"If you (y'all) are not firm in faith, you will not be
firm at all." That is a good
word. Ahaz seems to have reason to fear
as Syria and Israel have joined forces to come against Jerusalem. The hearts of the people shook as with trees
before the wind but Isaiah is sent out to strengthen the king's resolve. He is given a word that this attack will not
succeed against Jerusalem and that these nations will ultimately fall
themselves. We have the same promise in
scripture, that those who are against us will not ultimately succeed against
God's will, that the kingdoms of earth will fall as the Lord brings His kingdom
and ultimately destroys rebellion forever.
We are called to faith that is firm, a faith that knows that truth and
is willing to stand up to anything.
The chief priests and scribes feared the people. What did they have to fear? Were the people likely to take up arms and
rebel against their leadership? No,
their fear was that they would lose their place in the hearts of the people to
Jesus and they knew that He spoke against them.
They were unlikely to have any violence directed against them but they
had fear anyway, the fear of loss of power and position. Judas provided the perfect opportunity to get
the win over Jesus, one of His own disciples willing to betray Him into their
hands. Satan had given up trying to win
over Jesus to his side and now was prepared to destroy him another way. The Passover was at hand, the night of the deaths
of the firstborn of Egypt. On both sides
of this divide, Jesus and the leaders, things seem to be lining up
perfectly. The disciples find all things
just as Jesus said they would and the leaders have their patsy.
Paul writes of the man of lawlessness who will take up his
seat in the temple of God and proclaim himself to be God. Can you imagine what it would be like to hear
such a thing? It was exactly this that
was so offensive to the Jews about Jesus, that He made Himself God's
equal. He did works that revealed His
identity and they chose to believe that it was the power of evil working in and
through Him that enabled such works. His
claims to equality with God were offensive in the extreme. The man of lawlessness will have to have done
some things himself that will give credence to his claims. Paul says that some will follow after him,
those destined to perish, who are themselves lawless. We must be careful, on watch, discerning and
people of prayer if we are to know the truth about such things. We need not fear, only have faith.
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