Title: Immanuel
Contents
Sunday, December 18, 2011 Worship Sermon
??Immanuel (2)
□ Text □ Isaiah 8:5-8
1. Rezin king of Syria and Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel each attacked and tormented Judah. get caught
- At this time, God sent the prophet Isaiah to tell King Ahaz that God would help him - and to ask God for a 'sign'.
- Asking for a sign -- God foresaw King Ahaz's lack of faith -- and suggested what King Ahaz could do.
- Even though God tells us to ask for a sign- Ahaz shouts that he will not ask for a sign.
- It's not that Ahaz didn't ask for omens because of his faith. - King Ahaz had his own plan to defeat the combined forces of the two nations, Israel and Syria in the north. He was trying to defeat the country.
- God gives the sign of ‘Immanuel’ to King Ahaz, who rejected God without asking for a sign with his own thoughts.
7:14, “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: behold, a virgin will conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”
- Even though God has done this, King Ahaz and his people- have forsaken God, packed up the gold and silver of God's temple and royal palace, and went to the king of Assyria to ask for help.
- The king of Assyria receives a lot of bribes - and comes with an army and conquers northern Israel and Syria and achieves victory.
1. Today's text tells what Isaiah prophesied in this situation.
Verse 6, “This people has forsaken the slow flowing waters of Shiloah, and rejoices in Rezin and the son of Remaliah.”
- The ‘Water of Shiloah’ refers to the river flowing from the Gihon Spring, passing through Jerusalem and into the Kidron Valley.
- This river is called the “slow flowing water of Shiloah”.
- It is said that the people of Judah in the south abandoned this water of Shiloah.
- You think this water is not cool.
- This is a metaphor for God's help is like a cold stream.
- They said that God would help them - but they doubted what kind of help God would give them - and they thought they were as unreliable as rippling water.
- So the king of Judah and his people--relying on a strong country called Assyria--received the army to defeat Rezin and Remaliah.
- Once this operation was successful - the Syrians and northern Israel were defeated - the fact that the king and the people of Judah were rejoicing.
- In verse 6, the words “they take pleasure in the sons of Rezin and Remaliah” should be carefully observed.
- To rejoice over Rezin (= king of Syria) and Remaliah's son (= king of northern Israel) -- not liking them -- means rejoicing to see them attacked and withdrawn.
- The king and the people of Judah rejoice when they see that the son of Rezin king of Syria and Remaliah king of Israel are defeated by the king of Assyria.
The king of Judah and his people rejoice to see the two enemies - refusing God's help - by bringing in Assyria - and seeing their two enemies stand still and defeated.
- So far, things are going well according to King Ahaz's plan.
1. But what will happen in the future?
Verse 7, “Therefore, the Lord, I will cover them with a mighty and mighty great river, the king of Assyria and all his might.”
- In the original Hebrew, there is the word ‘behold’ after ‘therefore’.
- So far, the work of bringing in Assyria and beating the two countries has been successfully carried out - and I am delighted - 'Look' - saying that things will not go as the king of Judah and the people thought.
- God says Assyria will attack Judah.
-Actually, Assyria, at the request of Judah--it attacked Syria and Israel in the north-- Then--there was a desire to eat Judah in the south--I decided that it would be better to attack Judah while on the expedition. attack Judah.
- These people of Judah forsook God's help, which they thought was like a small flowing stream, and trusted and depended on Assyria, which is like a 'great and ferocious river'. will be attacked by
- You will be attacked more extensively than the attacks of Syria and Israel.
- Because there was no defense - Judah was attacked across the country in an instant and suffered the damage of war.
- Assyria's attack on Judah is expressed in the form of a rushing river.
- At the end of verse 7, “It will fill up all the valleys and overflow all the hills, and it will come into Judah and fill it up to the neck.
- Rivers rush in and fill the valleys - overflowing every hillside.
- Judas says that the whole country will be taken over in an instant -- and will be on the verge of passing over: 'It will be full to the neck.'
1. The Assyrian army attacking Judah is also expressed in the form of an eagle attacking a chick or a chicken.
- Verse 8, “The wings he spreads out will fill your land.”
- When an eagle spreads its large wings and attacks a chick or a chicken - From the chick's point of view - its wings are so large - it blocks the sun and it gets dark - Assyria's attack is all-out and all-out You are saying you will lose.
- You will get hit without even having time to use your hands.
- You will be struck in an instant, like an eagle spreading its large wings and sprinting towards it.
- He rejoiced to see Assyria against Syria and Israel - but they never imagined that a strong army against Syria and Israel would come against them - He says that it will happen.
1. He says that the Assyrian army will push in and take over the whole country -- but it will only reach “to the neck.”
- When the water is cold up to the neck - It is still alive.
- It's not that the neck is full of water all the way to the top of the head -- just like the neck is full of water -- it's the end, but it's not over yet.
- Judah will be attacked by the Assyrian army - but it will not be destroyed.
1. And God calls Judah, “Immanuel.”
- The land of Judah itself is called 'Immanuel'.
- It means that God has already come to the land of Judah and that God is with the people of Judah.
- King Ahaz rejected the omens -- God Himself came to this land of Judah that rejected Him, showing that He was with them.
- Jesus came to this world as 'Emmanuel'.
- King Ahaz of Judah said that God would help him - but he refused the help - and chose Assyria's help instead of a weak-looking God.
- We too, like this King Ahaz- are those who rebel against God.
- For the foolish King Ahaz and his people who have betrayed him and are in greater danger - giving a sign in advance - God Himself has come to the land of Judah and is with them.
- When they are in trouble - God is with them.
- You become one with them and become one with them.
- Jesus came into this world as a perfect man.
-Those who reject God's hand even when God reaches out their hand - seek the help of this world - and then face tribulation from the world and fall into indescribable difficulties - He is the one who came to this world for us.
-Jesus wears the same body as us--thought-mindedly living with us in this world--he becomes one with us.
- We have forsaken God - but God never forsakes us - When we suffer, He is with us in our sufferings.
- In this <Christmas> when Jesus came into this world, God's wonderful grace is fully contained.