BIG IDEA:
THE HAND OF THE LORD USES WICKED INSTRUMENTS FOR JUDGMENT TO BRING ABOUT ALMOST TOTAL DESOLATION
(BUT STILL SUSTAINS HIS PEOPLE IN THE MOST DIFFICULT OF TIMES)
INTRODUCTION:
It’s been a week of disasters for our nation. We can make a distinction between the wicked atrocities inflicted by the evil Boston Marathon bombers and the unexplained tragedy of the industrial accident that leveled the area surrounding the fertilizer plant in Texas. One is an atrocity; the other is a tragedy. But in both cases there were significant injuries and multiple loss of life. There is still mourning and sadness and difficulty coping. What a sad week for our country. Our heart goes out to those who have been directly impacted and who are suffering and who are struggling to recover. Is God still in control in tumultuous and troubling times like these?
Our passage predicts unparalleled times of devastation and destruction that will come from the hand of the Lord. But in the case of Ahaz and Judah, there is a direct connection to God bringing judgment for sin. I want to make plain the distinction — I am not attributing our country’s circumstances this week to God’s hand of judgment. There are multiple reasons why calamity befalls us in this sinful world. Sometimes it is for judgment; sometimes it is for pruning so that we grow and bear more fruit for Him; but always it is ultimately for His glory.
But the connection I want you to see is that even where the instrument of destruction is wicked in itself like the cruel nation of Assyria, God is still in control and directing all of the circumstances of our life. That is what gives us hope. God still makes provision for His people and sustains us even in the most difficult of times.
We must hold on to the truth of the Sovereignty of God over all nations; over all of our external circumstances; over everything that happens to us. This in no way eliminates the moral responsibility and culpability of God’s instruments to accomplish His purposes –
Note Hab. 1:11 “But they will be held guilty.”
THE HAND OF THE LORD USES WICKED INSTRUMENTS FOR JUDGMENT TO BRING ABOUT ALMOST TOTAL DESOLATION
(BUT STILL SUSTAINS HIS PEOPLE IN THE MOST DIFFICULT OF TIMES)
(:17) SUMMARY: UNPARALLELED BAD TIMES COMING FOR AHAZ AND JUDAH
A. Shocking Administrator of Judgment — Supreme Sovereign Orchestrating the Judgment
“The LORD will bring”
Threefold repetition of this theme – “the Lord will whistle” (:18) and “the Lord will shave” (:20)
No accident; Ahaz has not been targeted in error
The Lord working against His own people; taking the initiative to bring them low;
There is no escaping this judgment
B. Shocking Targets of Judgment – All 3 Associated with Ahaz
1. Ahaz – “on you,” – despite your haughty self confidence and independent spirit
2. Nation – “on your people,” the elect nation; the people of the covenant; the circumcised
3. Household – “and on your father’s house” – dynastic succession and prosperity for the royal family was so important to them
Remember the circumstances we have been studying about Ahaz’s unbelief and disobedience. He clearly deserved God’s judgment.
C. Shocking Extent of Judgment — Unparalleled Bad Times
“such days as have never come since the day that Ephraim separated from Judah,”
Split of the kingdom was a truly sad day for the nation
Young: With the coming of the Assyrian king an entire new order of things is introduced. With Tiglath-pileser III the destruction of the theocracy began and a new period was introduced. What set in motion the train of events leading up to the exile and the abolishing of the theocracy was the coming of this particular Assyrian king. From this time on, nothing would be as it had been before. The end of the theocracy was now in sight. By his refusing to obey the Lord, Ahaz was responsible for the introduction of this entirely new order of things.
D. Shocking Instrument of Judgment — Terrifying Adversary – a turning of the tables
“the king of Assyria.”
The very one to whom Ahaz had turned for help would be his antagonist
Oswalt: By depending on himself rather than God, Ahaz has unleashed a whirlwind (cp Hos 8:7) which will not be content to devour his troublesome northern neighbors. Led by the God he has disdained, it will come sweeping over him and his nation as well. . . Whatever a man trusts in place of God will one day turn to devour him.
Structure: Followed by 4 statements of amplification with the same introductory formula:
“and it will come about in that day” vs. 20 just has the shortened form of “in that day”
John Martin: “in that day” denotes a time of judgment on the nation of Judah. Often this phrase (s in 4:2, e.g.) is used eschatologically to refer to the time of extreme judgment in the Great Tribulation just before the Messiah will return to establish the millennial kingdom. But sometimes as here (7:21) it refers to a judgment to come on the nation soon. The near judgment pictures the extreme judgment to come at the end of the age.
I. (:18-19) INVASION BY PERVASIVE, CRUEL ENEMY DIRECTED BY THE HAND OF THE LORD – TWO IMAGES OF SWARMING INSECTS – FLIES AND BEES
A. (:18) Enemies Summoned by God
1. Fly = Egypt – from the Southwest
“And it will come about in that day, that the LORD will whistle for the fly that is in the remotest part of the rivers of Egypt,”
whistle – Is. 5:26 – when the Lord summons, the hired nation comes swiftly; Who here has the best whistle?? Gets attention of people
great swarms of flies that would gather around the many rivers flowing into the Nile; river floods and then recedes and you have marshland with swarms of nasty flies; remember plague of flies under Moses (cf. cicadas invading)
Deut. 17:16 – warning against ever turning to Egypt for help – “You shall never again return that way”
Is. 30:1-5 Judah in days of Hezekiah warned against considering making any alliance with Egypt
2. Bee = Assyria – from the Northeast – Relentless Pursuit
“and for the bee that is in the land of Assyria.”
Have you ever been chased by a bee?
Young: The bees are a picture of cruelty and danger.
Deut. 1:44 “The Amorites who lived in that hill country came out against you and chased you as bees do, and crushed you from Seir to Hormah.” – relentless pursuit; aggressive
Deut. 7:20 “Moreover, the Lord your God will send the hornet against them, until those who are left and hide themselves from you perish.” – no place to hide from the bee
B. (:19) Enemies Settle In All Places in the Land – the most inaccessible; the most critical
Four places mentioned specifically:
1. “And they will all come and settle on the steep ravines,”
“Settle” = swarm
2. “on the ledges of the cliffs,”
3. “on all the thorn bushes,”
4. “and on all the watering places.”
II. (:20) INSTRUMENT OF HUMILIATION – IMAGE OF HIRED RAZOR =
CRUEL ASSYRIA UNDER THE SOVEREIGN DIRECTION OF THE LORD
A. Hand of the Lord Administering Judgment
“In that day the Lord will shave with a razor”
B. Horror Associated with the Identification of the Hired Adversary
“hired from regions beyond the Euphrates (that is, with the king of Assyria),”
C. Humiliation Inflicted by the Enemy
1. Shaving of the Head – “the head” – Mourning over loss of life and devastation
Van Parunak: Is. 22:12; Jer. 16:6; Ezek. 7:16-18; Amos 8:10;
2. Shaving of the Pubic Hair – “and the hair of the legs;” – Shame / Disgrace
Moyer: a euphemism for private parts (cf. 1 Sa. 24:3-4; and is indicative of the indignities heaped on the conquered. The contrast between head and feet and between the hidden hair of the body and the visible beard expresses totality.
3. Shaving of the Beard – “and it will also remove the beard.” – Disrespect / Immaturity / Foolishness
PreceptAustin: In the ancient Middle East, a man’s beard was a badge of honor and respect and thus this passage predicts Judah’s utter disgrace and humiliation at the hands of the Assyrian “barbers”! (cp Isa. 15:2; Jer. 47:5; 48:37; Ezek. 7:18; Amos 8:10; Micah 1:16;
You end up looking silly and ridiculous like David’s servants in 2 Sam. 10:4-5 — incident where Hanun cut off half of their beards
III. (:21-22) IMPOVERISHED DIET BUT SUFFICIENT PROVISION – CURDS AND HONEY
“Now it will come about in that day that a man may keep alive a heifer and a pair of sheep; and it will happen that because of the abundance of the milk produced he will eat curds, for everyone that is left within the land will eat curds and honey.”
Preceptaustin: Coagulated milk (like cottage cheese) reflects a diet of poverty as one would see in a land that had been overrun by enemy forces.
Largely a diet of a migratory people rather than a settled society
The size of the flock represented here might seem somewhat average to us city dwellers; but when you compare some of the flocks mentioned in Scripture you can see that this is only a subsistence level of existence. When the soldiers swept through and seized all of the property for themselves, the best a household could do was hang on to a few animals.
(BUT STILL SUSTAINS HIS PEOPLE IN THE MOST DIFFICULT OF TIMES)
IV. (:23-25) IMPOVERISHED LAND – BRIARS AND THORNS
Threefold repetition of Briars and Thorns:
A. (:23) Worthless Wilderness – Briars and Thorns — Devalued
“And it will come about in that day, that every place where there used to be a thousand vines, valued at a thousand shekels of silver, will become briars and thorns.”
In chap. 5 – choice vines = what the Lord had planted; displaced by briars and thorns; impact of sin on the environment
No longer enjoyable to work as the fulfillment of how God has created man to function; instead we must toil and sweat and fight against an environment that is fallen and is our enemy; does not cooperate with us; we labor against briars and thorns;
People expect work to just be some pleasant fulfillment of their creative dreams; sadly naïve; never underestimate the negative impact of sin
B. (:24) Wild Animals Dominate – Briars and Thorns — Dangerous
“People will come there with bows and arrows because all the land will be briars and thorns.”
You need protection; you had better bring with you your bows and arrows; wild animals roaming around; you can’t just go for a nice stroll in the beautiful meadow
C. (:25) Wasteland Not Suitable for Cultivation — Desolate
“And as for all the hills which used to be cultivated with the hoe, you will not go there for fear of briars and thorns; but they will become a place for pasturing oxen and for sheep to trample.”
A far cry here from the Garden of Eden;
Man commanded to have dominion over the earth; here because of sin the briars and thorns are having the dominion
CONCLUSION:
Choose the gracious promise of Immanuel rather than the threat of Tiglath Pileser III;
Trust in God’s provision rather than the arm of the flesh.