Today I would like to talk about the last half of Isaiah. Today’s title is “Find Refuge in the Lord”. From chapter 13 Isaiah starts on a new theme. From there on is a prophecy against the neighboring countries. The first to appear was Babylon. Babylon is more than one country, but symbolizes all powers that are enemies to God.
In today’s passage the prophecy is against the next people that God’s judgment will come upon. Today’s passage is talking about Assyria and Persia. Today I would like to talk about three things about the blessings of taking refuge in the Lord.

I. As the Lord has purposed, so it will happen (vs. 24-27)
First of all let’s look at the prophecy against Assyria. Please look at verses 24 to 27.
God’s prophecy against Assyria is also written in chapter 10. There Assyria is described as an instrument of God to punish Israel. Assyria was nothing more than an instrument of God, but they didn’t realize that. Assyria assumed they have done everything by their own strength. They tried to ruin prideful Israel so God is going to punish their pride. Then here once again it talks about the judgment against Assyria.
In verse 25 it says, “I will crush the Assyrian in my land; on my mountains I will trample him down.” “My land” is Israel and the kingdom of Southern Judah. “My mountains” is Zion, Jerusalem.
This refers to the events that occur in the end of chapter 36 and chapter 37. In other words, in 722 B.C. Assyria that was destroyed by Northern Israel next in great force threatened the Southern kingdom of Judah, but by the fervent prayers of Hezekiah, there was the event of 285,000 soldiers being killed in one night. That was in 701 B.C. After that the Assyrian King Sennacherib returned to his country and there was assassinated by his son. Also the strength of Assyria followed a declining line and in 605 B.C. Assyria was destroyed and wiped out of existence by Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. By this Assyria’s “yoke will be taken from my people, and his burden removed from their shoulders.” (25) As the Lord has said, “so it will happen.” (24) “This is the plan determined for the whole world; this the hand stretched out over all nations.” (26) This is not just for Assyria or Babylon, but will be the same for the whole world. As the Lord has “planned, so it will be…so it will happen.” (24)
Proverbs 19:21
Let’s not let our hearts get caught up in the things that are happening now, but keep our hearts on the plans of God. Let’s follow the will of God which is higher than our thoughts and expectations.
Quite a while ago at a meeting that I attended, a teacher said, “The Bible is the history of man and the omnipotent and almighty God who created all things including the universe. Each one of our individual stories is included in this history.” All of our history is in the hand of God.
Who would have ever dreamed that Joseph who was envied by his brothers and sold to Egypt would in the course of time become the second highest ranking person in Egypt. However, God in order to save Israel’s life sent Joseph first before his family to Egypt. This was to leave a remnant in Israel. Also this great salvation was to keep Israel alive for a long time. That was the plan of God. Our lives, our history are led by this great plan of God.
Jeremiah 29:11
God has a perfect plan for us. “Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11) Therefore, we can give our lives to God. The reason we have doubts about God’s word is that we don’t recognize the power of God, and have assurance. These are the two causes for us to fall into unbelief. However, when we know like this that the Word of God “will happen” (24) we have assurance that God is true and powerful and are able to leave everything in his hands.
Do you believe that everything that God does is good? What God planned “will happen.” (24) Let’s believe and know what God has purposed, and live leaving everything in His hands.

II. Do not rejoice, all you Philistines (vs. 28-31)
.Next let’s look at the prophecy against the Philistines. Please look at verses 28 and 29.
King Ahaz died in 715 B.C. It was in that year that Isaiah prophesized this.”Do not rejoice, all you Philistines, that the rod that struck you is broken.” (29) “The rod that struck you” (29) is Israel. From olden days the Philistines were always Israel’s enemies. All they could think of was hitting Israel. However, the Philistine territory was basically a small weak country so they always lost to Israel in power struggles. However, this Israel has been “struck”. (29) This is referring to Israel being destroyed by Assyria in 722 B.C. Their continuous old enemy Israel is “broken” (29) so they are all clapping hands and rejoicing. It is just like seeing a strong fighting opponent being beaten by even a stronger opponent and being glad about it. With shouts of joy filled with hatred you yell, “Great! It serves him right!” However, it is too early to rejoice. That is because “from the root of that snake will spring up a viper, its fruit will be a darting, venomous serpent.” (29) This means that Israel was “struck” (29), but instead a crueler country will appear and will torture them. This is Assyria. Assyria will be like a “venomous serpent” (29) darting from tree to tree and will dart into the Philistine territory.
The result of this is verses 30 and 31.
Vs. 30, 31
This is referring to Israel who became poor and weak as a result of being destroyed by Assyria and Babylon. They were weak and poor, but even so in a place that cannot be seen they were able to keep life power that led them to victory. That was the Lord himself. They had certainly sinned and turned their back on God, so they received God punishment, but by the mercy of God they found “pasture” (30) and lied “down in safety.” (30)
However, against the Philistines God says, “But your root I will destroy by famine; it will slay your survivors.” (30) This is clearly different. Of course Israel was judged and received punishment, but there was a remnant left and they “will lie down in safety.” (30) They are able to enter into the salvation of God. However, the Philistines aren’t like this. First the Philistines and then the other neighboring countries were completely destroyed. They were swept away. As this prophecy says the Philistines were destroyed by Assyria in 701 B.C. In the 6th century B.C. they became under the control of Egypt, and in B.C. 332 Alexander the Great captured them. Then the Philistines disappeared from history. It happened just as the Bible’s Words say.
What is very interesting is the race is different, but today too there are people who use their name. The word Palestinians comes from the Philistines. They live on the Gaza strip where the Philistines used to live. Originally the Philistines were whites who came from Crete and Cyprus, islands in the Aegean Sea. They were feared as men of the sea. Goliath was also a Philistine, a white giant. The Palestinians are of Arab descent so their race is different. However, this race, the Palestinians (Philistines) has taken their place and now is a threatening power to Israel. This is interesting. This means that this prophecy of the Bible is moving in history. Here the fate of the Philistines takes its course to the Palestinians.

III. Find refuge in the Lord” (Vs. 32)
Therefore, the third point is to find refuge in the Lord. Let’s read verse 32 together.
In order to resist Assyria among the neighboring countries, a movement occurred to form counter alliances. At that time the Philistines were enemies with Israel, but in order to resist the great country of Assyria in the north they had to think of some kind of countermeasure. Therefore, they made an alliance with the southern country of Judah. This is how humans think. When a person is pushed into a corner, he tries to depend on other people. He doesn’t depend on God whom he can’t see, but like this tries to depend on others. People of faith are the same too. Even though they believe in God whom they can’t see, in the hour of need, they depend upon things they can see. At times like that why don’t we pray? Why don’t we call on God? Why don’t we seek a solution from the Lord?
The blessed Israel of the North was destroyed and King Ahaz that ruled Southern Judah up until now has died. Therefore, here the Philistines are making a friendly alliance with the child of Ahaz, Hezekiah, to try to cope with Assyria. Southern Judah too had been invaded by Assyria and came almost to the point of ruin so they thought that King Hezekiah would be lured into the talk. Therefore, they sent a messenger to him saying, “Let’s fight together.” However, Hezekiah flatly turned them down. He said, “The LORD has established Zion, and in her his afflicted people will find refuge.” (32)
He is saying that they can overcome such dangers not by alliances between people and people or alliances between country and country, but only by finding refuge in the Lord himself. He answered that the Lord has indeed “established Zion” (32 and it is a place of refuge so we must find refuge in the Lord. This is a wonderful confession. That is because at that time the land that Assyria dominated extended over quite a large area. It included the territory of the Philistines west of Judah, to the East, Moab, to the South, Arabia, and besides that it extended as far as Egypt and Ethiopia. If you look at the map of Assyria what is very interesting is the area that Assyria controlled at that time was exactly like someone had sprinkled bread crumbs right up to the countries that neighbored Judah, but only Judah, and only Jerusalem weren’t under its control and they are like a lonely islands in the Great Sea that have been left alone by themselves.
This is because the Lord watches over Judah and Jerusalem. The Lord answered Hezekiah’s faith. “The LORD has established Zion, and in her his afflicted people find refuge.” (32)
It is blessed to find refuge in the Lord. That is because the Lord watches over such people. Where is your place of refuge. The Lord is your place of refuge. That is where the Lord is living so he will protect you from all kinds of misfortunes. When we are in such situations we are prone to not find refuge in the Lord , but to depend on people, on things, on money, and depend on the things of this world, but we need to remember that who we need to depend upon is the Lord
Of the 66 books in the Bible the passage that is in the center is Psalm 118:8. This verse which is in the center of the Bible should also be the center of our lives.
Psalm 118:8
“It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man.” (Psalms 118:8) The next verse, verse 9 says, “It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in princes. We need to make this the center of our lives.
Matt. 6:26-30
“If that is how God clothes the grass of the field that is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you,” (Matt. 6:30) Will he not much more do good to you. The Lord Jesus is saying, “Why do you worry?” (Matt. 6:28) Would God end your life in tragedy?
We are more important than a flower, or a bird. We are the child of God. The angels too are given so much that they are envied so if that is the case why would the Lord not feed you? We worry because we don’t believe God. It is a problem of unbelief. We think that maybe God may not fulfill our life, and we try to fill our lives ourselves.
Romans 8:32 tells us the interest that God has toward us.
Romans 8:32
This is the interest that God has in us. God even gave his Son “up for us all-how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?” (Romans 8:32)
When we look at our own lives, our problems never seem to be solved. We feel like things become worse and worse and that our troubles only are becoming heavier. We wonder why when God promised this why these things happen. We ask WHY? WHY? WHY? However, through the Bible find the full answer. In other words, this is not because God is not interested in us, but because we aren’t trusting in God. Man doesn’t think that he isn’t depending upon God, but thinks unsatisfiedly that God is not helping him. However, that is not the case.
Now at this moment, please depend upon God. We all believe in things that have value. However, believe in things that seem impossible is faith. When the Israelites walked around the wall of Jericho 6 times there was no change. This is the reality of faith. However, when they went around the seventh time, the wall fell down. Naaman who washed in the Jordan River 7 times saw no change up until the sixth time. At times like this people feel uncertain, worry, and are fearful. However, on the seventh time it happened just as God had promised. That is faith. Also that faith performed a miracle
What are you depending upon? Before when Hezekiah was in the midst of a tense situation, he found refuge in the Lord and experienced a wonderful miracle of the Lord. In the same way, you too by finding refuge in the Lord may you too experience the wonderful miracles of the Lord. “It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man.” (Psalms 118:8) Let’s believe that the Lord has a wonderful plan for your life, and depend on him.
Applying it to our lives
 Do you have faith that as God “has planned, so it will be.” (24) Do you believe this and are you leaving everything in the hands of God or have you fallen into unbelief?

 Have you found refuge? What are you depending upon? How are you accepting the Word of God that “It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man.” (Psalms 118:8)