The Extraordinary Work of God

The prophesied and then fulfilled fall of Samaria and Israel was a warning to Jerusalem. Many in Isaiah’s day thought that it was impenetrable and that since God had chosen it as the Place for His Name to dwell, there would be not army that could take it. But God had been telling His people all along what His plans were. They just did not want to hear it. 

‘Therefore hear the Word of the LORD, O scoffers, who rule this people who are in Jerusalem. Because you have said, ‘We have made a covenant with death and with Sheol we have made a pact. The overwhelming scourge will not reach us when it passes by, for we have made falsehood our refuge and we have concealed ourselves with deception.’ Judah had several good kings, but king Ahaz was a wicked king who had made an agreement with Tiglath-Pileser III of Assyria to save him from Aram. What ended up happening out of that is Assyria became stronger after defeating Damascus and that placed the destruction of Israel and then Judah front and center in his expansion plans. Ahaz thought he could make an agreement that would protect himself and Jerusalem. He was about to find out God had other plans.

Therefore these days the Lord GOD, ‘Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a tested stone, a costly cornerstone for the foundation, firmly placed. He who believes in it will not be disturbed. I will make justice the measuring line and righteousness the level; then hail will sweep away the refuge of lies and the waters will overflow the secret place. Your covenant with death will be cancelled, and your pact with Sheol will not stand. When the overwhelming scourge passes through, then you will become its trampling place. As often as it passes through, it will seize you. For morning after morning it will pass through, anytime during the day or night, and it will be sheer terror to understand what it means.’

God basically was telling Ahaz and the wicked rulers of Jerusalem that since they made that covenant with death, God Himself was going to annul it. Since the agreement was to keep the warfare from Jerusalem, then God Himself would make it so Jerusalem would never avoid warfare. Their refuge of lies would be their downfall. They would learn that they should have made God their refuge. Time and again the torrents of judgment would wash over Jerusalem and they would understand the sheer terror of it all. 

Isaiah likens this covenant with death to sleeping on a bed that is too short with a blanket too small to wrap oneself in. Not only will you not get any sleep, you will be frustrated all night long. And this would be the experience of those who lead in Jerusalem. They would make agreements but God would actively annul them. This applies not only to Isaiah’s day, but especially in our own days. The covenants Israel is making with other nations right now to protect themselves will be annulled by their God. He will allow that nation and city to be overwhelmed by their enemies again and only a remnant will be saved. 

God is rising up to do His extraordinary work. It is an unusual task, one of decisive destruction on all the earth. It begins with Jerusalem, the city His chose for His Name to dwell in. Just as a farmer plows his field and then plants different crops in their respective places, God is going to plow the field again for the future harvest to come. This mighty work of God to bring His rebellious people back to Himself is from His own wonderful counsel and great wisdom. To everyone else it is difficult to grasp or understand, but God knows exactly what He has planned and just how He will accomplish it.