To the Law and to the Testimony
By Pastor Matt Black
July
30, 2006
Lord's Day Evening
Isaiah 8:16-22
Introduction: Tonight we are going to learn that the safest thing we can do for time and eternity is to follow God’s Word. By following His Word, we are following Christ. So the title of tonight’s message is “To the Law and to the Testimony”.
In the last several weeks we have been meditating on the preaching of Isaiah to Judah and Israel. The people of Israel and Judah heard the Word of God loud and clear, but very few of them heeded it. We learned how Isaiah prophesied that Assyria would destroy the ten tribes of Israel because of their own rebellion, and Assyria would also come very close to destroying Judah. Judah would make it through because it is Immanuel’s Land—the tribe of Judah would be preserved for Christ Jesus who is Immanuel, God with us, to be born.
Last week we also learned that Assyria freely chose to inflict the most amount of terror they could on Israel, and yet they were at the same time acting in perfect harmony with the will of the Almighty. God himself was using Assyria as an instrument to punish His people. God is the one who “worketh all things after the counsel of His own will” (Ephesians 1:11). Nevertheless, Assyria acted in their own power and would have to face the consequences for their actions. Three times the Lord says in this passage that Assyria would be “broken in pieces” (verse 9). In 612 BC, Nabopolassar, father to Nebuchadnezzar, liberated Babylon from Assyria and razed Nineveh the Assyrian capital to the ground. From that time on, Babylon began to be in prominence. On August 15, 605 BC, Nebuchadnezzar’s father died, and Nebuchadnezzar ascended the throne of Babylon. So Assyria was indeed “broken in pieces”.
Since the children of Israel and Judah would not seek Immanuel as their sanctuary (verse 14), he would then be to them as “a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offence to both the houses of Israel, for a gin and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 15 And many among them shall stumble, and fall, and be broken, and be snared, and be taken.” (8:14-15).
And many indeed stumbled and fell and were broken. They were most certainly taken. Many thousands were massacred as Assyria plundered Israel, and an additional twenty-seven thousand from Northern Israel were taken in the Assyrian captivity. Between the war and the captivity, the northern ten tribes would cease to exist as “a people” (Isaiah 7:8).
Of course it is true that any one who rejects Christ as Lord will cease to be a people. That is there will be no legacy. There is no heritage to pass on. Anyone who spurns Jesus Christ will be “cast into the lake of fire and brimstone…and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever” (Revelation 20:10).
Peter actually quotes Isaiah 8:14 and says the same thing about those who reject Christ. Turn over to 1 Peter 2:7-8, “Unto you therefore which believe he [CHRIST] is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, 8 And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.”
Notice what they stumble on. Stumbling at the Rock of Christ is the same thing as “stumbling at His Word”.
We take up Isaiah’s message in verse 16 of chapter 8 today. Tonight we are going to examine ourselves and see if we are living our lives according to God’s word. We all ought to have verse 20 of this eighth chapter blazing ever before our hearts, “To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.” If our lives are not lived in accordance with the Word of God, nothing we do is of any value. We can and will fail, but God’s Word will never fail—it is a blazing light and will guide us through every circumstance no matter how confusing it may seem.
Let’s begin reading with verse 16, “Bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples. 17 And I will wait upon the LORD, that hideth his face from the house of Jacob, and I will look for him. 18 Behold, I and the children whom the LORD hath given me are for signs and for wonders in Israel from the LORD of hosts, which dwelleth in mount Zion.
19 And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and that mutter: should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to the dead? 20 To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.
21 And they shall pass through it, hardly bestead and hungry: and it shall come to pass, that when they shall be hungry, they shall fret themselves, and curse their king and their God, and look upward. 22 And they shall look unto the earth; and behold trouble and darkness, dimness of anguish; and they shall be driven to darkness.”
I. First we see the Security of God’s Word (verse 16-18).
A. Preservation of God’s Word
Jesus said, “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away” (Matthew 24:35).
God’s Word brethren is forever settled. “Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled” (Matthew 5:18). So God says to Isaiah to “bind up the testimony” and he most certainly followed those instructions. God preserves His Word. But look what else He preserves. He says ““seal the Law among my disciples” (verse 16).
So God says to “seal the Law among my disciples.” The word disciples means ‘instructed ones’.[2]
Application: There is an amazing truth here in this verse. The Lord is claiming the remnant of believing Jews as His own. He says, this is what will mark my disciples, they will keep my Word no matter what comes their way. These are MY people. God stands up for them! Remember the words of Jesus. He said in John 14:15, “If ye love me, keep my commandments.” You can say you love God all day long, but unless you are willing to obey Him when it hurts, you have no right to say you know God. What did Jesus say in John 14:23? “If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.”
Are you willing to stand for God’s Word come what may? If you have not this mark in your life, then you are missing the mark of a true Christian as Matthew 5: 10 says, “Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. 12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.”
So we see the preservation of His Word, then we see…
B. The Perseverance in His Word. Isaiah says in verse 17, “And I will wait upon the LORD, that hideth his face from the house of Jacob, and I will look for him.” God is hiding His face from those who will not trust in Him. Hiding His face is the same as withdrawing grace and mercy. Remember God’s beautiful blessing of Numbers 6:24-26? We all pray for God’s mercy and favour. We say to all who will trust in the Lord, “The LORD bless thee, and keep thee: 25 The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: 26 The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.”
Perseverance means remembering God’s promises even in the darkest hour. Here God was hiding “his face from the house of Jacob”, and Isaiah says, “I will wait upon the LORD…and I will look for Him” (verse 17).
Application: Is that your attitude when everything is going wrong? Perhaps everything that can break is broken. You open your eyes in the morning, and the weight of the day is already upon you. You feel as if God is “hiding his face” from you. Are you willing to say with Isaiah, “I will wait upon the LORD…and I will look for Him” (verse 17)?
Are you secure with God’s Word alone, or are you trying to add security in your life from the world. Don’t be like the one who received God’s word among thorns.. Matthew 13:22, says this kind of person is “he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.
18 Behold, I and the children whom the LORD hath given me are for signs and for wonders in Israel from the LORD of hosts, which dwelleth in mount Zion.
Here Isaiah refers to his two children who are signs to Israel.
Shear-Jashub which means remnant shall return!
Maher-shalal-hashbaz: means swift destruction
These two sons of Isaiah show how there are two groups of people in Israel and two groups in the world as John 3:36 says, “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.”
Matthew 7:13-14, “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: 14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.”
And yet probably this reference is farther beyond the children of Isaiah and is speaking of the believing children of Israel being children of God. Calvin says this about this passage,
“by given he means those whom God drew by an inward and secret operation of his Spirit, when the sound of the external voice fell on the ears of the multitude without producing any good effect.”
What great security we have in God’s Word that we can be called the children of God! So we see the Security of God’s Word. Then we see…
II. We then see the Standard of God’s Word (verses 19-20).
A. First we need to let God’s Word Rebuke us.
19 And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and that mutter: should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to the dead?
B. Then we see that God’s Word Reveals who we are.
20 To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.
Romans 8:8 tells us that ”they that are in the flesh cannot please God.” They cannot please God, and they don’t want to please God. Obeying God’s Word is not an issue of preference in God’s sight, it is an issue of being born again! If you are born again, then you reveal you have the Light of God in you. You have Christ abiding in you, and you do God’s will.
Galatians 5:16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
Jesus asked in Luke 6:46, “why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?”
The answer is found in Matthew 7. Turn over to Matthew 7:21, “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
If God’s Word is not your security and standard, it reveals that there is no light in you. That is that you remain in your total depravity. God has not drawn you by the light of His Spirit!
So we see the Security of God’s Word and the Standard of God’s Word, then we see…
III. Finally we see the Snare of God’s Word (verses 21-22).
A. They shall be snared by physical life. They will have no answer for life’s problems.
21 And they shall pass through it, hardly bestead and hungry: and it shall come to pass, that when they shall be hungry, they shall fret themselves, and curse their king and their God, and look upward.
B. They shall be snared by eternal life. We will not inherit the kingdom of God if we do not serve the Lord. Those who trust not in the Lord and do not obey His Word are “driven to darkness”!
22 And they shall look unto the earth; and behold trouble and darkness, dimness of anguish; and they shall be driven to darkness.”
Conclusion: Is God’s Word the only investment you need? Are you resting in His Word? We talk about investing for the future. How about investing for the eternal future? If this Word is not our security, the rule of our life, the standard that regulates us, then we will most certainly come to destruction. Let God’s Word be in you; let it be life to your soul! If God’s Word is not your standard it will be your snare. That is the message we need to live by!
Closing Hymn: 333 Open Our Eyes Lord