Introduction
Around the year 720BC, God’s chosen nation was already a divided nation: there was the Northern Kingdom, called Israel ruled by a king named Pekah; and there was the Southern Kingdom, now called Judah, ruled by an able but misdirected leader named Ahaz. There were small tribal wars nearby and there was a looming empire up north in Assyria. The Assyrian empire who was then led by a master maniacal named Tiglath Pileser was already bullying everyone in that part of the world. It will only be a matter of time before before every civilization falls under the cruel dominion of Assyria. But for now, smaller kingdoms are doing conquests of their own within their neighbors. In short, the smaller nations are at war with each other.
These small nations include the neighboring: Israel, Judah and Syria (not to be mistaken from Assyria). Israel wanted to conquer Judah but Judah seems a formidable fortress, so Israel forged an alliance with its northern neighbor Syria to attack the Southern Kingdom of Judah. This strategic alliance, called the Syrio-Ephraimite alliance is the beginning of a long line of conflict for this region for the nation of Yahweh. The events that happened here were so crucial that it “paved the way for the prolonged period of foreign domination that continued beyond the time of Christ” ( J.A. Motyer, s.v., “Ahaz,” in Bible Dictionary, J.D. Douglas, ed. [Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1987], 26.)
Why this story is important for us is because of a watershed moment for a king at a crucial time. A watershed moment is a point in time that marks an important, often historical change. This Christmas season, we are also faced with this challenge. We call Jesus Immanuel. Today, in this sermon we will talk about how that term Immanuel came to be in the Bible, what is its role in the unfolding drama of redemption and what it would mean for us today.
BIG IDEA: ISAIAH REMINDS AHAZ TO BELIEVE IN GOD'S SECURITY
Ahaz, king of the Southern Kingdom of Judah, learned from his prophet Isaiah that
5 Aram, Ephraim and Remaliah's son
have plotted your ruin, saying,
6 "Let us invade Judah;
let us tear it apart
and divide it among ourselves (Isaiah 7:5-6 NIV)
His southern brothers, the Israelits or Ephraimites, are planning to attack him in alliance with a pagan nation of Syrians. Ahaz – ruler, military strategist with a bad moral compass -- made some wrong decisions despite the fact that his trusted prophet gave him some pretty specific instructions:
7'It will not take place, it will not happen, 8 for the head of Aram is Damascus, and the head of Damascus is only Rezin. Within sixty-five years Ephraim will be too shattered to be a people. 9 The head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is only Remaliah's son. If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all.' " 10 Again the LORD spoke to Ahaz, 11 "Ask the LORD your God for a sign, whether in the deepest depths or in the highest heights." (vv. 7-11 NIV)
Isaiah instructed him to ask the Lord for a sign but he refused saying, “"I will not ask; I will not put the LORD to the test." (v. 12 NIV). This disobedience foreshadows for Ahaz a bittersweet future. Yes God will save him from the Syro-Ephraimite invasion, but it will eventually lead to his downfall as Isaiah gives him a strange prophecy,
20 In that day the Lord will use a razor hired from beyond the River--the king of Assyria--to shave your head and the hair of your legs, and to take off your beards also. (v. 20 NIV)
So yes, the “Immanuel” passage of verse 14 is a passage of salvation, "Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel" (v. 14 NIV).
But it is a salvation from the first invasion, the first onslaught. In effect this work is not complete, for the simple reason that the salvation that comes from God is complete. What will happen here is that the nation of God will fall into bondage preparing the way for the Messiah, the real Immanuel to complete the story. This Christmas season, the Immanuel will remind us again that He is our peace and that His presence must not be traded for anything less. In the face of threat we may well ask: “What makes the people of God secure? How do we keep hold of our God-given possession and privileges? Isaiah answered these questions with one word: faith!.
In many ways our struggle is like the struggle of Ahaz. We know God is good but we think we are BETTER. This is the reason why we rush mindlessly; we become impatient; we worry; we become anxious; we are driven towards the wrong solutions; we swallow our food in gulps; we eat our troubles away; we become addicted; we are arrogant, we are proud. We are better, in our hearts we say. The apostle Paul admonishes us, “For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, (Rom 12:3 NIV)” Yet we do the exact opposite. The wise man said, “Pride goes before destruction (Proverbs 16:18).
Just what exactly has Jesus done to remove any boasting on our part for this?
DONE: SALVATION THROUGH JESUS
The “Immanuel” prophecy in the Isaiah passage does not look like it’s totally a great news. Yes, the Syro-Ephraimite invasion will not succeed but eventually and we know this in history that this began a series of downfall for the nation of Judah. After Assyria helped Judah, Judah became a vassal state of Assyria. A vassal is “A holder of land by feudal tenure on conditions of homage and allegiance.” So you see, this was their own land – given to them by God, rightfully theirs but now they are a vassal in their own land. How ironic! Later on when the mightier Babylonian hordes started invading lands including Jerusalem, Assyria was not there to rescue them. In 605BC, Babylon started conquest of Judah. The Assyrians were nowhere to be found. In 586BC, the evil Nebuchadnezzar leveled Jerusalem to the ground. The Promised Land was now a piece of rubble – dusty and forgotten -- as the promise of Assyrian protection.
In many ways I could not discount the fact that many of you probably had experiences in life when you become rubbles. Family problems, substance problems, anger issues, loneliness, depression, financial woes, sickness, fear of death – and many more. I just don’t think a believer is immune to these difficulties.
It is in this kind of situation that we find our story of Christmas. Yes, the people of God were able to return to Jerusalem so that in the time of Malachi we see them back to their promised land, administered by their own Mosaic laws once again.
When we read about “Immanuel” in Matthew chapter 1 we are told that the Savior will be born and “he will save his people from their sins. ( v. 21 NIV). It seems that they are back to square one. True enough, in chapter two we are told that Israel’s ruler was a pagan king, “during the time of King Herod (2:1 NIV). This is drastic situation again. This was Egypt. This was Babylon once again. But this time, the last King has returned. With this King, the promise of redemption has arrived. The time of bondage has ended!
This is the reason why believers of that time, although they were still under the clutches of the Roman empire were as free as birds. In Christ they found meaning in life, they found purpose, freedom from their bondage, form their sin.
33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died--more than that, who was raised to life--is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written: "For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered." 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Rom 8:33-39 NIV)
DO: DUTIES OF THE BLESSED PEOPLE
I also know that you know your temptations. If Ahaz had military alliance with Assyria as his temptation and he gave in you also have your own temptations: pornography, gossipping, addictions, wrong friends, wrong relationships, quick temper, aimless busy-bodying, family neglect, and many more.
This Christmas, let Christ be your Immanuel. I know it is difficult. Some of your are angry, bitter, worried, in sin. That’s not the worse part. The worse part is you think you can solve this on your own – like Ahaz.
This Christmas season, it is time to repent and seek God.
ACTION POINT: LEARN FROM A.H.A.Z.
A – Accept your mistakes. Give time to reflect about your life. Consider your ways.
H – Humble yourself in repentance. Confess to God or to a trusted brethren.
A – Appreciate God’s grace. Dedicate a worship time to Jesus – singing praises or hymns and offering up prayer of thanksgiving to God.
Z – Zeal for God’s work. Make steps to be of use to God’s ministry.
