Third Presbyterian Sunday Morning Bible Study - November 29, 2020

Below is the Bible Study written by Jim Rudiger for his Sunday School Class which meets at Third Presbyterian Church, Norfolk, Virginia. It's based on Isaiah 7:2-17.

"It’s a sign of the times."  Ever hear that said.  What does it mean to say that?  It means that what has happened is indicative of the times that we are living in.  What would be a sign of our time?  Face masks.  Closed schools.  Social distancing.  And most importantly, no Bing Crosby or Andy Williams Christmas shows.  But, there are other signs we’ve seen everyday for most of our lives.  When you got your driver’s license did you know all of the road signs?  The railroad crossing sign.  The stop sign.  The yield sign.  Since I got my driving license they have added diagonal lines across them telling you not to do something.  But, they are signs we are forced to know if we want to get a driver's license.

There are signs that are bad signs and signs that are good signs.  “Red sky at night, sailor’s delight.  Red sky in the morning, sailor take warning.”  That told sailors whether to be a morning person or a night person. When we had little kids, a child coming home from school with a smile on his face was a good sign.  it meant that he passed the test we spent all night helping him to study for. When I came home from work and there was meatloaf on the table, that was my sailor’s delight sign.  But, a ground hog seeing his shadow on Ground Hog Day is what kind of sign?  A bad sign.  

Do you pay attention to signs?  Do you act on them?  When I was a kid, a crack in the sidewalk was a bad sign.  What was the warning?  If I stepped on a crack I broke my mother’s back.  Even now, I avoid the cracks in sidewalks.  There were some bad signs I never fully understood, still I wouldn't dare break them.  Things like putting your hat on a bed is bad luck or singing before breakfast was a sign that you would cry before supper.

Sports would be chaotic if it weren't for signs.  What's the sign for a touchdown?  For a strike?  For being safe?  You see, we have to know the signs so we can boo or cheer at the right times.  I think that's why I don't like soccer.  I never learned the signs. 

Signs were even more important in biblical times.  Especially if they were from God.  Our study today deals with God giving a sign.  God giving a sign is an important event.  If you got a sign from God, what would you do?  In our study the guy getting the sign shrugged it off.  Was the sign clear enough or was this guy too dumb to not take it seriously?  Let's see what happened. 

The sign came when the nation of Judah was preparing for war.  Assyria was becoming the dominant power in the middle east. Israel, the northern kingdom, and Syria (Aram) had common borders with Assyria and recognized that it was only a matter of time before Assyria would expand their borders and they would be the first kingdoms to be gobbled up.  Remember when Norfolk County ran right up to Ward’s Corner?  Where this church is now, used to be in Norfolk County.  What ever happened to Norfolk County? Norfolk city and other bordering cities kept expanding until there no longer was a Norfolk County. 

In an attempt to forestall a sure invasion by Assyria, Israel and Syria formed an alliance - a biblical NATO. They got other countries in the region to join them in the alliance.  The only kingdom that would not join them was Judah.  To make matters worse for Judah, the Edomites had captured an important Judaen port and the Philistines were threatening Judah from the west.  Now came this pressure to join Israel and Syria in a show of force which will hopefully scare Assyria.  Judah was feeling all alone in the center of increasing hostilities with their neighboring kingdoms.

Ahaz was now king of Judah. While he is listed as an ancestor of Jesus in Matthew, he was a very bad guy.  During his reign, he worshiped pagan gods and even had a temple for an Assyrian god built in downtown Jerusalem.  He encouraged the Jews to worship this Assyrian god.  But, by far, the worst thing he did was to bring back the practice of infant sacrifice.  He even sacrificed his own son.  And this is the man Isaiah had been called by God to deal with.

Ahaz felt that the alliance was doomed - they were no match for the power of Assyria and to be a part of the alliance was inviting Assyria to destroy Judah along with the other members of the alliance.  So he declined the offer to join.  Now you have to recognize that all of the nations surrounding Judah joined-up and from their stand point, it was vital that all of the threatened countries be united if the anticipated invasion was to be halted.  This is where Ahaz's problem with God escalated.  Isaiah had told Ahaz that God wanted him to join the alliance.  Judah and Ahaz were surrounded by countries who wanted to present a united front against Assyria and Judah was a stumbling block to the security of the region.  Despite all of the pressure put on Ahaz to become a part of the alliance, he continued to refuse.

It became clear to Israel and Syria that Ahaz had to go, so they decided to invade Judah, kill Ahaz and put someone on the throne who would go along with the alliance. So here is Ahaz, really isolated and being threatened not only by Assyria but by "friendly" countries around him.  And now Isaiah was telling him that God wanted this too.  The year is about 732 B.C.

Isaiah 7:2 When the house of David heard that Aram had allied itself with Ephraim, the heart of Ahaz and the heart of his people shook as the trees of the forest shake before the wind.

Who are the three people named? David, Aram and Ephraim.  Who are these people?  Isaiah is not really talking about people, but nations.  David represents Judah,  Aram represents Syria and Ephraim represents Israel.  So, what Isaiah is saying is that when the people of Judah found out about the alliance between Syria and Israel, they shook like what?  Trees in a strong wind. 

Have you ever been so scared that you actually shook?  Like being at the top of the old Ocean View roller coaster and looking way down as the car started rolling down the slope.  As the car gained speed, the bottom started rushing up to you.  That's when your knees started rattling more than the car on the tracks.  Or those old black and white movies where the girl who was so stupid that when her brave boy friend told her to lock herself in the room, she wouldn’t listen and walked into that dark hall with only a flash light focused on her face.  You knew it was just a matter of time before something bad was going to happen to her.  And, as all ways, a hand appears from behind the girl reaching for her throat.  What did everybody in the theater do?  Gasp and scream only to find out that the hand belonged to her boy friend.  That's what happened to Judah.  When the people find out that Israel and Syria were about to attack Judah, everybody is frightened to the point that they are shaking in their boots.

Isaiah 7:3 Then the Lord said to Isaiah, “Go out to meet Ahaz, you and your son Shear-jashub, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool on the highway to the Fuller’s Field, 4 and say to him, “Take heed, be quiet, do not fear, and do not let your heart be faint because of these two smoldering stumps of firebrands, because of the fierce anger of Rezin and Aram and the son of Remaliah..  5 Because Aram–with Ephraim and the son of Remaliah–has plotted evil against you, saying, 6 ‘Let us go up against Judah and cut off Jerusalem and conquer it for ourselves and make the son of Tabeel king in it;

God orders Isaiah to meet with King Ahaz and to take who with him?  His son.  That seems like a weird thing to do - take his son.  We know Isaiah had at least two sons and he gave them very symbolic names.  It was as if his whole life and family represented the prophesies he was given.  This son's name was Shear-yashuv which in Hebrew meant "remnant".  Why bring little Shear with him?  God had a message for Judah.  Judah would be captured but there was hope - there would be a remnant. 

Where will Isaiah and Ahaz meet?  The end of the conduit of the upper pool on the highway to Fuller's Field.  If Isaiah has a GPS, he knows exactly where to go  Why there?  Why not meet Ahaz at the palace?  Jerusalem was depended on it's water from springs outside of the walls of the city.  In order to make water more available in the city, channels were constructed to bring water from springs outside of the city. These channels were lined with stone and plaster and a gate was constructed to regulate the water flow or to stop it completely if necessary.  There must have been several of these channels from the springs, but the one Isaiah was to go to was the one near "Fuller's Field".  Obviously, Fuller's Field was a well known area in Jerusalem.  In fact, it was the place where laundry was laid out to dry or sometimes clothes were bleached there.  It was probably on the outskirts of the city.

Now the armies of Israel and Syria were marching to Jerusalem.  In order for the city to endure a siege it had to have a secured source of water.  Ahaz had probably taken the city leaders and military men to inspect the water supply and make sure that everything was working right.  They probably monitored the water level everyday just to make sure that they would be prepared.  So it would be logical that if Isaiah wanted to run into Ahaz, all he had to do was camp out by the main water canal.   Isaiah approaches Ahaz who, you have to realize, has a lot on his plate right then.  Syria and Israel are on the march with an army much larger than one Judah could raise

Basically, what does Isaiah tell Ahaz? "Not to worry.  Be cool."  He says Israel and Syria are like two burned out torches.  When a torch burns out, what is left?  A lot of smoke and no fire.  Isaiah tells Ahaz that these two guys are no threat to Judah because God, himself, has guaranteed the security of Judah.  In fact, God has already set into motion events that will bring down these kingdoms.

It is Israel's and Syria's plan to put a more sympathetic man on the throne of Judah.  Who had they picked to be the new king Judah?  The son of Tabeel.  Tabeel was a Syrian which meant that Judah would be ruled by a non-Jew adding insult to injury.

Isaiah 7: therefore thus says the Lord God: It shall not stand , and it shall not come to pass. 8  For the head of Aram is Damascus, and the head of Damascus is Rezin.  (Within sixty-five years Ephraim will be shattered, no longer a people.)  9 The head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is the son of Remaliah.  If you do not stand firm in faith, you shall not stand at all.

Isaiah says "therefore thus says the Lord".   Now when Isaiah says this, he is saying that what comes next is straight from God.  Ahhaz shouldn't worry because bad things are going to happen to the alliance.  He then names the capitals and kings of Syria and Israel.  Time is running out for these kingdoms.  As for Israel, how long did they have left?  Less than sixty-five years.  What is God's warning to Ahaz?  "If you do not stand by me, you  won't  stand at all.  Kind of like saying, "United we stand, divided you fall."

Isaiah 7: 10 Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz, saying, 11“Ask a sign of the Lord your God; let it be deep as Sheol or as high as heaven.”  12 But Ahaz said, “I will not ask, and I will not put the Lord to the test.”     

Now Ahaz is very skeptical.  He is standing by the pool and has found that the water level is down slightly from yesterday.  The sun is beating down evaporating the water as sweat runs down his face.  Ahaz was thinking, “Man, if this water supply doesn’t last, Jerusalem is doomed.”  Just as he is double checking the level, that pest Isaiah comes up, taps him on the shoulder and tells him not to sweat the powerful army marching toward Jerusalem.  Here he is doing his kingly best by preparing for war and this guy is telling him not to worry.  Is the guy nuts?  Hasn't he heard about the armies crossing the borders and heading this way? Ahaz probably turned to Isaiah and said, "Don't worry? Yeah, right.  Excuse me, Isaiah, I ve got to check this spigot."

God is very patient with Ahaz.  God speaks directly to Ahaz and what does he offer Ahaz?  "If you don't believe it is Me talking, then ask for a sign and there are no limits on what you can ask for. Even if it is something to do with heaven or hell, I will do it." What or where is Sheol? Sheol is where Jews believed Jews went when they died.  It wasn't really hell as we think of it.  It was more like a way station. Many people believed that in the Lord's prayer when we say, "he descended into hell"  that it was really talking about Sheol.  By going to Sheol, Jesus would be giving those who had already died a last chance to accept him.  Any way you look at it, God was giving Ahaz a blank check.  A lot of time when we are torn on what to do and we pray for an answer and then we are led to a resolution of the problem, we wonder if God has really given us the answer or is this what we really should do.  Wouldn't we like for some sign that this is really what God would have us do?  If God asked you to name a sign that would confirm that he was really talking to you, what would you ask for? 

God had given the Israelites many signs in the past.  There was the rainbow after the flood.  The plagues on Egypt.  The pillar of fire leading them through the wilderness.  When God gives a sign it is a thing to behold.  And, Ahaz can tap into all of that power.  Isaiah stands there confronting Ahaz and there is no limit to the power of God's prophets.  After all, Elijah raised the dead.  One thing for sure.  This sign will be something miraculous.  Something that even the Harvard professors can't dispute.  Ahaz has just to ask and God will blow his mind away. 

Does Ahaz take God up in his offer?  Ahaz declines to ask for a sign and then adds in mock piety that he is declining because he doesn't want to tempt the Lord.  On the face of it and if we took Ahaz on his spoken words, then we might conclude that Ahaz was only following Jewish tradition.  After all, Deuteronomy 6:16 says that you shall not tempt the Lord.  Maybe we have old Ahaz all wrong.  He is a Godly man after all.  He's just trying to obey the Law.  How many think that Ahaz has seen the light?  

Isaiah 7: 13 Then Isaiah said: “Hear then, O house of David!  Is it too little for you to weary mortals, that you weary my God also? 14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign.  Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel 15 He shall eat curds and honey by the time he he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good.  16 For before the child knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land before whose two kings you are in dread will be deserted.  17 The Lord will bring on you and on your people and on your ancestral house such days as have not come since the day Ephraim departed from Judah—the king of Assyria.  

Isaiah recognizes that Ahaz is really blowing off God. It’s like saying to God, “Don’t bother me now.  Come back when I really need you.”  And that is the problem.  Ahaz doesn't think he needs God.  He just needs to keep the water flowing in and they can withstand the siege.  Can God dig more conduits for water to come into the city?  Can God fortify the walls?  Can God wipe out the armies of Syria and Israel if He wanted to do it?  Answers: yes, yes and yes.  Isaiah  rips into Ahaz telling him that Ahaz has caused the people a lot of trouble.  He has ripped them off raising their taxes to finance is own rich life style while the people got poorer.  And to add to this, he has totally mishandled this war with his neighboring countries.  Isaiah had advised Ahaz to join the alliance - that was what God wanted him to do.  If he had done what God wanted, he wouldn't be measuring the water in the conduit.  Ahaz is dismissing God as if his advice wasn’t important.  When God asks you to do something you do it.  End of story.  You don't turn down God.  But Ahaz has already decided on how to handle the Assran problem and it doesn't involve God.  You see, Ahaz had sent a diplomat to meet with the king of Assyria offering to buy Judah's protection.  He has taken all of the gold and silver from the Temple and sent it for Assyria’s pay off.  Ahaz was wasting his and Judah’s money. Isaiah knows that Ahaz is being a hypocrite and ignoring God. Doesn't it bother you when you know you are being ignored?  You are talking away and the other person never stops looking at the TV screen.  It’s pretty bad when the person being ignored is God.

But God is not going to be ignored.  If Ahaz won't ask for a sign, God will give one anyway.  He tells Ahaz that he is giving a sign whether Ahaz likes it or not.  Isaiah points to a young woman standing by the pool.  She is pregnant and appears to be unmarried.  He tells Ahaz that she is going to have a son and call him Immanuel which means that God is with them.  In other words, regardless of how Ahaz has acted, God isn’t going to desert Judah.  He is going to stay with them.

What will the baby eat?  Curds and honey.  What in the world is curds?  It’s the thick creamy part of milk. What do we make from curds?  Cheese and butter.  The question is really why eat this particular food?  Why not mashed potatoes with porkchop gravy? Butter comes from animals and honey from the work of bees, things that aren’t products from grains that require cultivation.  In other words in a time of national crisis when the fields outside the city walls can't be plowed, planted and harvested, provisions have to come from natural sources.  Sort of living off the land.  Also, in those days, a milk shake was made from milk curds and honey.  It was considered a drink for a kings which would be fitting for the King of Kings. 

Isaiah tells Ahaz that Israel and Syria will fall but so will Judah. So, what happened to Judah?  Ahaz struck a deal with Assyria by paying them off.  Assyria went on to capture and occupy Israel ending the existence of Israel. Ahaz becomes a stooge of Assyria. A sign was given but ignored.

So there you have it.  A sign of the times.  But, what sign is God giving us today?  If I’m reading the signs right, it is that time is running out.  That’s not a bad thing, though.  Because it signals the return of the Christ and the final salvation prophesied by Isaiah.  So, what have we learned?  You have to first recognize the sign.  If you accept Jesus as your savior, then life’s umpire  - the Spirit - will signal you safe.  If you reject Jesus and accept Satan then that umpire’s thumb will be straight up in the air and you are out.  The bottom line is that you just have to recognize the sign and act on it.

Prayer: Father, your signs are with us every day.  Make us sensitive and willing to recognize and act on those signs while there is still enough time.  Amen.