Advent 2019: Doubling Down

Introduction

To have children is to be lied to. A few months ago, we had the inside of our house painted. We were so proud of our freshly painted walls and how fresh everything looked. Just a couple of days after Gracie’s room had been painted, Megan went to hang some clothes up in the closet and realized that someone had drawn on the wall in her closet with a pen. Honestly, it really wasn’t that big of a deal because it was in the closet, but it’s one of those situations you really want to nip in the bud before your whole house is covered in toddler graffiti. So, Megan asked our oldest if she did it, and she denied it. Then, she asked our youngest if she did it, and she said no. And, that’s when we knew that we had a liar in our midst and that our code orange had just escalated to a code red situation.

Megan brought both girls into the living room for further interrogation, and both girls are doubling down on their stories. Like, there’s no flinching. The oldest is breaking down emotionally and the youngest is stone-faced like a trained spy. We try and try and try, and explain how the one guilty person is going to get their innocent sister in trouble, and still everybody keeps doubling down on their story. And so, even though we thought it was Sara, the performances were so emphatic, so impressive that it was impossible for us to know until ultimately we were forced to follow through on our word and discipline both girls. Only a couple of hours later did we secure a confession and an apology from Sara. And, this morning, we’re going to see the king of Judah, Ahaz, double down on his rejection of God’s word through his own lie. But, even as we see Ahaz double down on his unbelief, we’re going to see God double down in even greater measure on his Promise.

God’s Word

Read

The Backstory of the Virgin Birth (headline)

At this point in the history of Israel, the Kingdom of Israel is divided into two separate kingdoms. To the north, you had what was referred to as Israel, or sometimes as Ephraim or even Jacob in the book of Isaiah. To the south, you had Judah, or the Kingdom of David, maintaining Jerusalem as capitol. You’ll remember that Isaiah is written from the perspective of Judah. The great superpower of the world is Assyria, and everyone within a stone’s throw is terrified that they will be the next captive of Assyria. Now, God had commanded his people not to enter into any unholy alliances with other nations, as it would make them susceptible to false gods and it would make the Lord God appear impotent. Immediately, the northern Kingdom of Israel entered into an alliance with Syria and wanted Judah to jump in with them so that hopefully they would be able to fight off the Assyrian threat. Ahaz resisted, and so Israel and Syria invaded Judah hoping to overtake it and install their own king that would be an ally for them. So far, you might think that Ahaz is a pretty good guy, but he decides that he’s going to enter into a friendship with Assyria herself that Assyria might defend Judah from her enemies in the north. And, the whole time God has been sending word through Isaiah to Ahaz: “You don’t need Assyria. You have me. I will defend you. I will protect you. I will slay your enemies!” And, here, we find the backstory of the virgin birth. (Headline) Here the seed of the virgin birth is planted whereas in , on that Christmas morning, it came into full bloom.

The Lord offers “assurance.”

v. 10-11 “Again spoke the LORD to Ahaz: ‘Ask a sign of the LORD your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven.” Our text begins with an unexpected twist: God offers “assurance.” Ahaz had rejected God’s word, and he had shown a complete lack of confidence in God. Yet, out of sheer kindness, God persists in coming to him when we think He might as well leave him be. In fact, God goes far beyond any reasonable expectation and even offers him a sign. God’s faithfulness was proven. God’s power was proven. Yet, God offers a sign. And, God doesn’t even tell him what the sign will be. He says, “Pick a sign, any sign, whatever it will take for you to trust me. Call the dead out of the ground. Call the angels down from heaven. As miraculous as you need, as big as you need, as clear as you need, I will provide so that you will know that these pathetic nations that cause you to tremble cannot triumph over you because I am with you.” What kindness from God! He responds to Ahaz’s unbelief, Ahaz’s self-righteousness and self-sufficiency with an offer to assure him of his love and care for his people, as an offer to assure him of the strength of his covenant with them.

God’s Strength, Our Weakness

God’s faithfulness was proven.

One of the most common reasons that God sends signs in the OT is to show his faithfulness and love to his people, to reaffirm his covenant with them. And, He has to do this, not because He wavers, but because his people waver. They were the kind of people that receive a miraculous, undeniable answer to their prayers on Friday only to say “Woe is me! God has forsaken me” when the slight trouble comes on Saturday, if you can relate to that. Signs highlight both God’s “strength” and our “weakness”. They are illustrations of how good God is in light of how unbelieving we are. They are exclamations of God’s love and glory to his people that have trouble remembering. Who is able to give a sign? Who is able to send down the angels or call up the dead? It isn’t the one who asks; it’s the One who reigns. It’s the One who has every power and every resource and every ability at his fingertips. And, on the other side of the coin, who is it that needs a sign? Who is it that needs God who has answered your prayers and provided every meal and delivered you from every enemy to assure them yet again? It’s those who are weak and feeble and fragile. It’s those who are more given to unbelief than faith, more committed to themselves than God. It’s us.

God Draws Out Unbelief

God’s power was proven.

APPLICATION: It’s in that light that I think we really understand what’s taking place in Isaiah seven. God is using the offering of a sign to draw out the unbelief in Ahaz. He’s using the generous offer of a sign and the hardship of the looming invasion as a demonstration of how deeply rooted Ahaz’s unbelief and unfaithfulness go. It shows how far the line of David has fallen, and how necessary the coming judgement is. He’s showing how badly an intervention is needed, how badly a they need a greater King. He won’t even trust a sign from God, let alone his word! God will draw out either your “faith” or your “unbelief” — whatever is there. Through good news and bad, miracles and silence, your faith or unbelief will be revealed. You’ll remember the famous story of Solomon and the two mothers. They both claimed the same child as their son, and it like a classic ‘her word against mine’ situation. So, Solomon said to cut the child in half and give each mother a half. One of the mothers was appalled and could not fathom such an act, and the other mother agreed saying that if she couldn’t have him no one should. And, of course, Solomon gave the child to the mother that was appalled. It was an act intended to draw out the love of the true mother and the very same act revealed evil in the other woman’s heart. It’s interesting how two people can have the same experience reveal something completely different. Saul and David both saw Goliath, and Goliath served to verify David’s faith and at the very same time prove Saul’s unbelief. It’s easy to believe that we’re the only ones who suffer, the only ones facing setbacks, living on an island of misery at the hands of God. But, the truth is that these are common experiences and they are drawing out character of our faith or the reality of our unbelief. What’s being revealed in your life?

Yet, God offers a sign.

The king “doubles down.”

v. 12 “But Ahaz said, “I will not ask, and I will not put the LORD to the test.” And, true to character, the king “doubles down.” If God gave me the opportunity to see anything, I can promise you one thing, I’m going to see something! I’m going to see a mountain fall down or hear deer sing or walk across Coleman Lake. But, not Ahaz, he has decided his path, and he is resolved. He is doubling down on his plan, doubling down on his wisdom, doubling down on his unbelief. His faith is too weak for a sign to help. Just as Pharaoh’s heart was hardened in the face of God’s great signs so is Ahaz’s.

Pretending faith doesn’t “pray.”

First, you can see that pretending faith doesn’t “pray”. He says, “I will not ask.” Israel and Syria had already begun an offensive against Judah, and they were already on their way to depose Ahaz and install a puppet king. What believer in God would not plead with him in that situation? Instead, he doubles down on his plan to partner with Assyria and refuses to ask the Lord. And, not only that, Ahaz refuses to pray and tries to sound religious about it. He puts the hope of his people, the protection of David’s throne into his very enemy all while trying to sound like a godly man. How often we repeat these same words of Ahaz! We say to others that we don’t want to be selfish and ask for prayer, or we don’t want to go to God as though we are entitled to his answer. But, these are just highminded justifications of our unbelief. We don’t believe He will answer. We don’t believe it matters. We don’t believe that it makes a difference, and so we look for a way to continue portraying godliness while camouflaging disbelief. We call it common sense, or we call it normal, or we call it rational, and God calls it wicked. We put our trust in our friends and not God, in our emotions and not the Lord, in our talk shows and blogs and promotions, not the Almighty.

“I will not ask” Ahaz’s response reveals his fraudulent faith. He didn’t really love and trust God; He only pretended when it was time for worship. First, you can see that pretending faith doesn’t “pray”. He says, “I will not ask.” Israel and Syria had already begun an offensive against Judah, and they were already on their way to depose Ahaz and install a puppet king. What believer in God would not plead with him in that situation? Instead, he doubles down on his plan to partner with Assyria and refuses to ask the Lord. And, not only that, Ahaz refuses to pray and tries to sound religious about it. He puts the hope of his people, the protection of David’s throne into his very enemy all while trying to sound like a godly man. How often we repeat these same words of Ahaz! We say to others that we don’t want to be selfish and ask for prayer, or we don’t want to go to God as though we are entitled to his answer. But, these are just highminded justifications of our unbelief. We don’t believe He will answer. We don’t believe it matters. We don’t believe that it makes a difference, and so we look for a way to continue portraying godliness while camouflaging disbelief. We call it common sense, or we call it normal, or we call it rational, and God calls it wicked. We put our trust in our friends and not God, in our emotions and not the Lord, in our talk shows and blogs and promotions, not the Almighty.

Pretending faith “bends” God’s word.

“I will not put the LORD to the test.” And, then we can see that pretending faith “bends” God’s word. When he says, “I will not put the LORD to the test”, it actually sounds godly, doesn’t it? I think if most of us are Isaiah’s position in this confrontation we’d back down and say, “Good point.” Ahaz must’ve felt sharp. He was actually quoting Scripture from , which is a rebuke from when God’s people in the Exodus had become so addicted to signs that they couldn’t go more than a day without one. But, just like the Serpent asked Eve, “Did God really say”, and just like Satan said to Jesus, “for it is written”, Ahaz bends the word of God to suit his own desires and to justify his wickedness. But, it is an awful thing to add your own intent to the words of God. It is an awful thing to rebel against God and then use his word to justify it. It’s awful thing to embrace sin, and then slam any correction with “Only God can judge me.” It’s an awful thing to end-around the authority of the church by saying “The Spirit indwells us everywhere.” It’s an awful thing to callously live in ongoing sin and to say, “God will forgive me.” In fact, as you’ll notice in verse 11, Isaiah says “your God” as though Ahaz was a part of the covenant of God, and then after this lame justification, Isaiah shifts to “my God” when speaking of God’s exhaustion with his hypocrisy, as to show him that he is excluded from the covenant. That is, his false-fronted godliness has been seen for what it really is. To assign intent to the word of God, to justify your sin by what God has said, to bend God’s word to your own liking is to be broken by it on the day of judgement. Will you trust God’s word, or will you bend it?

The Lord “doubles down.”

v. 14 “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call him Immanuel.” And, that’s what brings us to the climax of this text. You see, not only does the king double down, but the Lord “doubles down.” He had offered a sign, and though his sign was refused, He’s going to bring about a miraculous sign anyway. Though his word has been manipulated, He’s going to bring his word of judgement and redemption to pass anyway. Though his promise to David appears to be in jeopardy, He’s going to double down on that promise and show that it will be fulfilled in the most unlikely way possible. Throughout our passage, there are two questions that are constantly bubbling beneath the surface: 1) Is God’s promise to David really true? 2) Is God really with us? It’s to the answer of these questions that God offered Ahaz the sign in verse 11, and it’s to the answer of these questions that we get the great sign of verse 14 with the virgin birth. God doubles down on his promise to David and his promise to be with his people as their deliverer.

An Expendable King

First, see how the sign of the virgin birth answers the question of God’s covenant with David. In , God promised David that his throne would endure with one of his sons forever. And, here is his throne surrounded by enemies that are bigger, stronger, and better funded. The promise is under threat. And so, Ahaz decides to take matters into his own hands and to preserve David’s throne by his own devices. You see, Ahaz knew God’s promises, but he didn’t like God’s process. He knew God’s promises, but He didn’t like God’s timing. He knew God’s promises, but He didn’t like God’s method, and he decided he was better served to do things his own way. So, God says that the king will be replaced by a baby. As Kidner says it, “While the king calls in an army, God looks to the birth of a child.” The glorious news of the baby born to a virgin is at the same way a harsh judgement upon Ahaz. He thinks he’s the hope for the throne of David, and God doesn’t need him at all. He’ll resurrect the line of David from the womb of a virgin. He considered himself indispensible to Judah’s hope, and God renders him utterly expendable with the promise of a baby.

It’s the glory of the baby born to a virgin in Bethlehem paired with the tragedy of the king who went on his own way that come together so that we are both warned and encouraged. God accomplishes his “promises” by his “processes”. You’re going to want to save yourself. You’re going to want to speed up the timing of the Lord and expedite the promises of the Lord. You’re going to want to receive God’s blessing by your methods, but remember God accomplishes his promises by his processes. Save yourself, and you’ll die. Die to yourself, and you’ll be saved. Look to the baby born of a virgin. And, what an encouragement! Does it feel like the enemy is closing in on you? Does it feel like you’re going to wait on the Lord until it kills you? Does it appear that it’s impossible for you to know the joy God promises or the peace God promises or the hope God promises or the fulfilment that God promises? Look at a baby born more than 600 years after these words to a virgin, and remember God accomplishes his promises, but He accomplishes them according to his processes. Don’t interfere and intervene, messing things up. Wait on the Lord to do exceedingly more, exceedingly greater than you could ever comprehend.

God accomplishes his “promises” by his “processes”. You’re going to want to save yourself. You’re going to want to speed up the timing of the Lord and expedite the promises of the Lord. You’re going to want to receive God’s blessing by your methods, but remember God accomplishes his promises by his processes. Save yourself, and you’ll die. Die to yourself, and you’ll be saved. Look to the baby born of a virgin. And, what an encouragement! Does it feel like the enemy is closing in on you? Does it feel like you’re going to wait on the Lord until it kills you? Does it appear that it’s impossible for you to know the joy God promises or the peace God promises or the hope God promises or the fulfilment that God promises? Look at a baby born more than 600 years after these words to a virgin, and remember God accomplishes his promises, but He accomplishes them according to his processes

God is With Us

And, that really gets to the other question and the heart of the issue at the center of . Is God with us or not? Is God with us when our kings are bad? Is God with us when our enemies appear stronger than us? Is God with us when it feels like we’re fading away? And, Isaiah is telling us to look forward to this baby. Just two chapters later, He’s described as Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace. He is Immanuel, which means most literally “God with us”. Jesus is “proof” that God is with us because He “IS” God with us. He was conceived of the Spirit, born without sin, yet born as a man to a woman. He is God with us, as one of us, living with us. He is God and man, man but God. He is able to hurt and overcome our hurt. He is able to be tempted and overcome all temptation. He is Jacob, but without deception. He is Moses, but without murder. He is David, but without Bathsheba. He is Solomon, but without his wives. Jesus is the “promise kept” and the “promise-keeper”. He is God himself — in the flesh — dwelling among us to deliver us from our enemies, to save us from ourselves, to bring us into an everlasting Kingdom. He’s the seed that God planted with Isaiah and raised from the virgin, Mary, that all other hopes might be secure. He is God’s promise kept, and He has made us a promise: “I am with you always to the end of the age.” This Promise Kept is the Promise-keeper. So, look this morning to the King born to a virgin and see the Lord doubling down on his love for you, his church. God is with you!