Season 6, Podcast 55, Isaiah 8:14-22, “A Stone of Stumbling and a Rock of Offense.”

Season 6, Podcast 55, Isaiah 8:14-22, “A Stone of Stumbling and a Rock of Offense.”

Last time we ended with “Sanctify the Lord of hosts himself; and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread.” Synonyms for sanctify are to bless, to consecrate, to hallow, to glorify, to purify, to venerate, to exalt. That is the message of Isaiah 8. 

This is a pivotal moment in the history of the House of Judah. If Ahaz, the king, does not make the right decision, the history of the Jews will change forever. They are about to be invaded by Ephraim (the northern tribes of Israel) and Syria. Understandably King Ahaz, who has turned against the Lord, sees that as their most eminent problem. It isn’t; consequently, he doesn’t make the right decision. He looks through temporal eyes rather than spiritual eyes. Knowing Ahaz’s wicked heart, the Lord sends the prophet Isaiah to warn him. In effect, the Lord says to King Ahaz, “Don’t worry about those firebrands Ephraim and Syria. Their expedition will fail. Worry about the overpowering kingdom Assyria. They are your true enemy. Don’t make an alliance with Assyria. Ahaz’s great sin is that rather than fearing the Lord, he fears man. Isaiah says to Ahaz. 

Isaiah 8:14

14 And he shall be for a sanctuary; but for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offence to both the houses of Israel, for a gin and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

The pronoun ‘he’ refers to Christ. There are three sets of images in verse 8: (1) sanctuary (2) stone of stumbling and rock of offense (3) gin and snare.

In thinking of sanctuary, remember the above call to “Sanctify the Lord of hosts himself.” For the Lord to be a sanctuary, not only must we hallow, glorify, venerate, and exalt God—in other words put God first in our hearts—but we must also consecrate and sanctify or purify ourselves. In other words, we must repent of our sins. 

Synonyms for sanctuary are Holy place, House of Worship, refuge, haven, shelter, safe harbor. The House of Judah is caught between two strong enemies: (1) the two nations of Ephraim, north of Jerusalem, and Syria, northeast of Jerusalem who are in alliance against Judah and (2) the very powerful empire of Assyria hundreds of miles to the northeast. The Lord is inviting Judah to let him be their sanctuary, not Assyria. 

Unfortunately, Ahaz is an idol worshiper. The Lord warns that if he is not a sanctuary he will be a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offense. A stone of stumbling means that if they don’t seek him as a sanctuary, he will be a stumbling block for them. A rock of offense appears to suggest a kind of punishment. In ancient times evil doers were stoned. He offers it to both the houses of Israel, meaning Ephraim and Judah. In other words, they must choose for themselves.

If they don’t make the Lord a sanctuary, He will be “for a gin and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. That is characteristically parallel to a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense. A gin anciently was a trap. Think of it as a bear trap, spring loaded, a horrible image. A gin could also refer to a pit for animals to fall into. A snare is another form of trap, generally a wire that catches a creature around the neck. As it tightens it strangles the creature. We often use the phrase between a rock and a hard place. This is echoed in the destruction of Moab as recorded in Jeremiah 48:44: “He that fleeth from the fear shall fall into the pit; and he that getteth up out of the pit shall be taken in the snare: for I will bring upon it, even upon Moab, the year of their visitation, saith the Lord.“