[Linux4christians] Wednesday - Isaiah 7

Tue Jun 28 20:14:26 EDT 2011

    Wednesday

      Isaiah 7

Ahaz Receives a Sign

7:1 During the reign of Ahaz son of Jotham, son of Uzziah, king of 
Judah, King Rezin of Syria and King Pekah son of Remaliah of Israel 
marched up to Jerusalem to do battle, but they were unable to prevail 
against it.

7:2 It was reported to the family of David, "Syria has allied with 
Ephraim." They and their people were emotionally shaken, just as the 
trees of the forest shake before the wind. 7:3 So the Lord told Isaiah, 
"Go out with your son Shear-jashub and meet Ahaz at the end of the 
conduit of the upper pool which is located on the road to the field 
where they wash and dry cloth. 7:4 Tell him, 'Make sure you stay calm! 
Don't be afraid! Don't be intimidated by these two stubs of smoking 
logs, or by the raging anger of Rezin, Syria, and the son of Remaliah. 
7:5 Syria has plotted with Ephraim and the son of Remaliah to bring 
about your demise. 7:6 They say, "Let's attack Judah, terrorize it, and 
conquer it. Then we'll set up the son of Tabeel as its king." 7:7 For 
this reason the sovereign master, the Lord, says: "It will not take 
place; it will not happen.

7:8 For Syria's leader is Damascus, and the leader of Damascus is Rezin. 
Within sixty-five years Ephraim will no longer exist as a nation.

7:9 Ephraim's leader is Samaria, and Samaria's leader is the son of 
Remaliah. If your faith does not remain firm, then you will not remain 
secure."

7:10 The Lord again spoke to Ahaz: 7:11 "Ask for a confirming sign from 
the Lord your God. You can even ask for something miraculous." 7:12 But 
Ahaz responded, "I don't want to ask; I don't want to put the Lord to a 
test." 7:13 So Isaiah replied, "Pay attention, family of David. Do you 
consider it too insignificant to try the patience of men? Is that why 
you are also trying the patience of my God? 7:14 For this reason the 
sovereign master himself will give you a confirming sign. Look, this 
young woman is about to conceive and will give birth to a son. You, 
young woman, will name him Immanuel. 7:15 He will eat sour milk and 
honey, which will help him know how to reject evil and choose what is 
right. 7:16 Here is why this will be so: Before the child knows how to 
reject evil and choose what is right, the land whose two kings you fear 
will be desolate. 7:17 The Lord will bring on you, your people, and your 
father's family a time unlike any since Ephraim departed from Judah -- 
the king of Assyria!"

7:18 At that time the Lord will whistle for flies from the distant 
streams of Egypt and for bees from the land of Assyria. 7:19 All of them 
will come and make their home in the ravines between the cliffs, and in 
the crevices of the cliffs, in all the thorn bushes, and in all the 
watering holes. 7:20 At that time the sovereign master will use a razor 
hired from the banks of the Euphrates River, the king of Assyria, to 
shave the head and the pubic hair; it will also shave off the beard. 
7:21 At that time a man will keep alive a young cow from the herd and a 
couple of goats. 7:22 From the abundance of milk they produce, he will 
have sour milk for his meals. Indeed, everyone left in the heart of the 
land will eat sour milk and honey. 7:23 At that time every place where 
there had been a thousand vines worth a thousand shekels will be overrun 
with thorns and briers. 7:24 With bow and arrow men will hunt there, for 
the whole land will be covered with thorns and briers. 7:25 They will 
stay away from all the hills that were cultivated, for fear of the 
thorns and briers. Cattle will graze there and sheep will trample on them.

      Prayer

Lord, You rule over all armies and nations, therefore You may choose 
which will fail and which will have victory -- especially where it 
impacts Your people. May I never fear (as a child of God) that in the 
battles of life anything of significance, in the eyes of the Lord, will 
go other than the way that You decide.

      Commentary

The news had come the king of Judah (of the former nation of Israel, 
since divided into Israel and Judah) that King Rezin of Syria and King 
Pekah of Israel and the nation of Ephraim (which had splintered off from 
Judah) were about to attack, and they were terrified because they were 
unable to resist such a combined military force.

The Lord God directed Isaiah "Go out with your son Shear-jashub and meet 
Ahaz ... Tell him ... Don't be afraid! Don't be intimidated by these two 
stubs of smoking logs ... It will not take place; it will not happen."

The Lord God, through Isaiah, challenged Ahaz to test His promise by 
asking for a sign or even a miracle, but Ahaz refused, fearful of 
testing the Lord, so He declared that Ephraim and Syria would soon be 
desolate, saying "Look, this young woman is about to conceive and will 
give birth to a son. You, young woman, will name him Immanuel." but 
before he reached the age of accountability "... the land whose two 
kings you fear will be desolate."

      Interaction

        Consider

The people of Judah saw things only through their human eyes, and so 
they were terrified, but the Lord God saw their enemies as already 
defeated; indeed, destroyed.

        Discuss

Why might Ahaz have been so fearful of asking the Lord God for a sign or 
a miracle?

        Reflect

At one moment the people of Judah were terrified and in the next they 
learned that their fearful enemies were soon to be wiped from the map, 
by the Lord God.

        Share

When have you been fearful of a person or situation only to have your 
prayers answered and the entire threat disappear?

      Faith in Action

        Prayer:

Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you today something of which you are 
afraid, with legitimate cause, but which He intends to remove from your 
life.

        Action:

Today I will raise grateful prayers of praise and thanks to the Lord God.

        Be Specific ______________________________________________________

    Thursday's text will be:

      Isaiah 8

-- 

Draw nearer to the Lord and He will bless you,
Have an http://Ultrafidian.com Day!
David M. Colburn, DMin. MaCo
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Personal Site: http://bibleseven.com
Bible Resources: http://bible.org
Teacher's Verse: John 7:16
Defend free speech or lose your freedom.
I don't google I SEARCH! Startpage.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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