Put the Lord to the Test

Put the Lord to the Test Isaiah 7, 36–37 1. Context • Opposition: united hostile nations • Fears: historical trauma 2. Promise • Location: upper pool conduit • Assurance: “do not fear” • Certainty: “It shall not stand” 3. Unbelief • Hypocrisy: “I will not put the Lord to the test.” (Deut 6:16) • Trustworthiness: “the land…you dread will be deserted” 4. Consequence • Unbelief brings hard personal consequences • Unbelief brings hard community consequences 1. Context • Opposition: empire of Assyria Assyria Syria Israel Judah Assyria Jerusalem 1. Context • Opposition: empire of Assyria • Location: upper pool conduit • Question: on what do you rest your trust? (6x in 4–9) 2. Promise • Assurance: “Do not fear” • Certainty: “he shall…return to his own land” (37:7) 3. Belief • Acknowledgement: “Truly…they have laid waste…” (37:18) • Request: “Save us … you alone are the Lord” (37:20) 4. Consequence • God speaks: “you have mocked and reviled me!” • God acts: 185,000 and Sennacherib dead (36–38) Applications • When fear enters, it drives you to believe in something. • Fearful worry disbelieves God in favor of ________________. • God wants you to put him to the test. Put the Lord to the Test Isaiah 7, 36–37