Isaiah 7 tells the story of a king in crisis. When the Judean King Ahaz heard that Syria and Israel created an alliance to withstand the advancing Assyrian threat, his heart shook with fear (cf. Isaiah 7:2). Ahaz responded to the imminent threat like a good king. He did a “risk assessment.” He inspected the city’s water supply. He wanted to know how long the city could withstand a siege. Ahaz had been conditioned to believe that military threats require military responses. Yet, God responds to Ahaz by sending the prophet Isaiah, who relayed four commands from the Lord, each of which recalls other parts of the Old Testament: be careful, be quiet, do not fear, and do not let your heart be faint. These commands are helpful for us too as we struggle against the enemy of our assurance and the fears of the future.
First, he says to be mindful. Moses instructed the Israelites before they entered the Promised Land: they will live in houses they did not build, drink wine from vineyards they did not plant, eat until they are full. But, Moses warns them, “…take care lest you forget the Lord, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery” (Deuteronomy 6:12). At the moment of crisis, God acknowledged that Ahaz’s battle was not just outside the city walls, but also in his mind. The key to success was remembering.
Second, he says to be quiet. This is an important theme in Isaiah. Quietness in Isaiah does not mean the absence of noise, but the absence of agitation. At the moment of crisis, Ahaz needed to find calm and certain confidence in God, something his water supply could never fully provide. Only Living Water can do that!
Third, do not fear. The phrase recalls God’s providence, promises, and purposes. God was with him, for him, and had made promises to him. Ahaz, then, needed to respond on the basis of that conviction.
Fourth, do not faint. This is an exact quotation from Deuteronomy 20:3-4, where Moses prepares the Israelites for facing their enemies in battle. The priest was to come to the front of the line of soldiers and say, “let not your heart faint. Do not fear or panic or be in dread of them, for the Lord your God is he who goes with you to fight for you.” At the moment of crisis, with a mind that remembers, a soul free from agitation, and a renewed conviction that God is for me and with me, I can respond with courageous faith.
Whatever you are facing today, there is no need to fret! God has had this, continues to have it, and will forever have it! Trust in him and you will never be alone or forsaken!
Sunday, November 10, 2019
Risk Assessment
For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, “In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.” (Isaiah 30:15 ESV).
Isaiah 7 tells the story of a king in crisis. When the Judean King Ahaz heard that Syria and Israel created an alliance to withstand the advancing Assyrian threat, his heart shook with fear (cf. Isaiah 7:2). Ahaz responded to the imminent threat like a good king. He did a “risk assessment.” He inspected the city’s water supply. He wanted to know how long the city could withstand a siege. Ahaz had been conditioned to believe that military threats require military responses. Yet, God responds to Ahaz by sending the prophet Isaiah, who relayed four commands from the Lord, each of which recalls other parts of the Old Testament: be careful, be quiet, do not fear, and do not let your heart be faint. These commands are helpful for us too as we struggle against the enemy of our assurance and the fears of the future.
First, he says to be mindful. Moses instructed the Israelites before they entered the Promised Land: they will live in houses they did not build, drink wine from vineyards they did not plant, eat until they are full. But, Moses warns them, “…take care lest you forget the Lord, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery” (Deuteronomy 6:12). At the moment of crisis, God acknowledged that Ahaz’s battle was not just outside the city walls, but also in his mind. The key to success was remembering.
Second, he says to be quiet. This is an important theme in Isaiah. Quietness in Isaiah does not mean the absence of noise, but the absence of agitation. At the moment of crisis, Ahaz needed to find calm and certain confidence in God, something his water supply could never fully provide. Only Living Water can do that!
Third, do not fear. The phrase recalls God’s providence, promises, and purposes. God was with him, for him, and had made promises to him. Ahaz, then, needed to respond on the basis of that conviction.
Fourth, do not faint. This is an exact quotation from Deuteronomy 20:3-4, where Moses prepares the Israelites for facing their enemies in battle. The priest was to come to the front of the line of soldiers and say, “let not your heart faint. Do not fear or panic or be in dread of them, for the Lord your God is he who goes with you to fight for you.” At the moment of crisis, with a mind that remembers, a soul free from agitation, and a renewed conviction that God is for me and with me, I can respond with courageous faith.
Whatever you are facing today, there is no need to fret! God has had this, continues to have it, and will forever have it! Trust in him and you will never be alone or forsaken!
Isaiah 7 tells the story of a king in crisis. When the Judean King Ahaz heard that Syria and Israel created an alliance to withstand the advancing Assyrian threat, his heart shook with fear (cf. Isaiah 7:2). Ahaz responded to the imminent threat like a good king. He did a “risk assessment.” He inspected the city’s water supply. He wanted to know how long the city could withstand a siege. Ahaz had been conditioned to believe that military threats require military responses. Yet, God responds to Ahaz by sending the prophet Isaiah, who relayed four commands from the Lord, each of which recalls other parts of the Old Testament: be careful, be quiet, do not fear, and do not let your heart be faint. These commands are helpful for us too as we struggle against the enemy of our assurance and the fears of the future.
First, he says to be mindful. Moses instructed the Israelites before they entered the Promised Land: they will live in houses they did not build, drink wine from vineyards they did not plant, eat until they are full. But, Moses warns them, “…take care lest you forget the Lord, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery” (Deuteronomy 6:12). At the moment of crisis, God acknowledged that Ahaz’s battle was not just outside the city walls, but also in his mind. The key to success was remembering.
Second, he says to be quiet. This is an important theme in Isaiah. Quietness in Isaiah does not mean the absence of noise, but the absence of agitation. At the moment of crisis, Ahaz needed to find calm and certain confidence in God, something his water supply could never fully provide. Only Living Water can do that!
Third, do not fear. The phrase recalls God’s providence, promises, and purposes. God was with him, for him, and had made promises to him. Ahaz, then, needed to respond on the basis of that conviction.
Fourth, do not faint. This is an exact quotation from Deuteronomy 20:3-4, where Moses prepares the Israelites for facing their enemies in battle. The priest was to come to the front of the line of soldiers and say, “let not your heart faint. Do not fear or panic or be in dread of them, for the Lord your God is he who goes with you to fight for you.” At the moment of crisis, with a mind that remembers, a soul free from agitation, and a renewed conviction that God is for me and with me, I can respond with courageous faith.
Whatever you are facing today, there is no need to fret! God has had this, continues to have it, and will forever have it! Trust in him and you will never be alone or forsaken!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment