Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/Sermons/zz20040229.htm

SAMPLING GOD'S "FEAR NOTS"
Part IX: God's Victory Over Strong, Calculating Foes
(Isaiah 7:1-14)

Introduction: (To show the need . . . )

There are times in life that we can face foes who are cold and calculating, a situation that can tempt us to feel AFRAID:

(1) I must admit I was tempted to feel nervous last Wednesday night in listening to a respected TV news anchorman speak about Mel Gibson's film, "The Passion of the Christ"! The anchorman raised the question as to how Jesus "really" died, leaving the impression that the Scripture's account that Mel Gibson seeks to re-create is in error!

I felt tempted to be anxious at how subversive to our belief in Scripture's infallibility and inerrancy such a calculating statement by such a party can be as it was heard by millions of people! It seems the news media group involved was out to "get" the Biblical faith!

(2) Young people often face cruel, calculating foes: This past week I saw Judge Judy's television show where two male teens were charged with attacking and stealing headphones from a classmate because the victim had been in an altercation with them back in "Junior Hi" four years before! They tried to defend their attack by telling Judge Judy they were justified in attacking the victim because they were still so badly irritated at him over that four-year-old altercation! (You can only imagine how excitable Judge Judy got with these boys!)



Well, HOW can we RIGHTEOUSLY DEAL deal with such cold, calculating foes?



(We turn to the sermon "Need" section . . . )



Need: "I am CONCERNED about the cold, calculating efforts of a foe to harm my welfare! What would GOD suggest I DO about it?!"
  1. King Ahaz came to fear personal, harmful conspiracy, Isa. 7:1-3:
    1. Israel and Syria aimed to breach Jerusalem's city wall, kill only king Ahaz and replace him with a king of their choosing, Isa. 7:1-2a, 5-6.
    2. News of this plan terrified Judah's king Ahaz and his subjects, 7:2a,b.
    3. Hence, Ahaz went out to the end of the aqueduct of the Upper Pool "to inspect the city's water supply in anticipation" of the attack, Isaiah 7:3; Bible Knowledge Commentary, Old Testament , p. 1046-1047.
  2. At this spot where Ahaz was WONDERING how to DEAL with his CALCULATING FOES, God gave him a "Fear Not" message:
    1. God sent Isaiah with his son, "Shear-jashub," a name meaning, "a remnant shall return," to encourage Ahaz to trust GOD'S promise for Ahaz's welfare, Isaiah 7:3; Ryrie St. Bib., KJV, ftn. to Isaiah 7:3:
      1. God had Isaiah name his son "Shear-jashub," a name that signaled though Judah would eventually be taken captive to Babylon, God would cause a remnant to return, 8:18; 7:3; Z.P.E.B., vol. 5, p. 379.
      2. Thus, God told Isaiah to take this son to see Ahaz in order to encourage him to TRUST God's Word for his needed short-term help in gaining protection from Syria and Israel, Isaiah 7:3-4:
        1. Though "Shear-jashub" signaled the release of the remnant from Babylonian Captivity in the distant future, this name carried a short-term APPLICATION: God would protect Ahaz NOW!
        2. God thus had Isaiah take "Shear-jashub" to meet Ahaz to give him an encouraging sign to TRUST God with his foes, 7:2-3.
      3. So, taking "Shear-jashub" along, Isaiah met Ahaz outside the city wall to tell him to "fear not:" God would thwart the foes' plan, and Israel as a nation would disappear within 65 years, Isaiah 7:4-8.
    2. God then warned Ahaz to trust His promises or Ahaz's own kingdom would not be blessed (like the future fate of Israel and Syria), 7:9a,b.
  3. Though Ahaz FAILED to trust God's Word so that God did not bless him, Isaiah's forecast re: Ahaz's SAFETY still came TRUE:
    1. Ahaz stubbornly refused to trust God's Word through Isaiah, 7:10ff:
      1. Besides the sign in the name of Isaiah's son, God through Isaiah urged Ahaz to ask God for ANOTHER encouraging sign, 7:10-11.
      2. However, Ahaz refused to believe any divine sign, Isaiah 7:12.
    2. Nevertheless, God graciously gave Ahaz a second sign that, like the first sign, also had long-term and short-term applications, 7:14-16: as Messiah in the long-term ( Immanuel = "God with Us") would be born of a virgin as God's Salvation, so, short-term, a virgin in Ahaz's day would not bear a son and see him discern good from evil before the two kings of Israel and Syria whom Ahaz feared would be gone!
    3. In the end, since Ahaz failed to trust God's Word, he had to "taste" of the "Shear-jashub" sign: he and his people were temporarily captured by Israel and Syria, but then freed when Obed, God's servant warned Israel of judgment if she did not free Ahaz and Judah, 2 Chr. 28:5-15.
  4. Indeed, ALL God's promises here via Isaiah's words came TRUE:
    1. First, in accord with the long-term and short-term application themes in the narrative, as predicted in the name "Shear-jashub", God disciplined Ahaz due to his unbelief with temporary captivity followed by gracious release from captivity, a short-term application of the name's long-term prediction of Judah's release from Babylon!
    2. Second, regardless of Ahaz's temporary discipline by God with captivity, God shielded him from death as Isaiah 7:7 had implied!
    3. Third, as Isaiah had said in Isaiah 7:8, in 65 years, the nations of Israel and Syria fell to Assyria and Israel was non-existent as a nation since her land was resettled by foreign colonists, Ibid., Ryrie, ftn. to 7:8!
    4. Fourth, as Isaiah foretold in Isaiah 7:14-16, Syria and Israel lost their 2 kings in 3 years, less time than it took for a child to be conceived, born and raised to know good and evil, Ibid., B.K.C.,O.T., p. 1048!
Application: If we fear strong, calculating foes may harm us in some way, (1) trust in Christ as Savior from sin to become part of God's family and enter His "Much More Care," cf. John 1:11-13 with Rom. 8:31-32. (2) Then, (a) trust and obey God's Word in His power in life (Gal. 5:16-23; 1 John 2:2-6) and (b) HE will encourage us to TRUST His HELP so we can DO His will, cf. Acts 18:9-10 with 13:2-3 and 18:11-17, 18a. (c) Recall that God WILL KEEP His WORD in handling calculating foes even if we FAIL to TRUST it, and we will face His DISCIPLINE for such unbelief (like Ahaz); (d) thus, we must not rely on our own plans or efforts to deal with calculating foes, but RESPECT GOD and TRUST and OBEY His Word for blessing!

Lesson: When Ahaz FEARED cold, calculating foes who planned great harm against him, God sought to ENCOURAGE him to TRUST God's WORD to PROTECT him. Ahaz failed to trust God's Word and was disciplined for it, but GOD KEPT all His PROMISES to him ANYWAY!

Conclusion: (To illustrate the sermon lesson . . . )

 A Christian and a Psychiatrist, Dr. John White was practicing psychiatry in Winnipeg, Manitoba, when he wrote the article, "Overcoming the Occult" in the Spring, 1975 issue of the Christian Medical Society Journal , p. 14-21. In that article, he reported how he had exorcised a patient in his practice from demonic possession.

The patient was a twenty-six year old single woman with a "comprehensive grasp of Christian doctrine and regarded herself as a Christian." (Ibid., p. 20) Yet, she was also "the organizing secretary of one of the three gay' leagues in Winnipeg and a practicing homosexual, living with a woman who had alcohol and other personality problems." (Ibid.)

In describing the taxing event of the exorcism, Dr. White wrote he was impressed by how he was being opposed by a spiritual entity prepared to harm even to his family were he to fail to let it stay in possession of the patient. Thus, Dr. White claims he avoided enforcing his own will, but repeatedly claimed "the will and authority of Christ" in verbally confronting the demonic presence. (Ibid., p. 20)

The woman was exorcised and gave up her former gay lifestyle to begin a new life.

In looking back at the event in his article, Dr. White made this key point: "Perhaps the only prerequisite to our overcoming the powers of darkness is that we fear God and God alone. Christ commanded His disciples to be fearless in the face of those powers that were able only to kill the body . . ." (Ibid.)

Many today might be AFRAID to face a party they KNEW was demon possessed with an evil spirit intent on doing harm to their family if not left to carry out its own agenda! Such a battle is an OVERWHELMING one for us as human beings! Yet, from a Christian Psychiatrist who has PRACTICED exorcism, Dr. John White would call us to "fear God and God alone."



So it is in facing ANY cold, cruel, cunning, calculating foe; we must FEAR GOD and OBEY HIM above giving heed to FEARING our foes -- something king Ahaz failed to do to his own painful loss of God's blessing at the hands of the foes he dreaded!

May we then RESPECT GOD when facing calculating foes and HEED HIM, and see GOD tackle the FOES for HIS glory!