Sermon Central
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Stand Firm Series
Contributed by Shine Thomas on Aug 19, 2020 (message contributor)
Summary: Isaiah 7:9 If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all. Stand firm in faith.
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Isaiah 7:9 If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all. Stand firm in faith.
In Isaiah 7, an evil king named Ahaz is on the throne in Judah. He had deliberately disobeyed God and as a result his kingdom came under attack from all quarters. Isaiah 7:2 Now the house of David was told, “Aram has allied itself with Ephraim”; so the hearts of Ahaz and his people were shaken, as the trees of the forest are shaken by the wind.
Here Judah’s own brothers, Ephraim (Israel) has allied with a foreign nation Aram and is fighting with Judah and their king Ahaz. They were shaken like the trees of the forest is shaken by wind. They could tolerate anyone come to war with them, but when the conflict came from their own brothers, they were shaken.
Friend, if you don’t know God when trouble comes, you too will be shaken to the very core of your being. Instead of turning to the Lord, Ahaz begins to think about partnering with the evil empire of Assyria. At this crucial time, God in His love took the initiative and sent Isaiah the prophet to help King Ahaz and told him to stand firm in the Lord. Isaiah 7:9 If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all. If there is no belief, you will find no relief. No matter who is against you or what is not working our for you in your life, God is asking us to stand firm and see the miracle of God.
This is the common theme that runs through the Bible. In front the Red Sea, Moses asked the people: Exodus 14:13 Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again.
2 Chronicles 20:17 You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you.’”
In Isaiah, God is asking us again to stand firm. However, the key of why to stand firm in trials is mentioned in Isaiah 7.
Isaiah 7:11 Ask the LORD your God for a sign, whether in the deepest depths or in the highest heights. Ahaz refused to ask for a sign. Isaiah 7:12 But Ahaz said, “I will not ask; I will not put the LORD to the test.” Then we come to this remarkable prophetic passage in Isaiah 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.
The sign was given to all of us – The birth of the Lord Jesus Christ. Because of Jesus we can stand firm. The word “you” in this passage is plural, indicating that it was not just a sign to Ahaz but to everyone. The angels made it clear in Jesus’ birth: Luke 2:10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.”
The sign will be a son born to a virgin. This is no ordinary pregnancy and no ordinary birth. A virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son. This would certainly stand out as a miraculous sign and because of him we can stay strong in the time of trouble.
The Son would be God incarnate. The name Immanuel means, “The strong God with us.” This is who He is. From the point of this miraculous birth on, God would Himself be present among His people. He will save his people. This verse is quoted in Matthew 1:23 “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”). So the sign – The birth of Christ is a reminder that we do not have to be troubled when trial comes. He is with us and will take care of us. God is telling us to hold on, stand firm, your pain ends in Christ. Have a blessed season in the Lord.
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