Isaiah 8:9-15: a reflection

9Make an uproar, you peoples, and be broken in pieces! Listen, all you from far countries: dress for battle, and be shattered! Dress for battle, and be shattered! 10Take counsel together, and it will be brought to nothing; speak the word, and it will not stand, for God is with us.” 11For the LORD spoke this to me with a strong hand, and instructed me not to walk in the way of this people, saying, 12“Don’t call a conspiracy all that this people call a conspiracy. Don’t fear their threats or be terrorized. 13The LORD of Armies is who you must respect as holy. He is the one you must fear. He is the one you must dread. 14He will be a sanctuary, but for both houses of Israel, he will be a stumbling stone and a rock that makes them fall. For the people of Jerusalem, he will be a trap and a snare. 15Many will stumble over it, fall, be broken, be snared, and be captured.”

In a time of national fear, when threats loomed and people were gripped by dread, God gives Isaiah a different instruction about what to fear. Don't call a conspiracy all that this people call a conspiracy; don't fear their threats or be terrorized, God says. Instead: The LORD of Armies is who you must respect as holy. He is the one you must fear. Rather than share the fears that gripped everyone around him, Isaiah was to fear God, and let that fear displace the lesser fears that terrified the people.

Notice the redirection of fear: from the threats that terrify others, to God. The people were consumed with fear of the threats around them, dreading what everyone dreaded. But God told Isaiah not to share those fears; instead, he was to fear God, to regard the LORD as holy, and let that fear govern him. The fear of God was to displace the fear of the threats that terrified the people. To fear God rightly is to be freed from being ruled by the lesser fears that grip others; the one who fears God need not be terrorized by what terrifies everyone else.

That redirection of fear is worth taking to heart, for we too can be gripped by the fears that grip everyone around us. We can be swept up in the dread of the moment, fearing what everyone fears, terrorized by the threats that terrify the crowd; but God calls us, as he called Isaiah, to fear him instead, and to let that fear displace the lesser ones. Do not be gripped by the fears that grip everyone around you, swept up in the dread of the crowd; fear God, regard him as holy, and let the fear of him displace the fear of the threats that terrify others. The one who rightly fears God is freed from being ruled by the fears that grip the crowd; let the fear of the LORD, whom you must regard as holy, displace your fear of what terrifies everyone else, as God called Isaiah to fear him rather than share the dread of the people.

Lord, in a time of national fear, when threats loomed and people were gripped by dread, you gave Isaiah a different instruction about what to fear. Don't call a conspiracy all that this people call a conspiracy; don't fear their threats or be terrorized, you said. Instead: the LORD of Armies is who you must respect as holy; he is the one you must fear. Rather than share the fears that gripped everyone around him, Isaiah was to fear you, and let that fear displace the lesser fears that terrified the people. Show me the redirection of fear: from the threats that terrify others, to you. The people were consumed with fear of the threats around them; but you told Isaiah not to share those fears; instead, he was to fear you, to regard you as holy. The fear of you was to displace the fear of the threats that terrified the people. To fear you rightly is to be freed from being ruled by the lesser fears that grip others. Take that to my heart, for I too can be gripped by the fears that grip everyone around me. I can be swept up in the dread of the moment, fearing what everyone fears, terrorized by the threats that terrify the crowd; but you call me, as you called Isaiah, to fear you instead. Keep me from being gripped by the fears that grip everyone around me; help me fear you, regard you as holy, and let the fear of you displace the fear of the threats that terrify others. The one who rightly fears you is freed from being ruled by the fears that grip the crowd; let the fear of you, Lord, displace my fear of what terrifies everyone else.