Mark Noumair: Don’t Miss Clear Evidence (Isa. 8:10)
Our Scripture text and article highlight the importance of submission and why we should submit to Jehovah. Of course, we find it a pleasure to submit to Jehovah because we love him. That’s why we submit to Jehovah.
But there is that occasion when submitting to Jehovah is difficult. It’s hard. Perhaps we have to take a firm stand in front of opposers. We have to stand up for Jehovah. That means we stick out from the world. That’s hard.
Or perhaps we have to change something in our personal life to bring our life more in harmony with Jehovah’s will and standards. That’s hard.
Or perhaps we want to give wholehearted support to an organizational adjustment or arrangement that we don’t fully understand. That may be hard.
So, what can help us? Confidence that God is with his people. If we know that God is with his people, with us, then we know he will bless us. Each time we’re going to make any adjustment in our life or submit to Jehovah’s way of doing things, we’re going to get a blessing.
Can we have such confidence? Absolutely. In fact, we can say that Jehovah gives us signs, or solid evidence, that he is with us.
For example, let’s open our Bibles to Isaiah chapter 7. Let’s go back in time and review this historical account in Isaiah chapter 7. The background is in verses 1 and 2, during the days of King Ahaz. Let’s see what we can learn.
“Now in the days of Ahaz son of Jotham son of Uzziah, the king of Judah, King Rezin of Syria and Pekah son of Remaliah, the king of Israel, came up to wage war against Jerusalem, but he could not capture it.
“A report was made to the house of David: ‘Syria has joined forces with Ephraim.’ And the heart of Ahaz and the heart of his people began to tremble, like the trees of the forest shaking in the wind.”
Well, it’s true; the situation was terrifying. Both the king of Israel and the king of Syria joined forces. They declared war on Judah. Why? They wanted to dethrone Ahaz as the king and replace him with another man, perhaps one who was not in the line of David.
Well, what a triumph that would be for Satan if he could install his own diabolical dynasty on the throne in Jerusalem! Would Jehovah allow that?
What did Ahaz do? What effect did it have on him? Did he show faith and confidence in Jehovah? He began to tremble in fear. Verse 2 says tremble in fear, “like the trees of the forest shaking in the wind”—no faith at all.
So, what does Jehovah do? Well, verse 11, Jehovah continued speaking to Ahaz: “Ask for a sign from Jehovah . . . ; [make it] as deep as the Grave or as high as the sky.”
‘Ahaz, just ask for a sign. I want to help you.’ And what does Ahaz say? ‘No, I’m not going to ask for a sign.’
So Jehovah says: ‘What? You’re not going to ask for a sign? Well, I’m going to give you a sign.’ And that’s in verse 14: “Therefore, Jehovah himself will give you a sign:
“Look! The young woman will become pregnant and will give birth to a son, and she will name him Immanuel.”
Jehovah assures Ahaz that He will protect the line of David, not just with words, notice, but with a sign. ‘You’re going to have this son. You’re going to see a boy named Immanuel.’
And that name is not just random. The name means something. The name means “With Us Is God.” ‘Ahaz, with us is God. I’m not going to allow the covenant that I made with David to be broken. Ahaz, I don’t tell lies,’ Jehovah says. ‘I don’t tell lies to David’ (Psalm 89:35)—a sign.
What happens? Verse 16, Jehovah gets more specific: “Before the boy knows how to reject the bad and choose the good, the land of the two kings whom you dread will be completely abandoned.”
So, notice, that’s exactly what happened. The birth of Immanuel held true, and before the boy was old enough to know between good and bad, those two kings, Pekah and Rezin, were killed. They were out of the picture.
Why? Because God is with his people. That’s the lesson: Immanuel.
Jehovah goes further, chapter 8 and verse 10. And what a warning this is for all of us and for all of those who want to try to oppose Jehovah’s way of doing things!
Notice chapter 8 and verse 10. There’s no conspiracy that can win or somehow interrupt Jehovah’s purpose.
Verse 10 says: “Devise a plan, but it will be thwarted! Say what you like, but it will not succeed, for God is with us!”—a warning to all those who oppose Jehovah.
In the days of Hezekiah, you had the Assyrians—185,000 Assyrians. ‘Fine! Camp out near Jerusalem; you’re going to die.’—185,000 died.
Why? Because clearly God is with his people and the royal line of David. No conspiracy will succeed.
So, what does this mean for you and me? What does this mean for us? Does it have meaning? Can we have confidence that God is with us today?
Now let’s open our Bibles to Matthew 1:23, Matthew 1:23. Here we have now the angel speaking to Joseph about the birth of Jesus.
But notice what he says in verse 23: “‘Look! The virgin will become pregnant and will give birth to a son, ‘and they will name him Immanuel’ [there it is again], which means, when translated, ‘With Us Is God.’”
Do we see the connection? The name Immanuel comes up again, and this time it represents Christ Jesus—his role, his leadership, his rulership—the title given to Jesus.
Do we see the connection? The prophecy about Immanuel is completely fulfilled in Jesus. He rules as our heavenly King.
And because of the blessing and the protection of his rulership, we have every reason to declare with confidence today, “With us is God.”
Do you see the signs? Do you see the evidence that Jehovah is giving us to prove he is with us? Do you see Jesus living up to that wonderful name, Immanuel?
For example, several weeks ago, we had a report from the Writing Committee. And despite the obstacles of the past year—do you recall that report?—the work in the Writing Department, Art Department, MEPS, Text Processing, and Translation Services didn’t stop.
It didn’t even slow down. Bible translations in 2019, 33 were released; in 2020, 33 were released. Add the comments from Wednesday about a country that is now having more and more Bible studies and an increase in interested ones and baptisms—these are more than just updates.
These are more than just statistics. Do we see them as evidences that “with us is God” and that he is backing us up in our undertakings? That’s what we want to understand.
No, we’re not perfect. We’ll get there at the end of the Thousand Year Reign. But compare the leadership and rulership of Immanuel, Christ Jesus, with the world’s leadership. Look what we have. It’s wonderful to contemplate.
So, what’s the lesson for you and me? Don’t miss the clear evidence that God is with us. Keep your spiritual vision sharp and clear.
So here’s a tip. After reading a portion of the Bible, ask yourself: ‘How did Jehovah keep his word in this situation? How does this show God is with us today?’
Then take that knowledge and assimilate it into your own life and personal circumstances. Build your confidence in the situation that you are in.
So, what have we learned?
(1) When we know that God is with us, we are convinced that he will bless us every time we have to bring ourselves into submission to Jehovah.
And (2) in Ahaz’s day, Jehovah assured him that He would protect the line of David, not just with words, but with a sign: a boy, Immanuel, “With Us Is God.”
Today, Jesus, in his role as Immanuel, rules as our heavenly King. And because of the blessing of his rulership, we have every reason to declare with confidence: “With us is God.”
The sign of Immanuel is all around us. The question is, do we see and appreciate the evidence?
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