Sermon Tone Analysis

The Coming Invasion

We come back to our study in the book of Isaiah.

In the midst of this study God has condemned sin, and called people to return to him.

But they did not, and the nation has traveled farther and farther into sin and God’s judgment is coming against the nation.

First to the northern 10 tribes and then finally to the 2 southern tribes.

Last week God told them help was coming, the Messiah would be revealed in the future and it would be a sign to them that a virgin would conceive and bring forth a son, and his name would be called Immanuel, God with us.

The kings have trusted self, their own might but sadly they have refused to trust God....

But now let move to chapter 8 and see what the Lord says about the coming invasion.

Verses 1-2

So here the Lord speaks to Isaiah, He calls him to write a message on a large tablet or surface but certainly not a scroll has some translations might say.

Now exactly what type of surface we are not sure, it could be metal or stone, or even wooden.

But write on it with common characters.

It was meant to be written in a way that everyone could read it and understand it.

This phrase is unique… Maher-shalal-hash-baz is a phrase that means roughly Speed, Spoil, Haste and Booty or wealth.

Now this phrase is meant to make people interested, it is mean to cause curiosity and provoke interest.

Speed and Haste, speaks to unhindered advance, they push through quickly and Spoil and Booty refers to treasure, items the invading army would take from others.

It is very thought provoking.

This would be difficult to hear as they understood the message God was sending to them.

And with verse 2, there will be creditable witnesses to all this, God would let Uriah the priest, and Zechariah the prophet, they would attest to what was happening, it would be historically recorded for the world to know.

2 witnesses are important, do you remember why?

The Scriptures declare that 2 or 3 witnesses are credible.

But you could validate the word of just one man.

Now we move to verses 3-4

Once more the word that God speaks is about to be fulfilled.

Isaiah here goes to his wife, and they conceive a son.

and the Lord now not until the child is born will you really know the significance.

He calls his wife the prophetess because she literally bears the word of God.

In that I mean, What God has spoken, through her will come to pass and the name of that child will speak to God’s message to the people.

This child is a time indicator of the immediate future and what his name fore shadows.

Before the boy would know how to speak and say mom or dad, the events that are carried out against the Northern 10 would be carried off.

In 734 Tiglath-Pileser marched down the Israelite sea coast as far as the Egyptian border.

This cut off any Egyptian aid to the nation of Israel ( 10 tribes).

IN 733 Israel lost Galilee, Trans-Jordan, Megiddo and other cities, Damascus would fall in 732.

BC.

Listen, God is not mocked, he will hold people accountable for the way we live… these verses testify to that ...

Now verses 5—6

So God speaks to Isaiah again, and this time He says to him,

Because this people, this people is a phrase that is use dot speak of Judah and default, Benjamin as well.

There were some who wanted to join with Rezin, the king of the Israel, and those they are aligned with… And the Lord takes issue with that.

The waters of Shiloah is the gentle water that flowed into the city and filled the pool of Siloam.

It described the gentle nature of God’s care.

The people put their trust in man, a man who was doomed and not God.

Now look at verses 7-8

The waters of a river, speaks to a swollen flooded river, the Assyrians and their king and all their glory was coming and this army will flood the towns and villages.

It will come to judah, but will not tear it down.

it iwll pass on …

The water will flood the land, almost entirely, meaning the Assyrian army will fill up the land, but Judah, Jerusalem and Benjamin will be safe for now.

God’s judgement my friends....

Now lets look at verses 9-10

Now we know that Judah has been threatened by many superpowers over time, but here we come to the fact that where the Lord is, there is security.

God does not intend to destroy his people forever, remember a remnant has been promised.

And so here in verses 9 and 10, what is the conclusion of all those who want to destroy Jerusalem… the end of verse 10 says the Lord is with us.

He will shatter those who seek to come up against His people.

Remember what He promised in spite of Rezin’s plan in chapter 7? Isa 7:7

Do not trust in human ability, trust in God my friends....

It appears here that God “instructed or admonished” the prophet Isaiah and the people as well, to turn from their path and not fall into social, political or religious beliefs that seek to control and conform the people’s behavior.

That sounds applicable for today right?

Do not fall into the pattern’s of this world.

God knew Isaiah and his followers were the minority, they held onto God.

But many should turn to Him.

Now verses Isa 8:12-13

Isaiah is telling us that the righteous must stand firm, they cannot fear what other people say or do....

While some cry conspiracy, God tells Isaiah and his followers to not get caught up in all that...

Now, we are not sure about the nature of the conspiracy, But God warns the people to not agree with everything they hear..

The real challenge is to focus on God and treat Him as Holy.

God was calling them to set Him apart as Holy, this would change their focus, out of the world and into the things of God.

Think about how the Lord was high and lifted up as the Sepahim praised him in chapter 6. .

And here is a truthful thought, when our focus is on God… we will not ignore his words, we will not dishonor his name and certainly we will not fail to trust in Him.

Just as in that day, today people fail to trust God and they wonder why life as the know it is falling apart...

Verses 14-15

So How will you treat God, will you treat Him as holy or not?

If Isaiah and his followers fear God, then He will be a sanctuary, a place of strength or refuge.

But for those in Judah and Israel who did not fear God, he would become a rock to stumble over it, a snare or trap to them.

So God can be praised for a solid rock of refuge, but for those who do not follow and fear him, the Rock will lead to their ruin instead of a refuge, and the people will be destroyed instead of being delivered from those traps.

And God warns that many will fall into these traps by unbelief of their ungodly world view.

Now moving on.. Isa 8:16-18

Isaiah is the one speaking here, Since he says I will wait for the Lord.

And He is asking God to bind up the revelations he has given him.

While Isaiah will believe, he cannot force others to believe.

Think for a moment those you love ad those you hope to be saved or to get back in church.

You cannot make them anymore than Isaiah could.

But we can pray for them.

Isaiah knows that God is not pleased with their sinful rejection of him.

And certainly God will not shine down favor on those who do not trust him, the choice is always there.

Verse 18, The commitment is personal and involves Isaiah and his family, his children, Isaiah considered himself and his children as signs and symbols that were given by God.

Isaiah can look back and see what God has been doing, the childen He has given him are messages sent by God.

Remember his children had significant names, rich meanings that spoke of God’s will and what was happening in Isreal and Jerusalem.

Isaiah stops talking about himself and family, and speaks of His followers now.

He warns them of some of the false practices of those who were “religious”

They inquire of mediums, the necromancers .... who are these people?

Mediums ask for answers of the spirit world, necromances are trying to speak to certain dead poeple

People are not to ask the dead about the living, instead seek the living One, God himself.

Isaiah also quickly speaks to a train of thought about the law and testimony....He is reminding them there is a better way, it is the true words of God.

Again, what has life, man’s words or God’s words.. God’s!

Those who have no dawn as those who do not follow God, they have no hope because they do not have God.

This paragraph ends with a brief description of what will happen to the people of Judah who reject God’s revelation and rely on the spirits of the dead.

They

They will end up walking around looking hungry, distressed at their misfortune and angry about their sad situation.

They will be so disillusioned concerning Ahaz, and how Ahaz has lead the people toward other forms of worship and sin.

But at the end, they will look toward heaven, but even at that point they cannot escape judgement, darkness and captivity.