Isaiah 7: 1-17 May 27, 2008

Bible Study Reflections

Today's reading from Isaiah occurs between 742 B.C. and 722 B.C. At this
time Israel was divided into a northern kingdom called Israel and a southern
kingdom called Judah.
Isaiah the prophet who lived and prophesied in Judah, and the lesson today
concerns the prophecy to Ahaz, the king of Judah. This is Isaiah's first
prophecy after his acceptance of God's call in Chapter 6 which was studied
last week.
In order to understand Isaiah's prophecy, it is necessary to set the
context. Israel (the northern kingdom) was being threatened with invasion
from the Assyrian kingdom. In order to avoid destruction, Israel had made
an alliance with the Assyrians.
Judah had also been offered an alliance but had so far refused, but King
Ahaz was having second thoughts. The idea of an alliance with the Assyrians
was not favored, because it was feared that this would lead to an
assimilation of the foreign culture and foreign gods into Judah, but the
alliance would provide for Judah's safety.
Isaiah brought to King Ahaz God's message that he should avoid all
entanglements with the foreign powers, but Ahaz did not want to believe this
message.
So, Isaiah suggested that Ahaz ask God for a sign or offer a prayer to God
so that he could see what God wanted him to do. But Ahaz refused to ask for
a sign or to pray saying that he did not want to put God to the test.
How many times in our lives when we find ourselves buffeted by life's
turmoil, when we find ourselves in situations or life events when we like
Ahaz refuse to ask God what we should do. Do we fail to seek God's counsel
because we are so full of ourselves that we feel we have all the answers?
Do we fail to ask God because in doing so we have to acknowledge that we are
dependent on another, or do we refuse to lay our concerns before God because
we are afraid of the answer we may receive? Perhaps God's answer about a
course of action causes us to change part of our lifestyle, to examine tried
and true assumptions or perhaps in asking for God to give us directions we
are acknowledging that we are lost and cannot find our way.
Perhaps we are like Ahaz decide that it is better keep your questions and
doubts to yourself, because in asking you are acknowledging your dependence
on God. We, like Ahaz, are sometimes a prideful lot. However, we should
always seek God's counsel. We are all blessed by a creator who loves and
cares for us and is always there when we seek his counsel. Several members
shared a time in their lives when they acknowledge God's response to
questions posed while they knew God was call in them to a new and frightful
and fearful course of action they took that course and have been blessed
ever since.
At the end of the study we found that despite all of Ahaz's fears for his
people, God provides him a message of hope. As Ahaz is warned of Israel's
attempted conquest of Judah, God's words to Ahaz spoken through Isaiah are
words of comfort and assurance. "Take heed, be quiet, do not fear, and do
not let your heart be faint." These are words that are spoken to us today
when life's storms and wars rage about us and threaten to consume us. What
"good news" to Ahaz, what "good news" to us today. SHC