As Immanuel
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God Is With Us Even During Fearful Times
12.18.22 [Isaiah 7:10-14] River of Life (4th Sunday of Advent)
Both were young men, recently anointed as the Lord’s chosen one for his people. But being David’s successor didn’t mean that everything would be easy. In fact, they were under great duress & pressure precisely because they were the Lord’s Anointed, from the house & line of David. Both were facing substantial threats from blood-thirsty and fearsome enemies. How would they respond? The decision they made wouldn’t just shape their own lives, but would change the lives of all those under their charge. So, in their moment of testing, both King Ahaz & Jesus turned to the words of Moses. (Dt. 6:16) Do not put the Lord your God to the test. But what they meant by quoting those words was completely different. To Jesus, these words were his way of denying the devil’s temptation. To Ahaz, these words were his way of refusing the Lord’s invitation: (Is. 7:10) Ask the Lord your God for a sign, whether in the deepest depths or in the highest heights. But why would the King of Judah refuse this great offer from the Lord his God?
When King Ahaz became the king of Judah, he was (2 Kg. 16:2) 20 years old. Pekah, the king of the northern 10 tribes of Israel had been on Israel's throne since before Ahaz’s dad became king. And Pekah saw the geopolitical winds shifting. Israel and their neighbors in Aram knew that Assyria was growing into a brutal military super-power and they decided that if they were going to have any chance of defending themselves against Assyria they had to band together. They wanted to know if Judah was on their side. Of course, if Ahaz said yes, he’d be invoking the future wrath of Assyria. So he declined and faced the present wrath of the northern 10 tribes and Aram. And it was a fearsome wrath. (2 Ch. 28:6-8) In one day, the northern 10 tribes killed 120,000 soldiers of Judah. One man, Zikri, killed the king’s son, the officer in charge of his palace, and Ahaz's second in command. They also took 200,000 women & children as prisoners of war. The only reason they were sent back was because a prophet of the Lord rebuked Israel and warned them of what would happen to them if they did this. Based on these losses, it’s not surprising to find out that in Isaiah 7, Judah was scared. Isaiah tells us (Is. 7:2) the hearts of Ahaz and his people were shaken as the trees of the forest are shaken by the wind. Even though Ahaz was scared, he knew he needed to take action. So he went to make sure Jerusalem had secured its water supply. That’s where Isaiah, the Lord’s prophet, came to meet him with great news. Israel & Aram were smoldering stubs of firewood.
They were planning to (Is 7:6) tear Judah apart & divide it among themselves, but (Is 7:7) it will not take place. It will not happen. Isaiah went on to promise that (Is 7:8) within 65 years Israel will be too shattered to be a people. Ask God to move heaven and earth as evidence that he will do this. But Ahaz refused in a way that might sound pious. (Is 7:12) I will not ask. I will not put the Lord to the test.
But it’s not an accident that he doesn’t call him the Lord my God. In his moment of fear, Ahaz was relying on something, but it wasn’t the Lord God. (2 Ch. 28:22) In his time of trouble, King Ahaz became even more unfaithful to the Lord. Which is saying something, when before the trouble arrives you are actively (2 Ch. 28:19) promoting wickedness & (2 Ch. 28:3) sacrificing your children in the fire.
Instead of repenting of his wickedness and turning back to the Lord, Ahaz took things from the Lord’s temple, the royal palace, and his officials to try to appease Assyria. None of that helped. Yes, Assyria came and defeated Israel and Aram, but they did so for their own gain and then gave Judah more (2 Ch. 28:20) trouble instead of help.
But all that feels very far removed from where we live, doesn’t it? We are not responsible for the well-being of a nation and the Lord does not come to us with an offer to move heaven and earth to prove himself. Maybe at times, we wish he would give us such a sign.
But would we even listen? There are plenty of times the Scriptures presents similar opportunities before us. Will we trust God to do what he has said or will we rely on something or someone else?
Do you trust God to provide your daily bread or do you spend late nights worrying? Do you live and act as if your life will fall apart the moment you cannot hold it all together any longer?
Do you trust that God is (Rom. 8:28) working out all things for your eternal good, even when you can only see and feel the bad?
Do you really believe that God listens to all your prayers—and that they are (James 5:16) powerful and effective? If so, why is it so hard to (1 Th. 5:17) pray continually?
Do you believe Jesus when he says (Jn. 15:4-5) Remain in me and you will bear much fruit. Apart from me, you can do nothing? If you do believe him, why does time in God’s Word, where you are remaining in him, often fall to the back burner when you get busy or stressed?
Do you believe God is wiser when he tells you what is righteous and it goes against your instincts and/or the advice of this world?
Do you listen to God when he calls upon you to give generously enough that it changes your standard of living? Do you trust him when he promises that he will (Micah 3:10) throw open the floodgates of heaven or do you only give enough so that you don’t feel guilty?
If you believe that God’s Word is (Heb. 4:12) living and active, (2 Cor. 3:4-6) that it kills and gives life, why do we keep the sword of the Spirit in its sheath when Satan stalks us? Why do we rely on inferior tools like secular human wisdom when God has given us his very best?
If we really believed God as much as we say we do—as much as we maybe even want to—we would live differently. We have—in ways big and small—tried to push God to the margins of our lives far too often. But God is patient. God is faithful. God is with us.
That’s the remarkable thing about this text. To this wicked, child-sacrificing king, God promises something awesome. (Is. 7:14) The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel. The immediate fulfillment of this prophecy was that Isaiah’s next son, who was not yet conceived, would still be a young boy before Aram and Israel were (Is. 7:16) laid waste. Even though Ahaz had refused a sign, the Lord would keep his word.
But the ultimate fulfillment of that promise changed the world and us. This world and all those who live in it were facing a far greater threat than Aram and the northern 10 tribes of Israel. A war was being waged against us—and by us—and we were suffering.
Yet, God, who is rich in patience and mercy and grace, chose to abide with us. When we ran and hid, he came and found us. When we lashed out at him, he loved us all the more deeply. When we acted as if he didn’t keep all his promises, he sent his Faithful One in flesh and blood. Jesus is the sign. God is with us. God lives among us. God has come to (Mt. 1:21) save his people from their sins. The Lord our God has moved heaven and earth to save his people through the house and line of David, because that is what he promised to do.
In Matthew’s Gospel, the line from David to Jesus is traced out for us. And do you know who’s name is listed? That’s right, Ahaz. Why? Because the fulfillment of the plan of salvation has never hinged on the faithfulness of sinners. Again and again, the descendants of Abraham and David fell into sin and, at times, lived like their unbelieving neighbors. But God does not forget his Word.
God moved heaven and earth so that he might be with us. God moved heaven and earth so that we might be redeemed. The Immanuel has come to live among us and in our place. Like Ahaz, Jesus was put to the test. The devil took him to the highest point of the temple and said to him (Mt. 4:6) If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written he will command his angels concerning you and they will lift you up in their hands so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
This may strike us as an odd temptation. Why would anyone want to do this? But peel back the layers and listen to what the devil was saying. Jesus, if you're the Son of God, you should be protected from pain and insulated from suffering. Your Father will intervene to save you. The angels won’t let you get hurt. Jump and feel the love.
Jesus recognized this for what it was. A dirty lie of the devil. He did not need to put himself into harm’s way by throwing himself down from the Temple to see if his Father really loved him. God is love. His heavenly Father’s love was why he came to this world, to have his heel struck by Satan. Jesus was not protected from pain—physical pain or the pains of hell. He was not insulated from the sufferings our sins deserved. In fact, the Immanuel came for precisely this reason. God was with us most in that moment, wasn’t he? He came to be our Substitute and our Savior. He came to conquer our enemies: sin, death, and the devil. Immanuel crushed the serpent's head. Jesus is the clearest sign of God’s patience, his power, & his love. Jesus is proof that God is with us.
So as we approach these days before Christmas, we must (Is. 7:9) stand firm in our faith. We must think and talk and live like God is with us. He is reliable. Powerful. Trustworthy. Faithful. Loving. Wise. So listen carefully to what he says, what he commands, and what he promises. Take his precious words to heart. Be joyful in all circumstances, knowing that your heavenly Father has promised to provide all you need for body and life. Pray boldly, confident that God is listening and will take action according to his perfect will.
Spend your best energy in his Word. Mull it over in your mind. Meditate on it day and night. Ask God for the strength to do what he commands. Then do it, even when it’s difficult. Give generously enough to change your life and the lives of others. Speak the powerful words of God’s law to those who have grown comfortable in their unrighteousness. Offer the comfort of his Gospel to those who are afflicted by guilt and shame. Trust God and his Word, because he is with you and he always keeps his promises—even when it’s beyond what we can think or imagine. Amen.
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