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In our own day there is much to be afraid of. Many of us have experienced not only the recent pandemic but also violence, turmoil, broken families, tragedy, illness, death of loved ones, political upheavals, and an uncertain future. How can Christians be firm in faith when they are fearful?
Our hope is in God, just as it was for Ahaz in the book of Isaiah.
In chapter seven of the book of Isaiah, King Ahaz was experiencing fear of the unknown and the anxiety about what was coming next as he faced an impending attack and siege against Jerusalem. But God sent his prophet Isaiah to him to tell him not to fear. God ends his encouragement to Ahaz with a short and memorable principle. Capturing the meaning well, the New International Version translates Isaiah 7:9b as follows,
“If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all.”
This is a call for Ahaz—and us—to believe and to trust God. It is a call to put away the fear and anxiety and to “be careful, be quiet, not fear, and not let your heart be faint” (Isa. 7:4). Theologian John N. Oswalt writes,
Unless Ahaz puts his faith in God and what God has said through his prophet, then he will have to give way to fear. But if he will firmly believe in God, then he can stand in quiet confidence no matter how desperate the immediate circumstances may appear. — (Oswalt, Isaiah; The NIV Application Commentary, p. 139)
Our hope is in God, just as it was for Ahaz. If we are to stand in the days of our own troubles, we must be firm in the faith. We must trust our Lord God, the sovereign ruler of all creation, because he is faithful to his promises.
We can trust that God will continue to keep all his promises.
Consider how Isaiah continues in Chapter 7. Although Ahaz refuses to test God by asking for a sign, the Lord gives one. In verse 14, God responds to Ahaz and says,
“Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.” (Isa. 7:14)
Immanuel is Hebrew for “God with us.” About 700 years after Ahaz, this prophecy was fulfilled by Jesus Christ (Matt. 1:23). Jesus is Immanuel. He is God with us. He is the promised Savior of God’s people and the eternal King who rules over all. He is the fulfillment of all the promises of God (2 Cor. 1:20).
By the grace of God in the power of the Holy Spirit working through God’s word we can trust that God will continue to keep all his promises, just like he did in giving his only begotten Son to die for those who believe in him. God will complete the entire work of salvation in a new heaven and earth, giving all those who believe in him, who are firm in the faith, new resurrected, imperishable, and immortal bodies with everlasting life. So be calm, be quiet, do not fear, and be firm in the faith while rejoicing that God is with us!
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Recommended:
Isaiah: The NIV Application Commentary by John N. Oswalt
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