Words of Wisdom # 275: Speeding to the Spoils or the Savior
Then the Lord said to me, “Take a large piece of parchment and write on it with an ordinary pen: Maher-shalal-hash-baz. I have appointed trustworthy witnesses—Uriah the priest and Zechariah son of Jeberechiah.” I was then intimate with the prophetess, and she conceived and gave birth to a son. The Lord said to me, “Name him Maher-shalal-hash-baz, for before the boy knows how to call out father or mother, the wealth of Damascus and the spoils of Samaria will be carried off to the king of Assyria.” The Lord spoke to me again: Because these people rejected the slowly flowing waters of Shiloah and rejoiced with Rezin and the son of Remaliah, the Lord will certainly bring against them the mighty rushing waters of the Euphrates River—the king of Assyria and all his glory. It will overflow its channels and spill over all its banks. It will pour into Judah, flood over it, and sweep through, reaching up to the neck; and its spreading streams will fill your entire land, Immanuel! Band together, peoples, and be broken; pay attention, all you distant lands; prepare for war, and be broken; prepare for war, and be broken. Devise a plan; it will fail. Make a prediction; it will not happen. For God is with us. Isaiah 8:1-10 (HCSB)
In this passage Isaiah has been proclaims that the Lord is affirming His justice will come swiftly like a flooding river that the signs should not be ignored. As a sign of His intent Immanuel from the previous passage (7:14) would be named also Maher-shalal-hash-baz, or for us non-Hebrews: Speeding to the Spoils or Plunder. Through the young boy as a sign, the Lord would bring judgment against the Israelites in Samaria and the surrounding region, as well as the land of Judah. The Lord would reveal His presence among His people, and those who have thought they could conspire together and plan evil will fail, because God is with us! The righteous would remain to witness the devastation in the land as a warning and way to bring repentance and restoration.
In our lives there are times that God proves His presence in our lives to prepare us for the tough times, the times of trials and tribulation. Bad things can happen to good people, but the Lord promises to be with us even in the midst of the floods of troubles and times of testing. The Lord says it is during these times that His people should turn their hearts to Him, and He will fulfill His covenant promise to preserve, protect and provide our most important needs that serve His purposes. God wants us to turn to Him and trust in Him. His justice and mercy should be our focus, rather than panic and seek manmade plans and schemes to overcome the troubles of this world.
We all have a choice, just as the Israelites long ago: listen and heed the call to repentance and to speed to the protection of the Savior, or to witness the destruction and then speed to the spoils of others, only to find we too have been swept up in the same storms in life.
How do we know how to speed to the Savior in those difficult times? If you have invested in seeking God’s will, God’s ways, and God’s wisdom according to God’s Word then you will alert to those times that “God is with us” for His greater purposes. We will be sensitive to speeding to Him, and not to the spoils of those caught in the storms of this life. We always have a choice – and every choice has a consequence. In which direction will you race in those tough times?
Coach
www.coachbrown.org
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort. He comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any kind of affliction, through the comfort we ourselves receive from God. For as the sufferings of Christ overflow to us, so our comfort overflows through Christ. If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which is experienced in the endurance of the same sufferings that we suffer. And our hope for you is firm, because we know that as you share in the sufferings, so you will share in the comfort. 2 Cor 1:3-7 (HCSB)