Second Quarter 2004 Adult Sabbath School Lessons:
Isaiah "Comfort My People"

Insights to Lesson 3
When Your World is Falling Apart
April 10-16

(Produced by the Editorial Board of the 1888 Message Study Committee)

“Believe in the Lord your God, and you shall be established; believe His prophets and you shall prosper” (2 Chron. 20:20). With these words of encouragement and faith, spoken by King Jehoshaphat to people of Judah (ca. 860 B.C.), the God of Israel led Jehoshaphat to victory over the people of Moab, Ammon and Mount Seir. Isaiah, 130 years later (730 B.C.), reiterated similar words but in the context of a warning to King Ahaz: “If you will not believe, surely you shall not be established” (Isa. 7:9). Ahaz was simply invited to believe the Lord’s promise that He would defeat the enemies of Ahaz, Pekah, king of Israel, and Rezin, king of Syria. And it would all come to pass within 65 years (7:8).

Jehoshaphat not only believed the word of the Lord, but acted upon the promise of God in heartfelt obedience (2 Chron. 20:15-19). He assembled the army and the choir and allowed God to fight the battle. God promised Ahaz that what He did for Jehoshaphat He would also do him. Ahaz was implicitly commanded to refrain from forming an unholy alliance with the king of Assyria in order to fend off Pekah and Rezin. Ahaz was to simply believe the word and the promise of the Lord like Jehoshaphat, which would be manifested by obedience to all the commandments of God.

Our walk with God is not established by making promises to Him, but by believing His promises to us. The supreme example of such faith is that of Abraham’s response to God’s promise that “in him all the nations of the earth would be blessed,” if he would leave the land Haran for Canaan. [1] And Abraham believed the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness (Gen. 15:6). But Abraham wanted assurance that God’s promise would be fulfilled. With condescending love, God confirmed His promise to Abraham by passing through the split parts of a slain heifer, goat, and ram signifying His willingness to be destroyed if He did not fulfill His promise. Prior to this condescending act, Abraham’s heart was drawn out in such devotion to God, in spite of his need for more assurance, that he made a solemn vow to God of perpetual obedience by passing through split animals himself as was customary at that time for the ratification of agreements.

“The Lord condescended to enter into a covenant with His servant, employing such forms as were customary among men for the ratification of a solemn engagement. By divine direction, Abraham sacrificed a heifer, a she-goat, and a ram, each three years old, dividing the bodies and laying the pieces a little distance apart. To these he added a turtledove and a young pigeon, which, however, were not divided. This being done, he reverently passed between the parts of the sacrifice, making a solemn vow to God of perpetual obedience” (Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 137).

Our walk with God is not established by making promises to God, but by believing, like Abraham, His promises to us. And as we have seen, the God of Abraham apparently does not forbid heartfelt commitments and solemn vows of obedience from His people whose hearts have been melted by His fantastic promises and condescending love. [2] Abraham and Jehoshaphat on the one hand and Ahaz on the other exemplify two diametrically opposed responses to God promises. When Ahaz failed to respond to God’s promise of divine intervention to fend off Pekah and Rezin, He offered to give Ahaz a sign of His faithfulness. With outstretched arms God pleaded with Ahaz to make a commitment to Him even to the extent of giving him anything he desired as a sign of His own promise and commitment to Ahaz (Isa. 7:11). Ahaz not only rejected the command of God to ask for a sign of God’s faithfulness, he rejected the God of Isaiah and Abraham. But God is unrelenting and He condescended to give him a sign, just as He gave a sign to Abraham. “Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.” The sign for Ahaz was to be unmistakable.

The sign given to Ahaz was prophetic of the unmistakable sign that was to be given to whole world with the birth of the Messiah. The unveiled glory of this proleptic sign is reiterated through Isaiah numerous times. A Child would be born whose name would be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. He would come from the stem of Jesse with righteousness. He would be a King who would reign in righteousness. He would not fail or be discouraged till He establishes justice in the earth. His Father would preserve Him and give Him as a covenant to the people. He would be given the tongue of the learned and know how to speak a word in season to the weary. He would set His face like a flint and not be ashamed. He would have no physical comeliness or beauty. The Lord would lay on Him the iniquities—our own way—of us all. His glory would be manifested in Israel. He would proclaim liberty to the captives. [3]

A sign was given to Ahaz through the message of Isaiah. A sign was given to Israel proclaiming the First Advent through the message of the Baptist. A sign has been given to the Seventh-day Adventist church prior to the Second Advent through a message--a “most precious message.” [4] This message proclaimed a Savior so near to us that He identified Himself with our iniquities, yes, “God with us” in order that we might be with Him. The pen of inspiration repeatedly confirms this message of a Savior neigh at hand. [5] “[I]n Christ we become more closely united to God than if we had never fallen. In taking our nature, the Saviour has bound Himself to humanity by a tie that is never to be broken” (The Desire of Ages, p. 25).

Remember, when your world is falling apart, Immanuel—God is with us!

—John W. Peters

1. “‘By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.’” Hebrews 11:8. Abraham’s unquestioning obedience is one of the most striking evidences of faith to be found in all the Bible” (Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 126) [Return to Text]

2. “Let us guard against speaking words that discourage. Let us resolve never to engage in evilspeaking and backbiting. Let us refuse to serve Satan by implanting seeds of doubt. Let us guard against cherishing unbelief, or expressing it to others. Many, many times I have wished that there might be circulated a pledge containing a solemn promise to speak only those words that are pleasing to God. There is a great need for such a pledge as there is for one against the use of intoxicating liquor. Let us begin to discipline the tongue, remembering always that we can do this only be disciplining the mind, for “out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh” [Matt. 12:34] (Review and Herald, May 26, 1904). [Return to Text]

3. Isaiah 9, 11, 32, 42, 49, 50, 53, 60, 61. [Return to Text]

4. “The Lord in His great mercy sent a most precious message to His people through Elders Waggoner and Jones. This message was to bring more prominently before the world the uplifted Saviour, the sacrifice for the sins of the whole world. It presented justification through faith in the Surety; it invited the people to receive the righteousness of Christ, which is made manifest in obedience to all the commandments of God” (Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, p. 91). [Return to Text]

5. “Satan represents God’s law of love as a law of selfishness. He declares that it is impossible for us to obey its precepts. … Jesus was to unveil this deception. As one of us He was to give an example of obedience. For this He took upon Himself our nature, and passed through our experiences. ‘In all things it behooved Him to be made like unto His brethren.’ Heb. 2:17. If we had to bear anything which Jesus did not endure, then upon this point Satan would represent the power of God as insufficient for us. Therefore Jesus was ‘in all points tempted like as we are.’ Heb. 4:15. He endured every trial to which we are subject. And He exercised in His own behalf no power that is not freely offered to us” (The Desire of Ages, p. 24). [Return to Text]

Read the study notes for Lesson 4