February 2, 2022
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Reading along with us in Isaiah? Here’s today’s reading:
Isaiah 7 (NIV)
The Sign of Immanuel
1 When Ahaz son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, was king of Judah, King Rezin of Aram and Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel marched up to fight against Jerusalem, but they could not overpower it.
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...........Continue Reading
Ahaz made many misguided choices during his reign especially failing to put his trust in the Lord and rather in the king of Assyria.
“If you do not stand firm in your faith,
you will not stand at all.’ ”
A call from God to believe and then a prophecy of the coming of our Savior, Jesus, to try to show Ahaz the power God has to save us all but we need to believe, we need to put our Faith in Him!
Isaiah 7
Faith is such an essential part of the Christian life. God is certainly who He is with His power, presence and promises, but if we do not believe Him for who He is and what He says, then all that He is won’t matter to us. Ahaz was a disobedient king of Judah. Yet God is still being faithful to protect him from these northern enemies because Israel (identified by Ephraim here) is even more evil and God is committed to David’s throne. But in the presence of this superior enemy, if Ahaz doesn’t believe, then what Isaiah says won’t matter. What a telling statement: if you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all! Now that’s a verse for the bathroom mirror because it all boils down to that.
Now usually Ahaz would be right to not ask God for a sign, but when God is gracious to give you that opportunity, we should take it. Now because Ahaz doesn’t ask for one, God gives him one. And so this sign of Immanuel that Matthew references in the birth of Christ (who better to call God is with us?), is first a sign to Ahaz. That when this child is old enough to do these things mentioned, God will fulfill His word to Ahaz. And when His word is fulfilled, it is the sign of Immanuel, God with us! And that’s the good news…..the bad news is that because of Judah’s disobedience God is going to bring trouble to them as well..and Assyria will be the instrument of correction.
It’s comforting to read the coming of Christ, and the constant reminder to stand firm in the faith or you will not stand at all
Ahaz is given a prophesy by Isaiah and all he has to do is believe it. God even offers to give him a sign. Although, getting a sign would force him to believe, I suppose.
This is something I find confusing about prophesies. They often seem to be plucked out of a narrative, but that seems consistent throughout the new testament. I guess we should probably consider this might be the case when it comes to Revelation as well. It may not be sequential as we read it, except for when it is specified (3 1/2 years…..).
Isaiah 7