Awe for God in the Face of Fear
#310 Awe for God in the Face of Fear Isaiah 8.13
This week I experienced a seemingly united effort to gossip and discredit. The temptation was to make this problem be the issue and focus. But the Lord had armed me with the wisdom of Awe for God in Isaiah 8. Awe for God and His Provision is the focus that brings us strength and peace in the face of insecurity.
“Because this people has rejected the gently flowing waters of Shiloah and rejoices over Rezin [the King of Aram] and the son of Remaliah [the King of Israel]…” Isaiah 8:6 NIV Both the houses of Israel, the northern Kingdom Israel and the Kingdom of Judah fell into the trap of using human alliances with foreign Kings as their protection instead of seeking the help of their God. Isaiah 7:1, 2 Kings 16:7-8 There were consequences for these alliances in the form of Assyrian conquest, and later on in their history the unbelief of Israel led to their overthrow by Rome in AD 70. (1) Luke 21:20-22
They rejected Shiloah, which is the only perennial spring of Jerusalem.
One of the few undisputed localities in the topography of Jerusalem; still retaining its old name, while every other pool has lost its Bible designation. This is the more remarkable as it is a mere suburban tank of no great size, and for many an age not particularly good or plentiful in its waters, though Josephus tells us that in his day they were both ‘sweet and abundant.’ Smith’s Bible Dictionary
The gently flowing waters of Shiloah represent the faithful provision of the LORD, known throughout time and tested by time! The waters of Shiloah are also known as the Pool of Siloam. These waters represent the provision of God for Israel leading up to the provision of the Truth in Christ.
It was to the Siloam water that the Lord pointed when he stood in the temple on that day and cried, “if any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink.” Smith’s Bible Dictionary John 7:37
Despite their unbelief God was with them. (Immanuel! Isaiah 7:14, 8:10) A remnant was delivered both in the days of Isaiah and Daniel as well as during the Diaspora, and eventually Israel returned to her land as a nation in 1948.
How human was their response in the face of fear, and how similar to our own temptations when we are faced with fear and ‘overwhelming odds’. We also may reject the faithful provision of our God and trust in the human alliance of our own thinking and plans. Sometimes we trade the Provision of God for looming consequence.
But listen to the promise of God on behalf of our Israeli brethren as well as on behalf of ourselves:
The evil intentions of the nations against both natural and spiritual Israel will be frustrated:
But with us is God, whose wings are spread as wide as your land is broad!
Band together, O peoples—you shall be broken!
Listen to this, you remotest parts of the earth:
Gird yourselves—you shall be broken;
Gird yourselves—you shall be broken.
Hatch a plot—it shall be foiled; Agree on action—it shall not succeed.
For with us is God! (Immanuel!) Isaiah 8-10 Tenakh
Throughout the age and at the end of this age, despite worldwide ‘conspiracy’, all Israel will be saved, a foretaste of the deliverance of our whole human family. Romans 11:25-36 Throughout this age and at the end of this age we also as spiritual Israel are divinely protected and delivered through every obstacle, scheme and challenge.
“So I will wait for the LORD who is hiding His face from the House of Jacob and I will trust in Him. Isaiah 8:17
I will not fear the power behind any conspiracy of Satan or flesh (Isaiah 8:12) because
“None but the LORD of hosts
shall you account Holy.
Give reverence to Him alone,
Hold Him alone in awe Isaiah 8:13 Tenakh
(1) Now therefore, behold, the Lord is about to bring on them the strong and abundant waters of the Euphrates [Assyria]. And it will rise up over all its channels and go over all its banks. Then it will sweep on into Judah, it will overflow and pass through, it will reach even to the neck…” Isaiah 8:6-9a NASB
This week I experienced a seemingly united effort to gossip and discredit. The temptation was to make this problem be the issue and focus. But the Lord had armed me with the wisdom of Awe for God in Isaiah 8. Awe for God and His Provision is the focus that brings us strength and peace in the face of insecurity.
“Because this people has rejected the gently flowing waters of Shiloah and rejoices over Rezin [the King of Aram] and the son of Remaliah [the King of Israel]…” Isaiah 8:6 NIV Both the houses of Israel, the northern Kingdom Israel and the Kingdom of Judah fell into the trap of using human alliances with foreign Kings as their protection instead of seeking the help of their God. Isaiah 7:1, 2 Kings 16:7-8 There were consequences for these alliances in the form of Assyrian conquest, and later on in their history the unbelief of Israel led to their overthrow by Rome in AD 70. (1) Luke 21:20-22
They rejected Shiloah, which is the only perennial spring of Jerusalem.
One of the few undisputed localities in the topography of Jerusalem; still retaining its old name, while every other pool has lost its Bible designation. This is the more remarkable as it is a mere suburban tank of no great size, and for many an age not particularly good or plentiful in its waters, though Josephus tells us that in his day they were both ‘sweet and abundant.’ Smith’s Bible Dictionary
The gently flowing waters of Shiloah represent the faithful provision of the LORD, known throughout time and tested by time! The waters of Shiloah are also known as the Pool of Siloam. These waters represent the provision of God for Israel leading up to the provision of the Truth in Christ.
It was to the Siloam water that the Lord pointed when he stood in the temple on that day and cried, “if any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink.” Smith’s Bible Dictionary John 7:37
Despite their unbelief God was with them. (Immanuel! Isaiah 7:14, 8:10) A remnant was delivered both in the days of Isaiah and Daniel as well as during the Diaspora, and eventually Israel returned to her land as a nation in 1948.
How human was their response in the face of fear, and how similar to our own temptations when we are faced with fear and ‘overwhelming odds’. We also may reject the faithful provision of our God and trust in the human alliance of our own thinking and plans. Sometimes we trade the Provision of God for looming consequence.
But listen to the promise of God on behalf of our Israeli brethren as well as on behalf of ourselves:
The evil intentions of the nations against both natural and spiritual Israel will be frustrated:
But with us is God, whose wings are spread as wide as your land is broad!
Band together, O peoples—you shall be broken!
Listen to this, you remotest parts of the earth:
Gird yourselves—you shall be broken;
Gird yourselves—you shall be broken.
Hatch a plot—it shall be foiled; Agree on action—it shall not succeed.
For with us is God! (Immanuel!) Isaiah 8-10 Tenakh
Throughout the age and at the end of this age, despite worldwide ‘conspiracy’, all Israel will be saved, a foretaste of the deliverance of our whole human family. Romans 11:25-36 Throughout this age and at the end of this age we also as spiritual Israel are divinely protected and delivered through every obstacle, scheme and challenge.
“So I will wait for the LORD who is hiding His face from the House of Jacob and I will trust in Him. Isaiah 8:17
I will not fear the power behind any conspiracy of Satan or flesh (Isaiah 8:12) because
“None but the LORD of hosts
shall you account Holy.
Give reverence to Him alone,
Hold Him alone in awe Isaiah 8:13 Tenakh
(1) Now therefore, behold, the Lord is about to bring on them the strong and abundant waters of the Euphrates [Assyria]. And it will rise up over all its channels and go over all its banks. Then it will sweep on into Judah, it will overflow and pass through, it will reach even to the neck…” Isaiah 8:6-9a NASB
