September 3rd | Isaiah 7

Hope is what we are after. Hope is what we long for, but Hope is a tricky word. You can’t have hope of rescue unless you are imprisoned. You can’t have hope of happiness unless you have suffered sadness. You can’t have hope of light unless you are in darkness. For us, if we truly want to experience the hope of Jesus, we must see how dire our situation is. This is highlighted by the king of Israel, Ahaz. 

At this point in Israel’s history, the kingdom had been split. There were two kingdoms: the Northern Kingdom of Israel and the Southern Kingdom of Judah. Ahaz was the king of Judah, and Ahaz was an evil king. Israel and Assyria are teaming up to take out Ahaz and Judah. Ahaz was worried and hopeless. So Isaiah comes to Ahaz and tells him, “You’re gonna be fine. God is gonna take care of these enemies.” Ahaz is still worried so God tells him, “Ask me for a sign.” 

Isaiah 7:10-11, “10 Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz: 11 “Ask a sign of the Lord your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven.”

God is essentially saying, “Ask for a sign!” It won’t hurt my feelings, and I’ll reassure you, I’ll give you what you want, which is HOPE. 

But look at Ahaz’s response. 

Isaiah 7:12, “12 But Ahaz said, “I will not ask, and I will not put the Lord to the test.”

 Now this might sound holy, but remember, Ahaz is an evil king. He is not interested in what God is saying to him. He has never cared, and now, instead of looking to the Lord for hope, he seeks an alliance with another nearby kingdom, rather than trusting in God. Can you imagine the gall of Ahaz? God is literally wanting to show you a sign that everything will be alright and you say NO. What is God’s response?

Isaiah 7:13, “13 And he said, “Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary men, that you weary my God also?”

 Isaiah is perturbed, and he brings the sign anyway. 

Isaiah 7:14, “14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”

 We’ve heard this, and this is the prophecy of Jesus. We read in Matt 1:22-23 that Jesus is the fulfillment of this promise. But as much of a joy-filled and hopeful verse as we read it today, it was not that to Ahaz. It was a prophecy of judgment. Ahaz was a little too big for his britches. He was of the lineage of David. Maybe in Ahaz’s mind, he thought, God is obligated to take care of me because I am carrying on this remarkable lineage. The line of David cannot end because God had promised it would last forever. 

But with this prophecy, God is telling Ahaz, “I don’t need you to complete my purpose and keep the line of David going. I can bring forth an heir to the throne with a virgin girl.” This is judgment on Ahaz, and the prophecy that Isaiah gives in the rest of chapter 7 is one of destruction of the people of Judah by the Assyrians. Ahaz had wanted to partner with the Assyrians to defeat Israel and Aram, and God says, if you wanna go with them instead of me, go for it and see the Assyrians destroy you.

Now, why is all this important? Well, we crave God’s presence, but we want it in our own terms and our own way. Ahaz wanted God’s protection, but he rejected God’s way. The result? God would give him His presence, but it wouldn’t be hope and grace, but judgment and destruction. We think we can just continue on with our lives, and we are kind of missing out on God’s blessings, but otherwise, we have a good life. No, if we are not for God, then we are against him. Actually, Jesus says, whoever is not against us is for us. Likewise, whoever is not for God is AGAINST God. You can’t be neutral to God. You are either for him or against Him. Ahaz tried to play the game, but God brought judgment upon him through this prophecy. You and I can choose our own path, but it leads to destruction and darkness. 

Today, choose the hope that is only found in Jesus. God is ready to give you a sign. In fact, He has already given it; hope is here in the person of Jesus. Trust in Him today!