If You're Going to Speak for God

Isaiah 8 is a dark chapter of judgment. It comes between the glimmer of hope in chapter 7 and a reminder of that hope in chapter 9. This has already been found to be a pattern in this book. God comforts, warns, and comforts again. He will discipline His people strongly. But He will comfort them in the end. 

Isaiah 8:5–8 (ESV) The LORD spoke to me again: 6 “Because this people has refused the waters of Shiloah that flow gently, and rejoice over Rezin and the son of Remaliah, 7 therefore, behold, the Lord is bringing up against them the waters of the River, mighty and many, the king of Assyria and all his glory. And it will rise over all its channels and go over all its banks, 8 and it will sweep on into Judah, it will overflow and pass on, reaching even to the neck, and its outspread wings will fill the breadth of your land, O Immanuel.”

In a small group recently someone said very simply, "There is no such thing as bad news from God for even the seemingly bad things He says to us are ultimately for our good." That is so true. Because God loves, He disciplines us. Israel to the north had abandoned God completely and celebrated the importance of Assyria's king, Rezin. The result will be judgment. Instead of turning to the living water, they set their eyes on the temporal waters of important people in that age. But the purpose of these warnings is to bring them back and heal them.

This is our message as Christians even when people do not want to hear it. Walking away from God leads to death, period. That's not a "fun" message for many. Most will reject it. So we must get used to speaking in ways that are culturally "unfit" and may be considered offensive or hurtful. 

Isaiah describes a moment in chapter 8 that has me gripped. It's a moment when God speaks to him regarding his place among the people. Isaiah 6 gets the headlines, but Isaiah 8 has some serious punch. As he prophesies and warns, sharing THE message that may offend but ultimately can heal, he has to develop certain abilities that do not come naturally. God unpacks them here.

Isaiah 8:11–13 (ESV) For the LORD spoke thus to me with his strong hand upon me, and warned me not to walk in the way of this people, saying: 12 “Do not call conspiracy all that this people calls conspiracy, and do not fear what they fear, nor be in dread. 13 But the LORD of hosts, him you shall honor as holy. Let him be your fear, and let him be your dread.

Notice the words, "strong hand" in verse 11. God warned him strongly here. About what? About how he lives among a people rejecting God. Isaiah MUST learn to think differently than the people around him. This is an important characteristic of those who would speak for the Lord. They MUST not know God's Word so well it shapes their thinking so firmly they cannot be dissuaded by attacks, discouraged by a lack of results/appreciation, or distracted by the "conspiracies" of their age. 

The simple question is this: How can a prophet impact culture if he absorbs it? He cannot. He must stand in fear of the Lord. He cannot simply "love" his calling or his profession. He cannot simply love the Lord. He must FEAR Him. 

Many Christians love the Lord, but few fear Him. If we are to truly stand for Him and with Him in truth, we must fear Him more than anything. That is, we regard his estimation of our lives as the most important facet of our lives. 

When we do this, I believe the promises of the next verses come to fruition:

Isaiah 8:14–15 (ESV) And he will become a sanctuary and a stone of offense and a rock of stumbling to both houses of Israel, a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 15 And many shall stumble on it. They shall fall and be broken; they shall be snared and taken.”

 

For those bold enough to stand apart from culture because they are entrenched in God's truth, they will find in Him a sanctuary (holy place), that is He will set them apart in safety with Him. Because only in His presence is true peace ever fully realized. 

The more diverse in thought and philosophy our world gets, the more important this foundational thought becomes for us. May God give us the strength and blessing we need to stand apart so that we might stand strong.