Isa 8:12-13 | KingComments | STEP | These verses continue to denounce “the way of this people,” that is, the way of relying on Assyria rather than on God. The LORD has forcefully – literally: with strength of the hand – made it clear to Isaiah that he should not go in “the way of this people” ( ). A prophet does not follow the way of the majority. The expression that the hand of the LORD is upon the prophet indicates that the LORD impels the prophet to service and gives him the power to do so (cf. ; ; ; ). Perhaps Isaiah needed Divine insistence for his service because the people always reject his words and thereby he might become despondent. It seems that Isaiah has been inclined to go along with the thinking of Ahaz and Judah who seek their strength in an alliance, here translated as “conspiracy”, with Assyria ( ). The heart of the prophet is by nature no better than the heart of the people. He is not allowed to change or even stop his message. In the future, the remnant will also have to distance themselves from the conspiracy of the antichrist who connects Israel with the beast of the restored Western Roman Empire or Europe. Those who constantly pay attention to the fact that ‘God is with us’ are not afraid of the things that people who do not have a living faith in ‘Immanuel’ are afraid of. God encourages everyone to trust in Him and not to put their trust in the power of human covenants.

‏ Isaiah 8:12-13

Do Not Walk in the Way of This People

These verses continue to denounce “the way of this people,” that is, the way of relying on Assyria rather than on God. The LORD has forcefully – literally: with strength of the hand – made it clear to Isaiah that he should not go in “the way of this people” (Isa 8:11). A prophet does not follow the way of the majority. The expression that the hand of the LORD is upon the prophet indicates that the LORD impels the prophet to service and gives him the power to do so (cf. 1Kgs 18:46; 2Kgs 3:15; Eze 1:3 ; Eze 3:14; Jer 15:17). Perhaps Isaiah needed Divine insistence for his service because the people always reject his words and thereby he might become despondent.

It seems that Isaiah has been inclined to go along with the thinking of Ahaz and Judah who seek their strength in an alliance, here translated as “conspiracy”, with Assyria (Isa 8:12). The heart of the prophet is by nature no better than the heart of the people. He is not allowed to change or even stop his message. In the future, the remnant will also have to distance themselves from the conspiracy of the antichrist who connects Israel with the beast of the restored Western Roman Empire or Europe.

Those who constantly pay attention to the fact that ‘God is with us’ are not afraid of the things that people who do not have a living faith in ‘Immanuel’ are afraid of. God encourages everyone to trust in Him and not to put their trust in the power of human covenants.

A Sanctuary and a Stone to Strike

The LORD points out to Isaiah that instead of being afraid of people and of things that people are afraid of (Isa 8:12), he should only have “the LORD of hosts” before his attention (Isa 8:13). The LORD of hosts is He Who possesses all the heavenly and also earthly powers, the good and also the evil. He is in control of everything.

To “regard” Him “as holy” means to live in the constant awareness that He has absolute authority and control over the heart and the will, so that they are completely separated for Him. Then we will not have to be afraid of anything or anyone. Whatever someone is planning or saying (Isa 8:10), he will not be able to do anything against us if we regard Him as holy.

Living in the fear of God means that every activity of life, the whole walk, contains nothing that is not pleasing to Him. It is the opposite of fearing people in general and not only the kings of the world. That He must be our “fear” and “dread” does not mean that we flee from Him, but that our attitude is one of reverence and awe.

It is about knowing ourselves in His presence and not in the presence of people. It is about a holy fear of God opposite an unholy fear of men. This is the only and fitting answer to the redeeming grace and love of Christ (1Pet 3:14b-15; Isa 29:23; cf. Num 20:12). Peter’s reference to this verse in Isaiah shows that Christ, or the Messiah, is the same as “the LORD of hosts”.

The consequence of regarding the LORD as holy is that He will be “a sanctuary” for the remnant (Isa 8:14). “Sanctuary” here has the meaning of a refuge (cf. Eze 11:16). Just as the temple to Israel is meant to be the center of their spiritual life, of their joy in worship and praise, as a place of holiness and peace, and also of protection, so is Christ for the believer. Christ not only has a holy place in our hearts, but He Himself is a holy place where we can take shelter.

But to the unbelievers of all Israel He will be “a stone to strike and a rock to stumble over” (Isa 8:15; Rom 9:32b-33; 1Pet 2:7-8). In Romans 9:33, Paul, like Peter, applies what is said here of the LORD to the Lord Jesus. Faith in Christ is the dividing line that runs right through His people. “Both the houses of Israel” – the ten tribes realm of Ephraim and the two tribes realm of Judah – and “the inhabitants of Jerusalem” will reject Him. Not only the two tribes will reject Him, but also the ten tribes. In the course of time quite a few of them have come to live in Judah (2Chr 15:9 ; 2Chr 30:11; cf. Lk 2:36-38).

All twelve tribes will therefore reject Him because He does not meet what a Messiah should be in their eyes. They stumble over Him because of their unbelief. By their rejection of Him, many will “fall and be broken”. Those who do not fall and become broken will “be snared and caught”. A first fulfillment of this happens in the year 70 at the destruction of Jerusalem. At the time of the great tribulation, the majority of Israel will stumble, fall and be caught in the snare of the antichrist.