Dwell in the Word: Isaiah 8:1-22

Consider these questions as you dwell in Isaiah 8:1-22:

1. The passage mentions that the people seek counsel from mediums and necromancers instead of inquiring of their God. How does this reflect a common tendency in human nature to turn to worldly sources or alternative spiritual practices when faced with distress or uncertainty? How can believers today resist this temptation and seek God's guidance instead?

2. Isaiah emphasizes the importance of fearing God and waiting for the Lord, even in the midst of distress and judgment. What does it mean to "fear God" in a biblical context, and how can this fear lead to a deeper trust and reliance on God during challenging times?

3. The passage contrasts seeking God's light with turning to darkness, symbolizing worldly wisdom and practices. In what ways can Christians distinguish between God's wisdom and the wisdom of the world? How can they actively seek God's light and wisdom in their lives, especially when faced with difficult circumstances or conflicting advice from worldly sources?

Transcript:

And so, we have quite a few verses that we are looking at today, but there is an overarching theme that I want us to come away with here. We see here, Isaiah going into his wife, who he refers to as the Prophetess, because he's been told he'll have a child and that there will be judgment before this child is able to speak, before the child is able to speak, father or mother. Well, the imagery that is used here is the idea of a flood. And so, back in this day, the Euphrates would flood and would go to the edge of the banks. It was very damaging, like any flood, right? Well, that's the imagery that is being used by God through the prophet, Isaiah, that this judgment will come and it will go over the banks and it will overflow, it'll pass on, it'll reach even to the neck. And the idea there is that it's coming up high, that it's going to be a lot as high as it can get without completely overwhelming you. So the idea here is that there's this judgment that's coming, and it's going to be pretty absolute. It's not going to quite be completely overwhelming, but again, up to the neck.

But at the same time, we're seeing this idea that God is the one who is in control. We see this in verse 10, when it says, Take counsel together, all you nations, but it'll come to nothing. Speak a word, but it will not stand for God is with us. Ultimately, God does care for His people. God does keep His people, even though He is allowing these people to come in judgment. We see here that there is this continual call for the people to return to God. Now, this is important because goal of this judgment isn't to wipe them out. The goal of judgment is discipline. It is calling them to repentance, to call them to come back to God. And so, we see here in the heading here that the ESV has, Fear God and wait for the Lord. That's the idea that's being conveyed through all this speaking of judgment and these calls to the people, Hey, judgment is coming, but remain faithful to God. And so, God is saying through the Prophet Isaiah, people are to wait on the Lord. They're going to look for a word from someplace else, right? We see this in verse 19.

People are going to say to you, Isaiah, inquire of the mediums and the necromancers who chirp and mutter. It's not that people inquire of their God. Shouldn't they be more concerned about what God has to say than what the voices of their culture, what the dead would have to say? I guess the imagery here is that this is using, and I'm sure they were looking to speak with mediums and necromancers. But the idea here is that why would you inquire of the dead on behalf of the living? They have reached their end. They have failed. They are no longer able to provide anything. Why would the living go to the dead? Why would you do that when you have God? So, the idea is that they are to fear God and not go seeking the things that they might get ideas from in other places. What Isaiah tells them that they need to do is to go after things of God, to fear Him and listen to Him. And we see here in verse 21, says, They will pass through the land greatly distressed and hungry, and when they are hungry, they will be enraged and will speak contempt against their King and their God.

They're going to put the blame upon God instead of on themselves. They're going to speak against God. They're going to turn against him. They will look to the things of the Earth, such as the mediums and the necromancers, the philosophies of this world, the pagan gods, perhaps. But that doesn't help. That only brings distress, darkness, gloom, and anguish instead of light. Earlier, we see that they are going to have no dawn. Light is the imagery of God and His wisdom. They're not going to have any of that. That's not going to spring forward from things of this world. Again, the necromancers, the mediums, the pagan rituals and customs, those things, those only thrust them into darkness. There is no hope there. That's the imagery that we are meant to understand. They need to trust in God because He is their only hope. This is a good reminder for you and I too, right? Because it's so easy for us to desire the things of the world, desire the wisdom of the world. But we should be not speaking contemptuously against our King and our God and saying, We should be fearing Him. We should be going to His word, because why would we go to the world for answers when it all is in ruin, when it all leads to death, when it just leads to ultimate ruin?

We should be looking to the one who created all things, who sustains all things, who saved us. We should be going to Him because He is light. So, may we turn away from the darkness. May we understand that when we are feeling as though we are in the darkness. Our dawn, the light coming to us, is from God and from His Word. May we fear Him and seek Him.