Isaiah 8:11-20 - A Stone of Stumbling

11 For the Lord spoke thus to me with his strong hand upon me, and warned me not to walk in the way of this people, saying: 12 “Do not call conspiracy all that this people calls conspiracy, and do not fear what they fear, nor be in dread. 13 But the Lord of hosts, him you shall honor as holy. Let him be your fear, and let him be your dread. 14 And he will become a sanctuary and a stone of offense and a rock of stumbling to both houses of Israel, a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 15 And many shall stumble on it. They shall fall and be broken; they shall be snared and taken.”

16 Bind up the testimony; seal the teaching among my disciples. 17 I will wait for the Lord, who is hiding his face from the house of Jacob, and I will hope in him. 18 Behold, I and the children whom the Lord has given me are signs and portents in Israel from the Lord of hosts, who dwells on Mount Zion. 19 And when they say to you, “Inquire of the mediums and the necromancers who chirp and mutter,” should not a people inquire of their God? Should they inquire of the dead on behalf of the living? 20 To the teaching and to the testimony! If they will not speak according to this word, it is because they have no dawn.

Target Date: Sunday, 11 February 2024

Word Study/ Translation Notes:

12 – conspiracy - קֶשֶׁר qesher, keh’-sher; from 7194; an (unlawful) alliance:— confederacy, conspiracy, treason.

Comes from a root for “knot”, meaning not just conspiracy, but alliance or league.

14 – sanctuary – מִקְּדָשׁ miqqedâsh (Exod. 15:17), mik-ked-awsh’; from 6942; a consecrated thing or place, espec. a palace, sanctuary (whether of Jehovah or of idols) or asylum:— chapel, hallowed part, holy place, sanctuary.

We often use this term to mean a place of refuge, but the primary meaning is a place of holiness; a place where holiness reigns. This is not used anywhere I find to refer to a place of refuge.

Sanctuary is not a place of asylum but (miqdāš) a place where God dwells in his holiness, the word used of the tabernacle (Exod. 25:8; cf. 29:43–46) and the temple (1 Chr. 22:19), where the Lord himself came to live among his people and which, in consideration of their holy Occupant, were houses of sacrifice, offering sinners access to God and safety in his presence through shed blood. But the promise now is of a purely spiritual presence: the Immanuel-presence with the true, believing remnant.

14 – stone - אֶבֶן ˒eben, eh’-ben; from the root of 1129 through the mean. to build; a stone:— + carbuncle, + mason, + plummet, [chalk-, hail-, head-, sling-] stone (-ny), (divers) weight (-s).

Here is something quarried, intended to be built into a place of refuge, but it instead becomes something that brings them low.

14 – offense – נֶֶגֶֶף negeph, neh’-ghef; from 5062; a trip (of the foot); fig. an infliction (of disease):— plague, stumbling.

A tripping over your feet or being brought low by a plague. Being brought low.

The same word translated in Exodus “plague”.

14 – rock - צֻר tsûr, tsoor; from 6696; prop. a cliff (or sharp rock, as compressed); gen. a rock or boulder; fig. a refuge; also an edge (as precipitous):— edge, × (mighty) God (one), rock, × sharp, stone, × strength, × strong. See also 1049.

A cliff or precipice, jagged and sharp.

The other usages in the OT indicate a firm rock, boulder, or mountain that is rooted in the ground.

14 – stumbling – מִכְשֹׁל mikshôl, mik-shole’; masc. from 3782; a stumbling-block, lit. or fig. (obstacle, enticement [spec. an idol], scruple):— caused to fall, offence, × [no-] thing offered, ruin, stumbling-block.

A rock or ruin obscured but unmovable, buried until only a portion emerges to catch the toe and cause you to stumble.

Again, if a righteous person turns from his righteousness and commits injustice, and I lay a stumbling block before him, he shall die. – Ezekiel 3:20

When God lays this block, it is meant as judgment.

14 – trap – פַּח pach, pakh; from 6351; a (metallic) sheet (as pounded thin); also a spring net (as spread out like a lamina):— gin, (thin) plate, snare.

14 – snare – מֹקֵשׁ môqêsh, mo-kashe’; from 3369; a noose (for catching animals) (lit. or fig.); by impl. a hook (for the nose):— be ensnared, gin, (is) snare (-d), trap.

Again, this may be idiomatic (trap and snare).

The distinction between the two is that the trap tends to grasp by the foot or legs (or wings of a bird), while the snare tends to capture the head and neck, like a noose. Thus, together, they show the total scope of the judgment of God.

16 – bind - יָצַר yâtsar, yaw-tsar’; a prim. root; to press (intr.), i.e. be narrow; fig. be in distress:— be distressed, be narrow, be straitened (in straits), be vexed.

To bring and tie closely. Used in reference to sieges against cities and in bundling things for travel.

16 – seal – חָתַם châtham, khaw-tham’; a prim. root; to close up; espec. to seal:— make an end, mark, seal (up), stop.

To close, perhaps officially, so that only those who are authorized may open.

The tomb of Jesus was sealed.

He said, “Go your way, Daniel, for the words are shut up and sealed until the time of the end. – Daniel 12:9

17 – wait – חָכָה châkâh, khaw-kaw’; a prim. root [appar. akin to 2707 through the idea of piercing]; prop. to adhere to; hence, to await:— long, tarry, wait.

The waiting here is not simply passing the time, but attaching to the LORD and being along for the ride in His time.

17 – hope – קָוָה qâvâh, kaw-vaw’; a prim. root; to bind together (perh. by twisting), i.e. collect; (fig.) to expect:— gather (together), look, patiently, tarry, wait (for, on, upon).

This hoping follows the attaching to the Lord; it is the entwining with Him in His timing.

18 – signs – אוֹת ˒ôwth, ōth; prob. from 225 (in the sense of appearing); a signal (lit. or fig.), as a flag, beacon, monument, omen, prodigy, evidence, etc.:— mark, miracle, (en-) sign, token.

18 – portents – מֹפֵת môphêth, mo-faith’; from 3302 in the sense of conspicuousness; a miracle; by impl. a token or omen:— miracle, sign, wonder (-ed at).

The combination of these words may serve as little more than an idiomatic statement since both are often translated “signs”.

The difference between the two seem to be the “signs” in this case are more warnings, where the “portents” are more direct announcements akin to the trumpets of the book of the Revelation.

Signs (’ōtôt) direct attention (Exod. 3:12); symbols, literally ‘portents’ (mōpĕtîm), arrest attention (Exod. 3:3).

In relation to Isaiah’s children’s names, this probably bears no exegetical weight beyond the idiomatic use.

20 – teaching – תֹּרָה tôrâh, to-raw’; from 3384; a precept or statute, espec. the Decalogue or Pentateuch:— law.

This points directly to the existing word of God in these matters. Rather than seeking the voices of the dead, they must seek the living God through His living word.

20 – testimony – תְּעוּדָה te˓ûwdâh, teh-oo-daw’; from 5749; attestation, i.e. a precept, usage:— testimony.

Assuming Isaiah is pointing the people to Scripture for answers, these would be the other writings of the Old Testament, particularly the Psalms (and the other writings of Job and Solomon) and histories which would already have been extant. This may also have included some early prophets, although many of the twelve had not begun, not had the other major prophets been born.

20 – dawn – שַׁחַר shachar, shakh’-ar; from 7836; dawn (lit., fig. or adv.):— day (-spring), early, light, morning, whence riseth.

They will not have the hope of glory in Christ.

Thoughts on the Passage:

Regarding Aslan, an allegory of Jesus Christ: “Safe?” said Mr. Beaver; “don’t you hear what Mrs. Beaver tells you? Who said anything about safe? ‘Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the King, I tell you.”

This message no longer seems to be aimed at Ahaz, but at some faithful people, even the remnant or perhaps those Isaiah was training.

The terminology used is insider:

V.15 – They shall fall…

V. 19 – They will say to you…

The message of this passage is for those who will follow the LORD in faith, in spite of the devastation and opposition they see.

12 – The conspiracy here seems to be the lack of Isaiah’s blind support of the king and the people. When he preaches the judgment of God and the need for the holiness of God’s people, he is declaring a message some would consider traitorous.

When he declares in this passage the faith in God that is required, he is repudiating the faith in Assyria and Egypt that the government favors.

In all this, though, Isaiah is not fomenting rebellion nor trying for a regime change. He is loyal to Judah through His loyalty to God. He is calling his disciples to greater faith in God.

This is not the only time a prophet, preaching God’s message, was accused of such:

Then Amaziah the priest of Bethel sent to Jeroboam king of Israel, saying, “Amos has conspired against you in the midst of the house of Israel. The land is not able to bear all his words. 11 For thus Amos has said, “ ‘Jeroboam shall die by the sword, and Israel must go into exile away from his land.’ ” - Amos 7:10-11

It was Isaiah himself who had been attempting to dissuade Judah from seeking foreign aid. That was to go contrary to the policy of the court. Isaiah, Jeremiah and other prophets advocated a policy of dependence upon the Lord and not upon foreign powers. Surely that was treason!

13 – Fear God - Matthew 10:28–33 (ESV): And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.

13 - But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, 15 but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, 16 having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. 17 For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil. – 1 Peter 3:14-17

15 - Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits. 44 And the one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him.” – Matthew 21:43-44

What shall we say, then? That Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness have attained it, that is, a righteousness that is by faith; 31 but that Israel who pursued a law that would lead to righteousness did not succeed in reaching that law. 32 Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as if it were based on works. They have stumbled over the stumbling stone, 33 as it is written, “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense; and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.” - Romans 9:30-33

But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root of the olive tree, 18 do not be arrogant toward the branches. If you are, remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you. 19 Then you will say, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” 20 That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand fast through faith. So do not become proud, but fear. 21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you. 22 Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God’s kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off. 23 And even they, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God has the power to graft them in again. – Romans 11:17-23

15 - What then? Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking. The elect obtained it, but the rest were hardened, 8 as it is written, “God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that would not see and ears that would not hear, down to this very day.” 9 And David says, “Let their table become a snare and a trap, a stumbling block and a retribution for them; 10 let their eyes be darkened so that they cannot see, and bend their backs forever.” - Romans 11:7-10

Teachings (Passage Outline):

11-12 – Don’t trust the definitions and issues the world defines for you.

13-18 – Trust in the LORD and His revelation through the Scriptures.

19-20 – Urge those among God’s people to His Scriptures.

Applications:

How do we preach the gospel in situations like this? Just like in our day, the hearts of the people are not seeking after God, yet we are not called to abandon them to their fate; we are called to proclaim the gospel to them with the best of our ability.

1. God knows who are His, and He will unerringly call them to the gospel if we only open our mouths with His word.

2. The deeper people descend into their sin, the more meaningless and hopeless they find it. Sensuality only satisfies for a moment, and that less and less. For many, it takes the depths of sin to cause them to see the heights of God’s love through Jesus Christ.

3. It is not helpful for the church, or the individual believer, to endorse the sin or accept the false justifications and false premises of those who would defend it. We preach the truth in the gospel of God.

4. We must know going in that many people will find false solace in the number of people who follow the wrong way. They will be encouraged by those around them who justify the sin. But we must recognize, and help them to do so, that those who would lead them to sin do not do it out of love or sincere affection: they do it out of selfish motives in justifying themselves or to profit from the other’s fall.

5. Every single person who has died now knows the truth – Jesus Christ is Lord, and they must face God’s judgment. The worst sinner, the most devout atheist, once he passes through death, will know too late the holiness of God and his utter defenselessness before His righteous wrath.

Primary Preaching Point:

God build His kingdom His way.

Building Points:

11-12 – Trust God for the future.

13-18 – Trust God through the storm.

19-20 – Trust God for the results.

Sermon Text:

Has there ever been a nation that has not deserved God’s judgment, even His wrath?

It is certainly not a pleasant thing to contemplate, but the very nation we live in today heartily deserves God’s judgment.

And not just the nation – our state, even our counties and cities – have earned mountains of judgment from our holy God.

The day we live in is not much different than Isaiah’s:

There was a general apathy toward God.

Concern over gaining wealth for wealth’s sake.

There was an expectation that life should be easy and sweet, with only a few bumps in the road.

A feeling of entitlement to the good life, the pursuit of pleasure.

And when God was considered, the people felt like they did God a favor by worshiping Him in their own way.

We have precisely these ideas today.

And not just in the people “out there”; this sickness often infects God’s people “in here”.

Now to be transparent with you, I am always skeptical of sermons that begin by talking about how bad the world is.

Of course it is bad – it’s the world.

It is the people who, by definition, are in active rebellion to God in their sin, continuing to pollute this world.

But the stink from this pollution is so much more when it comes from God’s own people.

When it is the people who call themselves by His name that bring dishonor on Him.

In our passage today, we have a picture of these two kingdoms, these two realms among those who are called by God’s name.

Every one, every person addressed in this passage is a person who is counted among the people of God, the chosen houses of Israel.

For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel, - Romans 9:6

This was not only true in Paul’s time, it was true in Isaiah’s time.

And, truth be told, not everyone today who calls themselves a Christian is really a Christian.

But it is not the purpose of this passage, I think, to give us ways to identify the true believers from the false.

To give us a foolproof method of separating the sheep from the goats.

That is not our job as the church. It is not Isaiah’s calling here.

That is a task borne only by the Almighty God, and even then on the Last Day. That is the day the sheep will be finally separated from the goats; the day when the tares will be winnowed from the wheat.

How could we possibly judge these things?

Even if we look at the fruit they are producing, how can we know that fruit is the final product they will ever produce?

Can you or I predict the future mercies of God in a struggling believer’s life that will turn them from a fearful John Mark into, well, a useful John Mark?

For that matter, can you predict the mercies of God in the life of a woman that sneers at you to defend her supposed right to murder her unborn child?

No, judging whether someone belongs to God or not belongs only to Him.

And so our passage today speaks to something much more important for us: What are we, meaning those who follow Jesus Christ, to do in our day and among our people?

I have three things we can see in our passage today.

Spoiler alert: they all begin with faith in God. “Trust God”

The first is “Trust God for the Future”

Now, this is not some airy ten-thousand years in the future thing: it begins with trusting Him in the next moment.

In the next breath.

And in the next morning and the next day.

Because if you don’t trust God for tomorrow, you can make some serious errors today.

Recall Abraham: even though he had God’s promise of becoming a great nation through his son, he

Passed his wife off as his sister twice because he feared he would be killed.

He had a son, Ishmael, with Sarah’s servant, Hagar, because he thought God would not or could not keep His promise.

This is the same man who believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.

If he had trouble trusting God, we much be doubly careful to trust Him.

Notice what God warns Isaiah about, with His strong hand on him:

Don’t walk in their ways.

Don’t join with their definitions.

Don’t fear what they fear.

We have looked at the ways of the people before, so I won’t go back over their sins now.

They were truly a people of unclean lips, as Isaiah had been.

But he had been cleansed from the altar of God in his great vision.

He had been converted. Made into something holy, set apart for God’s service.

And God was commanding him not to return to the same ways they walked.

Or to buy into their definitions.

Do not call conspiracy all that this people calls conspiracy…

That may sound a little strange, but remember they were at war.

Syria and the Northern kingdom of Israel had joined together (same word as conspired) and invaded Judah.

And Isaiah was preaching God’s message that God would bring down these invaders Himself, and that Judah shouldn’t turn to Assyria for aid.

Since this ran counter to what the king had declared, Isaiah himself was guilty of conspiracy.

It is very likely that threats like this might be used to stop him from preaching God’s word and to support the king.

It is no different than the Romans declaring the Christians traitors because they refused to worship the emperor.

It is no different from the culture we are living in, whether officially or unofficially, threatening the church if we preach God’s word regarding the popular sins of our day:

That homosexuality is evil and sinful.

That abortion is murder.

That abusing even legally-obtained drugs is sinful.

That any religion that does not follow Jesus Christ as Lord, especially the godless Islamic religion, is a satanic counterfeit religion designed to carry the people who remain in it straight to hell.

Marriage is one natural-born man marrying one natural-born woman.

Who would have thought twenty years ago we would even need to add adjectives to “man” and “woman”?

And for that matter, we are derided when we declare that gender is not a state of mind, but a result of biology. You don’t get to choose if you are a man or woman – God already did that.

If you are confused, begin with your biology and help your mind agree.

I really mean no disrespect to anyone who struggles with this, but the most loving thing I can do is to help you see that it is not you who determines what truth is, not even for yourself.

We, as people, are too easily fooled, mistaken, and led astray to trust to our own opinions.

Don’t walk in their ways; don’t buy into their definitions; and don’t fear what they fear.

They were being invaded by a much larger army.

They were LOSING the war, with tens of thousands killed and captured.

Yet they were fretting over the wrong things.

They were simply worried about how their life was affected by these events.

When their real fear was that they would, one day soon, stand before God and give an account of their lives.

What do you fear?

If you are not a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ, I can tell you immediately what you should fear most of all.

You will soon, whether today or eighty years from now, you will one day surely stand before the holy God who created everything.

And His holiness, His perfection, will be so great it will discover every single thing you have done, even in the privacy of your home or in the vault of your thoughts.

And because you are sinful and fallen, you will find yourself without hope, without any defense.

And you will be cast into eternal perdition, never to be paroled or relieved, an eternity of misery and pain.

And that is more sure than your next heartbeat, more sure than your next breath.

Your only hope, as is mine, is to follow our Lord Jesus Christ, trusting Him to save you NOW. Leaving behind your old life of sin and hopelessness as He brings you into His kingdom, saving you from the terrible wrath of the Almighty God.

And in doing so, He will lavish on you the eternal love of that same Almighty God, secure in His love forever.

What should we fear? We see it right here: Let God be your fear, and let Him be your dread.

Know that your only hope is to cast yourself on His mercy, trust yourself to His grace.

The second thing we are to do is “Trust God through the Storm”.

Christian, you, like Isaiah, might be standing in the middle of a land that will soon face the earthly wrath of God.

It is not just on the Last Day that God’s judgment falls.

All history is His; Every nation and tribe and people have their day only because He allows them to rise and rule.

And they fall and disappear because He removes them.

The days of their sin are filled up.

But you, believer, are to do one thing: honor God as holy.

Confess His holiness in your heart and with your mouth.

Treat Him as holy, and yourself as a holy vessel set apart for His service.

Because if you have been saved by the blood of Jesus Christ, you have been set apart, made holy, to serve Him forever.

We read in Romans 12:1-2:

present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

It is saying the same thing.

You have been brought into the kingdom of God – the kingdom He is building. And it is a holy kingdom filled with holy, set apart people in service to Him.

In the middle of this judgment God is promising through Isaiah, we see what God is doing:

(v. 14) he will become a sanctuary and a stone of offense and a rock of stumbling to both houses of Israel, a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

Let’s look at that in parts:

In the middle of this great storm of fear and judgment, God will become a sanctuary.

The word the Holy Spirit told Isaiah to use here is not “refuge”, but “sanctuary”. That is important.

Admittedly, they are related words, but rather than drawing the picture for us of a great castle with thick walls to run in to escape the judgment, God uses a different word.

Not tall and thick walls, not a stone tower: God becomes a tent.

Not just any tent – the holy of holies in the tabernacle.

Walls of cloth, not stone.

Doors of curtain, not wood.

What He becomes in the midst of the storm is exactly what we need: a holy place for us to come to.

That is what sanctuary means – a holy place.

But you may be thinking: is it safe?

No, but it is secure.

Ask Paul whether following Jesus was safe. He was beheaded. But His salvation is secure.

Ask Peter if following Jesus was safe. Even on the seashore, Jesus revealed to him how he would die faithfully for our Lord. Not safe, but secure.

Ask the great witnesses, the great martyrs, through the ages if following Jesus was safe. Not safe, but secure.

When God is building His kingdom, and it is HE who builds it, not us, He brings us in to holiness.

He brings us to His holy sanctuary, and commands us to be holy.

I will not say God never has a concern for our safety, but I am confident His concern for our holiness is far greater than for our earthly safety.

Because any affliction we meet with here will be momentary and light, compared to the weight of eternal glory.

In the great children’s book The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe, Mr. Beaver describes the great Lion, Aslan (an allegory for Jesus Christ), this way:

When asked if the Aslan was safe, he replied, “Safe? Who said anything about safe? ‘Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good.”

One last thing we will look at this morning – I’m afraid we will need to leave the rest until God brings us together again on the next Lord’s Day – is what follows in verse 14:

he will become a sanctuary and a stone of offense and a rock of stumbling to both houses of Israel, a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem

I really tried to make this read differently than it does.

It’s that first “and” that creates the small dilemma.

Many commentators turn that into a “but” – He will become a sanctuary, but to both houses of Israel a stone of offense…

It really is an “and”, though.

What God is saying is that the very holy place He is establishing Himself in will be that “plague stone” and “stumbling rock”.

It is His holiness that will, at the same time, call and comfort His people and bring everyone else low.

This exactly describes our Lord Jesus Christ, the promised Messiah of God, in the time of His flesh:

In Him, the holiness of God was on full display.

He never did anything that was against the will of God.

He never failed to do anything that the Father wanted Him to do.

His life was perfect in every way, sinless,

Perfect in love.

Perfect in mercy.

Perfect in obedience.

Perfect in His message.

And those who belonged to the Father came to Him in His holiness.

And those who trusted in their own righteousness, who trusted only in their ancestry, who were still enemies of God – they stumbled and fell.

Repeatedly.

Until the day they were either captured by the mercy of God or until the day they breathed their last sinful breath.

I think we must stop here in our passage this week. If the Lord is willing, we will pick it up again next week.

For each of us, I would ask this final question: are you drawn to the holiness of God?

It is fine to fear it, to know the perfection and majesty in Him that will never be in your nature.

But do you find in God’s holiness a comfort in trials, a challenge to your flesh, and a purpose for your life in serving and worshiping Him: and I mean your life now and forever.

He is worthy of it all, and if we are reluctant to spend ourselves completely in service to Him, we must pray for ourselves and for each other that we realize even more the purpose for which He created us and called us to Himself.