TO US A CHILD IS BORN

Isaiah 7:1-9:7

Key Verse 9:6

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

This morning’s message covers almost three chapters. It is an important time in the history of God’s people. At the time Isaiah wrote this, God’s people were in a great crisis. They looked like they would be crushed by the armies of the northern kingdom of Israel and by the armies of the nation of Aram. In addition to this, they were walking in great darkness and living in the land of the shadow of death because of their spiritual unfaithfulness to God and their idolatry. In this time, God used his servant Isaiah to proclaim the message of hope and salvation. Though this was written almost 700 years before the birth of Jesus, the message he gives concerns the birth of Jesus. God promised to give them a son whose name would be Immanuel, which means “God with us.” This son was also given four names: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace.

This message is good news for us today. This is because God is the God of hope to anyone living in darkness and in the shadow of death. In times of human hopelessness and despair, God is faithful to come to us and be with us through Jesus. This morning we want to accept who Jesus is from Isaiah’s message. We want to know who he is so that we may draw nearer to God and have hope no matter what our human condition may be. May God help you to open your heart to his message.

Part One. The Sign of Immanuel (7:1-25)

Let’s read verses 1-2a, “When Ahaz son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, was king of Judah, King Rezin of Aram and Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel marched up to fight against Jerusalem, but they could not overpower it. Now the house of David was told, ‘Aram has allied itself with Ephraim’…” At this time, Israel was divided into two kingdoms: Israel to the north and Judah to the south. The house of David refers to Judah which was the tribe to which Jesus came from. The capital of Judah was Jerusalem. For many years Israel and Judah had been at war. They grew weaker, while the countries around them grew stronger. However, God did not let Judah to be destroyed because of his sovereign plan to bring Jesus through that tribe.

In this time, Judah was in trouble. Their enemies were all around them, knocking at the doors of Jerusalem and saying, “Hey, let us in. We are going to beat you up and bloody you and destroy you.” Things became even worse when Aram and Israel joined forces to destroy Judah. What did they say about Judah? Let’s read verses 5-6, “Aram, Ephrain and Remaliah’s son have plotted your ruin, saying, ‘Let us invade Judah; let us tear it apart and divide it among ourselves, and make the son of Tabeel king over it.’”

How did Ahaz, the king of Judah respond when he heard this? Look at verse 2b, “…so the hearts of Ahaz and his people were shaken, as the trees of the forest are shaken by the wind.” In this time of national crisis, king Ahaz should have remained strong and steadfast. He should have faith in God. He should have also went out to the people and given many motivational speeches and encouraged his people like Winston Churchill did to the people of England during World War 2 when the Germans were bombing London. Though England was not stronger than Germany at the time, because Churchill stood firm and had courage, the people also took courage and fought and held off the Germany Air Force. However, Ahaz was not like that .His heart shook with fear. When his heart shook with fear, everyone else’s heart shook with fear. King Ahaz showed he had no faith in God. Not only so, according to 2 Kings 16:7, he sought the help of the super power Assyria. Instead of asking the God of Israel to save him, he asked the help of a pagan king of a pagan nation.

When we read about King Ahaz in the Bible we find out that he was a wicked king who was unfaithful to God and who did not pay attention to his nation’s spiritual health. There was idolatry everywhere. He even sacrificed his son in the fire to one of his idols. He and his people followed the detestable ways of the pagan nations around them. However, God was patient. God was incredibly patient with him and with his unfaithful people. How did God show his patience in this time? God sent his servant Isaiah with his son to give a message to King Ahaz. Isaiah’s son’s name was “Shear-Jashub”. This name means “a remnant will return.” What was the message? Let’s read verses 3-4, “Then the Lord said to Isaiah, ‘Go out, you and your son Shear-Jashub, to meet Ahaz at the end of the aqueduct of the Upper Pool, on the road to the Washerman’s Field. Say to him, ‘Be careful, keep calm and don’t be afraid. Do not loose heart because of these two smoldering stubs of firewood---because of the fierce anger of Rezin and Aram and of the son of Remaliah.”

The message to Ahaz was for him to be careful and to keep calm. It was for him not to be afraid and to lose heart. It was because God did not see Israel and Aram as any kind of a threat. He said that they were only two smoldering stubs of firewood. Smoldering stubs of firewood have no strength at all. They are nothing but ashes and a little smoke. The Lord also told Ahaz in verses 7-9 that their attack would not happen. It would not take place. We see here that the Lord is the Sovereign God. He is in control of history and he is the one who brings kingdoms to rise and kingdoms to fall. We also see here that he protects his people even though many times we are unfaithful to him. This is because God has a sovereign purpose for his people.

What else did the Lord through Isaiah tell Ahaz? Look at verse 9b, “…If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all.” This word was meant for Ahaz not to waiver in this time of difficulty. God was giving him an opportunity to repent of his unbelief and come to God and have faith in God. If Ahaz listened to God’s word through Isaiah, he could stand firm in faith and not have fear about the threats of Israel and Aram. When we are faced with a personal crisis, we must renew our hearts to listen to God’s word through the Bible and through his servants. We can either waiver and fall or stand firm. If we stand firm, then we will see the deliverance that God will give us. A good example is when Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt. When they were out of Egypt and on their way to the promised land, they had to pass through the Red Sea. What made matters difficult for them was that the Egyptian army and all their chariots were coming towards them to kill them. It looked like there was no way out for them. They would either be killed by the Egyptian army or drowned in the Red Sea. At that time Moses stood up and said to the complaining people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still” (Ex.14:13-14) When the Israelites heard these words and saw Moses’ faith, they took courage and followed his leading. When they listened and obeyed, God opened up the Red Sea for them, and they crossed the Red Sea because God had opened a dry path for them to walk on. God delivered them through when they stood firm in faith and listened to God and his servant Moses.

The Lord could have stopped trying to give Ahaz his word here and left him to make a decision to either stand or not to stand. But God didn’t give up because God never gives up. In order to help him further, God wanted Ahaz to ask for a sign. Let’s read verses 10-11, “Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz, ‘Ask the Lord your God for a sign, whether in the deepest depths or the highest heights..’” Ahaz refused to ask, thinking it was wrong, according to verse 12. His refusal looked humble. However it wasn’t because he was humble. It was because in his mind Ahaz already had decided to rely on Assyria and not God for help.

Nevertheless, God gave him a sign. What was it? Let’s read verse 14, “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and he will call him Immanuel.” What a wonderful sign this is! How could a virgin give birth to a son? Humanly this is impossible. This could only be the work of God and the hand of God! The name Immanuel means “God with us.” Why did God give this sign to Ahaz? It is clear that God wanted to show Ahaz that he is with him. God wanted to show that he is working even in a humanly dark time.

This message in verse 14 points to God’s hope. It a sign, a small sign. God works in small ways to give us a sign that he is working and that he is with us. This sign points to the coming of Jesus, the Messiah. The Messiah is the hope for all people. Even in the past, many centuries before Jesus’ coming, godly men put their hope in the coming of Jesus. When they did, they had great joy because it was a sign of God’s hope in a fallen and sin cursed world that is living in great darkness and in the land of the shadow of death. Jesus said in John 8:56, that even Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing Jesus’ day. In fact, Jesus said that Abraham saw that day of his coming and he was full of gladness. Even an old and fatalistic man like Abraham was changed because he saw the hope of Jesus. Abraham’s life before he believed this was like a dark rain cloud following over him. But when he believed, his heart and life was brightened. This is because he believed the word of God and believed God would do what he said.

In the dark time of human history, in God’s time, not man’s time, God sent Jesus through the virgin Mary to be with us. Jesus’ birth into the world is a fulfillment of this Scripture in 7:14. The gospel writer Matthew wrote in Matthew 1:22-23 says, “All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: ‘The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel’—which means “God with us.’”

Ahaz could have come out of his dark and sinful life, if he believed that God would be with him and his people. He could stand firm and be strong if he believed that was with him. He could have hope that God could make him strong and give his people God’s vison and God’s hope. Certainly, Ahaz did not deserve God’s help because of his sinful life. But God in his mercy gave him this sign of hope. It is easy to think that America is sinful and corrupt nation, full of idolatry and wickedness. It is easy to think that young people are only interested in pleasure seeking and money. However, we saw in a small way how God shows signs he is working and that he is with America. When we read about the two young women who were persecuted and suffered for their faith while in Afghanistan, and how God rescued them, we are refreshed. They both want to return to Afghanistan to help the people there. In our UBF chapter, Jennifer Roberts is praying to become a medical missionary an d John Lee wants to go to Russia one day to be a missionary. They are small signs that God is with America and is working in the lives of young people. When we believe God is with us, then we can have God’s hope for ourselves and our sheep. A little baby in a manger looks like it is hopeless and it looks like nothing. But later this baby Jesus grew up and changed the whole world.

Now look at verses 18-25. In verses 18-25, the words “in that day” are repeated four times. The words “in that day” refers to God’s time of judgment. God would the super power Assyria as his instrument of judgment upon the unbelieving people.

Part Two. Assyria, the Lord’s Instrument. (8:1-10)

God again kept trying to help Ahaz by once again using Isaiah. This time he sent him with another one of his sons. The name of this son was Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz. This is a strange and long name. His son must have a little difficulty in learning to spell his name when he was younger. Perhaps because he had such a long and difficult name to spell he later would win all the spelling bees in school. What does this long and strange name mean? It means “quick to the plunder, swift to the spoil.” It meant that those who were against Israel and those that opposed her would be quickly destroyed. However, Judah would only stand because God was with her.

Verses 5-8 show how God would use the nation of Assyria to sweep through the land and over run it. God would use Assyria as his instrument of judgment because the people had rejected him and committed sin after sin. Through Isaiah, God described Assyria’s coming like a mighty floodwaters of the Euphrates River. However God would save his people, those who trusted in him, even when the floodwaters reached up to their necks. Sometimes our problems look like they are coming up to our necks. It looks like we will drown, but it is coming up to our necks. When we trust in Jesus and repent of our unbelief, he will save us. In verse 8b, the people who trust in God will cry out, “O Immanuel!”. In verses 9-10 God said that all the nations and all their plans would be shattered. All their strategy would be thwarted. It would not stand. Why? Because God is with his people. Though the darkness of sin of men seem to prevail and the whole world is in unbelief, God is in the midst of his people to save them. Jesus is coming to judge the whole world, yet to those who know him personally as the Immanuel God, he will save them from that day of judgment on the world.

Part Three. Fear God. (8:11-22)

Let’s read verses 11-13, “The Lord spoke to me with his strong hand upon me, warning me not to follow the way of this people. He said: ‘Do not call conspiracy everything that these people call conspiracy; do not fear what they fear, and do not dread it. The Lord Almighty is the one you are to regard as holy, he is the one you are to fear, he is the one you are to dread.”

Ahaz and all his people were living in darkness and in the land of the shadow of death because of their sins. The more they sinned, the more fear they experienced. When people live without God, the natural result is fear. Jesus said that we should not fear men. He said in Matthew 10:28, “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.”

When we fear God, then he will be a sanctuary for us. Even when there are problems raging around us, he will rescue us and hide us under his wing of protection. Those who don’t fear God have no salvation at all. Here we see how God was encouraging Isaiah. Isaiah might have felt all alone in doing God’s work. Even the king would not listen to him. No one seemed to listen to Isaiah. Even many people tried to kill him because they rejected God. How did Isaiah receive God’s message?

Let’s read verses 17-18, “I will wait for the Lord, who is hiding his face from the house of Jacob. I will put my trust in him. Here am I, and the children the Lord has given men. We are signs and symbols in Israel from the Lord Almighty, who dwells on Mount Zion.” Isaiah took hold of God’s message. He did not reject it like others. He saw himself and his children as signs and symbols for the people of Israel. He saw that God was using him to bring the people of Israel to repent. We can see this by the names of his sons.

In the same way, we are also like signs and symbols. God is using our families to bring his message to this world. God is raising up our children to be a godly and holy nation. Each year we keep increasing. In the future this Bible Center will be too small because of all our children who will grow up and bring their sheep to worship and Bible study. This month there will be a CBF Christmas Worship. They are preparing for it and like last year, more and more people are coming. Again, this is God’s sign that we should trust in him and fear him and continue to do his work, though our society is very corrupted.

Look at verses 19-22. These verses reveal the darkness of men’s lives when they live without God. When people live without God, they become more corrupted and superstitious. They look to horoscopes to help them even though at the time it was made up, it was based on seven planets. They thought seven planets were in our solar system. Now we know that there are more than nine planets. People listen to the Psychic channel and consult palm readers. Some people pray to their dead relatives thinking they can get some advice from them. The more people look at these ways for help instead of God, they become more and more distressed and more and more fearful. They become more and more darkened. According to verse 22, they will be thrust into utter darkness. This is hell. In this dark time, God comes to help sinful and corrupted man. Let’s find out about the son to be born.

Part three. To us a child is born. (9:1-7)

In this dark and gloomy situation, God was with his people and came to plant hope in them. Let’s read verses 1-2, “Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future he will honor Galilee of the Gentiles, by the way of the sea, along the Jordan---the people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the shadow of death a light has dawned.”

God’s promise is wonderful here. God promised to bring a great light on those living in the shadow of darkness. God promised to bring a great light. This is the promise of Jesus. Jesus came to these people in these places. These people had no hope. They had no salvation. They were prisoners of darkness and death. Yet Jesus would come as God promised to shine his life giving light into their hearts. This picture in verse 2 shows that in the darkest time God is working. Yesterday it was dark and gloomy. It rained all day. It was a nasty and cold day. There was no sun. But this morning, the dark clouds broke up and the sun came out. The sky became bright and blue.

This is how Jesus works. His coming drives out the darkness of men’s hearts due to sin, due to unbelief and due to the fear of judgment and the fear of death. Let’s read verses 3-5, “You have enlarged the nation and increased their joy; they rejoice before you as people rejoice at the harvest, as men rejoice when dividing the plunder. For as in the day of Midian’s defeat, you have shattered the yoke that burdens them, the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor. Every warrior’s boot used in battle and every garment rolled in blood will be destined for burning, will be fuel for the fire.”

God gives us joy when we lived in great darkness that it was impossible for us to escape. Through Jesus he break the yoke of sins that was heavy on us. Now we can rejoice like people at a great harvest and like men dividing a great amount of plunder.

Finally, God gives us hope through a son. Let’s read verse 6, “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be upon his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” For any parent, a new child is a source of hope and joy. When Missionary Matthew had his first child not too long ago, he had a big smile on his face. He seemed to keep smiling one hundred percent of the time. His smile was from ear to ear. Missionary Maria Park and Maria Kim will have babies next month. Both of them look very radiant and happy.

When the world was in the darkest time in history and when death seemed to rule the hearts and lives of men, God sent Jesus. God gave us Jesus. Let’s look now at the four titles given to the son God promised. First, he will be called “Wonderful Counselor.” This promises us that Jesus will counsel us. What does a counselor do? He helps you and directs you and gives you expert advice. He is someone you can go to when you don’t know what to do. Jesus promised hi disciples that when he left them that he would send the Counselor, that is the Holy Spirit. Jesus called it the “Spirit of truth.” It is a great thing to know that when we trust in Jesus that he will counsel us and show us the way. In every aspect of our life when we seek him and believe in him we must trust that he will guide in the right way because he is the Wonderful Counselor.

Secondly, he is called “Mighty God.” The son born would not be an ordinary child. He is the mighty God. He is the Creator of heavens and the earth. In the gospels we read that Jesus raised the dead, made the lame to walk and the blind to see. He calmed the winds and waves of the storm, he fed the 5,000 on five loaves and two fish. He drove out demons with his word and healed all kinds of sick people. Even with today’s modern medical technology, this can not be done. But Jesus did it all and much, much more because he is the mighty God. We must believe that the baby Jesus in the manger is the mighty God. We must believe that by his mighty power he can help us and deliver us from all kinds of difficulties and give us the victory.

Thirdly, he is the Everlasting Father. Everyone has or has had an earthly father. They tried to be our father’s as best they could. But sickness, old age and death limited them to help us and to be with us. A father is a picture of security. It is difficult for us when our father’s get sick and die. However, Jesus is our Everlasting Father. He will never die on us because he is everlasting. As our Heavenly Father, he will always take care of us and feed us and clothe us. When we experience a material crisis or a financial crisis it is easy to worry and to panic and get stressed out. But when we seek God our Everlasting Father, we can be sure that he will take care of us. Jesus said in Matthew 6:31-32, “So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat? Or what shall we wear? For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.”

Fourthly, Jesus is our Prince of Peace. What all people of the world want is peace. In this time, there are many wars. No one wants wars. People want peace. But in this sinful world there will be never complete peace with people. Earthly peace is a temporary peace. Many people try to find peace by listening to music or sleeping. Some may go and see a movie. But this is only short lived. No matter what you do or where you go, if you don’t have Jesus the Prince of Peace within your hearts, you have no peace. Jesus gives us true and lasting peace. He gives us the peace of God in our hearts when we receive Jesus and seek to grow in faith. The Prince of Peace gives us a steady and firm peace. It is not effected by the swirling problems around. It is the peace of conscience and the peace that comes when our sins are forgiven. If the Prince of Peace Jesus is in our hearts, then we are not effected by any storms of life.

Let’s read verse 7 to find out more about this son God promised and about the character of his reign. “Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.” This prophesy tells us that Jesus’ reign will never end. The kingdom of God of which Jesus rules is increasing even now. It is spreading to the hearts of people who believe his message. When Jesus comes again, he will rule in justice and righteousness forever. He will rule the government because it will be on his strong shoulders. There will be no more injustice and corruption. There will be peace and joy forever. How can all this happen? It can happen by the zeal of the Lord. That is, the will of God will be done because what God desires will come true. It can not be stopped by man’s unfaithfulness and his unbelief.

This morning we learned the message of hope and salvation given to King Ahaz by the prophet Isaiah. This message is so incredible because it reveals the coming of Jesus who is God with us, Immanuel. Because God is with us through Jesus we don’t have to fear anyone or anything. Because God is with us through Jesus we can have real and true security and real and lasting peace. In this time of Christmas, may God help you to open your hearts to let Jesus come in and rule with his peace. May God help you to hold this message of hope and salvation in your hearts.