Isaiah 7:1-12

The book of Isaiah is a unique combination of prophecy, poetry, and narrative. In the first six chapters, we've seen God use prophecy, poetry, and a song to teach us about the nation of Israel, its sins, and God’s plans for its redemption. God uses these different genres so we can grasp His truth and love more deeply.

Chapter seven gives us the first narrative of Isaiah: his memorable encounter with Ahaz, the King of Judah who reigned about 735 to 715 BC. Ahaz began his reign as a young man, at age 20 (2 Kings 16:2) and became one of the most wicked Kings of Judah by forming an alliance with Assyria and cultivating mass idolatry in Jerusalem.

2 Chronicles sums Ahaz’s reign this way, “He walked in the ways of the kings of Israel; he also made molten images for the Baals.  Moreover, he offered offerings in smoke in the valley of Ben-hinnom and burned his sons in the fire, according to the abominations of the nations whom Yahweh had dispossessed from before the sons of Israel. He also sacrificed and offered offerings in smoke on the high places and on the hills and under every green tree.” (2 Ch. 28:2-4)

But it didn’t have to be that way. God gave Ahaz an opportunity to trust in Him in chapter 7.

Around the start of Ahaz’s reign, Israel and Syria formed an alliance to attack Judah (7:1). In response, Ahaz and his people’s hearts “shook as the trees of the forest shake before the wind” (7:2). They were terrified of this looming invasion.

In response, God sent Isaiah to meet Ahaz at a lookout area where the coming armies could be seen (7:3). His message to King Ahaz was one of comfort “Have no fear and do not be fainthearted because of these two stubs of smoldering firebrands, on account of the burning anger of Rezin and Aram and the son of Remaliah” (7:4). God assures Ahaz about his safety in spite of this attack “It shall not stand, nor shall it happen” (7:7). The plan will fail.

Then, through Isaiah, God tells Ahaz the reason this plan will fail. Both nations’ greatest power is only a human leader, King Rezin of Aram and King Pekah of Israel (7:8-9a). But unlike Israel and Aram, Judah’s greatest power isn’t a human, it’s God Himself! God warns Ahaz to trust solely in Him for protection, “If you do not establish your faith in Yahweh, you surely shall not be established.”

God will protect King Ahaz if he will trust Him.

If that promise were all God had said, it would be enough to deserve Ahaz’s trust. But God offers Ahaz something very uncommon in Scripture, He will do any miracle Ahaz wants in order to prove His trustworthiness. God instructs him, “Ask a sign for yourself from Yahweh your God; make it deep as Sheol or high as heaven” (7:11). This offer mirrors one God gave Solomon almost 200 years prior in 1 Kings 3:5 “Ask what I should give to you.”

But unlike Solomon, Ahaz sidestepped the issue with one of the most notorious lines in the Bible, “I will not ask, and I will not test Yahweh” (7:12). Such pious language is only a mask for one of the worst Old Testament kings to protect his sinful ambitions by turning down God’s grace.

Ahaz just wasn’t interested. He didn’t want a miracle because he understood that this free offer of a miracle would bind him to Yahweh. He would have to forsake all other gods or nations once God had proven His trustworthiness.

The free offer of God’s grace is only comforting to the one who wants a relationship with God.

To those who don’t want relationship with God, His grace is dangerous. It cuts us off from our idols and worldly allies. It confronts all our skewed priorities. Once we accept God’s love and mercy, we become obligated to serve Him as Savior and Lord.

As Paul writes to his protégé Titus, “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us that, denying ungodliness and worldly desires, we should live sensibly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us that He might redeem us from all lawlessness, and purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good works” (Titus 2:11-14).

Grace doesn’t just save us; it binds us to God in a relationship of love. It instructs us to deny our worldly desires and live sensible, righteous, godly lives as we await Christ’s return.

Pastor David