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Closer Part II

My Battle Cry – O Immanuel
Closer, part 2

We are continuing our series entitled Closer that will run through Christmas Sunday. The series Closer is a study of Isaiah chapters 7, 8 and 9. The goodnews of the gospel is that Jesus lived a perfect, sinless life, developed the apostles into spiritually mature men, ministered for 3 years, suffered and died for our sins, but God’s plan required something very amazing for that all to happen. The idea I speak of that is assumed and probably taken for granted by many. The idea is that God’s plan had to include God coming closer. The word Immanuel means God with us. The transcendent became the imminent; the invisible God became visible; the eternal God with no beginning and no end, the alpha and omega, the great eternal one had to step down from eternity into human time. God with no spatial limitations assumed human form with all of its limitations. I think of this as the divine claustrophobia, for the infinite was confined to the finite. The son of God, Jesus Christ, who is perfection without corruption became the God-Man and most likely even got sick just like you and me. I remember being sick as a child – it may have been those miserable nights where you are all congested and cannot breathe or it may be the flu and being curled up sleeping in the bathroom; and in those times, the one thing I wanted more than chicken noodle soup, or any candy flavored medicine, or even more than having a day off school; the one thing I wanted when I was sick was for my mother to be close to me. Her caring look, her soft touch, her encouraging words; it was the closeness of her presence was that which I wanted. I wanted her to tell me everything will be alright. As adults, we experience difficulties that far outdo the ordinary flu. With age comes greater and more serious health ailments. With life we see family sickness as relationships implode and the dysfunctionality of our families becomes especially evident around the holiday. We experience career sickness as we are let go. Some people call this difficult times God’s judgment, some call it fate, others say it’s chance, some believe it is the result of sin. We may not know what category our trials fall into, but we know for certain they don’t feel good and we want to be delivered out of our suffering. When we are down and we feel like the terrible circumstances will overrun us, we need a ray of light, we need hope, all we need is a glimmer, 1 person, 1 hug, 1 word. Just as we wanted our mothers to draw closer to comfort us when we were sick, Father God sent Immanuel to be with us. God sent God to draw closer to you. The celebration of Christmas is to be our reminder of the greatest battle cry of all time – Immanuel, God come be with me and deliver me and break, shatter the power of the terrible circumstances.

I invite you to open God’s Word and turn to Isaiah chapter 8. Isaiah 8:1-3 “The LORD said to me, "Take a large scroll and write on it with an ordinary pen: Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz. And I will call in Uriah the priest and Zechariah son of Jeberekiah as reliable witnesses for me." Then I went to the prophetess, and she conceived and gave birth to a son. And the LORD said to me, "Name him Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz." In the middle of the 700s BC, the prophet Isaiah was told by God to take a sheet of paper and write a message on it for everyone to see. God gave him one thing to write: Maher-shalal-hash-baz. Soon after this prophetic experience with God, Isaiah’s wife conceived, and Isaiah was told by God to name his son this prophetic phrase. This large scroll with this phrase and his son named this phrase were to serve as signs, an incarnate word. Maher-shalal-hash-baz is a war cry meaning something like “spoil-speed, prey-hasten.” The name is unique and it is a battle cry for a sudden plundering of the land. This was a witness to the fact that the people had rejected the prophet’s warnings and swift judgment lay ahead. Be warned, judgment is coming, suffering and trials are on their way, for they are inevitable, they are right around the corner; when they hit it will be devastating, Maher-shalal-hash-baz would have been like Assyria’s battle cry – hurry to the treasure, run fast for you will be victorious. God will use Assyria an ungodly nation to be his divine tool to judge his chosen people. God will give Assyria his peoples’ treasures. God’s judgment awaits for unbelievers. And, God’s discipline will bring difficult times to believers as God corrects us, and grows us. Maher-shalal-hash-baz is the battle cry of your circumstances that are overrunning you.

A common question that we have all asked ourselves is why do bad things happen to good people? All of us have experienced life circumstances that we would define as challenging, difficult, trials and suffering.

Isaiah 8:5-8 “The LORD spoke to [Isaiah] again: "Because this people [of Israel] has rejected the gently flowing waters of Shiloah [Isaiah was using a figure of speech referring to how the Israelites had rejected the legitimate Davidic empire, the theocratic administration] and rejoices over Rezin and the son of Remaliah [instead of trusting that God would protect them, the people decided to seek human protection from Aram and the northern kingdom], therefore the Lord is about to bring against them the mighty floodwaters of the River — the king of Assyria with all his pomp. It will overflow all its channels, run over all its banks and sweep on into Judah, swirling over it, passing through it and reaching up to the neck. Its outspread wings will cover the breadth of your land…”

We learn from Isaiah 8 that God’s justice requires him to judge. It is God who brings Assyria in against his own people, v.7 “therefore the Lord is about to bring against them…the king of Assyria…” It is imperative that we see that God’s justice is a guarantee that judgment follows sin. Since all of us have sinned and continue to sin, we are to be put on notice of God’s impending judgment. This should not be a surprise, but it is common knowledge. Consider a few biblical examples of God’s judgment: Certain crises are tools God uses to bring judgment (1) the flood that destroyed everyone except the family and animals on Noah’s ark; (2) Sodom & Gomorrah is God’s justice on sexual sin; (3) Ananias and Sapphira were killed for lying to God and (4) the death of Christ on a cross as God’s judgment for our sins. The sure thing that awaits sinfulness is judgment. A just and holy God must judge sin. Since we all sin what hope do we have to escape or survive God’s judgments? The battle cry – Maher-shalal-hash-baz – was the king of Assyria’s battle cry. God used Assyria to plunder Israel for their judgment. This should give us great concern. Can we escape God’s judgment? For the northern kingdom no hope existed, the mighty floodwaters of Assyria would overrun its banks putting the northern kingdom into permanent exile. The same outcome is the inevitable conclusion for all unless we can find away out or a way around the judgment. What approach did Israel take, and what approach have you taken to avoid the inevitable?

You know how to make a bad situation worse don’t you…go to the wrong people for advice and then do what they suggested. Isaiah teaches us in vv.19-22 that seeking advice from anyone who tells you to do anything contrary to God’s Word will make your discipline or judgment only worse.

Israel was looking to spritism as their source of security. Seeking hope in spiritism is the antithesis of fearing, trusting and waiting on the Lord. It is foolish to consult the dead for advice when the only hope is in the living God. “When people tell you, ‘Try out the fortunetellers. Consult the spiritualists. Why not tap into the spirit-world, get in touch with the dead?’ Tell them, ‘No, we’re going to study the Scriptures.’ People who try the other ways get nowhere – a dead end!” (The Message – vv.19-20) Isaiah was amazed people would turn to spiritism in the day of crisis. The central truth is clear – if you go to any person, any fortune teller, any medium and they do not speak according to the truth of Scripture, then they are to be avoided. How do we make a bad situation worse, go to the wrong person for more advice. If you made poor financial decisions going for advice to your friend who has likewise been ungodly in his stewardship of finances. Too often, we go to the people who will tell us what we want to hear rather than what we need to hear. Who do you go to for advice and counsel? Is their counsel based on God’s Word or is it against God’s word?

All of our sin must be dealt with because God is just. His justice will bring judgment, it will bring discipline. For those of us here who desire not to experience the fullness of God’s justice, there is only one right approach.

With Maher-shalal-hash-baz, Isaiah announced the swift and complete invasion of Assyria that would exile the northern kingdom, but only temporarily besiege southern kingdom. Why was the southern kingdom of Judah not utterly destroyed? Isaiah 8:8-10 “Its outspread wings will cover the breadth of your land, O Immanuel ! Raise the war cry, you nations, and be shattered! Listen, all you distant lands. Prepare for battle, and be shattered! Prepare for battle, and be shattered! Devise your strategy, but it will be thwarted; propose your plan, but it will not stand, for God is with us.” Isaiah is taunting the Assyrians, saying go ahead and try your hardest to break the land of Judah, but your greatest efforts will always fail, because they have raised the battle cry - O Immanuel. The southern kingdom is not destroyed because the promise of Immanuel was to them. God had decided to come close to Judah and be their protection from annihilation. The battle cry of the king of Assryia – Maher-shalal-hash-baz that is to swiftly seize and take its plunder overwhelmed northern Israel; but the battle cry of Judah – O Immanuel, God is with us caused them to survive God’s judgment. The only way to battle God’s judgment is to draw close to God.

The expression Immanuel became a war cry for Israel; it declared the presence and protection of the Lord in battle, it described the land was being protected, and it named the future coming One who would signify the presence of God with his people. A battle cry is a yell taken up in battle. The content of battle cries vary, depending on whether their intent is to threaten, to give courage, or call on God for assistance. These cries can serve many purposes, including inspiring those otherwise inclined to stay back, as well as communicating to allies that they have support. Judah had divine support for their God promised to come and be with them. They could look at trials and shout RUWA or be broken, be shattered; no one not even the king of Assyria could be successful against them for they had Immanuel.

The fate of Judah would be different from that of the northern kingdom. The northern kingdom would be laid completely under the water of the river; it would be utterly destroyed. And, in Judah the mighty floodwaters of the river would reach the most dangerous height; but if a deliverer could be found, there was still a possibility of its being saved. Such a deliverer was Immanuel. Judah would survive the Assyrian assault. God never promises that there will not be troubles, but he always promises to provide the grace and strength you need to survive the floodwaters of life. Like Judah, the floodwaters of our trials and suffering will rise to our necks but God will never allow them to overrun us. This Christmas season you may be experiencing sorrow over the memories of loved ones who have died; you may be feeling more lonely than ever before; the early darkness may bring emotional gloom all over you; and you may be so exhausted in trying to make everybody else happy that you are physically and emotionally spent creating a recipe for emotional distress. Children of God are not exempt from the floodwaters rising up against them, certainly trials and suffering will be ours for the taking. So, you must decide which battle cry will win the day. If you allow your trials to run you over then Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz wins the day and just like northern Israel you lose; but, if you find the inner power like Isaiah and tell these monster trials come on give it your best shot but you will be shattered and destroyed because my battle cry is Immanuel – God is with me and if God is with me, then no judgment, no discipline, nothing will overrun me.

During this Christmas season you will hear and sing the song O Come, O Come Emmanuel. I have asked the band to lead us in this battle cry. But, first I would like you to see the depth of this great song.

Many hear this song and say it is a depressing song. I on the other hand have been overwhelmed by God’s Spirit these past few weeks that this song is our battle cry as it was the battle cry of Israel. The battle cry of Immanuel is what saved Judah from utter extinction – they hoped and believed that Emmanuel would come closer and be with them.

O come, O come, Emmanuel – this is a fervent plea callinig God to come closer

And ransom captive Israel – these next 3 lines are sad but they are real, they are authentic,
That mourns in lonely exile here – these are real lives; they are suffering, trials, and hurt
Until the Son of God appear – we will continue feeling the floodwaters rise until…until

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel – then these last 2 lines break out and shout the battle cry
Shall come to thee, O Israel. – don’t let the trial win, don’t let suffering win because Immanuel; God is come to be with us; the battle cry of Immanuel can always drown out the battle cry of that which is causing our suffering. Will you allow maher-shalal-hash-baz to destroy you or will you cry out Immanuel and plead for him to ruwa –shatter the enemy, destroy that which is causing your suffering.

Let the band sing these two verses into your spirit; receive them; hear the sorrow Israel is experiencing and know that all of us share in the experience of suffering; but then listen to them cry out their battle cry – rejoice, rejoice Immanuel; God shall come to be with us– will you join Israel in their battle cry?

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