Everlasting Father Series

Everlasting Father

THIS MORNING – as we continue in our message series, ‘Name Above All Names’ we will be unpacking another title that we find in Isaiah chapter 9:6…

HOWEVER – before we look at that verse and begin to drill down on that title, I want us to we put it into its historical context.

BECAUSE - as we say around The Grove, when it comes to understanding the Bible… context is KING!

NOW AS - Isaiah chapter 9 opens up…

• It is ~ the year 734 BC.

• The Nation (Israel in the North) and (Judah in the South) have been divided and in a civil war for about 200 years…

• NOW – I think we all would agree that this was neither a good or productive time for the Nation.

• And Listen, this civil war as you might expect weakened bot the Israel and Judah making them much more vulnerable to attacks from the various nations that surrounded them.

• AND – to make matters worse, not only was the nation divided and at war, but they had also began to worship other gods (false gods)… turning away from the Lord.

• Which I contend provided both the foundation and ongoing fuel for this war and division.

• Understand, when God’s people are walking with God (and live according to HIS WILL, as expressed in HIS Word) they do not go to war with each other. AMEN!

• QUESTION – are you starting to see the picture?

The Nation is a mess, it’s in turmoil… division, rage, violence, hatred, anger, war… Not to mention the economic, emotional and personal fall out (thousands lost loved ones) that always comes with such things

• SO GOD sent His prophets (Elijah, Elisha, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Hose) to both Kingdoms calling on them to repent and turn back to Him. But they refused to hear.

• And listen, during these 200 years of conflict… Israel in the North had 17 different kings/leaders… and every one of them did evil in the eyes of the Lord… Judah in the south had 11 Kings and most were for the most part okay… but the guy who was King when Isaiah 9 opens up was far from okay. Check out what God says about King Ahaz in 2 Kings chapter 16…

Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem sixteen years. Unlike David his father, he did not do what was right in the eyes of the LORD his God.

He followed the ways of the kings of Israel and even sacrificed his son in the fire, engaging in the detestable practices of the nations the LORD had driven out before the Israelites. He offered sacrifices and burned incense at the high places, on the hilltops and under every spreading tree. – 2 Kings 16:2-4

OKAY – so the king of Judah (AHAZ) is not an ungodly, corrupt, immoral and ineffective leader.

A leader who is facing a huge challenge as Isaiah chapter 9 opens up.

YOU SEE – in 734 BC the King of Israel (North) formed an alliance with the King of Aram to attack Judah.

AND – Ahaz starts freaking out, big time.

SO GOD – sends His prophet Isaiah to him to tell to…

take a breath, chill out trust Him, because He would deliver the Judah from her enemies… “Ahaz, I got this… trust in Me’ BUT LISTEN – it is hard to trust a God you do not know and are not following.

SO AHAZ - instead chooses to form an alliance with the King of Assyria… not a good plan…

A plan that would come back in a few years to bite Judah’s butt.

AND UNDERSTAND – God is not happy with Ahaz’s decision.

IN FACT – as Isaiah chapter 8 closes God is like,

“Okay, so you want to do this without Me. You do not want me in your life. Have it your way. But just know that…

Your life – ME = not very pretty

They will go from one place to another, weary and hungry. And because they are hungry, they will rage and curse their king and their God.

They will look up to heaven and down at the earth, but wherever they look, there will be trouble and anguish and dark despair. They will be thrown out into the darkness.

– Isaiah 8:21,22 (NLT)

OKAY – so that is the context for Isaiah chapter 9…

• A nation in turmoil (wars, hatred, violence, death, economic hardships)

• God’s people living just like, doing all of the detestable things of the nations He had driven out (I mean, they are living so much like the world around them, they you cannot even tell the difference)