them conspiracies, and that he should not worry like others (v. 12). But rather he should turn to God and Him alone he shall honor and fear, and dread (v. 13). The result of this is that God will be his sanctuary, yet this action would at the same time also be judgment onto the unbelieving houses of Israel, even to Jerusalem the "holy city" (v. 14) resulting in their destruction and fall (v. 15).

From verse 11-13, we can see the secret of truly trusting God and being secure in Him. To do this, we must abide in Christ and not be troubled by the things of this world. Most certainly King Ahaz was conspiring with the Assyrians to eliminate the confederate forces of Syria and Israel, and so factually there is a conspiracy in the making, in fact one among several. The politicians now are no different from then, and in fact conspiracy theories abound in this age and time. While some of them are probably true, what dos God expect of us? Sure, all of these politicians (and pastor-politicians ie Rick Warren) are busy playing politics to control the world and "make it a better place", but what does God expect of us in this?

As we can see, God gave Isaiah, and thus us also, specific instructions. Verse 12 tells us not to call conspiracy what others call conspiracy, not that we live in a state of denial about that fact, but we should be unmoved by it. We should neither fear what the world fears nor be in dread about the future. For our God is a sovereign God, and there is nothing those politicians can do which is outside the sovereign decree of God. As it is written:

The king's heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord; He turns it wherever He will. (Prov. 21:1)

Even the mighty Assyrian, Babylonian, Persian, Greek and Roman empires were forced to serve our God, so why should we fear conspiracies even if they are true. Aren't all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing (Dan. 4:35a), and God does all He wills? Is there anything the governments of this world or the UN can do that God has not ordained it to be? So therefore, God directs us not to fear these things, but if we need to fear something, let us fear God and Him alone.

Verse 13 tells us that we must honor God and Him alone as holy. This tells us that we are sanctify God in our hearts and live our lives accordingly; to be holy as God is holy (1 Peter 1:16), giving him the honor and reverence He rightly deserves. We should only fear God and dread His wrath instead of fearing the uncertainties of life and dreading the calamities of this world. And this is God's promise to us: that while destruction and devastation would come about by the outpoouring of God's wrath in judgment, those who trust in Him and fear Him, honoring Him alone as holy would find God to be the sanctuary they need. Even in the midst of chaos and total societal breakdown, or war and famine, God will protect and provide for His people In this therefore, God has provided for those who trust in Him a sanctuary in the midst of Judgment.

Such consolation however has a most definite opposite effect on the unfaithful and unregenerate Jews who trusted not in God but in themselves. To such people, God and His Gospel of salvation will be an offense to them causing them to stumble. Such judgment is on the entire Covenant people encompassing both houses of the Divided Kingdom, and most certinaly included the inhibitants of Jerusalem, the "holy city" (v. 14b). For God will not spare anyone merely because they have the appearance of piety and are outwardly religious, but inside they are full of pride and unbelief, even though they may be in Jerusalem where the templs was. The good news will cause many Jews to stumble, fall and be broken (v. 15); all who do not trust in God by faith for their salvation.

Verse 16 shows that even at this time those who remain faithful to God must continue to stand firm and seal up the teaching or law in their hearts. In other words, they are to continue to abide in Scripture for their comfort and strength. Like Isaiah, we are to hope and wait on God who has in judgment hidden His face from the unfaithful and disobedient (v. 17). Verse 18 brings back to mind the use of Isaiah's two sons in 7:3, 15, 16; 8:1-3 as signs against faithless Israel. Through the prophetic words of judgment, Isaiah proclaims the authoritative Word of God which seals Judah's sins and destruction. Verses 21-22 prophesies the punishment of the wicked, showing their great distress and hunger and their contemptuous speech against both God and king. They will see nothing but death and darkness, thick darkness is their destination, and their final destination is hell.

Verses 19 tells us about the deplorable state of the Jews who desire to seek guidance from other gods, the dead (necromancy) and occultic powers (mediums), instead of their living God. Should they not inquire of their God, yet in their wickedness they know no bounds to their rebellion, asking the dea on behalf of the living rather than the Living God who controls all things. And verse 20 show us our ultimate frame of reference with regards to doctrine and life. For all of such innovations by the Jews, Isaiah sounds forth a clarion call back to God and His commands through the text of Scripture. "To the law and the testimony!", he proclaims. Law here referring to the first five books of Moses; the Torah, while testimony refers to the judges and prophetic utterances, and all of this constitute Scripture or God's Holy Word. If they do not follow the Scriptures, Isaiah proclaimed, it is because they have no dawn, or no light in them. The sufficiency of Scripture here is proclimed by the prophet Isaiah, in that Scripture and only Scripture must dictate our lives, other than that, there is no light and no life in such practices and teachings.

Therefore, in conclusion, let us learn to trust in God once more. Do not be overly concerned about the degeneration of this world but rather live in obedience to God in holiness for Him. The LORD of hosts, Him we must honor as holy. Let Him be our fear, and let Him be our dread, and thus He will be a sanctuary for us. Amen.

Weekly Meditations: Is. 8 (1)

Then the Lord said to me, “Take a large tablet and write on it in common characters, ‘Belonging to Maher-shalal-hash-baz.’ And I will get reliable witnesses, Uriah the priest and Zechariah the son of Jeberechiah, to attest for me.”

And I went to the prophetess, and she conceived and bore a son. Then the Lord said to me, “Call his name Maher-shalal-hash-baz; for 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 Shiloah that flow gently, and rejoice over Rezin and the son of Remaliah, 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, O Immanuel.”

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, but it will come to nothing; speak a word, but it will not stand, for God is with us.

(Is. 8:1-10)

Following on from the scene in Is. 7 whereby God through the prophet Isaiah offered wicked King Ahaz a sign, which he has wickedly rejected, God continued to reveal His ways and judgments to Isaiah against Judah and the other nations.

As this chapter begins, in verse 1, Isaiah was commanded to take a large tablet and write on it the prophecy regarding Judah and the other nations. First and foremost, Isaiah was to deed the tablet as belonging to his new son, Maher-shalal-hash-baz, who has not yet been born when he prepared the tablet. Not only was Isaiah to prepare the tablet, but he was to do so in the presence of reliable witnessess, Uriah the priest and Zechariah the son of Jeberechiah (v. 2), thus making the tablet and its contents, and the deed, official and legal, therefore serving as a most visible reminder to Judah of the Word and Judgment of God. After doing that then did Isaiah went to his wife (the prophetess), and she conceived and bore him a son who was then called the exact name deeded on the tablet — Maher-shalal-hash-baz (v. 3).

Several things need to be mentioned here. We do know that the prophetess stated in verse 3 is Isaiah's wife because Isaiah as a godly man just don't go and sleep with anyone. (Even the prophet Hosea did not just sleep with Gomer; he married her first. David did commit adultary with Bathsheba and was punished most severely for his sin.) We here note that Isaiah's wife is stated as being a 'prophetess', although there are no recorded instances or proofs that she had prophesied in any particular capacity. In fact, she probably never prophesied at all. If such is the case, this just proves the intricate relationship between husband and wife as being of "one flesh" (Gen. 2:24) such that they share the honor together for serving God even though one may be more prominent and does all the (visible) work.

The next thing we would notice is that the LORD asked Isaiah to deed the large tablet to Maher-shalal-hash-baz (v. 2), yet even up to then, Isaiah did not know who Maher-shalal-hash-baz actually is or will be. Isaiah only knew who that would be when the LORD told him to name his son by that name. This shows forth Isaiah's humility and obedience before God even despite his ignorance of what this would be about. Oftentimes, therefore, we may not know why the Lord does things in certain ways, yet we should learn to trust God like Isaiah did, for in His own time He will make plain His most glorious plan.

The name Maher-shalal-hash-baz is translated in the ESV footnote as "The spoil speeds, the prey hastens", and is thus a prophecy and a sign against Israel and Syria, as well as Judah. Coupled with that deed makes his very presence as a person a message of condemnation against the wicked within Judah including King Ahaz. Verse 4 shows the reason for the sign of his name, as the Lord revealed that in a short period of time of 1 or 2 years, before this child could learn how to call his father and mother, both Israel and Syria would be wiped out and their wealth carried away by Assyria. Judgment would fall very swiftly against Ephraim and Syria, both of which are contented with their seemingly powerful confederate armies. Therefore, the spoils speeds, and the prey hastens. Destruction and desolation would thus come to these two nations very quickly.

And following this, Judah herself was not spared. The LORD proclaimed judgment against Judah by sending the Assyrian army against them also, though they will not be destroyed. The people of Judah has disregarded the LORD and his commands, which was symbolized by Shilo(a)h, the place where the people of Israel assembled with God during Joshua's time (Josh. 18:1), through the time of the judges unto Samuel the last judge (1 Sam. 3:21). Coupled with that is their rejoicing over wickedness and power and thus they coveted the might of the kings of Syria (Rezin) and Israel (the son of Remeliah) (v. 6). Such an interpretation can be seen as the waters of Shiloh are said to flow gently, thus indicating it is peaceful rather than with power and might (forceful). The gentle waters of Shiloah are then contrasted later with the mighty waters of Assyria (the Waters of the Great River Euphrates). Therefore, the wicked people of Judah are actually coveting military power and might rather than to trust in God's provision.

The judgment against Judah of course is that God will send the Assyrians to discipline them. Since they love military power and might, God will send them the military power and might of the powerful Assyrian Empire, against them. It is stated as a river rising over its channels and go over its banks, thus symbolizing destruction flowing out of it over the nations. It flows on like a flood against Judah, swarming and passing through her, even occupying the land (v. 8). Yet in God's great mercy, they will not wipe out Judah, as it only flows "to the neck", yet will distress her greatly.

The land is said to be Immanuel's land (v. 8ff), thus showing forth God's declaration of ownership over Israel. Even though Assyria may occupy the territory, yet God still reigns! From this, we can learn that even when all seems lost, we should remember that Christ is still head of the Church, spiritual Israel, and therefore He will defend her and purify her. All we have to do is just to pray, have faith and work towards the goal of reformation and revival, knowing that in the final analysis, we would most definitely be successful, since the war has already been won.

Verses 9 and 10 concludes God's proclaimation of judgments against the nations that stand in Assyria's path, who despise Israel. He calls upon them that they may continue to prepare and get ready for war, but it will led to their destruction. They are all doomed to failure regardless of what they do; regardless of how many wise counsels they may make. For God has ordained it to pass, and none can alter it. For they have set themselves against Judah and against God, and therefore all their plans will ultimately be to nought. For God is with us, Immanuel, therefore God will foil the plans of the enemies, even using a pagan power (the Assyrian Empire) to foil their plans. We therefore can rest assured that no matter how powerful and how crafty the enemies of the Cross are, God has His methods to foil their plans, even using a greater evil to do so.

With this, let us therefore lean to trust in God, which we shall look at in the second part of chapter 8

[to be continued]

Weekly Meditations: Is. 7 (2)

Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz, “Ask a sign of the Lord your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven.” But Ahaz said, “I will not ask, and I will not put the Lord to the test.” And he said, “Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary men, that you weary my God also? Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. He shall eat curds and honey when he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good. For before the boy knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land whose two kings you dread will be deserted. The Lord will bring upon you and upon your people and upon your father's house such days as have not come since the day that Ephraim departed from Judah — the king of Assyria.”

In that day the Lord will whistle for the fly that is at the end of the streams of Egypt, and for the bee that is in the land of Assyria. And they will all come and settle in the steep ravines, and in the clefts of the rocks, and on all the thornbushes, and on all the pastures.

In that day the Lord will shave with a razor that is hired beyond the River—with the king of Assyria—the head and the hair of the feet, and it will sweep away the beard also.

In that day a man will keep alive a young cow and two sheep, and because of the abundance of milk that they give, he will eat curds, for everyone who is left in the land will eat curds and honey.

In that day every place where there used to be a thousand vines, worth a thousand shekels of silver, will become briers and thorns. With bow and arrows a man will come there, for all the land will be briers and thorns. And as for all the hills that used to be hoed with a hoe, you will not come there for fear of briers and thorns, but they will become a place where cattle are let loose and where sheep tread. (Is. 7: 10-25)

In the first part of Is. 7, the prophet Isaiah was sent to pass a message to the wicked king Ahaz of Judah to inform him that the combined armies of Israel (Ephraim) and Syria would not succeed. After Isaiah prophesied the failure of the confederate campaign, the LORD continued to speak through Isaiah's prophecies, which we shall look at now.

The LORD in His mercy and kindness called upon the wicked king Ahaz to ask of God a sign (v. 10-11). This sign could be as deep as Sheol (Hell) or high or heaven, two extremes which symbolizes everything. In other words, God is telling Ahaz that He is willing to give any sign to him. From this, we can see the kindness of God even to the wicked calling for their repentance, even sending His Word to them to aid them and send offers of signs. The wicked king Ahaz however spurned God's offer under the guise of piety (v. 12); of not willing to "put God to the test". God therefore through Isaiah call upon Judah, asking them whether they think that wearying men is not enough for them such that they must weary God even (v. 13). God then proceeds to give Ahaz and Judah a sign, even though Ahaz rejected it due to his unbelief, and what a sign it will be.

Verse 14 of Is. 7 is one of the Messianic prophecies uttered in the Old Testament, as God has decided to give this sign for Israel in the midst of their unbelief, and what a prophecy it will be. The prophecy is that of the birth of the Messiah who will be called Immanuel — God with us — through his conception and bearing by a virgin. Such a supernatural event is to be a sign unto Israel, and will show forth God's presence among them to help them and aid them in their times of distress.

Before we apply this verse, a note must be said about the translation of the Hebrew for 'virgin', almah. The origianal word just mean 'young woman; maiden', though it must be noted that its usage in Scripture is always limited to young, unmarried women who are virgins. The translation to virgin is most definitely correct here, notwitstanding the liberal error which causes the word in the RSV for this verse to be translated as 'young woman'. For if it just refers to young women, the sign makes utterly no sense, for how can the fact that any woman conceive, no matter how young, be a sign unless it is not a natural conception?

And so the sign is proclaimed, which God will fulfil in His time and as a sign to Israel, when Jesus Christ was born of the virgin Mary. Jesus came as Immanuel, and he came to offer true peace to His people, who were also physically under distress. Of course Jesus came to offer them true spiritual peace (aid) which they understood not, but nonetheless the true Israel, the remnant of physical Israel, would embrace Christ. And this priviledge is expanded to the world, where God in Christ begin to open up the Kingdom of heaven to Man from every nation, tribe and tongue, starting from the time of Pentecost.

Now, it may be asked if this sign was to have a double fulfilment, a 'mini-fulfilment' then foreshadowing its true fulfilment in Jesus Christ, seeing as to how it is supposed to a sign to King Ahaz. However, this cannot be the case, for any true virgin birth then would undermine the uniqueness of Jesus' own virgin birth, and furthermore how can a mere mortal be called Immanuel? The sign was initially called upon for King Ahaz to ask of, yet his refusal resulted in the sign being given to Israel/Judah in general (v. 13). And God has never said that the sign must be fulfilled by Him now, but that this is sign functions rather as a promise to the remnant within Israel/Judah that God will one day send a Messiah to aid them in their distress.

Verses 15-16 are much more difficult to exegete, seeing that they seem to be linked to verse 14 yet it seems to be talking about the events happening in the near future. Verse 15 tells of the a boy eating curds and honey when he knows how to 'refuse the evil and choose the good'. And verse 16 through the use of the word 'for' (ki) links up verse 16 to verse 15, and it states that before the boy 'knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good', the two kingdoms attacking Judah now will be deserted and thus they have been destroyed as a nation. Of course, the defeat of these two kings occurred in Isaiah's and Ahaz's lifetime, and therefore this seems strange. John Calvin for example in his commentary of this passage chose to take the view that verse 15 refers to Christ, following on from verse 14, while verse 16 takes on a new subject matter (the boy here refering to Isaiah's son Shear-jashub who was bought to meet King Ahaz earlier - verse 3). Matthew Henry took the same position also. So they mention that through verse 15, Jesus' humanity can be seen.

I disagree however with those views. On reason of course is that verse 16 through the use 'for (ki) links that verse with verse 15. A more fundamental problem however lies in the fact that the boy in verse 15 is stated as having a stage whereby he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good, and certainly how can it be said that there was a time in Jesus' life whereby He does not know how to refuse the evil and choose the good? Therefore, it is my view that verse 15 and 16 refers to Isaiah's young son Shear-jashub who function as an immediate sign to King Ahaz. So therefore, Isaiah proclaims that before his own son grew up to become more discerning (to know how to refuse the evil and choose the good), both Ephraim and Syria would be wiped out as nations (v. 16). Furthermore, when he matures enough to do that, he shall 'eat curds and honey' (v. 15), which refers to the fact that only such food are available during such a time, and the reason why we will look at in later verses.

Verse 17 starts the prophesying of disaster upon wicked King Ahaz, whom God knows has already called on Assyria for help. God calls forth to mind the spector of the worst disaster in the history of Judah so far — the day that the ten northern tribes split from the kingdom of the house of David — and states that He the LORD will bring forth worse calamities upon Judah, and the king of Assyria would be its cause. This is indeed judgment upon King Ahaz for his unbelief and his dependence on Assyria to help him against Ephraim and Syria, of which fact God does indeed knows. Verse 18 calls forth in the agents of judgment Judah would get, which is also their "just reward" for meddling around in International Politics when God has not called them to. Both Egypt and Assyria would hence forth fight for dominance over this region, and Judah would be ravaged in the process. The Egyptians and Assyrians are stated as settling in steep ravines, clefts of the rock, thornbushes and on all pastures (v. 19), which depict them as taking over the territory and being tenacious in their occupation of the land. Verse 20 shows the judgment of God against King Ahaz in particular and against Judah in general, as God will use the King of Assyria to punish them as like a razor. It is likened to a razor because God is using him to inflict humiliation and defeat (head, hair of the feet, and bear also), yet not to destroy Judah. It is hired because the king os Assyria most certainly did not yield to obedience to God to do His will, and therefore the LORD uses him as if hired since he did not submit himself willingly to God.

We end with verses 21-25 which tells of the economic hardship and yet God's provision during this time of judgment. On the one hand, verses 23 tells of the loss of agricultural products and that wildness will overrun the land, thus making once cultivated land into wild areas for hunting (v. 24). Yet on the other hand, God's provision is manifested as those who are still alive will have enough to eat, though perhaps not what they would like to have. Such provision is likened to a man keeping alive a young cow and two sheep (v. 21), who then derived his food from them as they produce much milk (v. 22) to make curds, and therefore they would eat curds and honey. Verse 25 shows God's provision too, that though the land is desolate and devastated, yet the land could still be used for rearing of cows and sheep, and therefore Judah would not starve.

Remembering verse 15, it can be seen therefore that what Isaiah was prophesying was that such a desolation of the land caused by Assyria (and Egypt) would come about as his own son mature in knowing 'how to refuse the evil and choose the good', and therefore not very far off in the future. Such therefore is the sober judgment rendered upon wicked King Ahaz for his unbelief and rebellion against God in procuring Assyria's aid.

In conclusion therefore, as we looked upon this passage, let us not follow the example of King Ahaz, of despising God's grace and kindness to him but instead rely on Man. While such a solution would indeed help you for a time, God will see to it that your solution will cause you much more harm in the future. Let us therefore trust in God in whatever we do and not create our own solutions, which may prove detrimental in the future. Remember also Abraham's 'experiment' with Ishmael and the harm it caused, and continue to cause.

Weekly Meditations: Is. 36-37 (part 3)

[continued from here and here

In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, Sennacherib king of Assyria came up against all the fortified cities of Judah and took them. And the king of Assyria sent the Rabshakeh from Lachish to King Hezekiah at Jerusalem, with a great army. And he stood by the conduit of the upper pool on the highway to the Washer's Field. And there came out to him Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, and Shebna the secretary, and Joah the son of Asaph, the recorder.

And the Rabshakeh said to them, “Say to Hezekiah, ‘Thus says the great king, the king of Assyria: On what do you rest this trust of yours? Do you think that mere words are strategy and power for war? In whom do you now trust, that you have rebelled against me? Behold, you are trusting in Egypt, that broken reed of a staff, which will pierce the hand of any man who leans on it. Such is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who trust in him. But if you say to me, “We trust in the Lord our God,” is it not he whose high places and altars Hezekiah has removed, saying to Judah and to Jerusalem, “You shall worship before this altar”? Come now, make a wager with my master the king of Assyria: I will give you two thousand horses, if you are able on your part to set riders on them. How then can you repulse a single captain among the least of my master's servants, when you trust in Egypt for chariots and for horsemen? Moreover, is it without the Lord that I have come up against this land to destroy it? The Lord said to me, Go up against this land and destroy it.’”

Then Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah said to the Rabshakeh, “Please speak to your servants in Aramaic, for we understand it. Do not speak to us in the language of Judah within the hearing of the people who are on the wall.” But the Rabshakeh said, “Has my master sent me to speak these words to your master and to you, and not to the men sitting on the wall, who are doomed with you to eat their own dung and drink their own urine?”

Then the Rabshakeh stood and called out in a loud voice in the language of Judah: “Hear the words of the great king, the king of Assyria! Thus says the king: ‘Do not let Hezekiah deceive you, for he will not be able to deliver you. Do not let Hezekiah make you trust in the Lord by saying, “The Lord will surely deliver us. This city will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.” Do not listen to Hezekiah. For thus says the king of Assyria: Make your peace with me and come out to me. Then each one of you will eat of his own vine, and each one of his own fig tree, and each one of you will drink the water of his own cistern, until I come and take you away to a land like your own land, a land of grain and wine, a land of bread and vineyards. Beware lest Hezekiah mislead you by saying, “The Lord will deliver us.” Has any of the gods of the nations delivered his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria? Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim? Have they delivered Samaria out of my hand? Who among all the gods of these lands have delivered their lands out of my hand, that the Lord should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand?’”

But they were silent and answered him not a word, for the king's command was, “Do not answer him.” Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, and Shebna the secretary, and Joah the son of Asaph, the recorder, came to Hezekiah with their clothes torn, and told him the words of the Rabshakeh. (Is. 36)

As soon as King Hezekiah heard it, he tore his clothes and covered himself with sackcloth and went into the house of the Lord. And he sent Eliakim, who was over the household, and Shebna the secretary, and the senior priests, covered with sackcloth, to the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz. They said to him, “Thus says Hezekiah, ‘This day is a day of distress, of rebuke, and of disgrace; children have come to the point of birth, and there is no strength to bring them forth. It may be that the Lord your God will hear the words of the Rabshakeh, whom his master the king of Assyria has sent to mock the living God, and will rebuke the words that the Lord your God has heard; therefore lift up your prayer for the remnant that is left.’”

When the servants of King Hezekiah came to Isaiah, Isaiah said to them, “Say to your master, ‘Thus says the Lord: Do not be afraid because of the words that you have heard, with which the young men of the king of Assyria have reviled me. Behold, I will put a spirit in him, so that he shall hear a rumor and return to his own land, and I will make him fall by the sword in his own land.’”

The Rabshakeh returned, and found the king of Assyria fighting against Libnah, for he had heard that the king had left Lachish. Now the king heard concerning Tirhakah king of Cush, “He has set out to fight against you.” And when he heard it, he sent messengers to Hezekiah, saying, “Thus shall you speak to Hezekiah king of Judah: ‘Do not let your God in whom you trust deceive you by promising that Jerusalem will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria. Behold, you have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all lands, devoting them to destruction. And shall you be delivered? Have the gods of the nations delivered them, the nations that my fathers destroyed, Gozan, Haran, Rezeph, and the people of Eden who were in Telassar? Where is the king of Hamath, the king of Arpad, the king of the city of Sepharvaim, the king of Hena, or the king of Ivvah?’”

Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers, and read it; and Hezekiah went up to the house of the Lord, and spread it before the Lord. And Hezekiah prayed to the Lord: “O Lord of hosts, God of Israel, enthroned above the cherubim, you are the God, you alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; you have made heaven and earth. Incline your ear, O Lord, and hear; open your eyes, O Lord, and see; and hear all the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent to mock the living God. Truly, O Lord, the kings of Assyria have laid waste all the nations and their lands, and have cast their gods into the fire. For they were no gods, but the work of men's hands, wood and stone. Therefore they were destroyed. So now, O Lord our God, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you alone are the Lord.”

Then Isaiah the son of Amoz sent to Hezekiah, saying, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Because you have prayed to me concerning Sennacherib king of Assyria, this is the word that the Lord has spoken concerning him:

“‘She despises you, she scorns you—the virgin daughter of Zion; she wags her head behind you—the daughter of Jerusalem.

“‘Whom have you mocked and reviled? Against whom have you raised your voice and lifted your eyes to the heights? Against the Holy One of Israel! By your servants you have mocked the Lord, and you have said, With my many chariots I have gone up the heights of the mountains, to the far recesses of Lebanon, to cut down its tallest cedars, its choicest cypresses, to come to its remotest height, its most fruitful forest. I dug wells and drank waters, to dry up with the sole of my foot all the streams of Egypt.

“‘Have you not heard that I determined it long ago? I planned from days of old what now I bring to pass, that you should make fortified cities crash into heaps of ruins, while their inhabitants, shorn of strength, are dismayed and confounded, and have become like plants of the field and like tender grass, like grass on the housetops, blighted before it is grown.

“‘I know your sitting down and your going out and coming in, and your raging against me. Because you have raged against me and your complacency has come to my ears, I will put my hook in your nose and my bit in your mouth, and I will turn you back on the way by which you came.’

“And this shall be the sign for you: this year you shall eat what grows of itself, and in the second year what springs from that. Then in the third year sow and reap, and plant vineyards, and eat their fruit. And the surviving remnant of the house of Judah shall again take root downward and bear fruit upward. For out of Jerusalem shall go a remnant, and out of Mount Zion a band of survivors. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.

“Therefore thus says the Lord concerning the king of Assyria: He shall not come into this city or shoot an arrow there or come before it with a shield or cast up a siege mound against it. By the way that he came, by the same he shall return, and he shall not come into this city, declares the Lord. For I will defend this city to save it, for my own sake and for the sake of my servant David.”

And the angel of the Lord went out and struck down a hundred and eighty-five thousand in the camp of the Assyrians. And when people arose early in the morning, behold, these were all dead bodies. Then Sennacherib king of Assyria departed and returned home and lived at Nineveh. And as he was worshiping in the house of Nisroch his god, Adrammelech and Sharezer, his sons, struck him down with the sword. And after they escaped into the land of Ararat, Esarhaddon his son reigned in his place. (Is. 37)

After looking through the entire 2 chapters, the miraculous story of God's deliverance of Hezekiah and the kingdom of Judah from the powerful Assyrian army can be seen. This is a story of faith indeed, of faith in the impossible because with God all things are possible, of trust in God for deliverance because God promised to spiritually deliver us for His Name's sake (Judah's experience being the type for the Church today). We can learn that God is always with us and for us, so that the enemies of God are never able to do anything against us except by God's permissive will.

As we see the miraculous and faith-inspiring experience of Judah under King Hezekiah, it would do well to compare and contrast the invasion of Judah under King Ahaz with the invasion of Judah under King Hezekiah, that we may learn something from it.

	Invasion under King Ahaz	Invasion under King Hezekiah
Ruler of Judah	King Ahaz	King Hezekiah
Nature of Ruler	Wicked	Godly
Response of leader when invaded	Terrfied, shaken	Trusting in God
Invaders	Syria & Ephraim	Assyrian Empire
Military might of Invaders, approximate (on a scale of 1-10)	7+	9
Military might of Judah then, approximate (on a scale of 1-10)	7	3
Message from God	Isaiah pass message to Ahaz	Hezekiah enquired of the Lord
God's method of deliverance	Providence	Miraculous elimination of Assyrian army
Additional aids utilized by Judah	Send tribute to Assyria to 'purchase' help	None, only prayer

As it can be seen from the table, the difference between how King Ahaz and Kinh Hezekiah tackled the invasions during their respective lifetimes were very different. Ahaz, the wicked king, even with a reasonably strong army against a reasonably strong coaltion was terrified of the enemy, while Hezekiah, the good king, trusted God despite the fact that materially and militerally there was no way of winning the battle unless God intervenes. In Ahaz's case, even the clear promise of God that the confederate forces of Syria and Ephraim could not succeed is not enough for Ahaz, who called on Assyria to help him. In Hezekiah's case, even before Isaiah prophesied against Assyria God's judgment, Hezekiah had the full assurance and confidence that God will help him win this battle.

The differences between these two kings illustrate the importance of a relationship with God and of having faith in God. Ahaz was a total failure due to his wickedness and syncretism, and could not stand firm despite God's explicit promises that the confederate forces would not succeed. Hezekiah on the other hand could stand firm and hope against hope in the promises and deliverance of God despite the worse situation he is in compared to Ahaz. Thus, we can see the importance of having a genuine relationship with God through faith in Him, and this faith would be able to sustain us through our trials and difficulties. Without faith in Christ, everything seems like insurmountable moutains, but trusting in God's promises liberates us from having to depend on our own strength and able to know that God will work for us, thus making our trials seem small in comparison to God's power. Certainly therefore, a Hezekiah is much more preferable to a Ahaz, even if we can discount Ahaz's practical wickedness.

The rewards of a life lived by faith is also certainly most rewarding. Ahaz can only savour what is the physical and material, as he schemes and makes 'unholy' alliances in order to save Judah. Lacking faith in Christ and spiritual sight, he cannot see the spiritual blessings of God in the deliverance of Judah through His providence. Hezekiah however, lives his life by faith and therefore has eyes to see the working out of the power of God, and this not only because the elimination of the 185,000 of the Assyrian army by the angel of the Lord was so dramatic. For those who cannot see, even such a slaughter of the Assyrian army can be attempted to be explained away somehow, as what liberal scholars have definitely tried to do. Therefore, the rewards of a life lived by faith in Christ is rewarding in Hezekiah's life as he experiences the mighty power of God in protecting and defending His own for himself, and see the mighty arm of God in fulfilling His promises.

Let us therefore yearn to be more and more spiritually minded, living by faith in Jesus Christ as what Hezekiah has done. Not only will this give us peace and joy, but we would be able to experience God more and more as we see how real He is to us, and trust His promises more and more as we see Him being faithful in keeping them to us. Amen.

[The END!]