Sermons

---

Hurry Up and Wait
November 23, 2003
Pastor Dan Baumgartner
4th in a series “Images from Isaiah”
Isaiah 7:1-9

We continue our sermon series called “Images from Isaiah” this morning, making our way through the Old Testament book of Isaiah. Already we have seen a number of powerful images:

• the charred lips of the prophet,
• the stripping away of fine clothes and jewelry,
• the vineyard with the sour grapes.

This morning we look into the first nine verses of chapter 7…and find two more images: shaking trees, and a child.

Some parts of the Old Testament can be difficult because several names are given to one person or place. In this section of Isaiah, there are three “groups” I would point out to you:

• Judah, Jerusalem, the Son of David and King Ahaz all belong together, referring to the same region, people and leader.
• Aram, Syria, Damascus and King Rezin
• Israel, Ephraim, Samaria and King Pekah

The old ads showed the local bully, 250 pounds of weightlifting muscle, at the beach, intentionally kicking sand into the face of the 98-pound weakling and his girlfriend. The weakling stands up, unsure what to do because it is clear that with the slightest provocation the bully would pound him to a pulp. He hears the sound of his girlfriend’s voice ring through the air:

“Don’t just stand there…do something!”

We’ve heard others say it, we’ve said it to ourselves. When in doubt, do something. How strange it would sound to have someone say:

“Don’t do something…just stand there!”

If you think that our modern centuries are the only ones with international intrigue, spy networks, secret negotiations and overwhelming pressures on alliances, you’ll have to think again. It’s roughly 740 BC. Judah is headquartered in the fortified city of Jerusalem, ruled by their king Ahaz. And things in the surrounding region are extremely unstable. The military and political power of the day is Assyria. Assyria has thrown its power and influence around, and has much of the Middle East under control through puppet governments, or exacting huge payments of tribute.

A number of countries in this area decide to try and rebel, to throw off the control of the powerful Assyrians. This coalition is spearheaded by Syria (Damascus, King Rezin) and Israel (northern tribes, close ties to Judah, King Pekah). They urge King Ahaz of Judah to join them in fighting Assyria. When Ahaz refuses, Syria and Israel decide they will make it very uncomfortable for Ahaz. Their plan is to invade Judah, to attack Jerusalem, to get rid of King Ahaz and put their own puppet king on the throne. And, true to their plan, they begin to carry it out. They take over large parts of Judah, and point their armies towards Jerusalem.

King Ahaz and his advisors in Jerusalem are understandably worried by this. In fact, it says, when Ahaz heard of the alliance of Israel and Syria against them, “the hearts of Ahaz and his people shook as the trees of the forest shake before the wind.”

They examine their options:

a) they cave in and join with Syria and Israel in fighting the superpower Assyria.

b) they ask Assyria to intervene on their behalf.

c) they do nothing.

Isaiah takes his son, Shear-jashub out to find King Ahaz, who is checking out the military security of his water supply for the city. And Isaiah tells him what the Lord says:

“Be quiet, do not fear, it shall not stand, it shall not come to pass… If you do not stand firm in faith, you shall not stand at all.”

The word of the Lord, in other words is this: wait. It’s such a simple word.

It is the last thing Ahaz wants to hear. It’s usually the last thing we want to hear. The political pressure on Ahaz was immense: be shrewd, wheel and deal, play off the powers against one another, cut a deal…but don’t just stand there, do something! And here comes Isaiah saying,

“I’ve got it! I’ve got the word of the Lord! It’s “wait.”

Now, please note it is not: “wait and get overrun.” No, Jerusalem was defending itself. But the word is don’t look to the alliance for your security, don’t look to the superpower for your safety…look to God. Believe in God’s promises. Wait.

That’s a pretty hard thing to do for most of us. It’s also an incredibly Biblical thing to do.

When the people of Israel left Egypt and were wandering in the wilderness for 40 years, sometimes the pillar of fire, the Shekinah glory of God would flame up, and they would break camp and follow it. See the light, follow. That was the easy part. The hard part was when the pillar of fire stopped, and didn’t show itself, and the people had to wait. That was the hard part.

When Jonah was running as fast as he could away from God…God saw fit to have a whale swallow him…and for three days, there he sat unable to do anything…waiting.

When King David was on top of his game and wanted to do God a big favor by building him a house, a temple, when he wanted to DO something big…God instead said “No.” And David decided maybe he should actually ask God what HE wanted, and he went in and “sat before the Lord.” He waited.

In Psalm 27, David finds himself in tough circumstances, surrounded by enemies, by adversaries, by friends forsaking him and he says, “I believe that I shall see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.” And then he adds: “Wait for the Lord. Be strong and let your heart take courage. Wait for the Lord.”

In the New Testament, the risen Christ appears to his bewildered and confused disciples and tells them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there until the Holy Spirit is sent upon them.

When the Apostle Paul was on the road to Damascus, he encountered Jesus and fell to the ground, blinded, and then Jesus said “get up and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.” And Paul was led to Damascus, blind…and he sat and waited until God sent a man to pray for him.

Now notice, that these people I have mentioned are by no means sedentary people! The Israelites with Moses, Jonah, the mighty warrior-king David, the disciples following Jesus all over, the Apostle Paul, missionary to the Mediterranean. These are people of action. And yet…so many, many times the word of the Lord…or perhaps, the first word of the Lord is this: wait.

What does waiting do? Why does it come up so many times in the history of God’s people?

By encouraging King Ahaz to wait … Isaiah called the king to faith, to trust. To believing in God’s promises to the house of David, some of which were: “I will raise up your offspring and establish his kingdom. I will not take my steadfast love from him. Your house and our kingdom shall be made sure forever.”

Ahaz was at this huge crossroads. Was he going to trust, or was he going to panic and pursue his military and political options? Would he call for Assyria (knowing there would be repercussions in the future) or would he believe that God was active in the history that was unfolding? Abraham Heschel, the fine Jewish scholar says it like this:

“(Will) Ahaz decide it is more expedient to be son and servant to the king of Assyria…OR son and servant to the invisible God?”

One decision means scrambling around, spinning, manipulating and controlling. The other means waiting.

As Ahaz stands there with his heart trembling like a tree in the wind…he sees Isaiah’s son, Shear-jashub. We will see a number of children in Isaiah’s book, and they are always important. This one’s name means “A remnant shall return.” For Ahaz, he might represent two things:

a) Discouraging: could mean defeat, and exile for many people…with only a remnant returning.

b) Encouraging: God will be faithful…his people shall never be eliminated.

As Ahaz gazes at the boy, his father Isaiah whispers to him, “wait.”

What does waiting do? It is not a license to inactivity. But it is a tangible way of taking time to listen to God. To see how God might act without us manipulating or trying to control the circumstances. Sometimes waiting means we end up having to deal with what is inside of us…instead of what’s outside of us. Waiting means we are dependent on something, someone outside of ourselves. Waiting reminds us again …how much we need a Savior to set things right. Waiting is hard work. Very, very hard work.

As I’ve sat with this passage this week, it’s just this one word – wait – that has kept coming back to me. It’s really all I have to offer you this morning. So I wonder, what is going on in your life? Is there some area in which the word of God, at least the first word…would be wait? Some of you may be in friendships that you can’t imagine God ever healing or reconciling and you want out. Some of you may be ready to give up on your marriage relationships. Some are sick, and God seems far away. Some might be ready to move, or change jobs because you are unhappy and think the change will make you happy. I wonder if this prophet Isaiah saddled up to you right where you are…if God’s word for you would be wait.

You are all gifted, talented, capable people…No 98-pound weaklings here. And I know from talking to you that the first inclination for most of us is always to say or hear, “Don’t just stand there: Do something!

I wonder what would happen if God was saying, “Don’t do something…just stand there?” Let’s pray.