"Conspiracy Theories, Anyone?"

Scripture Passage

Isaiah 8:1-11:16

Scripture Focus

The LORD has given me a strong warning not to think like everyone else does. He said,

“Don’t call everything a conspiracy, like they do,
     and don’t live in dread of what frightens them.
Make the LORD of Heaven’s Armies holy in your life.
     He is the one you should fear.
He is the one who should make you tremble.
     He will keep you safe.
                                      (Isaiah 8:11-14 NLT)

Observation

If you haven’t read yesterday’s passages, I encourage you to do so before tackling today’s. They set the context for Isaiah 7-11, which stands as a unit.

Bottom line, Judah is at risk of attack from a Syrian-Israeli coalition, and Isaiah has brought King Ahaz the promise of God’s deliverance if Ahaz will only respond in faith. The promise continues in today’s reading, but stretches beyond immediate deliverance for Judah to the initiation of a messianic kingdom (9:1-7) lead by a descendent of David on whom the Spirit of the Lord will rest (11:1-16), a promise we see fulfilled, of course, in Jesus of Nazareth.

The wonder is that this prophetic word carries such a pertinent challenge for today’s world. Read again Isaiah 8:11-14:

The LORD has given me a strong warning not to think like everyone else does. He said,

“Don’t call everything a conspiracy, like they do,
     and don’t live in dread of what frightens them.
Make the LORD of Heaven’s Armies holy in your life.
     He is the one you should fear.
He is the one who should make you tremble.
     He will keep you safe.
                                   (Isaiah 11:14 NLT)

Let’s face it—conspiracy theorists abound in today’s political climate. And hear me—I’m not even discounting the potential validity of their theories! But Isaiah’s challenge to the people of God is to not be unduly concerned with abounding conspiratorial speculation as if any person or group of people somehow had the power to accomplish their own will at the expense of God’s. As someone has said, “God’s will, to be sure, is not always done on earth—but God’s will, you can be sure, shall ultimately be done on earth!”

The thing to fear, then, is not conspiracies or conspirators, but “the Lord of Heaven’s Armies!” He is the one who should make you tremble because He is the one who will keep you safe.