In the commentary, I can really appreciate his last sentence."But no enemy shall pluck the believer out of Emmanuel's hand, or deprive him of his heavenly inheritance."
When we are in battle with men who are in the hands of evil, it is something of a comfort to know that we will remain safe, in the palm of God's hand.
Some days, I feel like my life is spiraling out of control. My focus is easily shaken away from God. It is steady work and prayer that brings me back into the safety of His hand.
1 The LORD said to me, "Take a large scroll and write on it with an ordinary pen: Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz.
2 And I will call in Uriah the priest and Zechariah son of Jeberekiah as reliable witnesses for me."
3 Then I went to the prophetess, and she conceived and gave birth to a son. And the LORD said to me, "Name him Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz.
4 Before the boy knows how to say 'My father' or 'My mother,' the wealth of Damascus and the plunder of Samaria will be carried off by the king of Assyria."
5 The LORD spoke to me again:
6 "Because this people has rejected the gently flowing waters of Shiloah and rejoices over Rezin and the son of Remaliah,
7 therefore the Lord is about to bring against them the mighty floodwaters of the River-- the king of Assyria with all his pomp. It will overflow all its channels, run over all its banks
8 and sweep on into Judah, swirling over it, passing through it and reaching up to the neck. Its outspread wings will cover the breadth of your land, O Immanuel !"
(the following is from Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary -- www.christnotes.org)
"Chapter Contents
Exhortations and warnings. (1-8) Comfort for those who fear God. (9-16) Afflictions to idolaters. (17-22)
Commentary on Isaiah 8:1-8
The prophet is to write on a large roll, or on a metal tablet, words which meant, "Make speed to spoil, hasten to the prey:" pointing out that the Assyrian army should come with speed, and make great spoil. Very soon the riches of Damascus and of Samaria, cities then secure and formidable, shall be taken away by the king of Assyria. The prophet pleads with the promised Messiah, who should appear in that land in the fulness of time, and, therefore, as God, would preserve it in the mean time. As a gentle brook is an apt emblem of a mild government, so an overflowing torrent represents a conqueror and tyrant. The invader's success was also described by a bird of prey, stretching its wings over the whole land. Those who reject Christ, will find that what they call liberty is the basest slavery. But no enemy shall pluck the believer out of Emmanuel's hand, or deprive him of his heavenly inheritance."
I think we all feel need of that reassurance from time to time. Thanks for sharing your vulnerabilities with us.
ReplyDeleteOn a different note--this reading reminded me of The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom. Don't know if you've ever read it, but it's one of my all-time favorite books. In a nutshell, Corrie and her Christian family hide Jews during WWII in Holland. They have some Jewish people living at their home, and one of them names the cat Maher Shalal Hash Baz because the cat was always hastening to the spoils ...