What should you do when faced with potential calamities or disasters? One option is to forget that God is in control and act on your own thinking. This is clearly unwise. God created us, so how can we expect to find our way out of darkness without Him?
In His mercy, God sent His prophet to guide the people. He instructed him to create a sign, almost like a billboard, so everyone could understand the message.
Then the Lord said to me, “Take a large tablet and write on it in common characters, ‘Belonging to Maher-shalal-hash-baz,’
And have it attested for me by reliable witnesses, the priest Uriah and Zechariah son of Jeberechiah” (Isaiah 8:1-2).
The billboard featuring Isaiah’s soon-to-be-born son is symbolized by his name, “hastening to the plunder and speeding to the spoil.” It likely predicted both the upcoming attack on Syria and the Northern Kingdom, as well as his son’s birth.
This message served two purposes. First, it would resonate strongly when the child was born. Second, it would be significant when the Assyrian king began defeating their enemies.
Gentle Waters and a Rushing River
God never tires of encouraging his people to step out of darkness and into the light.
In this part, Isaiah tells the people that God’s work is like a gentle stream. While a stream might seem insignificant next to a mighty power, the overwhelming force of the Assyrian River didn’t help the nation but actually overpowered it.
The Lord spoke to me again: “Because this people has refused the waters of Shiloah that flow gently and melt in fear before Rezin and the son of Remaliah,
Therefore the Lord is bringing up against it the mighty flood waters of the River, the king of Assyria and all his glory; it will rise above all its channels and overflow all its banks;
It will sweep on into Judah as a flood and, pouring over, will reach up to the neck, and its outspread wings will fill the breadth of your land, O Immanuel (Isaiah 8:5-8).
Immanuel is pictured as a helpless child in chapter 7. Can a little child stop the mighty flood of the enemies of Judah?
When Jesus came to earth, the first thing he said was, “The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe the good news” (Mark 1:15).
Today, the kingdom of God might not seem like a big deal. It doesn’t show up with great force or power. It’s more like the gentle stream Isaiah mentioned, especially when compared to powerful nations and the wealth of large corporations.
But if we listen to the small stream of God’s wisdom, we won’t be stuck in this world’s darkness. Instead, we’ll live in the light of God’s guidance.
It’s hard to overstate how important “God is with us” truly is. Unlike non-biblical views where people try to unite with God on their own, God stands apart from our world. This means we can’t merge with God through our efforts. Instead, we know God is with us when He comes to us and displays His presence.
Take counsel together, but it shall be brought to naught;
speak a word, but it will not stand,
for God is with us.” (Isaiah 8:10)
Our Way – Darkness; His Way – Light
One of the key themes in the first 39 chapters of Isaiah is deciding whom or what to trust.
The Lord spoke thus to me while his hand was strong upon me and warned me not to walk in the way of this people, saying:
“Do not call conspiracy all that this people calls conspiracy, and do not fear what it fears or be in dread” (Isaiah 8:11-12).
The nations’ plans will fail because they are based on faulty assumptions. Unfortunately, even Isaiah’s people have adopted these same beliefs. Revealing God’s analysis of their approach was crucial at this stage in their journey.
It’s easy to waste too much time on social media, especially when the world is chaotic. If Isaiah could talk to us today, he would advise us to step back from the conspiracies, fears, and worries stemming from current news. He would suggest a different focus.
But the Lord of hosts, him you shall regard as holy; let him be your fear, and let him be your dread.
He will become a sanctuary, a stone one strikes against; for both houses of Israel he will become a rock one stumbles over, a trap and a snare for the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
And many among them shall stumble; they shall fall and be broken; they shall be snared and taken” (Isaiah 8:13-15).
What does it mean to regard the Lord as holy? It means recognizing that He is “high and exalted” (Isaiah 6:1) in power, character, and essence.
If we don’t see Him this way, we make Him seem powerless, uncaring, and unimportant. When we rely on human explanations and solutions for the problems of our time, we diminish God’s significance.
God’s message to Isaiah and his children is to make Him central in our lives. We should show this through our attitudes and behavior, proving that God is truly holy.
How we perceive God will shape the aspects of Him we experience. If we honor God as our holy Lord, we will prioritize Him in our lives. Then, He will become our sanctuary, a place of refuge and peace.
If we don’t make room for God in our lives, we’ll keep encountering Him, tripping over His presence.
God isn’t angry with us; He simply exists. If we pretend He doesn’t, we’ll continually stumble over the truth of His existence, and this will harm us.
You’ve likely been to a hotel or motel with pigeonholes behind the check-in desk, holding keys, mail, or notices for guests.
Imagine that scene and remember that God isn’t just one of those pigeonholes in your life; He should encompass every aspect of it.
Who is our ultimate security? When God is our ultimate desire, not a single pigeonhole among many, He will be our ultimate security.
YouTube Discussion
Rudy Ross, Bruce Kirby, and I discussed this passage on YouTube today.
Real Voices 