THE SIGN GIVEN TO KING AHAZ
In
the year 742 B. C., Rezin, King of Syria, and Pekah, King
of the Ten Tribed House of Israel, conspired together to make
war against Judah and Jerusalem. The conspirator Kings proposed
to set up a Government in Jerusalem favourable to them, a
procedure which is quite common in Europe, and Asia, today.
God was against it and the enterprise failed. The conspirators
disagreed. God never changes, as we shall see. But the disagreement
of wicked rulers reminds us that at the commencement of the
world war of 1939, Russia was in agreement with Germany, a
treaty to stand by and not attack Germany, while Germany attacked
others. But Hitler turned on his treaty partner and attacked
Russia, and Britain was saved. So Jerusalem was saved on the
historic occasion just mentioned by the disagreement of wicked
Kings. The historic incident is mentioned partly for its modern
application. From the prophetic record it was much more important.
Ahaz was King over Judah at Jerusalem at that time. He and
his nobles trembled like trees in the wind, because of the
strength of his adversaries. And God invited King Ahaz to
ask of Him a sign for deliverance. The King refused to ask
a sign saying that he would not tempt God. But God nevertheless
gave Ahaz this sign, so strangely different from anything
that might have been expected, "Behold a virgin shall
conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel,"
That is "God with us".
The birth of Jesus was still 742 years away. How could this
be a sign of victory for King Ahaz. Yet the name "Emmanuel"
"God with us", was a prophecy for that day and for
all time, so far as the peoples were concerned, and the prophecy
came true both for the immediate deliverance of Jerusalem
and later for the birth of Emmanuel the Redeemer of the nation
and Saviour of His people.
The sign of the birth of Jesus, which God gave to Isaiah for
King Ahaz, was also a confirmation of the covenant given to
King David, that his throne: "The Throne of the Lord"
should never cease, and that "there never should lack
a man of the House of David to rule over the House of Israel".
Here then in 742 B. C. was a crisis in the history of that
Royal House which threatened its very existence. Rezin, King
of Syria, and Pekah, King of Ephraim, in their conspiracy
or treaty for war on Jerusalem had agreed to vex Judah, i.e.,
to provoke war against Jerusalem, and to "set a King
in the midst of it, even the son of Tabeal". (Isaiah
7:6). But the son of Tabeal was not of the House of David.
Therefore the sign of the birth of Jesus, Great David's greater
Son, 742 years later, was a clear sign that God had not forgotten
His covenants but would preserve the Kingly house, save the
people, and redeem the nation. Does it mean anything to you
today, that by the Statute of Westminster, the sign of the
continuance of this Royal House has been made permanent in
the British Commonwealth of Nations. The entire Commonwealth
and most of the world riejoiced at the marriage of Princess
Elizabeth and Philip Mountbatten, Duke of Edinburgh, both
of this Royal House, and the succession of this Throne of
David has been settled upon Elizabeth and her heirs. God's
promises are true.
Moreover, concerning the sign of the Christ, the vision of
Isaiah foresaw great conflict between the enemies of Christ,
the presumptuous Kings and peoples who would presume to overthrow
God's Kingdom and people, especially those who would presume
to take the Promised Land and set up their Governments contrary
to God's covenant. While I read to you these significant truths,
think of the plans now pending to seize Jerusalem and the
Holy Land by force, and to set up a government there by human
organization that has never yet sought the Divine guidance
or prayed to the God of the Covenant. Isaiah says: "Every
battle of the warrior is with confused noise, and garments
rolled in blood, but this shall be with burning and fuel of
ire, for unto us a son is given and the government shall be
upon His shoulder; and His name shall be called Wonderful,
Counsellor, The Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince
of Peace."
Can you associate these two conflicting ideas, the conflict
of war and the government of the Virgin's Son today? If you
cannot do that you cannot understand history. From the time
of Jesus' birth, those people who have accepted Christ have
borne the standard of the Cross in the promotion and defence
of liberty, peace and truth. And always would be World Conquerors,
who would usurp the Christ have found these people standing
in their path. It was so with Philip of Spain, with Napoleon
of Corsica, with Wilhelm of Germany, and with Hitler and the
Nazi hosts of Europe, with Mussolini and with Japan. We still
stand in the breach.
And Isaiah says: "Of the increase of His (i.e. of Christ's)
government and peace there shall be no end, upon the Throne
of David, to order it, and to establish it, with judgment
and with justice, from henceforth (i.e. from the birth of
Jesus) even forever. The zeal of the Lord of Hosts will perform
this." (Isaiah 9:6 7).
No wonder that when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea,
the Angel said: "Fear not, for behold I bring you good
tidings of great joy which shall be to all people. For unto
you this day is born in the City of David, a Saviour which
is Christ the Lord. And suddenly there was with the Angel
a multitude of the Heavenly host praising God and saying,
Glory to God in the Highest, and on earth peace, to men of
good will."
Now let us resolve at this time to participate, even with
all our strength and life, in the task which was set before
Jesus to overcome all evil in the world. The zeal of the Lord
of Hosts is hastening the victory of the Cross. The increase
of the government of the lowly Nazarene is hastening apace.
Fear not. Violent men cannot set up world government in the
Holy Land though they be backed by all the gold in the world
and by the strength of all the enemies of Christ. Who blocked
the peace in the Big Four Conference this month? And why?
Is it blocked until the combination of nations opposed to
the Christ and His rule presume to be strong enough to overcome
His people? What a puny thought is that compared with the
power of the "zeal of the Lord of Hosts" |