Fear Killer
A Study of Isaiah 8:11-18
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IV. Signs and Portents (vv.16-18)
So what is Isaiah’s response to all of this? What is it that he calls out? Let’s take a look at vv.16-18.
16 Bind up the testimony! Seal up the law with those I taught!
17 But I will wait for Yahweh as He hides His face from the house of Israel, I will wait eagerly for Him.
18 Behold here am I and the boy-children which Yahweh had given to me to be signs and portents in Israel from the hand of Yahweh, the dweller on Mount Zion.
First of all he calls for his testimony and the law of the Lord to be bound and sealed, both images of preserving and verifying documents. The testimony is true, it does not need to be added to! The law is complete, it is all that is needed to please God. It is for those who will fear God and not man. It is for those to whom Yahweh is the sanctuary.
Those of us who have accepted Christ will understand the Law of God and the Testimony of the Believers in a way that none outside of our ranks can. We have the special insight into its truths through the Holy Spirit that only a child of God can. So it is sealed up before the eyes of the world.
And so Isaiah chooses to wait for Yahweh, even though it seems He’s gone away. Isaiah uses two terms here. One is simply waiting, like one who is waiting to get the next day’s paper. It is a knowledge that this will happen and we take it for granted. The second term builds on the first. It is an eager, expectant waiting, like the affianced bride for her wedding day, like the father for his prodigal son’s return, like the church ought to be waiting for the return of her Lord. Isaiah has chosen to wait like this! Instead of trembling and looking at the darkness, he has turned to look at the light and to wait for it to break over this world.
This is to be our attitude. We must wait expectantly and not let our eyes stray from the goal. We can do this by constantly reminding ourselves of who our God really is, the One who is faithful, the One who will fight for us. He is the Good Gifting Giver, the Swift Sure Hand, the Redeeming Lamb, the Mighty Warrior, the Wonder of Counsel, the God of Might, the Father of Eternity, and the Prince of Peace.
What do these terms mean to you? Are they mere words, mere pictures? Or are you’re your life-blood, bread and butter, air you breath? What images do they conjure up of this One who has chosen us? How real is God to us? How real is He to me?
He was real to Isaiah, so real in fact that he makes this statement:
18 Behold here am I and the boy-children which Yahweh had given to me to be signs and portents in Israel from the hand of Yahweh, the dweller on Mount Zion.
Names are important in Scripture and four are mentioned in the passages prior to this one. These are Isaiah himself, whose name Yeshahu means “salvation is in Yahweh”. His first-born was Shear-Jashub, “a remnant will return” whose name underscored the promise of restoration. His second son, Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz, was a reminder of the impending judgment as his name literally meant, “swift is the booty, speedy to the prey.” And then there was the fourth child, Immanuel who would be born to a young woman, presumably one of the women in the court, whose name meant “With us God!” a triumphant shout that the One had not left them alone.
Also, following this passage is one boy-child who has not yet been born, yet who has already been given, the one who bears four names of importance: Wonder of Counsel, God of Might, Father of Eternity, and Prince of Peace. These first four point to the last with four names. Indeed they are signs and portents to a godless nation as their names held forth the truth of God to those around them.
What about us? Are we signs and portents to the people of our world? We had better be. When the name “Christian” — little Christ — raises the hackles of others, it means they are reminded of the Truth behind that name. When the name Jesus — “Yahweh saves” — causes people to get angry, it means they have been confronted by what that Name signifies. When they see how we live, how we interact, how we fearlessly move in life, afraid of the Only One who is truly worth fearing, then we are signs and portents of a time to come, when all fear will be replaced by the fear of the One, when the True King will reign and the Swift Sure Hand will guide all.
V. The Fear-Killer
There truly is a Fear-Killer, one who can make us not fear anything on this earth and that is Yahweh, the One God.
When we choose to make Him the most important one in our lives and we fear Him sufficiently, He will be our sanctuary and we will not fear anything else.
If we choose to not do that He will become a stumbling stone to us and in the end, if we don’t turn and embrace Him, we will be crushed by Him.
Our response to this should be to wait eagerly for Him and to actively be signs and portents to the community around us, shining out the truth of the One God who is coming to reign over this whole earth in truth and justice.
Sources
Holy Bible, New International Version®. Copyright © 1973, 1978,1984 by International Bible Society. Used by Permission of the International Bible Society.
“NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark office by International Bible Society. Scripture quotations marked NASB are taken from the New American Standard Bible® Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977,1995 by the Lockman Foundation. Used by Permission. Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensis. Fifth Edition. Stuttgart, Germany: Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, 1997. Brown, Francis, S.R. Driver and Charles A. Briggs. The Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., 1996. Einspahr, Bruce. Index to Brown, Driver and Briggs Hebrew Lexicon. Chicago, IL: Moody Press, 1976. Oswalt, John N. The Book of Isaiah Chapters 1-39. The New International Commentary on the Old Testament. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1986. The New International Dictionary of Old Testament Theology and Exegesis. Willem M. VanGemeren, Ed. CD-ROM. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 2001. Weingreen, J. A Practical Grammar for Classical Hebrew. Second Edition. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 1959.
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