The Remmant Highway

Can the Lord be trusted to do what He says?

Breakdown of Isaiah 7

A1 The house of David is threatened (1-2)

B1 Isaiah’s son: the plans of the Northern powers (3-6)

C1 The Lord’s word of assurance (7-9)

D The response of unbelief (10-12)

C2 The Lord’s sign of judgment (13-15)

B2 The virgin’s son: the destruction of the northern powers (16)

A2 The house of David destroyed (17-25)

Be Careful to do Nothing!

The northern powers have assembled to fight Judah and desire to install their own proxy as king of Judah and Jerusalem.

Assyrian expansion is threatening the kingdoms of Ephraim (Israel) and Aram (Syria). They want Judah to join their resistence.

King Ahaz, unbeknownest to the Kings of Israel and Syria, has made a secret alliance with Assyria, in light of the first invasion attempt of Israel and Syria against Judah (1 Kings 16:5).

King Ahaz sends messengers to Tiglath-pileser, King of Assyria, promising his allegiance and servitude, along with the silver and gold from the the LORD’s temple and the treasuries of the kings palace (1 Kings 16:7,8).

Tiglath-pileser accepts the tribute and servitude of King Ahaz and marches to Damascus and captures it, deporting the people and putting King Rezin of Aram (Syria) to death (1 Kings 16:9).

King Ahaz then meets Tiglath-pileser in Damascus (Syria), discovers an altar he likes, to a foreign god, and has it copied and built in Jerusalem, by Uriah the priest, for sacrifice. All to satisfy the king of Assyria, the deal with the devil (2 Kings 16:10-18).

When faced with firebrands of trouble, who or what, do you align yourself with?

The LORD’s answer: Be careful to do nothing, align yourself with Me!

This is the exact opposite to what we are predisposed to do. King Ahaz is all of us!

We allow fear and become cowardly - soft, weak and tender; instead of standing strong in the Lord God.

Isaiah 7:9 HCSB

the head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is the son of Remaliah. If you do not stand firm in your faith, then you will not stand at all.

The issue at stake for Ahaz is not playing power politics, but faith in God.

The issue at stake today for our PM is not keeping the people safe and delivering a vaccine to make all our trouble go away. It is faith in the living God! Our leaders would rather placate and align our nation with socialist ideals of an idealistic utopic globalist kingdom, than align our nation with the living God of the Kingdom Utopia!

Our leaders would rather align themselves with Assyria, than believe and trust in God. As a result, our nation will not stand, it will crumble and lye in ruins. Therefore we must pray, pray more earnestly than ever before, that God would shake the hearts of our PM and leaders. Ask for a sign to be shown from the LORD our God.

Throughout history, past, present and future, man faces this scenario: Human purposes challanging divine promises.

Do your actions, your plans, your life, challange the divine promises of God?

Human plans and purposes will ALWAYS fall to the divine promises and purposes of God.

Isaiah 7:7–9 HCSB

This is what the Lord God says: It will not happen; it will not occur. The head of Aram is Damascus, the head of Damascus is Rezin (within 65 years Ephraim will be too shattered to be a people), the head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is the son of Remaliah. If you do not stand firm in your faith, then you will not stand at all.

Faith is the ground of the Christian’s existence. No faith, no existence!

Faith is the basis of a remnant.

Isaiah was given two sons. Their names were Shear-jashub (“a remnant will return”) and Maher-shalal-hash-baz (“Speed-spoil-haste-booty”). They were physical signs for the people to see.

One was a sign of mercy, one was a sign of coming judgment. Both were a promise. Both were focused upon the issue of faith. Which do I choose?

For Judah, both came to be, because a King refused to WANT to believe in the goodwill of God. Do I refuse to believe in the goodwill of God? Do I refuse to allow God to be diety in my life? Do I risk my life upon His promises?

Immanuel Prophecy

Regardless, of one’s personal decision and choices…God is with man!

Immanuel means “God with Us”.

Even though King Ahaz refused to bend the knee to ask for a sign and believe in the goodness of God, God still provided The Sign.

Isaiah 7:10–14 HCSB

Then the Lord spoke again to Ahaz: “Ask for a sign from the Lord your God—from the depths of Sheol to the heights of heaven.” But Ahaz replied, “I will not ask. I will not test the Lord.” Isaiah said, “Listen, house of David! Is it not enough for you to try the patience of men? Will you also try the patience of my God? Therefore, the Lord Himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive, have a son, and name him Immanuel.

Isaiah 9:2 HCSB

The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; a light has dawned on those living in the land of darkness.

Luke 1:67–71 HCSB

Then his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied: Praise the Lord, the God of Israel, because He has visited and provided redemption for His people. He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of His servant David, just as He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets in ancient times; salvation from our enemies and from the clutches of those who hate us.

The Sign for us today is Jesus!

Isaiah means “Jehovah is salvation”…Jesus is our salvation!

Don’t Be an Ahaz!

King Ahaz believed in anything when he ceased to believe in God. People will believe in anything when they cease to believe in God. Our world is a living illustration.

Do you honestly believe in God for everything? Is He allowed to be divine in your life? Is He your Light?

The Consequences of Being an Ahaz

Because of Ahaz’s unbelief:

A whole nation came under judgment and death.

Idolatry arose and gripped the hearts of the people.

Judah was taken into captivity.

Messiah would be born into poverty, heir to a meaningless throne in a conquered land.

Since Ahaz, the line of David was never again significant. What was significant was the fact that David’s line was now a line of puppet-kings under alien domination.

Judah would be ruled by Assyria, Babylon, Persia, Greece and then Rome.

The consequences of unbelief in the Word of God are devastating.

Those who hate wisdom, love death (Proverbs 8:36). Those who find wisdom, obtain the favor of the LORD/ADONAI (v.35).

Proverbs 8:32–36 CJB

“Therefore, children, listen to me: happy are those who keep my ways. Hear instruction, and grow wise; do not refuse it. How happy the person who listens to me, who watches daily at my gates and waits outside my doors. For he who finds me finds life and obtains the favor of Adonai. But he who misses me harms himself; all who hate me love death.”

King Ahaz was unwise and loved death. All who dismiss the wisdom of the LORD love death. Call upon the LORD Jesus and He will give you life!

Will I stand with God in faith of fall because of unbelief. Regardless The Sign remains and a highway for the remnant stays intact.