Yet this is what the Sovereign LORD says: “It will not take place, it will not happen …” – Isaiah 7:7

Today’s Scripture Reading (November 12, 2013): Isaiah 7

On June 4, 1940, Winston Churchill stood in front of his political partners in British Parliament and gave the speech that has become known as the “We shall fight on the beaches” speech. It was just a month after Churchill had come to power in Britain, and just nine months into the Second World War. And things were not going well. Already, two situations were becoming apparent to the new Prime Minister. The first was that France was not going to last much longer. The fall of the French was already being written on the walls. (In fact, Paris fell ten days after the speech and the French surrendered to Hitler eight days after the Fall of Paris officially ending the Battle of France.) But the second thing that was apparent was that when France fell, then Hitler would be able to carry the battle across the English Channel right to the British people. So the speech spoke of the great military defeat that was coming and also prepared a population that seemed convinced that “this was not their war,” that the battle was going to soon be brought directly to them.

And Churchill also needed to inform the people of one other important thing. We shall go on to the end. We shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be. We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender. Defeat might be coming, but the war as not lost and would not be lost – ever. Churchill needed not just for Parliament to hear the message, but he needed his Commonwealth of Nations hear it. The defeat that was about to visit itself on France would absolute not take place in Britain, it will not happen here.

Churchill’s words contained the echo of Isaiah’s words to King Ahaz. For Ahaz and Judah, attack was immanent and it was coming from the north. Aram and Ephraim (or the Northern Kingdom of Israel) had created an alliance against their southern neighbors. It was not a positive moment for Ahaz. He was probably convinced that there was no way that his nation could stand against the combined might of his northern neighbors. Ahaz was probably not convinced that that he could stand against Aram alone, but it was at this moment that Isaiah found his way into the political chambers of Judah with a message – “It will not take place – It will not happen!” God had spoken, and Isaiah had received the message. And now so had Ahaz.

Amazing things happen when a leader has the ability and speak with confidence about the future. Isaiah had heard from God and therefore he knew that the words he spoke were truth. I think Churchill knew the British people and he knew he was standing for right. And whenever we find ourselves standing for right, we can never surrender.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Isaiah 8