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Our Problems, God’s Promises (Isaiah 7:1–16)

C. S. Lewis once wrote, “There are far, far better things ahead than any we leave behind.” Do you share his optimism? Do you believe, as a Christian, that your future is immeasurably greater than even your most precious experiences so far? I hope you do because this is one of the privileges that Christ offers his children: beauty and glory ahead.

But western Christians today can struggle with this sanctified anticipation because life is pretty good. We have full bellies, warm backs, and dry beds. Some of us may think, “If Jesus wanted to come back today, that would be fine. But if he decided to wait, that’s okay too.” Many have lost the urgency of looking ahead for things promised.

The Christmas season provides an opportunity to excise our anticipatory muscles as we imagine waiting for the first coming of Christ. And, while we do that, we also get to stoke the flames of our expectation for his second coming, that for which we still wait today.

SERMON MANUSCRIPT

To that end, we’re going to spend the next few weeks in the book of Isaiah looking at a handful of promises given to God’s people that gave them hope. Turn to Isaiah 1. We’re actually going to be in chapter 7 today, but I want to take a running start.

This morning we’re studying problems and promises. God’s people had a lot of problem back then. (Maybe today also?) But God also gave them great promises, promises to which we too can cling.

The Problems

Let’s start with the problems, and there are many. Scanning the first couple of chapters we see that, in Isaiah’s day, the people of Judah were in total rebellion against God (1:2–4). This problem of rebellion brought the problem of divine anger (1:13–15). God’s fed-up with his stubborn, entitled, insubordinate people. And, when the all-powerful, all-knowing God of the universe is angry with you, that’s a problem!

And it doesn’t stop there: there was also God’s coming vindication and judgement (2:2–4). That actually sounds good, doesn’t it? But, wait (2:12). Proud and lofty? That sounds like God’s people at this moment. So, they have problems. Their rebellion has led to God’s righteous anger and now they are in the crosshairs of his righteous judgment.

And it’s in that mess that the problems of chapter 7 sit. The opening verses reveal that God’s people are faced with a military threat (7:1–2).

Two nations, Aram (your translation may say, Syria) and Israel (that’s the northern kingdom) had teamed-up against Judah in the south. And, though they had not yet been successful, news had arrived that they were coming again. This caused God’s people to shake in their sandals.

And the Lord confirms the threat, sending Isaiah to Ahaz, Judah’s king (7:5–6). Syria and Israel are coming to take over, to put their own puppet on the throne of Judah, the same throne God promised to perpetually fill with someone from the line of David. So, this isn’t only a national security threat but a threat to God’s faithfulness, his ability to keep his covenants with Israel.

God’s people have problems and those problems are gathering outside their gates with weapons raised and violence in their eyes.

But they also have problems inside their gates. Throughout her history, Israel had some good kings and some terrible kings. Ahaz was the latter (see 2 Kgs 16:1–4). Ahaz, though from the line of David, was an idol-worshipping, Yahweh-abandoning king who led Israel into apostasy.

And yet, God was gracious with Ahaz (7:10–11). God gives him a blank check. “You want proof that I’m with you? Name it!” But read 7:12. This is nothing more than false piety, pretend reverence, and Isaiah sees right through it (7:13).

Notice the shift in pronouns: when the sign is offered in verse 11, Isaiah tells Ahaz to ask a sign from the Lord your God. In verse 13, however, Isaiah says God is my God. “He’s not your God, Ahaz. You’ve proved that time and time again.”

You see, God’s people had problems everywhere—inside, outside, upside-down.

And we have problems. We need to remember that rebellion against God still brings divine discipline (Rev 3:19). Perfect vindication and judgement is still coming. There are still enemies “outside the walls” and “inside” (1 John 3:13; 1:8). God’s people still have problems.

This is one of those truths that’s often overlooked, ignored, or rejected today. “The church is making headway in the world.” “People are generally good.” “If we think positively, positive things happen.” But when we downplay our problems at least a couple of things happen. First, we fail to give God the credit he’s due for his patience and grace, like a child claiming her parents help her “a little bit.”

Second, we also hinder our anticipation for the future. Downplaying the problems in this world, in the church, and in our hearts stops us from longing for the day when those problems will be gone.

It’s the athematic that most appreciates a good, deep breath and the financially burdened that are most relieved by a good tax return. It’s the lonely who most enjoy a loving visit and the sick who most celebrate the word “remission.” And it’s the sinner that most loves forgiveness. It’s those who see the brokenness of this world that most anticipate the perfection to come.

The Promises

As we’ve seen, Judah’s world was broken. They had problems, both inside and outside. But it’s into that mess that God issues words of hope. So, let’s shift from the problems to the promises. Specifically, the promise of deliverance.

With enemies gathering and God’s people shaking as the trees of the forest shake with the wind (7:3). God knows not only the threat facing the king, what the king needs to hear, but also where the king’s going to be (7:4–7).

God says to evil Ahaz, “that threat will fail. Syria and Ephraim used to be firebrands but now they’re embers. They used to be bonfires but now they’re fading cigarette butts.” They’re nothing to worry about. Why? Well, 7:8–9. These nations will fail because, unlike Judah whose head is God, their heads are just people. Their leaders are just men and their time is coming to an end. God’s people must live by faith in the promises of God’s power and deliverance.

And, as we read earlier, God offers Ahaz proof, an offer the king turns down. But God gives one anyway in 7:14. Now we’re in familiar territory, aren’t we? But try for a moment to forget what you know about the incarnation and read this as Ahaz would have heard it.

God is promising his sinful people deliverance from their enemies, solving this problem. They, like their king, find it hard to believe so, God offers proof: a woman who, at the time of this prophecy, was a virgin, will soon marry, conceive, and have a child who, while herself ignorant of this prophecy, she’ll name Immanuel which means “God with us” or “God is with us.” Should Ahaz find this woman and see little Manny in her arms, that will confirm God’s promise of Judah’s deliverance.

But there’s more (7:15). This was the diet of the poor. So, Immanuel is going to spend his formative years in poverty. Then look at 7:16. During those early, poverty-stricken years of his life, both attacking nations will be gone. In other words, what God promised in verses 7–9 will come to pass.

So, not only did God give his people a promise, a sign to confirm the promise, but he also gave them a countdown to its fulfillment. There is a time coming soon for Judah when the desperate and doubtful request will become a joyful declaration, when “God be with us” will turn into “God is with us!”

And, history has confirmed that within twelve years of Isaiah delivering this prophecy, both nations were gone. God made a promise, gave a sign of that promise, and then kept that promise. And all this directed toward a rebellious, fickly people riddled with problems—some outside, and many inside. What grace. What hope.

Let’s Go To Matthew

And, as we know, centuries later, Matthew, inspired by the Holy Spirit, picks up on Isaiah’s prophecy (Matt 1:20–23). Just as God saw all the problems facing his people in Isaiah’s day and graciously promised them miraculous deliverance if they would believe him, so he does always (John 3:16).

And because he knows people, knows that we’re thick-headed, God offers evidence—reasons to trust his promises of deliverance. Not because we’re owed proof, but because he’s generous and loving. The sign for Ahaz and the house of David was the birth of an Immanuel that started the countdown to their deliverance. The sign for all humanity was the birth of the Immanuel that started the countdown to our deliverance.

Jesus, the long-awaited Messiah, the promised serpent-crushing, world-blessing, peace-bringing, earth-ruling, God-revealing seed of the woman took on flesh, cooing and crying in a manger, to deliver us from the problems we face outside and inside ourselves.

Trust God’s Promises!

As we start looking forward to the Christmas season, Isaiah 7 reminds us to trust God’s promises! He reaches down into our rebellion, past evil leadership, through our unreservedness, and graciously offers deliverance if we would believe. Trust God’s promises. And I want to speak to three specific groups that I know are present here today, and explain as we close how you each can trust God’s promises.

The first group is those of you who need to trust God’s promises for the first time. Perhaps you’ve never heard that you have problems. The world has taught you that you’re a pretty good person or, at least, good enough. Maybe you’ve learned that morality is subjective and relative and that there is no ultimate standard.

Well, that’s not what God says. He says that he’s the standard. That his perfection is the benchmark all people must meet if we’re to spend eternity with him (1 Pet 1:16). Unfortunately, God also says that not one of us has or can (Rom 3:23). And there are consequences for falling short (Rom 6:23). And when the Bible speaks of death it speaks not only of physical death but spiritual; separation from God for eternity. You see, you’ve got a huge problem—inside and outside.

But here’s where God comes into your mess, just as he’s come into the mess of virtually everyone sitting around you right now. God made a promise of deliverance to the world. That he was going to provide a way of salvation, a way of forgiveness, a way of reconciliation between sinners and a holy God. And he did this through his Son, Jesus, who lived a perfect life, died a sinners’ death, and rose from the dead.

And God promises that all who believe in Jesus have eternal life. If you’ve never done that before, today is the day of salvation. Be reconciled to God. Take him up on his promise of ultimate deliverance, by believing God’s promise for the first time.

The second group is those of you who need to trust God’s promises in a hard time. I understand that the Christmas season is not full of unending joy and celebration for all. For many this is a time of bad memories, grief, need, and fear.

If that’s you, Isaiah is lifting your eyes to your promise-making and promise-keeping God. He’s promised you his presence. He’s promised you his ear. He’s promised you comfort. May you be able to say with confidence this month, Immanuel, God is with me. Jesus is near. Trust God’s promises in the hard times.

Finally, the third group is all of us. We need to trust God’s promises in the meantime, that is, while we wait for eternity. We end where we started this morning, with anticipation.

Ahaz and Judah were given a promise to deliverance, but there was a season of waiting for its fulfillment. The child had to grow up a bit. Israel was promised Messiah, but they had to wait. Christians are promised resurrection, glory, peace, and unending joy. It’s all as certain as was the fall of Syria and the arrival of baby Jesus. It’s coming. It’s been promised.

So, this Christmas season, as we try and remember what it was like to anticipate the birth of Jesus, let’s not forget to anticipate the return of Jesus, when we will declare fully and forever: Immanuel—God is with us.