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HOW DID YOU SEE GOD THIS WEEK AS YOU FOLLOWED HIM?

WHAT DID GOD SAY IN HIS WORD?

Opening Question:

Think about something that made you afraid. How did you handle that fear?

If we don’t process our fear, then we can be paralyzed by our fear. In today’s passage, the king of Syria and king of Israel were coming to wage war against Jerusalem. Ahaz, the king of Judah, and his people were shaken by fear instead of putting their faith in God.

1 In the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, son of Uzziah, king of Judah, Rezin the king of Syria and Pekah the son of Remaliah the king of Israel came up to Jerusalem to wage war against it, but could not yet mount an attack against it. 2 When the house of David was told, "Syria is in league with Ephraim," the heart of Ahaz and the heart of his people shook as the trees of the forest shake before the wind. 3 And the LORD said to Isaiah, "Go out to meet Ahaz, you and Shear-jashub your son, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool on the highway to the Washer's Field. 4 And say to him, 'Be careful, be quiet, do not fear, and do not let your heart be faint because of these two smoldering stumps of firebrands, at the fierce anger of Rezin and Syria and the son of Remaliah. 5 Because Syria, with Ephraim and the son of Remaliah, has devised evil against you, saying, 6 "Let us go up against Judah and terrify it, and let us conquer it for ourselves, and set up the son of Tabeel as king in the midst of it," 7 thus says the Lord GOD: "'It shall not stand, and it shall not come to pass. 8 For the head of Syria is Damascus, and the head of Damascus is Rezin. And within sixty-five years Ephraim will be shattered from being a people. 9 And the head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is the son of Remaliah. If you are not firm in faith, you will not be firm at all.'"

10 Again the LORD spoke to Ahaz, 11 "Ask a sign of the LORD your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven." 12 But Ahaz said, "I will not ask, and I will not put the LORD to the test." 13 And he said, "Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary men, that you weary my God also? 14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. 15 He shall eat curds and honey when he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good. 16 For before the boy knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land whose two kings you dread will be deserted. 17 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."

Reflect Together:

What does Isaiah tell King Ahaz to do first?  (v. 4)  What assurances does Isaiah give to King Ahaz that the king of Syria and Israel’s plans will not prevail? (v.7-9) How does trusting that God’s purposes will ultimately prevail help us overcome fear?

Ahaz said that he did not want to put the Lord to a test, so he did not ask for a sign. His words, which sounded pious and spiritual, were actually cloaked in unbelief. In 2 Kings 16, he put his hope of deliverance in Assyria rather than in God. However, God still gives Ahaz a sign, which is the hope of Immanuel. How would this sign be fulfilled?  (v.14-16)

WHAT DID GOD SAY TO ME THROUGH HIS WORD?

The isolation and pressures caused by Covid-19 can take a toll on our emotional and mental health.  What are some things that are making you fearful or anxious right now?

When fear or anxiety rise in our hearts, how can we continually put our faith in the promises of God?

Read 1 Peter 5:10–11, “And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.” How does meditating on this promise strengthen your faith?  What are some other promises in Scripture that you are holding onto right now?  Perhaps it is a promise that directly addresses one of your fears or anxieties.

WHAT DOES GOD WANT ME TO DO ABOUT IT?

Pick one promise in Scripture to memorize this week and share that passage with the group.

What areas are you longing for God’s deliverance?  Join together in praying for his deliverance in those areas.