WAIT IN HOPE FOR HELP (2)

“And I WILL WAIT on the LORD, Who hides His face from the house of Jacob; and I WILL HOPE in Him” – Isaiah 8:17

Isaiah’s prophecy portrayed what it means to WAIT IN HOPE for HELP in Dark Times: “And I WILL WAIT on the LORD, Who hides His face from the house of Jacob; and I WILL HOPE in HIM” (Isa.8:17). The context was that King Ahaz of Judah, rather than believe and trust in the Lord for Victory, sent to Assyria for help, but ended up disappointed. Judah had rejected God’s Help that was like the gently flowing waters of Shiloah, and had to face the terror of Assyria which was like the mighty flood from the Euphrates River (vv.6-7). When the king of Assyria heard that Ahaz needed help, he decided Judah was weak and ripe for the taking. Instead of helping Ahaz, he attacked him! Ahaz responded not by running to the Lord, but by closing up the temple and giving Assyria all the valuable things from inside the temple and his own palace!

Ahaz then set up altars to false gods and commanded the people to worship them instead of the Lord. Though Assyria didn’t destroy Judah at this time, they only barely survived. Isaiah must have been grieved by all that was happening in these dark days, as the people continued to rebel against the Lord. Still, he had a confident Hope, even as the world around him seemed to be falling apart: “Take counsel together, but it will come to nothing; speak the word, but it will not stand, for GOD IS WITH US” (v.10). He was confident that the Lord would be victorious, and that though the invading armies could make all their schemes, they would be no match before the Lord.

God told Isaiah that even though everyone else around him was panicking, he should stand firm. He should not fear what the world does, but to fear the Lord instead (vv.11-13). As long as he was on the Lord’s side, he didn’t need to worry about who was on the other side – because the Lord would be victorious. Isaiah further assured that those who fear the Lord will be kept safe by Him, but to many others, He will be a stone that makes them stumble and a rock that makes them fall (vv.13-15). For Isaiah, it was time to Hope in God (v.17).

The sad commentary on the people of Isaiah’s day was that they didn’t like what the Lord was saying, and began to look all over, searching for truth and hope. They were consulting mediums, hoping to ask the dead for wisdom: “...Should not a people seek their God? Should they seek the dead on behalf of the living?” (v.19). The prophet concluded: “To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is NO LIGHT in them” (v.20). Praise God! We have Light, Hope, and Help!