Here, in Isaiah 7:13-14, is Isaiah’s wonderful and “positive” prophecy concerning the birth of Jesus Christ: “Immanuel, God with us”. As much as I might want to look at that great and encouraging prophetic word, I will, instead, focus on the first part of that text: “but will you also weary God?” This part of the prophecy is much more negative, but when we see what that word weary means, we’ll not only see the seriousness of where Israel was, as a nation, but we’ll also see our Great and Loving God’s ability to overlook man’s grievous and disgusting ways and still promise a Savior...for Israel, in Isaiah’s day -- and for us, today.

Disgusting and grievous...that’s what weary means; literally “to grieve” or “make disgusted”, and it specifically means “to grieve God or to make Him disgusted with us”. Now...I suppose the question might be: “Can we make Him disgusted with us?”, and - if so - how can we do this...? If it is possible to grieve our Lord in such a manner, I think it would be “wise” of us to know how we might do this, so that we will not fall into the same place of ignorance, arrogance and self-deceit the Israelites had fallen into. However, before we consider this in detail, let’s look at some more of this man Isaiah’s writings, specifically in chapter 8, verses 6 & 7.

“Because this people refuses the waters of Shiloah that go softly, and they rejoice in Rezin and Remaliah’s son (here, both Rezin and Remaliah refer to “self-gratifying” and “pleasure-seeking”), now therefore, behold: The Lord brings upon them the waters of the river, strong and many, even the king of Assyria, and all his glory...and he shall come up over all his channels, and go over all his banks.”

Shiloah, which is an obscure fountain in Jerusalem, is taken from the Hebrew word “shalach”, meaning to “send away, cast away, forsake, depart or put away”. This fountain in Jerusalem was said to “go softly”, meaning to move and go forth gently and without force, as a “rill” or small brook...it was not anything like a “mighty, rushing river”. This fountain is a “type” of the Fountain we have in Jesus Christ, where the Fountain of His Blood cleanses us from all sin, and His Blood is “offered to us” in a soft and gentle way -- it is not “forced upon us”, neither do we have to “fight” for it, “struggle” for it, or even “beg” for it...it is given freely and without question.

All we have to do is accept. When we do accept, that Fountain cleanses and removes all our failures, fears and heartaches, and the sins of our former lives are “sent away, cast away, put away and departed from” -- none of them to be remembered any longer.

• Where are all our sins and failures sent...?
  To the Sea of God’s Forgetfulness (Micah 7:19)

• Where are they cast...?
  Behind His Very Own Back (Isaiah 38:17)

• To where are they “put away” or removed...?
  As far as the East is from the West (Psalm 103:12)

However, we can reject the Lord’s offer and suffer the consequences of Him “bringing upon us the waters of the river, strong and many”, as He did to Israel of old. Why would it be so difficult to choose between the “easy way” and the “hard way”? The “hard way” is His judgment; the “easy way” is Salvation through the Blood of Jesus Christ, His Only begotten Son -- Immanuel, God with us. So then, just what is it that we are to do? We need to “depart from and give up those things from before” -- all the things from our old nature, our old man, when we were “dead” in trespasses and sin. Some verses that tell us how all of this “works” are found in Ephesians 2:

“(3) Among (the children of disobedience, [see verse 1]) we also had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and we were by our very nature the children of wrath, even as others are. (4) But God (Who is rich in mercy by His Great Love wherewith He loved us (5) [even when we were dead in sins]), has quickened us together with Christ, (for don’t forget: you are saved by grace). (6) And He has raised us up together, and made us sit together in Heavenly Places in Christ Jesus.”

Once we were disobedient and lustful, fulfilling our own willful desires and pleasures, by nature the children of wrath. It is the same with us, as it was in Isaiah’s day...in many ways, we have grieved Him, and no doubt we have also disgusted Him. However, even when Israel had made God disgusted with them, by their grieving of Him -- and even though they deserved no Mercy or Deliverance -- God still came to them. And, as faithfully as He came to them, so He comes to us. He comes to us with His Great Mercy and by His Great Love, offering Redemption, Hope and Salvation -- through His Own Son, Immanuel (Jesus, Who is “God with us”). And we were, as in Isaiah’s day (and as Paul stated), “disobedient and lustful, fulfilling our own desires and pleasures”. However, we have Hope. Like Israel, who grieved Him greatly -- and though we have been rebellious and disgusting to our God -- we, too, have Hope, and our Hope is in this: By His Great Mercy and His Great Love, he has offered us Redemption and Salvation in His Dear Son, through the Precious Blood of Jesus Christ.

And before we go any further, let us know this, let us hope in this, and let us cling to this fact, with all of our hearts and all of our understanding: No matter what we have done; no matter what our sin, or sins; no matter how rebellious and disgusting we have been in the Father’s Eyes...He still loves us, with an Unconditional Love; He still forgives us, by His Great Mercy; and He still desires to be our God, and for us to be His children -- obedient children, yes (that is surely His desire), but He is patiently waiting for any and all strayers and wanderers and even the backslider! He is waiting for any who have known Him to come home...

If, as wanderers or strayers or backsliders (or even as a sinner coming to Him for the first time), we “accept His Provision” and “obey His Words”, we become obedient children, and we are taken out of darkness and placed into His Marvellous Light (1st Peter 2:9). And we are now allowed (and welcome) to sit with Him in Heavenly Places (Ephesians 2:6). However... when we refuse those soft, gentle waters of the Fountain of Christ’s Blood — even after we have been “saved” — and, instead, we would rather enjoy the pleasures and sins of this life (which is a “type” of Rezin and Remaliah, which we said meant “self-gratifying and pleasure-seeking”), then we are — to put it mildly — in Big Trouble. Before we go further, let’s look at that word “refuses”, used in Isaiah 8:6. Here, it means to “spurn, abhor, despise, disdain, become loathesome and to reject (refuse)”; it even means “to become reprobate...or to become an utterly, vile person.” It is not a “light thing” to refuse the Grace and Favor of God’s Love and Provision.

It is when we refuse and reject the Grace and Mercy of God, going our own rebellious ways, that there are consequences in our lives -- even after Salvation (for remember...Israel was God’s chosen and elect people). Many Christians have become “careless” in their relationship with God, thinking that He doesn’t care what we do after Salvation, but He most certainly does. All that we do should honor Him, and nothing we do should be an “occasion to the flesh”, as Paul states in Galatians 5:13 & 14: “For, brothers, you have been called unto liberty; only do not use liberty as an ‘occasion to the flesh’, but by love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself’.”

This occasion to the flesh is “a starting-point” or “an opportunity” for sin to take control (and eventually reign) in our lives, and it is not a small thing to ignore Paul’s admonition to us here, in Galatians 5:13. As Israel had done, by ignoring the Word of the Lord through his prophets and leaders, not to mention the written law they had, so have we done...ignoring His Word to us in the Gospels and the Epistles. I am constantly amazed at how quickly and easily we can get ourselves into trouble, simply because we do not believe or trust in His Word. Let’s take a look at Psalm 119, one of the best places to get a true feel as to how important His Word is.

Psalm 119: “(9) Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed thereto according to Your Word. (10) With my whole heart I have sought You; O do not let me wander from Your Commandments. (11) I have hidden Your Word in my heart, that I might not sin against You. (12) Blessed are You, O LORD; teach me Your Statutes.”

The whole of Psalm 119 is literally filled with wonderful expressions of how we are to honor, hear and obey the Word of the Lord, and there are many, many such verses we could look at. But here, in the few verses above, we can see that His Word is necessary, in order that we do not sin against Him, or -- as Paul said -- that we do not make or allow “a starting-point” or “an opportunity” for sin to take control (and eventually reign) in our lives. His Word is also necessary, that we do not “wander from His commandments”. And...His Word is necessary, so that we are able to be “taught His Statutes” -- that we may “learn” not only of Him, but also how to truly please Him. Of course, the Simple Solution to everything -- in any situation -- is hearing and obeying the Command of Jesus Christ, Himself, to which Paul referred in Galatians 5:14. Paul quotes the Words of Jesus, spoken in Mark 12:28-31 (and other places in the Gospels) --

If all Christians would live by this Command at all times, there would never, ever be a need for any of us to worry about “what” to do or “how” to do it....

As we said, there are consequences to disobeying, ignoring or refusing the Lord’s Words, and one of these consequences is that the Lord “allows” the enemy to come and intrude upon our lives. We saw this in Isaiah 8:7 & 8. Knowing what some of you may be thinking, perhaps I should “remind us all” of what Paul says regarding Old Testament Scripture, so that we don’t “kid ourselves” into believing: “Oh that was for the Old Testament saints... not for us!!!” We need to be very, very careful about “selectively discarding” any Scripture at all, including Old Testament Scripture, for we can learn many things from the books, the history and the people (and their mistakes) of Old Testament times.

Paul says, in 1st Corinthians 10:6 - “Now these things (that happened to Israel in the wilderness [see verses 1-5]) were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.” And look at verse 11 - “Now all these things happened to them as an example and warning to us; and these things are written for our admonition...” (Also look at Jude, verse 7). In other places, Paul expresses concerns that we learn from other people’s mistakes, and in Hebrews, chapter four especially, the writer has much to say about “not hardening our hearts”, “hearing His Voice” (verse 7), and “labouring to enter into His Rest, lest any of us fall after the same example of unbelief” (verse 11). That “example of unbelief” was Israel’s failure and inability to “enter in” to a trusting, resting and obedient relationship with the Lord. All of Hebrews four is a most excellent study of what NOT to do, in the way of grieving and provoking the Lord. If we have any questions as to how to live our lives, this is as good a place as any to start.

Having said all of that, let us consider: If we refuse the Lord and His Ways, He will allow “the king of Assyria” to come into our lives, “flooding over us” (see Isaiah 8:7 & 8). If we reject the Lord and His Ways, we will have to confront the enemy and deal with his ways, and there will be “unnecessary suffering” in our lives. Even though people might “associate themselves together” against the Lord and His people (Isaiah 8:9), it will come to nothing...for God is with us — with the people of the Lord. However, even though it will “come to nothing”, it doesn’t mean that the enemy still won’t come against us -- for he will, and he does, and he will continue to do so until we learn how to do battle with him and resist his ways. Many Christians have needless and unnecessary suffering in their lives, doing constant battle with the enemy, when we need to get our hearts aligned with the Lord, trusting in His Ways, doing His Will. And... many Christians live in a constant state of fear.

Isa 8:12 & 13 says: “Do not say ‘confederacy’, even though everyone else is saying ‘confederacy’; neither fear what they fear, nor be afraid. Instead, sanctify the LORD of Hosts Himself; and let Him be your fear, and let Him be your dread.” (And the Amplified Bible adds at the end of that verse: “Lest you offend Him by your fear of man and distrust of Him.”)

The word “confederacy” means “conspiracy”, or “treason” or “unlawful alliance”. Sadly, even in the church today, there are “confederacies” and “treasons”, and those who would “conspire” against those who desire (and delight) to do God’s Will. The real sadness of all this is that most of these folks truly think they are doing God’s Will, when they resist and fight against the Moving of God. But, if we will be honest and open, we can see that this is how it was when Jesus walked this earth...the Pharisees and Sadducees and many “religious folks” thought they were “being holy and upright” in challenging Jesus and His Works; and then, later, they continued to challenge the apostles and their work, striving against the Lord, against the Holy Spirit, and against His People! Many times, we strive against those things we do not understand, but let us be ever so careful not to “strive against” the Working of God and His Spirit.

Looking back to Isaiah 7:13, we see Isaiah asking, “Is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will you also weary my God?” We said that weary meant to “grieve”, and when we “grieve the Lord” we are actually resisting His Grace in our lives, leaving ourselves vulnerable to the enemy. Back on March 12, 2000, our teaching was “Be Careful Not to Grieve the Holy Spirit” (Life Lesson # 7 of Seven Things I’ve Learned), and I feel the need to “reiterate” this thought here, in this teaching. There are many harmful things said and done in the church, and all are done “in Jesus’ Name”, and all done with great zeal, but -- again looking back at Seven Things I’ve Learned -- “we can be ‘wrong’ being ‘right’!” (which is Life Lesson #5).

Isaiah 8:19 & 20 -- “And when they (Israel) shall say to you, ‘Seek those that have familiar spirits, and wizards that peep and mutter’, you shall answer them with: ‘Should not a people seek their (Living) God? Why do you look for the living among the dead?’ According to the law and the testimony: If they do not speak according to this Word (the Law and Testimony), it is because there is no Light in them.”

The state that Israel was in, during Isaiah’s prophetic ministry, is very much like the state we see the church in today, although many Christians would strongly and emphatically deny such a declaration. But let us remember: Many of Isaiah’s contemporaries also denied such a possibility. However, Israel had sought the wrong things (those with familiar spirits); aligned themselves with the wrong people (wizards that peeped and muttered); and now found themselves in the wrong place (living among and listening to those who had no Light!). They now were in a dangerous place of resisting and refusing God’s Word and His Provision. One of the ways they did this was by “seeking after” wizards and false prophets. Reading Isaiah 8:19 & 20, we see where Israel had forsaken seeking after the One True Living God, and now they were seeking for answers from other sources -- sources of death, among the dead -- namely those who have “familiar spirits”, and those who are “wizards that peep and mutter”. This is, as I sincerely hope we all know, a very, very dangerous thing. But it had happened many times before. And, sadly, it has happened many times since.

One such time, King Saul (in 1st Samuel 28:7-20), sought after a woman who had a “familiar spirit”. The reason he went looking for someone “with a familiar spirit” was because, as we read in 1st Sam. 28:6, the Lord had forsaken him, and Saul could get no direction -- “for the LORD would not answer him, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets”. The Urim (pronounced oo-reem), mentioned here, are the stones on the breastplate of the high priest, and the priests often consulted the Lord by these stones (see Exodus 28:30; Leviticus 8:8; Numbers 27:21). But now, because of his rebellion and sin (1st Sam. 15:22-23), Saul had been quite effectively “cut off” from communication with God.

I would like to share a rather intense thought, if I may, and I hope you will be ready to listen to what I am about to share. I realize there is already “so much confusion out there”, in and among the Body of Christ, and we certainly do not need any more. But when Scripture tells us of something, warning us about a particular thing, then we should most definitely heed it -- i.e. the story of Saul “seeking a familiar spirit to guide him”; the story of Israel “seeking after familiar spirits and wizards”; and these other Scriptures listed here: Leviticus 19:31 & 20:6; 2nd Kings 21:6 & 23:24 and Isaiah 19:3. These are just a few places where we see the error of “seeking after familiar spirits and wizards”, and below is a lengthy portion taken from Deuteronomy 18.

“(9) When you are come into the land which the LORD your God gives to you, you shall not learn to do after the abominations of those nations. (10) There shall not be found among you any one that...uses divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch; (11) neither shall there be a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. (12) For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD; and because of (all) these abominations the LORD your God has driven them out from before you. (13) But you shall be perfect with the LORD your God.”

In verse 13, where it says “you shall be perfect with the LORD your God”, that word “perfect” gives us a clear picture of what the Lord requires of us as His people. Tamiym (taw-meem), the Hebrew word used, is defined as “entire; to possess integrity and truth; without blemish, complete, sincere, without spot, undefiled, upright, whole”. All of the above definition is found throughout the New Testament; here are but a few verses to consider...

James 1 -- “(2) My brothers, count it all joy when you fall into various temptations, (3) knowing this, that the trying of your faith accomplishes and finishes patience. (4) But let patience have her perfect work (or be completed), that you may be perfect and entire, lacking nothing.”

Ephesians 4 -- “(11) And He gave some to be apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors; and some teachers; (12) for the (purpose of) perfecting the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the Body of Christ. (13) Till we all come to that place of unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.”

Ephesians 5 -- “(25)...Christ loved the church, and gave Himself for it; (26) that He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the Word, and (27) that He might present it to Himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; and that it should be holy and without blemish.”

We have a choice...we can be good listeners, obeying the Word of our God, and we can allow His Word to sanctify and cleanse us. By being obedient, we can allow Him to make us “entire and without blemish, causing us to possess integrity and truth, that we might be sincere, without spot, undefiled, upright and whole”. For, as James says, we need to “be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving our own selves (James 1:22).

As I said...we do have a choice. God will not and does not “force” His Will upon any of us. We can choose to rebel and strive against the Lord and His Word -- eventually and ultimately being “cut off” from all communication with God, just like king Saul. His terrible death, cut off and rejected by God, was brought on by his own willful and sinful actions. But, as ironic as it may seem, his death was also brought about by his own ruling, for he had “cut off all of those wizards and all those who dealt with familiar spirits”...and he had done so by making a kingly decree, ordering death to anyone dealing with these abominations (see 1st Samuel 28:3 & 9). The next day, following his own “dealing with this abomination”, he and his family were “put to death” (1st Sam. 31:2-6), according to the decree that Saul, himself, had made...and according to the word of Samuel (see 1st Sam. 28:16-19).

If you read 1st Sam. 28:16-19, you’ll see that this woman of Endor did, in fact, “conjure up” Samuel -- or did she? We’ll look at this in a little more depth in the next part, for we should all know:

Even mediums and those who have familiar spirits, and even witches and those possessed of devils can be “correct” and “accurate” in their predictions and divinations.

So we should never be impressed or swayed by the “accuracy” of someone claiming to reveal the truth of a matter, for even false prophets can be accurate at times. How is this so...? Read on.

You may print this for further study or to share with friends. “Whosoever will, let him freely take of the Water of Life” (Revelation 22:17b)

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However, please do not change it, charge for it, or omit this paragraph. “Freely you have received, freely give” (Matthew 10:8b)