Isaiah 8: 9: Associate yourselves, O ye people, and ye shall be broken in pieces; and give ear, all ye of far countries: gird yourselves, and ye shall be broken in pieces; gird yourselves, and ye shall be broken in pieces. 10: Take counsel together, and it shall come to nought; speak the word, and it shall not stand: for God is with us.
No enemy can triumph against the LORD's people. This last phrase, "for God is with us" is the reason given why none can prosper. The phrase, "God with us" is the meaning of the name "Immanuel." So it can be read this way, "Take counsel together, and it shall come to nought; speak the word, and it shall not stand:" Why? Because...Immanuel.
Who are those whom God is not with? God is not with everybody without exception. Isaiah could not say to the people of Judah, without exception, "God is with you." No more than you or I can make the blanket statement, "God loves you" or that "Christ died for you." The Lord had just promised that he was bringing the king of Assyria upon Israel, upon Syria and then upon Judah. Later we will see that after using the Assyrian to destroy many then the LORD promised to destroy the king of Assyria. Obviously God is not with everyone.
1. God is not with those who join together with the people of this world, those who befriend this world. Isaiah 8: 9: Associate yourselves, O ye people, and ye shall be broken in pieces. Those whom God was destroying were those who feared men. They rejoiced in the power of man. They reverenced man rather than fearing God and rejoicing in his power to save. So Isaiah is not telling all men, "God is with us." James 4:4: Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.
2. God is not with those who clothe themselves. Isaiah 8: 9:...and give ear, all ye of far countries: gird yourselves, and ye shall be broken in pieces. King Ahaz and the majority in Judah were attempting to clothe themselves for war. Their weapons were carnal weapons. They were resolute in their determination to gain the victory by their own hand. Likewise, in the imagination of many they think salvation is in some small part in their hand, in what they do by their own flesh. Men's obedience to God's law is not salvation. Man's obedience before or after conversion is not the believer's righteousness or his sanctification. Christ is the LORD our Righteousness. God has made Christ Sanctification unto us. Salvation is of the Lord. Christ is the Author and Finisher of faith. The believer worships God not in the flesh but in the spirit, not in carnal meats and drinks but in spiritual sacrifices. Listen to scripture: Romans 8: 17: For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. 1Corinthians 8: 8: But meat commendeth us not to God: for neither, if we eat, are we the better; neither, if we eat not, are we the worse. Hebrew 13: 9: Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines. For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace; not with meats, which have not profited them that have been occupied therein. Philippians 3:9: And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: Romans 5:1: Therefore being justified, by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: 2: By Whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Isaiah 61:10: I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels. Phillippian 3:3: For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.
3. God is not with those whose purpose and word is together with man, whose covenant is with man, whose word is of how man wins the victory. Isaiah 8: 10: Take counsel together, and it shall come to nought; speak the word, and it shall not stand. For one sinner to declare to another that he can enter into God's heavenly kingdom by his own strength is to urge him to make a covenant with man. It is what we saw typified by the covenant made between the two enemy kings who came up against Judah (Isa 7: 6-7.) The offense of making a covenant with self is just this severe. It is the attempt to make a breach into God's kingdom and to set our own king upon the throne upon which he alone sits.
Yet, the word is clear. After all the attempts of those who would befriend this world, who would clothe themselves by their own works, who would make their covenant with man, none of their vanity will stand because God is with us. Christ the King reigns and God's grace toward those he has everlastingly loved is not hindered in the least. Psalm 2:1: Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? 2: The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying, 3: Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us. 4: He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision. 5: Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure. 6: Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion.
SOVEREIGN GRACE BAPTIST CHURCH Of Princeton, New Jersey
LOCATION & TELEPHONE Rocky Hill Firehouse, 2nd floor 150 Washington Street, Rocky Hill, NJ, 08553 Pastor's Telephone: 615-513-4464
SCHEDULE OF SERVICES Sunday 10 AM Bible Class 11 AM Morning Worship Thursday 7:00 PM Mid-week Service (The first Sunday of each month, morning worship begins at 10am followed by observing the Lord's Table. Afterwards we have lunch together.)
For those who might like to visit us without missing their regular services, we welcome you to join us for our Thursday night mid-week service.
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