Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Adult Sunday School Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/bb/bb20030810.htm

ISAIAH: GOD'S DIRECTIVES TO THOSE TROUBLED AT GOVERNMENTAL APOSTASY
Part VII: God's Three Keys To Overcoming Overwhelming Fear
(Isaiah 8:1-22)
  1. Introduction
    1. At times our fears may become so great that trusting God for help itself seems impossible to do!
    2. Though God had promised Judah's king Ahaz that he need not fear the harmful intents of Syria and Israel to topple him and that God had planned for the kings of Syria and Israel themselves to fall, Ahaz's fear of these foes led him to doubt God's word that God would indeed deliver him from these foes, Isa. 7:10-12!
    3. Though Ahaz decided not to trust in God anyway, Isaiah 8:1-22 was written to display God's ministry to counter the overwhelming fears that can develop as we face unusual threats in our experiences!
  2. God's Three Keys To Overcoming Overwhelming Fear, Isaiah 8:1-22.
    1. Though Judah's king Ahaz refused to trust in God, Isaiah announced God promised a rapid destruction of Judah's enemies with the fall of Syria and Israel to the Assyrians, Isaiah 8:1-8:
      1. Isaiah announced through means of the birth of his son, Maher-shalal-hash-baz, meaning "quick to the plunder, swift to the spoil" that Ahaz's opponents would be quickly overcome by the Assyrians , 8:1-4.
      2. Then, the Northern Kingdom of Israel would also fall to Assyria due to its faithlessness in God, 8:5-8.
    2. Then, in view of Assyria's threat, God gave three keys for the people of Judah to handle their fear, 8:9-22:
      1. First, Judah was to replace her fear of Assyria with a greater fear for God so she might heed God:
        1. For those in Judah who relied on themselves or other false sources or security, Isaiah announced they would suffer ruin by the Assyrians as would the Northern Kingdom, Israel, Isaiah 8:9-10.
        2. Yet, those who trusted in the Lord would be marvelously delivered from death and harm, 8:11-15: (a) Isaiah testified God had powerfully revealed to him that he was to avoid yielding to the claim that his message to "trust in God" was a conspiracy that would demoralize Judah into being weak and vulnerable before the Assyrians, Isa. 8:11-12; Ryrie Study Bible, KJV, ftn. to Isaiah 8:12.
        3. (b) Rather, Isaiah and the people of Judah were to fear God MORE than they dreaded Assyria so they would heed His call to trust in Him or suffer God's judgment of defeat by Assyria, Isaiah 8:13. (c) This choice on Judah's part would prove to be either a ruin to those who looked to their own false sources for deliverance (Isa. 8:14b-15) or God's help for those who trusted in Him, Isa. 8:14a.
      2. Second, the people of Judah were to mimic the example of faith in Isaiah and his family, 8:16-18:
        1. Isaiah chose to stand firmly for faith in God, and to let his stand be evident before the people of Judah as an example for them to follow the Lord, Isaiah 8:16-17.
        2. This stand along with the names of his children became signs to the people of Judah to trust in God versus trying to offset the threat of invasion by human power, Isaiah 8:18: (a) Isaiah's name means "God Is Salvation." (b) Then, his son's name of Maher-shalal-hash-baz meaning "quick to the plunder, swift to the spoil" testified God would quickly neutralize Syria and Israel by the Assyrian invasion, cf. Isaiah 8:3-4. (c) As such, Isaiah and his family along with his prophetic words stood as ensigns to the nation to trust in the Lord for deliverance from Assyria versus trying to solve this Assyrian threat themselves by their own power.
      3. Third, the people of Judah were to look to written Scripture versus all other sources to gain insight into obtaining peace over the threat of the invasion by Assyria, Isaiah 8:19-22:
        1. God warned the people of Judah that if they sought spiritists or anything else but His written Word for insight to handle Assyria's threat, they would gain no helpful insight, Isaiah 8:19-20.
        2. Indeed, such an errant choice of insight would cause them eventually to experience a downward spiral of spiritual defeat and dreadful gloom, Isaiah 8:21-22.
Lesson: To offset the great FEAR the people of Judah faced regarding Assyria's threatening invasion, they were (1) to RESPECT GOD above FEARING Assyria and thus OBEY GOD, (2) to mimic the faith of Isaiah's GODLY family and (3) to use WRITTEN SCRIPTURE over all other sources for guidance!

Application: To offset great FEARS we face, (1) GOD calls us to FEAR HIM above all OTHER fears so that we TRUST in HIM, (2) to MIMIC the FAITH in GOD by godly people God sends our way and (3) to depend on written Scripture ABOVE ALL OTHER sources that offer us insight, 2 Tim. 3:13-17.