Week 2: The Messiah Who Dwells with His People Isaiah 7:1–17Hook

Main Point: Hope and security comes through God’s promises, presence, and salvation, confirmed in the Messiah.

Monitor with Presence! Alert with Presence! Share with Presence! These are the taglines for a mobile app that claims to transform any phone or tablet into a home monitoring and security system. Are you afraid of what might be going on in your home while you’re at work? Use Presence and ease your mind directly from your smartphone! Do you have difficulty relaxing while you are on vacation because you worry about your home security? Use Presence and enlist trusted friends and family to help you monitor your home when you can’t!

The designers of the Presence app seem to understand our basic desires to erase fear and feel close to those things and people most important to us. When we are able to overcome our anxieties and feel more connected, we are at peace. In a much greater way than any mobile app, Isaiah 7 highlights our tendency to fear and seek security and warns against seeking peace outside of God. This passage also supplies a powerful promise intended to help us overcome our fears and live in the peace of God. As we trust in Immanuel, the God who is present with us, we can dwell in safety regardless of our circumstances.

Does anyone use this app or has anyone heard of it? What’s the appeal of an app like this?

How do you feel that you can watch your home from anywhere on your mobile phone?

Does this app make you feel more secure or less secure considering the kind of monitoring that’s possible just through an app? Why?

How does God’s presence with us make us feel secure?

Week 2: The Messiah Who Dwells with His People Isaiah 7:1–17Book

Main Point: Hope and security comes through God’s promises, presence, and salvation, confirmed in the Messiah.

Text Summary: Isaiah 7:1-17: Often called the “Immanuel Passage,” Isaiah 7 brings us face to face with one of the most well-known prophecies of Jesus Christ.1 Jerusalem is facing a time of fear and trouble, as their enemies stand ready to destroy them. Yet, God reminds His people of His covenant promises. He supplies hope built on His character rather than our circumstances. As God’s salvation through the Messiah roots our lives, we will experience His everlasting peace in this life and the next.

Isaiah 7:1–2 [Read]Sub-Point: Our security comes from God’s promises, not man’s power.

Isaiah 7 throws us into the middle of a national crisis in Judah. Israel and Syria are marching against Judah, and King Ahaz of Judah isn’t sure what to do. How could Judah possibly stand against the combined might of two armies? Where can Jerusalem turn in this time of trouble?

King Ahaz, the son of King Uzziah, feels alone and isolated in Jerusalem. Israel and Syria had joined forces for mutual protection against the Assyrians. These two kingdoms were looking to Judah to join their alliance and further strengthen their sense of security against the Assyrian threat. However, King Ahaz refused the offer, bringing on the wrath of the Israeli-Syrian army. It seems the plan was for Jerusalem to be overthrown, Ahaz deposed or killed, and a puppet leader put in place who was willing to unite with Israel and Syria.2

Judah was not facing a distant threat, an empty warning of violence and bloodshed from a far and distant land. No, Isaiah 7:1 reveals that the army threatening Judah was camped below Ephraim, in the tribal land of Benjamin. This position threatened Judah’s access to critical trade routes along the international coastal highway to the west.3 The Israeli-Syrian army was taking away a key point of trade and travel as the first act in what could turn out to be a long, devastating siege of Jerusalem. Furthermore, if this army fully occupied the plains of Benjamin, only a few miles would separate Jerusalem from this force bent on Judah’s submission to the Israeli-Syrian alliance.

1 Bryan E. Beyer, Encountering the Book of Isaiah: A Historical and Theological Survey (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2007), 70.2 Raymond C. Ortlund Jr., Isaiah, ed. R. Kent Hughes (2005: Crossway, 2005), 87.3 Beyer, Encountering the Book of Isaiah, 71.

Yet, Isaiah 7:1–2 also gives a hint at how this whole story would play out. In the face of human threats and military might, the attentive reader notices that the Israeli-Syrian army was unable to reach Jerusalem. With no indication of what or who stopped the armies marching upon Jerusalem, this mighty force simply cannot reach God’s people in Jerusalem. God is in control and knows all things. God wasn’t surprised or overwhelmed by this army, but controlled every detail. God even knew the exact person Syria and Israel planned to install as king in Jerusalem in place of Ahaz (7:6). Nothing is hidden from the eyes of God (Hebrews 4:13). God is not merely aware of Jerusalem’s situation, but will speak a word directly to His people. Throughout the Old Testament, the Word of God is equivocated with the presence of God. God’s Word, action, and presence are united, and if only Judah will seek solace in His Word, the people will receive the serenity to face the times ahead.

Further, Isaiah does not address King Ahaz, but instead chooses to indicate that the “house of David” has heard the news of the impending invasion. Isaiah is reminding the readers that when things seem most dire, Judah must look to God, the one who makes and keeps His covenant promises. When we are most tempted to trust in our own power, there is something greater and stronger than any human authority.

When it appears nothing can prevent us from being overwhelmed by the struggles and tests of life, we often see that the pain and suffering stop short from completely consuming us. In these moments, we have a chance to recall who God is and what He has promised. In these moments, just like Judah and Jerusalem, we should remind ourselves of who we are because of what God has done. Isaiah references the house of David as a subtle reminder of God’s covenant promises to protect, preserve, and provide for Jerusalem. God’s covenant with the house of David still stands despite any human failings or frailty.4

Despite these subtle hints, Isaiah 7:2 confirms that Ahaz and the people of Jerusalem were terrified. In the face of seemingly impossible circumstances, the people felt only fear. They begin to panic. What will happen to them all? Where do they turn for answers? Even as God’s people, we often face fear and trembling. We face circumstances that seem like they will never change and will bring our doom. Whatever your challenges, whatever the threats that seem like they will consume you, look to God and His covenant promises for security and peace.

What worries and troubles tend to overwhelm you or seem to be too much for you to bear?

What promises of Scripture comfort you in times of heartache, uncertainty, or trouble?

How does God’s faithfulness change our perspective on trials of life?

Isaiah 7:3–9 [Read]Sub-Point: Our hope lies in God’s fulfilled purposes, not man’s empty assurances.

4 Ortlund Jr., Isaiah, 87.

After revealing the fear of Ahaz and the people in Jerusalem (7:2), Isaiah gives the word of God in response to such fear. In the face of personal fear, Ahaz and all of Jerusalem will receive a reminder of God’s providence through Isaiah’s own son, Shear-jashub, and his message from the Lord. Through a physical representation and spoken reminder, Jerusalem is offered true hope rooted in God Himself.

Isaiah takes his son, Shear-jashub, whose name literally translated means, “a remnant shall return,” with him to visit King Ahaz (v. 3).5 God is reminding His people of His constant presence with them and His faithful promise to protect them from complete destruction. As indicated in the background to Isaiah, the term “remnant” is not a negative, sorrowful term. Instead, “remnant” points to those select few whom God protects as they remain faithful to Him.

In this passage, then, Ahaz is being reminded that those who remain faithful to God will endure in the land. Those who choose to rebel against God cannot hope to be protected. God is near to His people by speaking words of hope and encouragement readily heard by faithful followers. In some ways, Isaiah’s own son embodies the hope that would be more fully incarnated in Jesus Christ. As the only one perfectly faithful to God, Jesus Christ’s faithfulness stands as an encouragement to those He has redeemed.

Isaiah and Shear-jashub meet King Ahaz outside the city walls, near a water supply likely being inspected in the preparations for siege and invasion (v. 3). King Ahaz does not look to God and hasn’t sought out Isaiah for wisdom and guidance from the Lord. Rather, King Ahaz believes he needs to secure whatever he can to provide hope to his people. How fitting that King Ahaz is inspecting a water supply when Isaiah calls him to not “fear the smoldering stumps of firebrands” threatening the city (v. 4). The bubbling stream close at hand would have offered a very present reminder that God has the power to overcome the invading armies threatening Jerusalem, much like a stream has the power to put out small firebrands or smoldering wood. Even in a moment of King Ahaz’s doubt, God supplied a reminder of His continued commitment to protect and restore His people.

In verses 3–9, Isaiah also offers a spoken reminder of hope to accompany the physical reminder offered in his son, Shear-jashub. Isaiah charges the people to have strength and serenity rather than fear. It’s not difficult to imagine the reasons for their fear. The invasion and siege of Jerusalem seemed inevitable. It seems King Ahaz was hoping in the possibility of outlasting the invading army from inside the walls of Jerusalem as he examined the water source that would hopefully sustain Judah. Yet, God reveals where ultimate comfort and hope are really found. Through Isaiah, God declares Syria and Israel as “smoldering stumps of firebrands.” Syria and Israel are in a state of decline, smoldering and weakening (vv. 5-6). Judah should look to God instead for protection.

Such a statement also acts as a warning to King Ahaz. If he and Judah do not turn back to God, they can expect the same fate. The destruction of the wicked and sinful will happen even when

5 Ortlund Jr., Isaiah, 88.

they seem to be at their strongest. Israel and Syria seemed to have the upper hand. They seemed to be in total control. Yet, nothing could be further from the truth. In reality, Israel and Syria are on borrowed time (vv. 7-9). King Ahaz receives an explicit promise that it’s only a matter of time until Israel and Syria are destroyed. Isaiah 7:7–9 predicts the downfall of both nations. True to God’s words, Syria is crushed within three years and Israel would fall 10 years after that.6

In the face of this predicted doom on Israel and Syria, King Ahaz receives one final exhortation in verse 9. God declares, “If you are not firm in faith, you will not be firm at all.” God’s words remove any doubt about the ultimate reason for Syria and Israel’s failure. Both nations represented unfaithful, idolatrous rebels against the one, true God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. God’s determination to preserve a remnant, those faithful to Him, coincides with His sure word of judgment against the faithless.

Just as King Ahaz received exhortation to remain faithful to God and His covenant, so God’s people continue to receive the same promise in Jesus Christ. As we look to God’s promises and seek a life of faithfulness, God will preserve us. It may not be fullness of life defined by total comfort, financial abundance, or relational stability, yet God remains faithful to His own and protects His people through every circumstance.

What kinds of things or activities do people pursue when they feel afraid or insecure?

How can we tell where our hope really lies, and how do we make sure we are looking to God alone for all things?

Isaiah 7:10-17 [Read]Sub-Point: Our salvation is found in the presence of the Son of God, not the strength of man.

Verses 10–17 offer one of the most recognizable sections in all of Isaiah, the Immanuel passage. Isaiah speaks yet another word directly to Ahaz, in case he hasn’t been really listening to all the promises and prophecies up to this point. In verses 10–11, God offers to supply a confirmation or “sign” to reassure Ahaz yet again. In His grace, God reaches out to Ahaz and offers a way of confirming that He would indeed protect and preserve Judah in spite of all evidence to the contrary.

In a show of false piety, Ahaz refuses, pretending he would never ask such a thing of God (v. 12). While one might stand in judgment of Ahaz, we often refuse the simple graces God reveals to us. How often does our faith waver when life is not what we expect it to be? How hospitable are we even when we don’t feel like welcoming neighbors, coworkers, or enemies in need of the Gospel? How often do we think we are strong enough to improve our lives and develop virtue without the Holy Spirit? No person is immune from false piety. Everyone puts on a brave

6 Ortlund Jr., Isaiah, 88–89.

face, foolishly acting as if God does not already know precisely what lies in our hearts. King Ahaz feigned righteousness and we, too, are guilty of spurning God’s grace.

It is also important to note that, for a second time in Isaiah’s writing thus far, Ahaz is addressed as the house of David. In response to Ahaz’s false piety, God calls to memory the true faithfulness and covenant promises revealed to King David. Even more, God calls to mind the king after God’s own heart (cf. 1 Samuel 13:14) who stands in direct contrast to the false holiness of King Ahaz. While the reference to the house of David in Isaiah 7:2 points to the promise of a kingdom and city for God’s people, the use in Isaiah 7:13 begins a beautiful prophecy about the promised king who would rule over Israel forever. The promised king was coming in fulfillment of covenant promises to King David.

Even though Ahaz refused a sign, God gives one anyway! And not just any sign, but a twofold sign predicting the eventual fall of Judah as well as the hopeful future of life offered in the Messiah. In verse 10, Ahaz is given the chance to faithfully follow God but rejects this offer and responds in false piety. Thus, Isaiah replies in verse 13 with a sign from God.

Isaiah’s words in verse 14 also provide a brief picture of the kind of birth watched for by all the people, an indication with present and future implications. When Isaiah references a child born of a virgin, the Hebrew word used portrays a young woman of marriageable age and creates a twofold meaning, one for Isaiah’s present audience and one for the future.7 Isaiah’s own son, Maher-shallal-hashbaz was born of a young woman, Isaiah’s wife, and symbolized God’s presence even in the midst of exile.8 God would be present with his people even in judgment.

Yet, as we learn in Matthew 1, there is a future child yet to be born who fulfills Isaiah’s words predicting peace, goodness, and restoration. This future boy will not be the child of a human prophet but will be the unique Son of God. As one born not simply of a young woman of marriageable age but of a virgin, this future Messiah would be fully man yet without sin. As Immanuel (“God with us”), this future Messiah would be fully God, deity incarnate coming to earth to overcome the final enemies of sin, death, and Satan.

Thus, we see the twofold promise offered in this chapter and another contrast between the wicked human kings in Judah and the perfect King of Kings ruling in heaven. While faithless King Ahaz rejected God’s sign, Immanuel would bear the penalty of judgment as well as reveal the signs of God’s grace and salvation. Through a virgin birth and sinless life, Jesus Christ fulfills the clear promises of this Old Testament prophet. Jesus Christ is “God with us,” a righteous king who knows how to refuse evil and pursue good (vv. 14-16). Jesus is our Messiah who grants salvation and grace even as we face the intense trials of this life.

What keeps us from fully committing to walking in faith and accepting God’s grace revealed in Christ Jesus?

7 John N. Oswalt, Isaiah (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2010), 140–41.8 Beyer, Encountering the Book of Isaiah, 76–77.

What does it look like today for God’s people to reject his grace and live in false piety?

Week 2: The Messiah Who Dwells with His People Isaiah 7:1–17Took

Main Point: Hope and security comes through God’s promises, presence, and salvation, confirmed in the Messiah.

While a mobile app named “Presence” may allow you to monitor your home and make you feel a bit safer about your life, nothing can take the place of God’s presence made plain in His Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus left heaven, came to earth, took on flesh, and became present with us. He is still with us and watches over us with ultimate power and authority. Consider these practical ways to live in the knowledge of Christ’s presence today.

Challenges

Trust in God. It is difficult to see what God is doing in the midst of life’s challenges. When our circumstances don’t make sense, we may be tempted to doubt who God is and what God has spoken. Strengthen your faith in the midst of challenging times by reading the promises of God in Scripture. Strengthen your trust in God by running to Him in prayer and living in community with His children, the body of Christ. Even when life doesn’t make sense, wait quietly on Him to come and revive you with streams of living water found only in Christ.

Hope in God. Where do you look when you are most discouraged? Where do you run when you are tired or lonely? The challenges of life offer an opportunity to refine our hearts and draw our attentions back to our source of true hope, God alone. People will let us down. Our relationships and careers won’t fully satisfy our deepest longings. Money and prestige do not last. Don’t be distracted from eternal joys by the trappings of this life. Hope in God and let your heart rest firmly in His wonderful purposes for you.

Dwell in Christ. The beautiful promises of Isaiah 7 ring in our ears during the Christmas season, yet we often forget them the rest of the year. God’s promises came in the middle of a prediction of Jerusalem’s fall, a time of intense suffering and loss. It’s important to remember that our true identity and ultimate safety do not rest in the circumstances of life. We find the most peace and joy as we walk with Christ, experiencing daily fellowship with Him through Bible reading, prayer, and fellowship with other believers. Allow Immanuel to bring you peace. God is with us, and we receive eternal peace as we abide in Him.