Isaiah - Verse By Verse

Isaiah - Day 133

versebyverse | October 27, 2008 19:10

Scripture:  Isaiah 7:14 (NIV):  "Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign:  the virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel."

Thought:  To me, when God does a thing, He does it right well!

Question:  Do God's ways frustrate me or amaze me?

Look at what Ahaz refused to ask for!!  (See previous blogs).  Isn't that always the way it works?  When we are closed to God and of an independent spirit, we are ultimately rejecting Jesus Christ.  God wants to help us.  He realizes He must intervene on our behalf; we can't make it on our "codes" alone.  We need the Savior.  We MUST accept Christ and depend on Him.

And so God generously gives "a sign" of His love:  "the virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son..."  Not only do we have the well-known Messianic prophecy before all of us here, but we also have God's consolation for the Jews:  information on the birth of the long-awaited Messiah, in the context of Ahaz's rejection of God's ability to conquer the "enemy."  God has chosen to conquer our enemy through the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  Will we accept this way of doing things?  Do we accept God's way of doing things?

God uses seemingly weak and unexpected, yet pure, vehicles to reach His goals.  "A virgin" is selected:  a "weak woman" yet holy and chaste.  She shall be "with child":  an everyday occurrence if one is married, but for an unmarried virgin in this age and culture it is completely unexpected and surprising!  This brings Christ down to a humble level.  "And will give birth":  another somewhat weak entrance for the Godhead--why not rather descend spectacularly out of Heaven?  Immediately the reason is given here:  they "will call him Immanuel", that is, "God with us"--and how better for God to be "with us" than to begin the same way we all have?:  born of a woman.

God's methodology is truly praiseworthy!

Prayer:  Father God, thank You for being willing to give us a sign.  Thank You for comforting and encouraging us with prophetic words.  Thank You for choosing to stoop down humbly.  Thank You for willingly giving Your only Son.  Thank You for wanting to dwell with us and identify with us fully--to be born of a woman even as we all have been.  Amen.

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