EmmDev 2018-02-08 [Insights from Isaiah] Emmanuel

Emmanuel

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." 12 But Ahaz said, "I will not ask; I will not put the LORD to the test." 13 Then Isaiah said, "Hear now, you house of David! Is it not enough to try the patience of men? Will you try the patience of my God also? 14 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 Emmanuel. 15 He will eat curds and honey when he knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right. 16 But before the boy knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right, the land of the two kings you dread will be laid waste.       (Isaiah7:10-16)

When God invites you to ask for a sign, you don't treat the gift lightly, but this is what Ahaz does. It is a clear indication that he has lost touch and connection with God. His relationship with God is distant, legalistic and fearful. And while he has quoted the same passage that Jesus quoted when Satan tempted Him to ask for a sign, the circumstances are completely different: When Jesus quoted it, Satan was asking for a sign, whereas it is God himself who invites Ahaz to ask for a sign.

And so God, through Isaiah, gives the sign and seal of his promise:
"The virgin will conceive and give birth to a child and will call him Emmanuel."

Now we read this promise at Advent and Christmas - seeing it as a prophecy pointing to the coming of Jesus, but that is its final fulfilment. It's initial fulfilment can be explained by the rest of this chapter and the one that follows:

What Isaiah is promising Ahaz is as follows:
Very soon a child will be born and before the child reaches "the age of responsibility" the Northern Kingdom of Pekah and the Aram of Rezah (the hyenas) will be destroyed by the Assyrians (the big bear) who will plunder the land.

In ch.8 Isaiah will take a young prophetess as his wife and they will have a child - "Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz" which means "quick to the plunder, swift to the spoil" but they also invoke the name "Emmanuel" which means "God is with us".

The child will grow up eating honey and curds - living rough off the land instead of enjoying the fruit of a settled agriculture because the Assyrians have invaded and plundered the land. The Assyrians will destroy the hyenas.

For many this initial fulfilment is a far-cry from the final fulfilment. The Assyrians were the coming super-power, a blunt instrument to execute God's judgement on the hyenas, but the clear point that Isaiah is making is that they are God's agents and are fulfilling God's agenda and that God will be with Israel.

We will see this prophecy initially fulfilled before Isaiah's child is between 4-5 years of age: Pekah and Rezin will be defeated and a little later when Ahaz is gone and Hezekiah is on the throne and the Assyrians arrogantly come to attack Jerusalem, God delivers the city and pushes the Assyrians out of the land. (This interpretation is strengthened by the fact that Isaiah had had to bring his first son "Shear Jashub" ("A remnant shall return") as a sign to meet with Ahaz)

Emmanuel means "God is with us" - He is not far off - He is as near to humanity as the birth of a child. This is a great comfort.

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EmmDev 2018-02-07 [Insights from Isaiah] Stand #2

Stand #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. 3 Then the LORD said to Isaiah, "Go out, you and your son Shear-Jashub, to meet Ahaz at the end of the aqueduct of the Upper Pool, on the road to the Washerman's Field. 4 Say to him, 'Be careful, keep calm and don't be afraid. Do not lose heart because of these two smouldering stubs of firewood--because of the fierce anger of Rezin and Aram and of the son of Remaliah. 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, and make the son of Tabeel king over it." 7 Yet this is what the Sovereign LORD says: "It will not take place, it will not happen...."      (Isaiah7:2-7)

Back in the 1600's when soldiers used muskets that required shoving some gunpowder and a metal ball-bullet into the the barrel of the musket, Oliver Cromwell was reported to have said to his troops: "Put your trust in God, my boys, and keep your powder dry!"

As we noted yesterday, Ahaz was between a rock and a hard place. Assyria (the "bear") on one side and Aram-Ephraim (the "hyenas") on the other. (Ephraim is another name for the Northern Kingdom).

Ahaz has heard the rumours: "Aram has allied with Ephraim." He heads out to inspect the aqueduct that supplied water for the city as this water would keep them alive during a siege. On one hand, this is good responsible leadership - he's keeping his powder dry.

But he has forgotten to trust God.

God sends Isaiah to talk to Ahaz. His instruction has an unusual addition. "Make sure you take your son, Shear-Jashub, with you."
Unfortunately we know very little about this son of Isaiah other than that his name means "A remnant shall return."

This is a constant promise in Isaiah - no matter how bad things are, there will always be a faithful remnant. There will always be a way out. There will always be deliverance. Just when it looks like there is no way out - God will make a way.

Isaiah stands before a worried king to put things into perspective: The hyenas are smouldering stubs - they will not last, they will not endure. They may have their plans - they've even named a successor for Ahaz - but God says: "It will not take place - It will not happen."

How often are we like Ahaz? We might even be good at keeping our powder dry, but are we forgetting to put our trust in the Lord?

EmmDev 2018-02-06 [Insights from Isaiah] Stand

Stand

1 When Ahaz son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, was king of Judah, King Rezin of Aram and Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel marched up to fight against Jerusalem, but they could not overpower it. ... 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.' "      (Isaiah7:1-9)

It was a time of political uncertainty. Assyria was the dominant world power that was swallowing up smaller countries in her conquests.
Smaller nations were desperately trying to make coalitions to stand against Assyria, but this often came with great moral and spiritual compromises.

Ahaz was the King of Judah (the Southern Kingdom with its capital in Jerusalem). Pekah was king of the Northern Kingdom (with its capital Samaria) and his kingdom was on its last legs - the Northern Kingdom will be defeated in about 5 years time and utterly destroyed some 10 or 15 years after these events.

But Pekah (son of Remaliah) has made an alliance with King Rezin of the Aramites and they approach Ahaz: "Join us or we attack you!"

Ahaz has three options:

1. Join the alliance (with the spiritual & ethical compromises involved) and provoke the "big bear" (the Assyrians)
2. Refuse to join the alliance and face their anger and vengeance. (thus having two enemies Aram-Samaria (the "hyenas")and the Assyrians ("big bear"). Have no ally but God.
3. Make a deal with the Assyrians: "We'll stay out of it but leave us alone." Pacify the "big bear" and they'll protect you from the "hyenas". Again there are huge compromises involved.

In the midst of all this political wrangling Isaiah meets Ahaz to convince him to stay away from options 1 and 3.

We'll look at Isaiah's meeting in more detail tomorrow. For now, just two things stand out:

1. In verse 9 Pekah isn't even referred to by name - he's just human, just the son of Remaliah. Isaiah is saying: "Don't be overwhelmed - they're just human. They're just people. Don't give them too much power.
2. Sometimes we just have our faith to stand on. Isaiah is emphatic - there is no other place to stand, stand anywhere else and you will fall.

We are so easily intimidated and made miserable by people to whom we give way too much power. They're just people and they must one day answer for who they are and what they've done.

We're also so easily rattled and lose hope so easily when life shakes us - but we must trust...

More tomorrow...

EmmDev 2018-02-02 [Insights from Isaiah] When God called Isaiah (#4)

When God called Isaiah (#4)

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" And I said, "Here am I. Send me!"      (Isaiah6:8-10)

We come now to the nature of Isaiah's CALLING. Isaiah has seen God. He has received forgiveness and now he hears God's calling.

And God asks "Who will go in my name, who will represent me?"

And Isaiah, with his mind full of God's grandeur and his heart full of forgiveness, sticks up his hand and says "Me! Send me!" (In the original he uses an interjection that is used to attract attention which is often translated "Behold!" or "Lo!") If he were one of our teens he'd say "Yoe! Me! Send me!".

Then come the marching orders - and they're scary and unexpected.
He said, "Go and tell this people:
" Be ever hearing, but never understanding;
be ever seeing, but never perceiving.'
Make the heart of this people calloused;
make their ears dull and close their eyes.
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
hear with their ears,
understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed."

Articles and books have been written about this call. On the surface of it, it looks like the complete opposite of John 3:16 (God so loved the world that He gave His only Son). It looks like God wants to get rid of Israel instead of saving them.

But one needs to recognise the desperate irony of this calling. Isaiah isn't actually making the hearts of the people calloused, he's simply going to prove that their hearts are calloused. For the next 60 chapters Isaiah will call the people to repent, he'll warn them about their wicked ways. He'll plead with them to soften their hearts and he'll promise deliverance and a the coming of the Messiah. He'll offer them hope and forcefully argue that there is only one true God. He'll peel off their masks and show them their need for God. He'll challenge them to be still and know they Lord their God and still they will stubbornly refuse to soften their hard hearts, leaving God no option but to let their rebellion run its course and land them in exile. In essence God is saying "Preach grace over and over and over again until it is utterly rejected."

It seems Isaiah understands his mission perfectly - he has only one question:

Then I said, "For how long, O Lord?"
And he answered:
"Until the cities lie ruined and without inhabitant,
until the houses are left deserted and the fields ruined and ravaged,
until the LORD has sent everyone far away
and the land is utterly forsaken.
And though a tenth remains in the land,
it will again be laid waste.
But as the terebinth and oak
leave stumps when they are cut down,
so the holy seed will be the stump in the land.

And here we see God's heart: "Keep preaching Isaiah, even when they have wrecked themselves and brought my wrath upon them. Keep preaching even when they have broken themselves in rebellion and sin. Keep preaching even when they miss their second and third chances. Keep preaching when all around you is crumbling and all seems to have fallen apart. Keep preaching because you just never know when a dry old stump will produce a shoot and grow into something new."

This is our God's incredible love and sharing His love is our amazing calling.

EmmDev 2018-02-01 [Insights from Isaiah] When God called Isaiah (#3)

When God called Isaiah (#3)

"Woe to me!" I cried. "I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty." 6 Then one of the seraphs flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 With it he touched my mouth and said, "See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for."                  (Isaiah6:5-6)

What kind of person is Isaiah?

As he stands in the presence of a Holy God, Isaiah can think of only one word - and our English Translations struggle to render it. Some translations say "ruined" or "undone" or "lost". Eugene Peterson puts it "I'm as good as dead!". The original Hebrew says "I'm destroyed" - "I'm wiped out."

Isaiah knows that he cannot stand before the Holy Sovereign Creator of all and try to keep up pretences. He knows he is a sinner and it just takes the utterings of his lips to prove it.

But Isaiah is not only honest about himself, he is also honest about his people - they too have sinned and have nothing they can offer God.

This kind of honesty is not only refreshing, it is vital. Isaiah has conquered his greatest personal obstacle - the obstacle of pride. You see, the minute we think we have some scrap of righteousness to offer God, then God becomes our debtor. Isaiah has recognised that in the face of this righteous, majestic and magnificent God he has nothing to offer but his brokenness. And he offers his brokenness to God in confession and repentance.

I also love the fact that Isaiah doesn't distance himself from his people, he sees himself as part of them and when he confesses their sins he recognises his own complicity.

Who is Isaiah?

1. Someone brave enough to see God so clearly that he knows without a shadow of a doubt that he (Isaiah) is not God and that he desperately needs the one true God - even if that means confessing his sin.
2. Someone who has compassion enough to see the brokenness of his people and see himself as part of the problem. And it bothers him enough to bring it to God.
3. Someone who is forgiven. This is not something that Isaiah achieves, but something that is done for him. He is the passive recipient. The coal comes from the altar of sacrifice and represents what Jesus would do for us. Isaiah simply receives beautiful magnificent forgiveness.

Are you like Isaiah?

EmmDev 2018-01-31 [Insights from Isaiah] When God called Isaiah (#2)

When God called Isaiah (#2)

In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him were seraphs, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. 3 And they were calling to one another: "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory." 4 At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.                                        (Isaiah6:1-4)

Isaiah goes to the temple - Uzziah has died - the future is uncertain. Isaiah wants solid ground to stand on...
In the temple he has a vision of the Lord. The imagery in this vision offers us beautiful perspectives on the character of God.

The Lord is seated on the throne: Earthly kings may come and go, but God is on the throne. He governs the ebb and flow of history. Even when rulers use their free will to do mischief and evil God governs over them and accomplishes His purposes. He is high and lifted up, and, while we may not always understand His ways, they pure and blameless. The seraphs (serving angels) around his throne help us understand what He is like: The wings and their flying indicate their power (and yet they choose to serve). They cover their faces because His magnificence is incredible. They cover their feet (probably a euphemism for private parts) out of respect and reverence for God's greatness.

They sing a threefold "Holy". While we recognise a hint to the Trinity with our New Testament glasses, the Old Testament connotation around three is completeness - God is completely holy, righteous and pure. And His glory can be seen throughout the whole earth.

Isaiah doesn't describe God much beyond that He is seated on a throne. He seems only to have vocabulary for the angels (seraphs) and even their presence rocks Isaiah's world - doorposts and thresholds shake at the sound of their praise alone. How much bigger must God be if Isaiah is overwhelmed by the presence of the angelic servants?

The temple is filled with smoke (or maybe incense) - this again is a symbol of God's holy presence which penetrates everything and yet we cannot grasp or hold it.

What is God like?
He's incredibly majestic and yet the angels delight to serve and worship Him.
He's 3Xholy (perfect, righteous and good) and the whole earth reflects it.
His presence makes powerful angels bashful
His presence inspires powerful praise from these angels
His presence is obvious in the whole created world
His presence permeates our lives.

If we read on, we learn some more:
- This God forgives
- This God calls
- This God restores.

Take a moment to stand with Isaiah in the temple and contemplate the glory of the Lord.

EmmDev 2018-01-30 [Insights from Isaiah] When God called Isaiah (#1)

When God called Isaiah (#1)

In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple.      (Isaiah6:1)

This is one of the most beloved chapters of the Bible. The book doesn't start with the story of Isaiah's calling into ministry, but, as we saw, it starts with a summary of the message that Isaiah proclaimed: Israel was broken in her sin and corruption, but God was willing, able and eager to forgive.

In the first five chapters Isaiah has spelled out the heart of his message:

• Israel's holy God sees their brokenness and wants to heal them.
• Israel has a destiny as a light on a hill and a fruitful vineyard.
• Their stubborn resistance and rebellion had and would result in consequences (their enemies would overcome them)
• They would need to repent and return to the Lord)
• God has a plan to restore His people.

Now that the basics have been laid down, Isaiah shares the story of how he came to be the preacher of this message.

As we explore this story of calling we are going to explore the questions raised by the title of our devotion:

• WHEN did God call Isaiah
• What is the GOD who called Isaiah like?
• What kind of person was ISAIAH?
• What did the CALLING entail?

Let's pick up on the "when" of Isaiah's calling...

Isaiah tells us that the calling came "in the year that King Uzziah died". Uzziah was one of Israel's few good kings, but he let his pride get the better of him and tried to act as the high priest and God struck him with leprosy and he completed his reign from quarantine. Uzziah would be followed by Jotham who was a good man but failed to lead the people back to God. Ahaz, a corrupt and evil king would follow him, and then Hezekiah would come and bring a short-lived revival, but he would be become obsessed with buildings and wealth and be followed by Manasseh who was probably one of Israel's most evil kings.

Along with the up's and down's of the kings, the geopolitical situation of the region was tempestuous. The Assyrians, coming from the North-East were about to defeat Samaria in the North and the power of Egypt in sthe South-West seemed like it could be a deterrent, but when the pressure mounted Egypt would collapse.

In the midst of all this uncertainty God calls Isaiah.
He still calls today.

EmmDev 2018-01-26 [Insights from Isaiah] Our purpose - Bearing Fruit

Our purpose - Bearing Fruit

I will sing for the one I love a song about his vineyard: My loved one had a vineyard on a fertile hillside. 2 He dug it up and cleared it of stones and planted it with the choicest vines. He built a watchtower in it and cut out a winepress as well. Then he looked for a crop of good grapes, but it yielded only bad fruit.      (Isaiah5:1-2)

Isaiah is writing a lament song about Israel - about God's People - about the Church. In the song, God is portrayed as the Gardener. This is an image Jesus picks up in John 15 and rest of the New Testament will pick it up too.

In Isaiah God's people are portrayed as a Vineyard for which the Gardener goes to a lot of trouble: He cultivates, equips and protects. He is expecting a harvest of good grapes which is not an unreasonable expectation considering the effort He has put in, but there is only bad fruit.

One senses the deep sadness of the Gardener and in the rest of the chapter Isaiah will explain how the Gardener has to allow the garden to be overrun and trampled by enemies in the hope, that when it is restored it will finally bear good fruit.

Bearing good fruit is our purpose:

1. We've been created to bear good fruit. This is the logical expression of our being made in the image of God. If God's goodness is the "DNA" with which we were created, then good fruit can and should grow out of our lives.
2. Good Fruit glorifies God. God doesn't need to be glorified - otherwise He would be narcissistic - but He is worthy of our praises. Good fruit reflects the goodness of God.
3. Bearing good fruit is good for us. It's not that God needs our fruit - He is God - He is completely self-sustaining. Our bearing fruit brings Him glory and when He is glorified, we also find peace and fulfilment

Bearing Fruit is one of our key-purposes.
There is a scene in the movie - "A Walk in the Clouds" where a community gathers the beautiful grape harvest that is the culmination of a year of faithful vine-tending. It is a beautiful scene of happiness and joy. The vineyard owner, the strict Papa of the family, is smiling and surrounded by loving family and labourers and they are singing and rejoicing. The lead character, a travelling salesman who was only going to stay for a night is enthralled by what he sees and it changes his life.

May our fruit-bearing bring great joy to our Heavenly Father and those around us.

EmmDev 2018-01-25 [Insights from Isaiah] Destiny

(A few years ago, my friend and colleague, Jerry Pillay, wrote this devotion for the Month of Mission. It really says it well...)

Destiny

In the last days the mountain of the LORD's temple will be established as chief among the mountains; it will be raised above the hills, and all nations will stream to it. 3 Many peoples will come and say, "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths." The law will go out from Zion, the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.      (Isaiah2:2-3)

The Church, unlike Israel's failure, should be an attractive signpost to God
The above verses capture the prophet's vision of Israel as the place that will draw God's people together. Israel was chosen for God's purpose: to become a light and signpost to the world of God's presence and hope. God walked with her, brought her out of bondage and hopelessness. But Israel seems to have forgotten that so quickly. She wants to give in to her own desires and wants -- forsaking God rather than following God.

The church today has become like the people of Israel refusing to follow our Lord. We want to go our own way, seeking our own agenda and attempting to satisfy ourselves. We need to stop and ask: "What does the Lord want? How can we fulfil God's purpose?" The Christian church is called to proclaim God's grace and saving love in Jesus Christ to the world. When we fail to maintain our purpose then we lose the value of our message and existence.

We stand at the crossroads of a new world order, economic divides between the rich and the poor, immorality, poverty, HIV, a sexual revolution, secularization, religious pluralism, political corruption, abuse of women and children, gender discrimination and the list goes on. How does the church respond to all these? We need to be brought back to our real purpose as church. We need to proclaim the Risen Christ! We do that best when we are led back to the cross. Why? The cross and the resurrection speak of life, hope and victory in the midst of despair, defeat and death. More significantly the cross speaks of suffering love, grace, forgiveness and restoration. It reminds us that Jesus came not to condemn the world but to save it. So our task as church is to reach out to the suffering, sin-sick and lost world and to bring it into the love, grace and peace of Jesus Christ. We must follow the example of our Lord in suffering-love, humility and grace.

The Church as apostolic tells us that it is a 'called out and sent out community'. We are called by our Triune God, blessed by his presence and sent out to call and bless others in His name. We come so that we may 'go and make disciples'. The church does not exist just for believers; it actually exists for the world: A signpost to lead others to Jesus. The apostolic dimension reminds us that we are a missionary church, the people of God constantly on the march for God. In the words of John Calvin, the church is the 'theatre of God's glory'.
Well.... are we?

May the Church, unlike Israel, be a signpost to the Glory of God!
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Jerry Pillay teaches Church History and is the Dean of the Theology Faculty at the University of Pretoria and he is also served as the President of the World Communion of Reformed Churches. He is devoted to God, his family, church, students and research.

EmmDev 2018-01-24 [Insights from Isaiah] Reasoning the Reason...

Reasoning the Reason...

...18 "Come now, let us reason together," says the LORD. "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as pure as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.      (Isaiah1:12-18)

Both yesterday and today's readings are part of the prologue to Isaiah's message...

Yesterday we saw how the Lord diagnosed Israel's sin and brokenness. In the verses we looked at yesterday, there was an unmistakable tone of sadness and wistfulness. Isaiah portrays God as heart-broken and irate at what their brokenness had done to them.

But we ended with and today return to a beautiful promise.
Healing......... Restoration........... Forgiveness.

And I love the opening phrase:
"Come now, let us reason together..."
The Hebrew verb "let us reason" can mean argue, adjudicate, or debate.
But what's to debate?? What's to adjudicate???
Israel have sinned - the evidence is clear and incontrovertible.
They are guilty and broken.
Even their good deeds and religious behaviour are empty and false.
(Read through verses 12-17 which precede our verse for today, I have pasted them below...)

So there is no debate. Nothing to adjudicate. There is no argument.
Israel is guilty.

And then God offers forgiveness!
- scarlet and crimson sins (bloodguilt) washed away
- made pure like freshly fallen snow

What... incredible... grace!
We have nothing to bring to the table.
But Jesus comes to the table and offers blood-bought forgiveness for our blood-guilt.
He brings us to the table and the discussion although we have no right to either.

And what is the reason for this unexpected and one-side-initiated reasoning?
It can only be God's kindness, compassion and forgiveness.
In one word: LOVE.

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ISA 1:12 When you come to appear before me,
who has asked this of you,
this trampling of my courts?
13 Stop bringing meaningless offerings!
Your incense is detestable to me.
New Moons, Sabbaths and convocations--
I cannot bear your evil assemblies.
14 Your New Moon festivals and your appointed feasts
my soul hates.
They have become a burden to me;
I am weary of bearing them.
15 When you spread out your hands in prayer,
I will hide my eyes from you;
even if you offer many prayers,
I will not listen.
Your hands are full of blood;
16 wash and make yourselves clean.
Take your evil deeds out of my sight!
Stop doing wrong,17 learn to do right!
Seek justice, encourage the oppressed.
Defend the cause of the fatherless,
plead the case of the widow.
18 "Come now, let us reason together,"
says the LORD.
"Though your sins are like scarlet,
they shall be as pure as snow;
though they are red as crimson,
they shall be like wool.

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