I Cheerfully Refuse

Last week we began a series in Isaiah chapters 13-27, called "Lord of the Nations." In this part of Isaiah, the Lord reminds His people that He is not just their God—He is God of the world. Of course, He has a special covenant relationship with His people. He is their personal God, and they are His special people. But He is also the Lord of the nations, directing the history of the world for the good of His people and eventually, as we'll see, inviting the nations to come and be a part of His people.

The majority of this section of Isaiah comes in the forms of oracles delivered to the nations. An oracle is a prophetic announcement or proclamation. Last week there was an oracle against Babylon, today is against Philistia, next week is against Moab, and on it goes.

Now here's what's interesting. We don't actually have any evidence that Isaiah went and delivered these messages to these nations. In fact, he couldn't have done that last week because the person he was prophesying against wouldn't be born for more than 100 years or so. Nor would those other nations have even bothered to pay attention to the words of a prophet from Judah, of their enemies.

These are oracles against the nations, but their primary audience is the people of God. You can think of them kind of like the ancient equivalent of an "open letter." You've read an open letter before, right? Where someone writes a letter to a famous person, but publishes it on the internet, and the whole point is not that the famous person will read it—because they probably won't. Rather, the point is that other people would read it, and it would shape how other people think about that famous person.

That's more along the lines of what's happening here. By addressing these other nations through Isaiah, God's mail goal appears to be shaping how His own people think about and relate to these people.

So, the oracle in today's passage is addressed to Philistia. The real audience, as we'll see, is the people of God in Jerusalem, who needed to be prepared to deal with the Philistines in an appropriate way.

A. History

Now, there's some history we need to understand here before we can go much further. History is almost always important when we study the prophets, but it's particularly important because this oracle is one of three prophecies in Isaiah that has a timestamp. "In the year that King Ahaz died came this oracle" (v. 28). That timestamp shows us that the historical situation here is especially important.

And there's three strands to the history we want to briefly review here: the Philistines, King Ahaz, and Assyria.

1. The Philistines

Let's start with the Philistines. What's the story with them? The Philistines were an ancient people who originally came from the Greek Islands, and settled all along the Mediterranean coast from at least the time of Joshua onwards, and were one of the main enemies of Israel and Judah for basically their whole existence.

Joshua allotted the Philistine territory to the people of Israel and commanded them to drive them out, but they never did. Years later, Saul and Jonathan fought against the Philistines, and David killed a Philistine giant named Goliath whom you may have heard of. And yet the Philistines persisted.

Even under Solomon's massive empire, the Philistines stayed put. Years later, getting into Isaiah's time, King Uzziah subdued some of the Philistine territories, but after he died and Ahaz his son reigned in his place, the Philistines took territory from Judah (2 Chr 26:6; 28:18).

So it was always this back-and-forth, neither side ever able to completely get rid of the other, the balance of power always shifting between the two of them. And by the time king Ahaz died, the balance of power seemed to be with the Philistines. They were taking territory from Judah. They seemed to have the upper hand as far as Israel was concerned.

2. Ahaz

Next, let's consider the importance of King Ahaz. Ahaz was the son of king Uzziah, who died the year that Isaiah saw the Lord in chapter 6. Uzziah had been a pretty good king, wise and godly for most of his life, and under his long rule Judah was stable and prosperous.

His son Ahaz was the opposite. We read in 2 Chronicles 28 how absolutely wicked he was, and how he seemed to be in a competition to see who could be the worst king in Jerusalem's history.

And when the kings of Syria and Israel threatened him with invasion, instead of trusting the Lord like Isaiah told him to, he turned to Assyria for help and basically made Judah a slave state to the Assyrian empire.

And now, he's gone.

3. Assyria

And Assyria is really the third strand that ties all of this history together. Remember, they were the big empire in the world at that point, threatening to smash anybody who stood in their path. They were vicious and violent and impossible to resist.

Everybody was feeling the Assyrian threat. Egypt was feeling it. Israel was feeling it. And Philistia, land of the Philistines, was feeling it too. They had already lost a city or two to the Assyrians and would have been braced for impact, waiting for the rest of Assyria's fury to fall and wipe them off the map once and for all.

And a few important things happened when King Ahaz died. First, right around the time of his death, two Assyrian kings died just a few years apart from each other. This led to a brief time of Assyrian weakness, when the pressure was let off just a little bit and countries like Philistia might have hoped that maybe they could survive after all.

And its in this time that Isaiah delivers this prophecy against Philistia. But remembering that these were like "open letters," we recognize that the real audience here is the people of Judah—perhaps especially their new king, Hezekiah, grieving his father's death, with the fate of his nation at stake. He needs to hear what God has to say about Philistia.

B. The Oracle

And Isaiah's oracle is not very long. If you think of last week's oracle like a detailed painting, this one is more like a quick sketch, inviting us to fill in the gaps with our imagination and understanding. Still, for a quick sketch, this oracle has three main ideas. First, the worst is yet to come. Second, Philistia is doomed. Third, there is safety only in the Lord. Let's look at these truths one at a time.

1. The Worst Is Yet to Come (vv. 29-30)

First, the worst is yet to come. We see this in verse 29. "Rejoice not, O Philistia, all of you, that the rod that struck you is broken."

From everything we know about this time in history, "the rod that struck you" is most likely Assyria. After putting the screws to Philistia, Assyria was in a weak spot, especially now their local collaborator Ahaz was dead.

But Isaiah tells Philistia not to breath a sigh of relief. The worst is yet to come.

And he explains this with this really intricate mixed metaphor in the rest of verse 29: "For from the serpent's root will come forth an adder, and its fruit will be a flying fiery serpent." You've got two metaphors going on here. One is root and fruit. The rod is broken, but there's still a root that's alive, and from that root is going to grow a fruit that you are not going to like.

The second metaphor is that of a snakes. There are three words used here for snakes—serpent, adder, and flying fiery serpent. These are different words in Hebrew that speak about a progression from a normal snake to a particularly poisonous snake, like a viper, to a fire-breathing dragon. Talk about bad to worse.

And that's what's coming for Philistia. If Assyria was a serpent, there's not just a viper coming—there's a dragon on the way.

This certainly fits the imagery from Genesis 3:15, with the Assyrian kings being offspring of the serpent. And as time goes on, these snakes are getting bigger and badder, and they are coming for Philistia.

History tells us that this is exactly what happened. Shortly after this time arose three Assyrian kings in a row—Sargon, Sennacherib, Esarhaddon—who were the most vicious, most violent, most destructive, most brutal emperors that part of the world had known. They were dragons who made the kings who came before them look like little snakes by comparison.

Don't rejoice, Philistia. The worst is yet to come.

2. Philistia is Doomed (vv. 30-31)

And because of this, because the worst is yet to come, Philistia is doomed. We see this in verse 30, which starts by promising hope and salvation to the poor and the needy—which we'll come back to shortly. While the needy and poor will be protected by God, "I will kill your root with famine, and your remnant it will slay."

There's a lot of gardeners and farmers and people who have worked in the bush around here. You know If you can chop down a tree, but if you don't kill the root, it can grow back again. That's what's going to happen with Assyria.

But Philistia? They are doomed because their root is going to be killed. After years of having branches lopped off and growing back again and again, their root is finally going to be killed with famine. And that famine will kill their remnant. There will be no survivors, no group left over to start afresh. Philistia is going to be finished.

This impending doom is described in verse 31, where Isaiah poetically calls the gates and the city to wail and cry out, and for all of Philistia to melt in fear. Why? "For smoke comes out of the north." Assyria would have come from the north, and the "smoke" here probably refers to the cloud of dust kicked up by the feet of the advancing army. The Assyrians are coming, in other words, "and there is no straggler in his ranks." Every soldier is in his place, nobody lagging behind, all of them eager and ready for battle.

Assyria is coming and is going to wipe Philistia off the map. And history tells us that this is exactly what happened.

3. There is Safety Only in the Lord (v. 32)

But now we again come to the real point of this prophecy aimed at the real audience of this oracle. Again, Philistia isn't going to care much about what a prophet from Jerusalem thinks. This is for the king and his people. And the point here is to remind the king and his people that in the face of Assyrian aggression, there is safety to be found in the Lord. In fact, there is safety only in the Lord.

Verse 30 began with this reminder: "And the firstborn of the poor will graze, and the needy lie down in safety."

Isaiah is using another metaphor here, another word picture. And it's quite an abrupt shift. Serpents and adders and dragons are coming for you, Philistia—and, all of a sudden we're in green meadows where the poor and needy are being fed and cared for like sheep.

We see the idea of sheep there in the word "graze," and also "lie down," which comes from a Hebrew word repeatedly used for animals, especially flocks. "He makes me lie down in green pastures" (Psalm 23:2).

And if there are sheep being fed and cared for, then who is not far behind? A shepherd. That's how it worked in the ancient world. If sheep were grazing and lying down in safety, a good shepherd was nearby making that all happen.

And that helps us understand who these poor and needy sheep even are in the first place. They're probably not the poor and needy of the Philistines, because we've already heard that they aren't going to have any remnant left. Who are the ones that God tends like a shepherd? It's His people, isn't it?

"The Lord is my Shepherd." And Scripture after Scripture speaks about God as being the shepherd of His people Israel (Ps. 78:52; 80:1; Isa. 40:11; Jer. 31:10; Ezek. 34:11, 12, 23; John 10:11; Heb. 13:20; 1 Pet. 2:25; 5:4).

So while Philistia is headed for destruction, the poor and needy among God's people are going to be cared for and protected and provided by their God. He is the only source of safety.

And that idea rises to the surface to conclude this oracle in verse 32: “What will one answer the messengers of the nation? ‘The Lord has founded Zion, and in her the afflicted of his people find refuge’” (Isaiah 14:32).

Now, remembering that this prophecy is a bit of a sketch, we have a few blanks to fill in here. Who are these "messengers of the nation"? We might wonder if they are messengers from Assyria to the Philistines telling them that they are going to be destroyed.

But would it make a whole lot of sense for the Philistines to answer the Assyrians by saying, "The Lord has founded Zion, and that's the safe place to be?" Of course not.

So given the answer here, and remembering who these oracles were really for, it seems like messengers have come to Jerusalem, and this is the answer that the king is supposed to give them. Verse 32 is Isaiah coaching Hezekiah through how he's going to answer these messengers.

Okay, we're a step closer. But where are these messages from? Which nation?

Well, what's the only other nation mentioned in this passage? Philistia. Messengers from Philistia have come to Jerusalem. And our best guess is that these are messengers have come to try and get Judah to join them in an alliance against Assyria.

Here's why we say that. First, making alliances was just standard practice in this part of the world at this time in history. Smaller nations banded together against bigger nations. We see this all over the place.

Second. we know that Philistia in particular was eager to form alliances against Assyria, going all the way to Egypt and Cush looking for help and deliverance (Isa 20:6). So this is the kind of thing they did.

Third, Ahaz is dead. Remember that Ahaz had been a major collaborator with Assyria. He basically turned Judah into a puppet state under the Assyrian overlords. But he's out of the picture.

There's been regime change in Jerusalem, and it would be a perfect time for the Philistines to come and see if Judah wanted to join them in an alliance against Assyria. After all, they've been steadily taking ground from Judah. They're in a position of strength. Judah is a perfect buffer between Philistia and Assyria. Wouldn't it be better to have the Philistines as friends and not foes?

That's our best guess at what's going on here in verse 32, and it actually unlocks the purpose of this whole oracle. Ahaz is dead, the new king is figuring out how to lead his people in the midst of all of this international turmoil, and messengers from Philistia show up with a deal he can't refuse.

And the whole purpose of this oracle is to say to King Hezekiah, don't do it! Don't make an alliance with the Philistines. They're a sinking ship that's going down fast. They're so confident now, but the worst is yet to come, and they will be doomed.

But you won't be. The Lord is your shepherd. He's going to care for His people, poor and needy as they are.

And when the messengers show up and ask you to join hands with them against Assyria, say to them, "The Lord has founded Zion." In other words, this is God's city. He founded it, and He's going to protect it and care for it.

And in this city, the afflicted of his people will find refuge. Despite all odds, this is going to be a safe place for the huddled masses because God watches over these walls.

So no thank you, Philistines. I cheerfully refuse. I'm trusting the Lord, not people.

That's the point of this prophecy.

And you can go and read in 2 Kings 18-19 how this all worked out. Hezekiah did trust the Lord for the most part. And when the Assyrians came up against Jerusalem, out of all of the cities in the ancient world, they were spared. God protected the city He had founded.

Meanwhile. Philistia, who could have come and trusted in the God of Israel, but instead tried to figure things out on their own, was destroyed.

There is safety only in the Lord.

C. What does it mean to trust the Lord?

That was the lesson for Jerusalem in 700 B.C., and that is the lesson from this passage for the people of God today. There is still only safety in the Lord. The Lord is still our shepherd, He is still the one who has promised not to leave us or forsake us, and He is still the one we are to fear instead of people.

Those are easy things to say. But there are some difficulties in knowing what this actually means in real life. What does it mean to trust the Lord? For example, I trust the Lord, but I lock my door at night. Should I? I don't think that's a lack of faith—or is it?

Jerusalem had walls and gates and armies with weapons. Was that a lack of faith? Should they have trusted God and let Him take care of those things?

"Of course not," we answer—but why? Why was it okay for them to have walls and weapons but not to make an alliance with the Philistines? What does it actually mean to trust the Lord?

1. Trusting in the Lord means rejecting "wise" disobedience

One answer is that God had directly told his people not to make alliances with the other nations in the land. At least three times he told his people: don't make a covenant with the people of the land. (Ex. 23:32; Deut. 7:2; Judg. 2:2). All those years later, the Philistines were still just one of the peoples of the land.

See, the rules hadn't changed. How could you make an alliance with people whom God had told you to push out of the land entirely?

So, for us. We can start with this principle and recognize that trusting in the Lord means not disobeying him in order to take care of ourselves.

Or, we could put it, trusting in the Lord means rejecting "wise" disobedience.

Isn't it so often the case that disobedience parades as wisdom? "Yes, I know God said that, but if we do that, then this will happen, and God doesn't want that to happen, right? So I think we'll do this thing over here instead."

Churches do this when they avoid Jesus' clear instructions on matters he's directly addressed because of how controversial or challenging it will be.

Christians do this when they fudge their taxes or their agreements or put themselves in a spot that they know they really shouldn't be in but it's their only choice because otherwise, how are they going to make ends meet?

And we say "yeah, but" to God. "I know God said this, but..." And we disobey for such wise reasons.

We should recognize that "wise" disobedience is still disobedience. And it doesn't work. Anytime we think we've got it figured out better than God, and think we need to sin in order to be okay, who are we fooling?

And I've watched it happen again and again in people's lives and in the lives of churches. "Wise" disobedience leads to more pain and suffering in the long-run, every time.

It's better to be one of God's poor and needy and afflicted ones who are cared for by Him than to try and take care of ourselves on our own and meet the fate of the Philistines.

Trusting God means rejecting all sin, even "wise" disobedience.

2. Trusting in God means trusting Him, not the tools

But what about times when God does tell us to use tools? What I mean by "tools" is that there are things God lets us use, tools that He uses in our hands to keep His promises.

“And he said to them, ‘When I sent you out with no moneybag or knapsack or sandals, did you lack anything?” They said, ‘Nothing.’ He said to them, ‘But now let the one who has a moneybag take it, and likewise a knapsack. And let the one who has no sword sell his cloak and buy one’” (Luke 22:35–36).

Jesus sent His disciples out with tools—moneybags with money in them, knapsacks with food and whatever else. A sword for protection. Paul had his books and parchments.

Trusting in the Lord sometimes means using tools, but making sure that we trust God and not the tools.

Think about Jerusalem with their walls and weapons. The people weren't supposed to trust in Jersualem's walls and gates because they, on their own, were enough to save them. They weren't supposed to trust in their armies because they, alone, were strong enough to protect them.

Their walls and weapons were no match for the might of Assyria, and so even though they had those things and used those things, their trust was still in the Lord.

“For not in my bow do I trust, nor can my sword save me. But you have saved us from our foes and have put to shame those who hate us” (Psalm 44:6–7).

“Walk about Zion, go around her, number her towers, consider well her ramparts, go through her citadels, that you may tell the next generation that this is God, our God forever and ever. He will guide us forever” (Psalm 48:12–14).

And never forget that God can save without walls or weapons when he wants to. Remember when David was on the run, away from Jerusalem's walls, out in the open field? What did he say about that in Psalm 3?

“But you, O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head... I lay down and slept; I woke again, for the Lord sustained me. I will not be afraid of many thousands of people who have set themselves against me all around” (Psalm 3:3, 5–6).

So, if you've got a job, that's a tool. If you have a house or a car or a pension or food in your pantry, those are tools. Tools God may be using to keep His promises to you, and tools He wants you to use and invest for His kingdom.

Use the tools, but read the Psalms and be reminded to make the Lord your confidence, and not the tools.

3. Trusting God means counting on Him to keep His Promises

Third and finally, trusting God means counting on Him to keep His promises.

God had promised Israel many, many times that He would take care of them and defend against their enemies. It was one of the key covenant promises given through Moses. “‘The Lord will cause your enemies who rise against you to be defeated before you. They shall come out against you one way and flee before you seven ways’” (Deuteronomy 28:7).

And Isaiah's prophecy here is really just a reminder of this ancient promise. Don't cave in now, Hezekiah, because God is still going to take care of you.

And so the Philistines trying to get Judah to make an alliance is like offering an axe to a lumberjack who has a brand-new chainsaw. Um, thanks, but no thanks. It's just not needed.

There are things God has told us in His word that He's going to do for us, or has done for us. He's going to forgive our sins. He's going to give us eternal life. He's going to work all things for good. He's already given us everything we need for life and godliness. God has already blessed us with every spiritual blessing in Christ.

So when the latest best-seller or T.V. preacher comes out promising that they has the secret that you've been looking for to make your dreams come true, you can safely say, "No thank you. I already know that I already have everything I need. God has given me His promises, and I'm going to trust Him to keep them."

And so with Hezekiah, we look to the Lord to keep His promises. But, so much better than Hezekiah, because we have so much better promises.

“He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?” (Romans 8:32).

That's why it's so good for us to come to the table every week, and remember not just what Jesus did, not just what Jesus has promised to do, but the fact that His death and resurrection and soon return means He's going to keep every single promise to us in every hour of every day yet ahead of us before we gather again.

What's ahead of you this week? Where will you be tempted to turn aside from trusting the Lord into "wise" disobedience or just all-out anxious lack of faith?

Do you need to spend some time this week in God's word, maybe just in Romans 8 or the Sermon on the Mount, reminding yourself of what God has promised you, and that His grace is sufficient for you?

This bread and this cup speak to us of that sufficient grace, made perfect in weakness, that will be enough for us as we wake up tomorrow and go through every day of this next week. Whatever's ahead, we can trust Him.