PURPOSES AND PANICS Isaiah 7:1. _And it came to pass, in the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, &c._ In this brief record of events [781] that occurred so long ago, we may find suggestions of truths which it will be well for us to lay to heart to-day. [781] For a statement of these events, see follo... [ Continue Reading ]
FEARS AND COMFORTS Isaiah 7:1. _And it came to pass, in the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, &c._ The historical statements [778] in these verses afford illustrations of spiritual truths. [778] For a statement of these circumstances see following paper: THE VIRGIN’S SON. I. THE POWERS OF EVIL ARE... [ Continue Reading ]
ISAIAH’S INTERVIEW WITH AHAZ Isaiah 7:3. _Then said the Lord unto Isaiah, &c._ In this interview of Isaiah with Ahaz we have an instance— I. OF GOD’S EFFORTS TO TURN MEN FROM RUINOUS COURSES. God is the great Lawgiver, and the Judge before whose bar all impenitent transgressors of His law will have... [ Continue Reading ]
A THREEFOLD COUNSEL Isaiah 7:4. _Take heed, and be quiet; fear not_. I. “TAKE HEED.” This is just what Ahaz fancied he was doing. He was taking heed to the alliance which had been formed for his overthrow, and he was at that very moment doing his best to frustrate it—by strengthening the fortificat... [ Continue Reading ]
FAITH, THE CONDITION OF FIRMNESS Isaiah 7:9. _If ye will not believe, surely ye shall not be established_. “Established” is what every man wishes to be—fixed in fact and in feeling; established like a great oak which, because its roots take fast hold of the soil, is able to grow broader and higher... [ Continue Reading ]
MAN’S IMAGINED INDEPENDENCE OF GOD Isaiah 7:12. _But Ahaz said, I will not ask, neither will I tempt the Lord_. We are commanded to ask for all we need and desire (Matthew 7:7; Philippians 4:6). But many say, “I will not ask.” I. MEN ARE APT TO ACT THUS WHEN POSSESSED OF EARTHLY RESOURCES. How ha... [ Continue Reading ]
TRIALS OF THE DIVINE PATIENCE Isaiah 7:13. _Will ye weary my God also?_ In this chapter we are told under what circumstances this question came to be asked. An astonishing assumption underlies it, viz., that anything can be a weariness to God, that anything can be a trial of the Divine patience. L... [ Continue Reading ]
THE VIRGIN’S SON Isaiah 7:13. _And he said, Hear ye now, O house of David, &c._ On this supremely difficult passage Dr. Kennicott preached a remarkable sermon before the University of Oxford, on the 19th of May 1765. As this sermon is not readily accessible, I here give some extracts from it. Con... [ Continue Reading ]
IMMANUEL Isaiah 7:14. _And shall call His name Immanuel_. His being “called so,” according to the usual dialect of the Hebrew, does not signify so much that this should be His usual name, as that this should be His real character. I. EXPLAIN THE MEANING OF THIS GREAT AND EXTRAORDINARY TITLE, IMMA... [ Continue Reading ]
THE GREAT OBJECT OF CHILD-TRAINING (_A Sunday-School Anniversary Sermon_.) Isaiah 7:15. _The child shall know to refuse the evil, and choose the good_. These words, taken above, form a complete sentence; yet they occur in the clause of a sentence which is intended to denote a space of time. Before... [ Continue Reading ]
A SENTENCE OF DOOM Isaiah 7:17. _The Lord shall bring upon thee, and upon thy people, &c._ I. GOD IS SOVEREIGN IN THE WHOLE EARTH. He is the great controller of all nations. All governments are but instruments which He uses when and as He pleases (Isaiah 7:17). A thought full of comfort for the ri... [ Continue Reading ]