A Message For The Shaken (Totally Afraid and Helpless)!

Isaiah 7:2 – Now the house of David was told, “Aram has allied itself with Ephraim ”; so the hearts of AHAZ AND HIS PEOPLE WERE SHAKEN, as the trees of the forest are shaken by the wind.(NIV)

Isaiah 7:3 – Then the LORD said to Isaiah, “Go out, you and your son Shear-Jashub, to meet Ahaz at the end of the aqueduct of the Upper Pool, on the road to the Launderer’s Field.(NIV)

Isaiah 7:4 – Say to him, ‘Be careful, keep calm and don’t be afraid. Do not lose heart because of these two smoldering stubs of firewood—because of the fierce anger of Rezin and Aram and of the son of Remaliah.(NIV)

Shaken means you are totally afraid. Shaken means the foundation and pillars that support you have been shaken, almost overwhelmed. Shaken means it was greater than your ability to bear. Shaken means you are overwhelmed and defeat is inevitable.

There are deaths which occur and people are left shaken. Shaken because of the manner of death. Shaken because of the suddenness of the death. Shaken because of the value attached to the deceased. Shaken by news of death means deep grief, fear, and most of all a feeling of helplessness. 

Shaken is disbelief. We are shaken when we can’t believe that what we couldn’t imagine has happened. Our worst and wild fears have become a reality. We know everyone will die, but some people are so dear and useful that we refuse to imagine their death. They may be at the peak of their life and everything is going excellent. When they die suddenly, it is unbelievable. We are shaken!

Sometimes human behavior can leave us shaken. When the most pious amongst us is exposed in the lowest forms of immoral scandals, we are shaken. We know it can happen to anyone, but for this one, we are caught off guard, we didn’t imagine, we didn’t expect. We are shaken!

When we are betrayed, we get shaken. How can someone we trusted end up betraying us? How can someone we helped at their worst times turn against us? The revelation leaves us shaken. How can someone we bent backwards to love and accommodate turn against us in such a contemptuous manner? We are shaken!

When failure or loss occurs, we are shaken. We knew there are chances of failure, but when it becomes a reality and one that is worse than our expectations, we are shaken. Sometimes when we least expect, we fail and fail miserably. Then people who seem worse off than us, perform better, we are shaken! Failure of a certain type can leave one totally shaken! Loss of valuables can leave us shaken. Rejection of a marriage proposal can leave us shaken!

We are shaken because what we believed and held onto has been proven wrong. We believed people are ideally decent, but betrayal has proved otherwise. We are shaken! How can your best friend be behind your woes? How can your best friend marry your ex partner. While there may be no problem, so to speak, but it stinks of betrayal. It’s unbelievable, we are shaken!

We are shaken when prayers aren’t answered. We fast in the most extreme way possible. We pray in secluded places under circumstances that we believe God must just hear us. We join teams of pious people and pray together. We use prayer formulas prescribed by religious gurus. Then circumstances turn out as if God never heard a single word from our prayers. We are left shaken!

Some sicknesses can leave us shaken. The diagnosis results can leave us shaken. The progression of the disease can leave us shaken. The sudden need for serious medical procedures can leave us shaken. The sudden and almost permanent changes caused by disease can leave us shaken. It can leave our loved ones too shaken.

Israel broke up into two kingdoms, North and South. North was known as Israel or Ephraim. North had its headquarters In Samaria. South was known as Judah. South had its headquarters in Jerusalem. South had two out of twelve tribes of Israel. North had ten out of the twelve tribes of Israel. The two kingdoms were blood brothers and sisters through their father Jacob.

Our text today tells us that the Northern kingdom did a despicable thing. They United with king Rezin of Aram. They United in order to fight and defeat their brothers the Southern kingdom. How can our very own blood brothers unite with our common enemy to attack us? They were shaken!

They were shaken because Rezin of Aram was a fierce fighter. Their brothers of the Northern kingdom who had turned against them were numerous in number. Their brothers also knew them so well and would use that knowledge in the event of war. The circumstances were against them and in favour of their enemies. They were shaken!

The Bible tells us that they were so shaken, that they shook like trees being blown by wind. They were afraid and helpless. They didn’t even know their next cause of action. When you are shaken, you do not even know what to do next. You are frozen and resigned to whatever happens. They were shaken!

God sent prophet Isaiah to the shaken king Ahaz and his shaken people. God had and still has a message for anyone shaken. Only God’s word can help a shaken person. If you are shaken, may God’s timely and appropriate word come to you as it came to this shaken kingdom!

God said to the shaken people and their shaken leader, (1) Be careful, (2) keep calm and (3) don’t be afraid. God said to them, don’t lose heart because of this soon to be extinguished coalition.

Be careful, means listen, focus on God’s word. Believe God’s word. Have faith in God. Be calm and don’t fear. This is your message if you are shaken.

If we are shaken, may God help us to focus on His word and trust Him when it’s most difficult to have faith. If we are shaken, may God keep us calm. If we are shaken, may God save us from fear, any amount of fear. If we are shaken, may God help us not to lose heart. May we remember that no situation is permanent and however terrible the moment and circumstances, it shall come to pass. If we are shaken, may God reveal Himself to be in control. In Jesus’ name, Amen!

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