The LORD always comes through even when it seems that we have run to the end of the road and see no way out of the predicament in which we find ourselves, both as individuals and as a nation. He has let us go our merry way throughout the course of history, with the consequences to follow. Our sins, foolishness, rebellion, pride, and reprobate behaviors have brought us down to levels lower than dirt, yet when we repent and turn our lives over to Him, He is always there to restore us, to reprimand us, and to pick us up off of the ground if we will but swallow our egos and realize that His ways are always the best. When we read the Scriptures, it always seems that His chosen people Israel go through cycles of devotion to deviancy, and yet one would think that with all the troubles they had as a consequence of chasing after foreign gods and putting up with less than noble kings, they would have learned their lessons long ago (Leviticus 26) and decided to do that which He commanded of them, and that was to be a witness to the rest of the world that God and God alone was the One who controlled all events in both material and spiritual matters, and that He was the Author of their salvation, and none else. Unfortunately, no. We are no better either, and don't fool yourself otherwise (Ecclesiastes 1:9-11).
The scene in which Isaiah proclaims his prophetic word is when he is in the royal court of the king of Judah, a piece of work named Ahaz (2 Kings 15:38; 16:2, 8, 20:11; Isaiah 1:1; 7:12; 38:8) who has acted wickedly against God and has made alliances with other nations who are steeped in idolatry and are as weak as Ahaz in terms of moral character and leadership. Ahaz has gone so far as to sacrifice his own son to the detestable demonic figure Moloch, whose worship was noted for child sacrifice of the cruelest and vilest sort. Children would be thrown into a fire screaming while the "priests' banged drums and sang loudly so as to muffle the cries of pain coming from the little one's final breaths. This is a pitiful and horrendous testimony on a nation founded by the greatest king of Israel, David in 1010 B.C., the man "after God's own heart" (1, 2 Samuel). His descendants had gone from glorifying God in the Temple such as Solomon (1 Kings 8) to where their hearts had turned away from God as time progressed. The books of 1 and 2 Kings and 1 and 2 Chronicles are a no-hold-barred account of the sordid and sacred times of both Israel and Judah, and by reading them, you get an idea of how bad things had gotten. If history does repeat itself, it shows that bad government and wicked rulers are nothing new and are a plague here in the USA even now (Psalm 11:3; Proverbs 14:34; 16:12).
Isaiah had been told by the LORD to go to Ahaz and tell him that the war he was fighting against the kings of Israel and Syria were essentially nothing with which to concern himself. God proclaimed that they were nothing but "stubs of smoking firebrands" (Isaiah 7:3-9), and Isaiah was to show the inept monarch that God would help him overcome these weak enemies. He was ready to show him a sign of victory. All he had to do was ask (7:10-11). Ahaz's reply was pathetic and showed a lack of faith and the knowledge that if God did give him a sign, he would have to abandon his paganism and submit to God's direction, and he was not ready nor willing to do so. Sometimes when reading passages like this, I want to shout "What are you thinking?" Here is the Sovereign GOD of all creation, the God of Israel who brought them into existence, had given them a homeland, protected them in times of plenty and want, parted the Red Sea for them and drowned their enemies, and had told men like Moses and David that He was going to use them as the chosen vessel in bringing salvation to the nations, and Ahaz turned this down? This is idiocy on steroids.
I realize I made mention of this earlier, but it bears repeating. We choose to turn down the riches and blessings of God every day in our rebellious state. We turn from His free offer of salvation and mercy through the Lord Jesus Christ, thinking that we have everything under control (Luke 12:13-21; Hebrews 9:27) and either we drop dead or choose to be satisfied with our corrupt mortal lives and meals of dung and mud with eternal hell as our destination (Matthew 25:41; Revelation 20:11-15). God, Who is love personified (1 John 4:8) is always ready to comfort the troubled soul, repair the wounded heart, being peace to our lives, and bestow upon us the title of His children and His beloved ones, and is willing that none of us should perish, but all should come to Him (Ezekiel 18:23; Matthew 11:28-30; John 10:28-30; John 3:16; 2 Peter 3:9). Yet, we have the unmitigated gall to turn Him down simply because we do not want to let go of our temporal, finite junk that we cannot take with us when we die (Matthew 16:26; 1 Timothy 6:7). We cling to the rust of the earth instead of opening our arms, hearts, and lives to the King of Kings who has riches untold and treasure that no one can steal nor can it decay (Matthew 6:18-21; Mark 10:17-22).
In His graciousness, God allows Isaiah to give the sign to Ahaz that he initially decided to throw away. The prophet declared to Ahaz, his court, and to the people of Israel that a virgin would conceive a Son and name Him "Immanuel", which means, "God with us." (7:14). Isaiah's words initially meant that the wars and strife that Ahaz was undergoing with these nations would soon go away even before this anointed Child would be old enough to wean. This also meant that Israel would be ;protected by God even when the situations looked hopeless from a human point of view. God was not going to abandon them even in the midst of their national debauchery. We see this promise being fulfilled even when the nation went into captivity in Babylon in 586 B.C. Israel remained as one in terms of a language, culture, and faith renewed, and He graciously allowed them to return to the land seventy years later as He promised.
It is the arrival and ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ that was the premier sign that God is with us. He did not abandon us to our fate nor leave us to head to hell which is what we deserve (Romans 3:23; 6:23). By being ":God with us" in the flesh, He lived among us and showed hungry souls and open hearts that He was the fulfillment of not just Isaiah 7:14, but numerous other prophecies (Isaiah 53). As "God with us", He gave Himself as a final and complete sacrifice for the sins we have committed (Hebrews 10:12, 26). As "God with us", He died so that we may live, and His resurrection was the symbol that the barrier between the Father's holiness and our sinful state was reconciled through Him and Him alone (John 14:6; Acts 4:12). As "God with us", He is always present to hear our prayers, see us through difficult times and seasons, and when we are under the rule of both good and bad leaders (Romans 13:1-8). As "God with us", He has promised that we will not undergo the coming wrath that He will pour out on the earth for its wickedness and rebellion (1 Thessalonians 1:10), and He will return in the air to receive us and take us to where He dwells (John 14:1-3; 1 Corinthians 15:51-58; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Revelation 3:10). As "God with us", we will return with Him to earth to rid it once and for all of evil (Revelation 19:11-21) and brings about a new heaven and earth where we will be with Him forever (Revelation 21:1-7; Ch.22).
God Almighty is not going to leave this world in the shape it is in now, but will make all things new (Revelation 21:5). He has never withdrawn His presence, power, influence, or Spirit from this world, although it would seem otherwise. He has never withdrawn His offer of peace, mercy, grace, and salvation to anyone who comes to Him in faith and trust (Romans 10:9-10). Dear friend, take an honest look at your life and see where it is heading in terms of eternity, worth, and meaning. God Almighty is with you, giving you life, breath, and sustenance, and He has brought you here to this site providentially to show you that He loves you and He will always be with you if you will but repent of your sins and come to Him for salvation through Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit. Do not let anyone or anything prevent you from stopping where you are and making the most important choice of your life. Now is the time of salvation (2 Corinthians 6:2). Receive His love and care for you today (1 Peter 5:6-7). God is with you and for you. Do not be as Ahaz or others who have squandered their opportunity to make their lives anew.
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