Presented to Swift
Current Corps of The Salvation Army February 09, 2014 and January 31, 2010 by Captain Michael Ramsay
Click here to read the 2010 version: http://sheepspeaks.blogspot.ca/2010/01/isaiah-79b-stand-firm.html
Isaiah 7:9b “If
you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all.’”
I remember when I
was in elementary school: when I was in the intermediate grades, probably Grade
5 or Grade 6. Across the street from our elementary school there was a senior
high school for Grade 11 and 12 students, sixteen and seventeen year-olds.
Every spring, it would seem, there was a ritual. (For the record, where I grew
up there was no snow on the ground in March – ever!) At lunch time, some of us
grade fives and sixes would get up the nerve to go across the street and
provoke some grade eleven’s and twelve’s who would be smoking outside or just lounging
on the lawn. At first one or two of us would run across the street and call a
small group of the high school students various names hoping that the sixteen
and seventeen year-olds would chase us back across the street to the elementary
school… where we had a trap set for them. We had a plan: the entire grade five
and six classes were lying in wait ready to ambush them, dog pile on them, jump
on them. We were looking for a play fight.
At first we -the
selected two or three grade fives and sixes- would go across the street to try
to get the high school students to chase us. But as soon as the high school
students just moved or said ‘boo’ we grade fives would be running back across
the street as fast as we could. The teenagers would then go back to whatever
they were doing until we would return. Eventually we grade fives and sixes
would get braver and the high school students would actually have to get up
before we fled. Then we kids became even braver and so the high school students
would have to stand up before we ran away. And then we became even braver still
so that the older students would actually have to run right at us before we
would flee. Then the moment would finally come – the moment we were waiting for
– the moment finally comes when there is a group of about eight of us grade
fives and sixes brave enough to actually entice some Grade 11/12s to chase us
back to the elementary school where, remember, there are about sixty grade
fives and sixes ready to pounce on them so the Grade 11/12s come running across
the street right into the trap with 50 grade fives and sixes waiting for them
and inevitably - as soon as the teenagers fall right in our trap and we have
them right where we want them - when the time we are waiting for has come about
and everything is perfectly set-up… we all run away…all 50 or 60 of us…we
aren’t really brave enough to stand our ground…and instead of us now pursuing
them, they continue to chase us.
Isaiah 7:9b: “If
you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all.’”
We remember about
the historical context of the time of the prophet Isaiah from our recent
sermons, homilies, and Bible studies. The countries of Israel and Judah (as
well as other Palestinian states such as Aram/Syria and the Philistines, Edom,
Ammon, Moab, the Phoenicians, etc.) were threatened by the paramount superpower
of their day, Assyria. So then Israel and Aram/Syria propose that Judah team up
with them like a group of grade five or six students and attack the high school
of Assyria. The King of Judah, following the advice the prophet Isaiah will
have none of this. He wants to stay out of the fight. Because of this
Aram/Syria and Israel decide to gang up on and attack Judah.[1]
King Rezin of Aram and King Pekah of Israel, like rebellious grade school boys,
decide to attack Judah and implement a regime change (Isaiah 7:1,2; See 2 Kings
15:37; 2 Kings 16:5).[2]
They decide to pick a fight with Judah and then put one of their friends,
someone sympathetic to their cause, on Judah’s throne (Isaiah 7:6) – and
because of this, Ahaz, the King of Judah is afraid and the hearts of his
people, Isaiah 7:2 records, ‘shook as the trees of the forest shake before the
wind’.
It is in this
context that the Prophet Isaiah comes to the King of Judah and assures him to
‘keep calm and don't be afraid. Do not lose heart because of these two
smouldering stubs of firewood’ (Isaiah 7:4). He tells King Ahaz that the
impending invasion will not be successful. He tells King Ahaz that the regime
change they want to implement will not happen (Isaiah 7:7) and more than that
he tells King Ahaz that the troublemakers will get a detention. Syria/Aram and
Israel will be shattered (Isaiah 7:8,9); they will not stand. But it seems that
Ahaz does not believe Isaiah.[3]
He will not obey God’s command (via Isaiah) to ask for a sign (Isaiah 7:11-12;
See Deuteronomy 16:6; Matthew 4:6,7; Luke 4; see also the story of Gideon,
Judges 6:14, 17-18, 38-40). Israel does not stand firm in their faith and it is
not spared.[4] Judah
however does stand against Israel and against Aram/Syria and Judah is spared -
but Judah too is only spared for a time. Judah, Jerusalem, the line of David
and even God’s Temple will all eventually fall to Babylon, Assyria’s successor.
They do not remain standing and, Isaiah 7:9b, “If you do not stand firm in your
faith, you will not stand at all.’”
And the same is
true of us today, if we do not stand firm in our faith we will not stand at
all. How many people under the age of 20 are in churches around this country
today? Not many. How many people under forty are in churches around this
country today? Not many. How many people under fifty are in churches around
this country today? Not many. We no longer have the Lord’s Prayer in our
schools. This century, we no longer have the Lord’s Prayer in the House of
Commons. Bible reading no longer happens in the classrooms. Gideon Bibles,
which used to be handed out coast to coast in this country, are no longer
welcome in many classrooms across this nation. Even in this very province, Bibles
are being removed from hospital rooms. I was part of a group of people in
Nipawin who were questioning the health district about their decision to remove
Bibles from hospital rooms. In Tisdale, the senior’s care centre handed their
Bibles to Susan saying we don’t need these anymore. Also in Tisdale, I felt
compelled to respond to a letter to the editor that complained that a minister
mentioned Christ in a Remembrance Day Ceremony.[5]
I, myself, have been instructed in situations (not in this province) to not
mention Christ’s name at various public venues. What will we do in this
province as more and more people challenge our responsibility to share our
faith? Will we stand firm? Isaiah 7:9b, “If you do not stand firm in your
faith, you will not stand at all.’”
The enemy is at
our gate as much as he is was at the gates of Abraham’s promised land. The
enemy is at our gates as much as he was at King Ahaz’s gate. Isaiah 7:9b: “If
you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all.’” Israel failed
to stand firm here and Israel fell first and Judah later fell. If we fail to
stand firm, we too will fall. And there is proof of this…and this proof –as
weird as it sounds- is the Good News.
The proof we’ll
stand is that “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and
will call him Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14).
Isaiah 9:6-7: “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the
government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counsellor,
Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his
government and peace there will be no end…”
This is exciting!
Now a number of brilliant theologians and scholars have come up with many
different ideas as to who this person, who this child might be. They also concentrate
on who this virgin might be. The five main theories are as follows:
1. The mother is a
royal: maybe even the queen, and so the child is a prince, perhaps even the
Crown Prince, Hezekiah.[6]
2. The mother is
Isaiah's wife, and so the child is one of Isaiah’s sons (Clements, Isaiah
1-39).
3. The prophecy
does not refer to a specific mother but rather to mothers in general giving
their children names symbolizing their hope in God (cf. 1 Samuel 4:19-22) (O.
Kaiser).
4. More likely:
the mother is a member of the royal family whose child's name would symbolize
the presence of God with his people foreshadowing the Messiah, Jesus, God
incarnate. (J.A. Alexander).
5. Most likely:
the mother is simply and straightforwardly the Virgin Mary and the child is
Jesus Christ himself (cf. Matthew 1:22-23). (Young, Book of Isaiah.).[7]
This last
explanation makes the most sense. Raymond C. Ortlund Jr., notes that:
“Although some claim that the word translated
virgin (Hb. ‘almah) refers generally to a “young woman,” it actually
refers specifically to a “maiden”—that is, to a young woman who is unmarried
and sexually chaste, and thus has virginity as one of her characteristics (see
Gen. 24:16, 43; Ex. 2:8, “girl”). Thus when the Septuagint translators, 200
years before the birth of Christ, rendered ‘almah here with Greek parthenos
(a specific term for “virgin”) they rightly perceived the meaning of the
Hebrew term; and when Matthew applied this prophecy to the virgin birth of
Christ (see Matthew 1:23), it was in accord with this well-established
understanding of parthenos (“virgin”) as used in the Septuagint and in
other Greek writers.”[8]
To make a long
story short: the Bible is right; the gospels are right. Just like the proof
that Moses would deliver the people from Egypt was that he would worship the
Lord on Mt. Horeb (Sinai) AFTER he had finished what he was supposed to do
(Exodus 3:11-12); just like the sign that God was making a covenant with
Abraham that his offspring were going to inherit the Promised Land was that
Abraham’s descendants would be enslaved for 400 years AFTER Abraham was dead
(Genesis 15:13-15); so too the proof here that God will deliver Judah from the
Assyrians is that 300+ years AFTER He does this, a king will deliver the Jews
and the Gentiles alike (Matthew 1:23; Luke 1:26-38, 2:1-40). This king, the
King of Kings, the Prince of Peace, the Wonderful Counsellor, the Everlasting
Father and Mighty God Himself, will be born (Isaiah 9:6,7).
This is the good
news because this sign is not simply a sign it is also salvation: salvation of
the whole world. Isaiah tells us that “If you do not stand firm in your faith,
you will not stand at all’”(Isaiah 7:9). But if we do stand firm in our faith
we will experience God’s promised salvation. In Genesis 12:3 God tells us that
all the nations of the world will be blessed through Abraham. 2 Samuel 7
records that there will be a king of the royal line who will rule forever. Luke
2 heralds the birth of the Son of God who is the saviour of the whole world of
which John 3:16 (cf. Matthew 3:9, Luke 3:8, John 8, Romans 11) tells us that
God loved so much that whosoever believes in him shall not perish but will
instead be saved forever. Paul tells us in Romans 3:3,4 that God is faithful to
all of His promises. God is faithful and He has now delivered us from our
enemies. Between the cross and the grave, between the death and the
resurrection, Jesus, the Prince of Peace defeated sin and death. God through
Jesus has provided for the salvation of the whole world and He desires that not
one shall be lost (See Matthew 18:11, Luke 19:10; John 17:12). God has already
won the war. All we need to do is stand firm in our faith and we will reap the
benefits. And why wouldn’t we stand firm? God has already saved us. Why
wouldn’t we say grace in restaurants? God has already saved us. Why wouldn’t we
read our Bibles in coffee shops? God has already saved us. Why wouldn’t we pray
before we begin a task at work or before we start writing an exam? God has already saved us. Why wouldn’t we tell
people about Jesus? Why wouldn’t we invite them to Church? Why wouldn’t we
stand firm in our faith in these ways? As we do, God has already saved us. All
we have to do is stand firm on His promises. All we have to do is stand firm in
our faith. All we have to do is stand firm. For, Isaiah 7:9b: “If you do not
stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all.’” But James 1:12 (CEB),
“Those who stand firm during testing are blessed. They are tried and true. They
will receive the life God has promised to those who love Him as their reward.”
As Christ has
already won the victory, let us experience that victory with Him. As Christ has
already won the victory, I urge us all – brothers and sisters – to remain
loyal, to fight the good fight; do not give up and so forfeit the crown that
Christ has already purchased us at such a great personal expense (See 1
Corinthians 9:25; 2Timothy 2:5; James 1:12; 1 Peter 5:4; Revelation 2:12,
3:11). Instead let us go from here today renewed in our faith and renewed in our
resolve to serve the Lord for always and forever in Jesus’ name. For unto us a
son is given, for unto us a child is born so there is no need for anyone to
perish. Therefore let us all stand firm in our faith because the Lord promises
that indeed if we do stand firm in our faith we will not fall. Those of us who
do persevere we will receive the crown of Life.
Let us pray.
---
[1] Cf. John D.W. Watts, Isaiah 1-33, (WBC24: Waco, Texas: Word Books),
78-79. Edom and Philistia were also involved in harassing Judah (2 Kings 16:6,
2 Chronicles 28:17-18)
[2] Geoffrey W. Grogan, The Expositor's Bible Commentary, Pradis
CD-ROM:Isaiah/Exposition of Isaiah/I. Oracles Concerning Judah and Jerusalem
(1:1-12:6)/I. The Sign of Shear-Jashub (7:1-9), Book Version: 4.0.2 : It is
clear from 2 Kings 15:37 that the alliance of the two northern kings against
Judah began before Jotham died. Cf. Christopher R. Seitz, Isaiah 1-39
(Interpretation: Louisville, Kentucky: John Knox Press, 1993), 75-76.
[3] Christopher R. Seitz, Isaiah 1-39 (Interpretation: Louisville,
Kentucky: John Knox Press, 1993), 65-67.
[4] John D.W. Watts, Isaiah 1-33, (WBC24: Waco, Texas: Word Books), 79.
Aram becomes an Assyrian province in 734 BCE. Israel becomes a province in 721
BCE.
[5] Read the letter on-line at: http://www.sheepspeak.com/Not%20an%20atheistic%20society.htm
[6] J. Lindblom, A Study on the Immanuel Section in Isaiah 7:1-9:6
[Lund: Gleerup, 1958], p. 41
[7] Geoffrey W. Grogan, The Expositor's Bible Commentary, Pradis
CD-ROM:Isaiah/Exposition of Isaiah/I. Oracles Concerning Judah and Jerusalem
(1:1-12:6)/J. The Sign of Immanuel (7:10-25), Book Version: 4.0.2
[8] Raymond C. Ortlund Jr., Note on Isaiah 7:14 in ESV Study Bible.
(Crossway Bibles: Wheaton, Illinois: 2007), page 1254. Available on-line:
http://www.esvstudybible.org/search?q=Isaiah+7
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