Danger From the North
- Why do neighboring countries often of related ethnicity, fight instead of being natural allies? What caused divisions between Israel and Judah?
- When in political trouble why do nations prefer to ally with a superior political power rather than just trust in God?
- What are the expected negative results of taking help from another country?
Attempted Interception
- Why would God talk about a return from captivity before the exile even began?
- Did prophets ever speak respectfully to their kings like to foreign kings? How could the prophets speak to kings with out the normal respect that would be expected?
- On what basis could one have belief in the word of a prophet about what would take place after two or three years?
Another Chance
- What was wrong in Ahaz telling the prophet Isaiah that he did not wish to ask for a sign?
- Would God have really given Ahaz whatever he asked for, even unexpected victories or sudden wealth?
- Why did some kings of Israel or Judah have a hard time trusting God?
Sign of a Son
- How old is a child when he or she learns the difference between wrong and right?
- If the birth of Jesus hundreds of years later was the only fulfillment of the prophecy of "Immanuel" in Isa 7:14 how could it have been a sign to Ahaz that he would be delivered from his enemies?
- What impact did this prophecy have on Ahaz or his people? On what basis can we say that this was a prophecy of the birth of the messiah when it probably had a literal fulfillment in a few years?
God is With Us
- Why would God wish to come down and take the risk to be with humans? Could God have saved humans remotely from heaven itself?
- In what ways was God with humans before Jesus was incarnated? In what important ways was he present through Jesus?
- How can humans know God is with us?
