August 28, 2009

• Isaiah 7 by Pastor Don

  Isaiah, Chapter 7 has the most important prophesy in scripture. It is challenged by unbelievers, historians and educated people, but it is fundamental to the Body of Christ. We want to see what is said and how it is said.

  Isaiah Chapter 6:11-13 Then I said, “Lord, how long?” And He answered: “Until the cities are laid waste and without inhabitant, the houses are without a man, the land is utterly desolate, The LORD has removed men far away, and the forsaken places are many in the midst of the land. But yet a tenth will be in it, and will return and be for consuming, as a terebinth tree or as an oak, whose stump remains when it is cut down. So the holy seed shall be its stump.”

  Isaiah 6:11-13 set us up for what we see in chapter 7.  These verses ask how long.  When Isaiah was written it was not written in chapters and verses, it was a continuous scroll, so chapter 6 runs into chapter 7.  Notice that it says that 1/10 of the Israelites will be in the land.  And it talks about an oak tree.  If you chop down an oak tree and go back to the stump a year later you will see 20-30 young oak trees taking it’s place.  In the latter days, the Israelites were cut down by the Assyrians, but their root grew up.  The Babylonians came in and cut them down, but there is 1/10 in the land.  God leaves a remnant to return, filled with the knowledge of God. 

  We are special, the blessed and anointed of God.

  Chapter 7:1 Now it came to pass in the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, king of Judah, that Rezin king of Syria and Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, went up to Jerusalem to make war against it, but could not prevail against it.

  This verse sets up the time frame – the days of Ahaz, king of Judah.  The king of Syria and the king of Israel went to Judah to make war, but they could not prevail against Judah.

  Isaiah 7:2 And it was told to the house of David, saying, “Syria’s forces are deployed in Ephraim.” So his heart and the heart of his people were moved as the trees of the woods are moved with the wind.

  The word “moved” implied being shaken. The people of Syria were shaken, not secure, blown off in the breeeze, the leaves were blown so much they were moved in the wind. 
  
  Pastor Don spoke about the rain that we have had here all summer, where the excess water has turned many of the leaves on the trees prematurely brown, and blight has happened to tomatoes and potatoes, and he feels that fall will be earlier.  Not only that, but we didn’t have a spring. 

  The planet’s climate is changing.  We have seen an increase in mosquitos, bats are dying of a disease called white nose.  Bats pollinate as much as bees.  This is the situation we are in now.

  Isaiah 7:3 Then the LORD said to Isaiah, “Go out now to meet Ahaz, you and Shear-Jashub^b]’>

  Virgin – pure, unsullied, unused, not experienced in sexual intercourse.  Many try to work against this Word, but when you look to see what the Word is in Hebrew you cannot deny what this verse is saying.  Immanuel means God with us.  There is only one named Immanuel, but Mary could not name Jesus Immanuel, for that would not have been accepted in Jewish culture, she and the child would be killed for that.  Instead Mary is told by the angel to name the Child Jesus – which means salvation, God saves. 

  Isaiah 7:14-15 Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.^wisdomfromme