Faith or Fear

Today, we are going to take a closer look at faith. Faith is obviously a key aspect of following Jesus, so it’s always good to take another look at it so that we can understand better what it is that Jesus calls for from us. In this morning’s chapter we find Isaiah challenging Ahaz, the king of Judah. He calls Ahaz to faith, and he does that because of a serious problem confronting the king.

Let me explain who’s who before I read so that the chapter will be a little clearer when I read. Just as in our own American history there was a split into North and South, the nation of Israel also split into North and South. The northern kingdom, made up of ten of the original tribes, retained the name Israel. The southern kingdom was called Judah, after one of the two tribes in this kingdom. In our text Ahaz is the king of the southern kingdom and the king of the northern kingdom is named Pekah son of Remaliah. There is a third nation involved, Syria. This nation is led by someone named Rezin. Now let me explain the situation. It’s all about international politics. Israel and Syria want to form a coalition that is strong enough to stand up to the current superpower. They want Judah to join in, but Ahaz is refusing. So, they are going to attack Judah and replace Ahaz with someone who will agree to their plans. An attack is imminent. And it looks like it will succeed. International politics. (This sounds so up to date, no? There really is nothing new under the sun.) So, King Ahaz and the rest of the people with him in Jerusalem are terribly afraid. But what can they do? It’s at this point that Isaiah delivers his message from Jesus. And Jesus’ message to King Ahaz is one of hope. But there is a condition. The situation will turn out fine if Ahaz has faith. Bear in mind that Ahaz isn’t some pagan. He’s a member of the Church. It may sound odd, but in essence it’s quite accurate to say that Isaiah is talking to a Christian. Once again everything turns on the answer to this question from Jesus. ‘Will you trust Me now?’ Sadly, as we’ll see, Ahaz refuses to trust Jesus in this situation. He tries to cover up his refusal by hiding behind religious-sounding talk about putting God to the test. And so, punishment is coming and soon, before a yet soon-to-be-born child knows how to choose between right and wrong. Ahaz failed to trust, to have faith. He gave in to his fear, and as a result he bore the consequence.

Now listen to Isaiah 7.

One thing that really stood out when I read this chapter earlier this week was Jesus’ prescription for Ahaz’ fear. Basically, Jesus told him, ‘Don’t!’ Now, there are details to get into, but that’s a fair summary of where Jesus starts. ‘Don’t!’ The simplicity of this command is refreshing and actually very encouraging. Jesus’ command assumes that this is something that Ahaz can do. He’s not trapped or enslaved. He can stop being afraid. Jesus gets at this from four directions. ‘Be careful, be quiet, do not fear, and do not let your heart be faint …’ With the first command, ‘Be careful’, Isaiah grabs the king’s attention. ‘Ahaz, you need to listen carefully to what I am going to tell you. Listen and respond wisely.’ The other three commands follow. The first of these is put positively. ‘Be quiet’. Isaiah is referring to a quietness of spirit. Most of us would put it this way: ‘Stay calm.’ This is quite the opposite of a heart that is shaking like trees in a storm which is how Ahaz’ heart was described in our text. The other two commands are in the negative, things to avoid. ‘Do not fear. Do not let your heart be faint.’ The second of these two makes clear that Jesus is not talking about mere external calm. He’s calling for a calmness that finds its roots deep within. Jesus addresses the heart here, just as He so often does. This is also a call to courage. A faint heart is a timid heart and that kind of heart just won’t make it. Ahaz needs to be bold – bold in faith and that from the heart.

I would not at all be surprised if Ahaz responded to Isaiah with a perplexed look that said, ‘Are you crazy?! What do you mean, “Do not fear”? There are two armies that are planning to attack, and I doubt that we can resist them. Do you know what that means? Isaiah, I think that being afraid makes perfect sense. Come on, a little realism please!’ If this were Ahaz’ response it would actually make a lot of sense. Remember what he is facing. But what Isaiah says next changes everything. Isaiah tells Ahaz that he has a word from Jesus that he needs to heed. Isaiah has more facts for Ahaz to consider. And this is so important. Faith is not a matter of ignoring the facts, and then doing something irrational, assuming that Jesus will, somehow, make it work. Faith is a matter of taking into account all the facts – especially the facts that Jesus supplies. And what does Jesus have to say to our king friend? What facts does He add to the mix? ‘It shall not stand, and it shall not come to pass.’ Jesus is talking about the plans of conquest. ‘Ahaz, it’s not going to happen. These two guys will not succeed. I guarantee it.’

Put yourself into the picture. Understand what’s going on with Ahaz. He is told that an attack is coming, an attack by a significantly stronger force than what he has. So, it looks like this attack will succeed. These seem to him to be solid facts. But Ahaz is also told this word from Isaiah. Jesus says that Ahaz has nothing to fear. The attack will not succeed. Now, get rid of what seems so odd: the kings with funny names. And all of this is happening so long ago in a strange place and time. Remove all of that, and instead of seeing Ahaz here, put yourself in his situation. And instead of being faced with battles and armies, it’s about problems on the job, family stuff, health issues, money problems. Or broaden it to church issues, national politics, international problems. Whatever. And all the facts say, ‘Be afraid!’ All the facts except one: ‘I will never leave you nor will I ever forsake you.’ That’s where Ahaz is. Our situation is so much like his.

Now, through Isaiah, Jesus adds something. He says to Ahaz, ‘If you are not firm in faith, you will not be firm at all.’ There’s a little poetry going on here that’s hard to capture in translation. So, another translation puts it like this. ‘If you do not stand firm in your faith you will not stand at all.’ This is the icing on the cake. So, Ahaz sees a serious threat and is afraid. Jesus sends Isaiah with the command, ‘Don’t be afraid’. He also gives Ahaz a reason not to be afraid: His promise of protection. But then Ahaz is confronted with the call to decide. ‘Do you trust Me now?’ And Isaiah makes it clear that if he trusts Jesus in this situation he will come through it well, but if he doesn’t he will fall.

Now, from one perspective, it’s all very neat and logical. I see a threat. Jesus says, ‘Don’t fear that threat. It won’t succeed. I’ll take care of you.’ Therefore, I decide to trust Him and the fear disappears. End of the syllogism. Neat and logical. But, we’re not so neat and logical, are we? Life isn’t so neat and logical. Sin messes up the best logic, and instead raises doubts and questions. But – and thanks be to God for this – Jesus knows this. He understands us. And so, He has even more to say to Ahaz. Listen. ‘Ask a sign of the LORD your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven.’ There are several things to notice here. First, Isaiah uses the language of ‘the LORD your God’. Do you see what’s going on? Isaiah is reminding Ahaz of the covenant between Jesus and himself. Remember how He put it way back with Abraham: ‘I will be your God.’ That’s a phrase filled with promise. ‘I will take care of you and provide for you and protect you. I will be your God.’ So, in this way Isaiah is telling Ahaz, ‘Remember that Jesus has pledged Himself to you. There is a bond between you. Trust Him to keep His word.’ So, first of all there is this appeal to Ahaz to believe. But then Jesus extends an offer. He could have just demanded a quick response of faith, but He doesn’t. Jesus knows life for sinners like us isn’t neat and logical. Ahaz has no excuse not to trust Jesus, but Jesus understands his weakness. And so, Jesus goes the second mile. ‘Ask for a sign.’ It’s as if He were saying, ‘Would a miracle help you now? Would that help your faith? Ask. I’ll give you a miracle, if that would help.’ And did you notice how Jesus limits His offer? ‘Let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven.’ There are no limits! ‘Ahaz, ask. Anything.’ This is just another example of how Jesus understands the weakness of His people and helps us deal with it.

Do you remember Gideon? He was called to lead Israel against her enemies. Another fear versus faith situation. And even though he received this call not from another human but from an angel it took not just one sign but three signs plus a little before Gideon’s faith was strong enough. Jesus gave him three signs. Jesus understands our weakness and He accommodates Himself to us. So, after commanding Ahaz not to fear but to trust, Jesus offers him a sign to bolster his flagging faith. ‘Ask for a sign.’ Jesus is very demanding. What else would you call commanding someone to stop being afraid of a real threat? Very demanding. But He doesn’t send us off on our own to obey. He walks with us, even carrying us, so that we can obey. He is a gracious Savior who understands how weak we really are. He does not lessen His demands. We need to remember that. It’s just that He makes it possible for us to meet them. That’s what grace is all about. That’s the Gospel.

But – and this is so incredibly sad – Ahaz refuses. He refuses even to ask for a sign. He tries to cover that up with pious Church-talk. ‘I will not ask, and I will not put the LORD to the test.’ And we know that this is a cover up because, instead of entrusting himself to Jesus, Ahaz entrusts himself to the superpower of the day. As a result, this superpower sends troops to defeat Ahaz’ enemies, Pekah and Rezin. How sad. Ahaz’ faith was weak. He chose poorly. There was a better way.

Do you remember in the Gospels the father of the demonic boy who brings his son to Jesus? Listen to the conversation he had with Jesus. ‘[The evil spirit] has often cast him into fire and into water, to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” And Jesus said to him, “‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.” Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!”’ Here’s a man who is struggling to believe. He’s no paragon of faith, and he knows it. His faith is as weak as Ahaz’. But what does he do? He cries out to Jesus. ‘Help me!’ Honest prayer. And Jesus, full of grace for sinners, acts. He frees the man’s son. He understands our weakness. If only Ahaz, with what little faith he may have possessed, had cried out to Jesus. He chose poorly, and he bore the consequences. ‘The LORD will bring upon you and upon your people and upon your father's house such days as have not come since the day that Ephraim departed from Judah - the king of Assyria.’ Remember that superpower that Ahaz had put his hope it when he faced those two armies. It also devoured him.

I think that the point of all of this is well summarized by one of the Proverbs. ‘The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is safe.’ It’s either giving in to fear or trusting Jesus. We are all called to turn from the one to the other. So, when you feel afraid, and you allow it to linger, that’s a sign that your faith is weak – at least when it comes to that threat. But that should not be surprising. We are sinners and that affects everything, including our faith. But Jesus is a great Savior and He will bless even a weak faith. Just ask Gideon or that father. But don’t let the evil one use that fact to lull you to sleep. We are all faced with threats, things that cause us to be afraid. And it is in these situations that the question is posed. ‘Do you trust Me now?’ You want to be able to answer that with a clear and resounding ‘Yes’ because that’s one way we make Jesus look so very good. And that is what we strive for, a faith that can shout, ‘Yes, I trust You even now.’ But we strive for that aware of our weakness and comforted by the fact that Jesus still holds us close even when we can’t say that but rather say, ‘I believe. Help my unbelief.’ This is Jesus our Savior, and He is worthy.