Signs

Today’s Bible Reading:  Isaiah 6-7; 2 Chronicles 26-27; Philemon

Journal Entry on a passage from today’s reading:

Topic: Faith

SCRIPTURE:  Isaiah 7:4

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. (Isa 7:14 NIV)

OBSERVATION:

This is the messianic prophecy of Isaiah we see fulfilled in the New Testament:

²² All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: ²³ "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel"—which means, "God with us." (Matt 1:22-23 NIV)

It is interesting that when we read this in Isaiah it doesn’t seem to be a prophecy for the future. In context Ahaz, king of Judah at the time, was facing enemies who had come to fight against Jerusalem. Ahaz and his people were trembling with fear when the word of the Lord through Isaiah assured the king that his enemies would be unsuccessful. The Lord told Ahaz to ask for a sign, but Ahaz refused saying he would not put the Lord to the test (Isa 7:1-13). Then we come to verse 14, the word of the Lord comes to Isaiah saying, “Okay then, if you won’t ask for a sign, 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.”

At the time this was a sign given to Ahaz and may or may not have been fulfilled in the time of Ahaz, the scripture doesn’t say. Yet 700 years later this same sign was given “to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet” when the Virgin Mary gave birth to Jesus. Immanuel “God with us” really happened. God had come as a human being in the person of the baby Jesus.  

APPLICATION:

Often the Lord teaches us things from history. Many of the things that actually happened to the people of Israel also had symbolic meaning for people generations and generations later. They still instruct us today. Even in our own lives, things happen to us that we don’t understand at the time, but have illuminated meaning to us years later. I can look back today at some horrendous trials I went through years ago—painful things that made me say, “Why God, why!”—and today I say, “Thank You Lord, thank You! Now I see how You brought me through those things for my good.”

This is where faith is built and we can say to the Lord, “I don’t understand what is happening in or around me, but I still trust that I am in Your hands and this situation is not beyond Your control. Whether I ever see the meaning in my lifetime or not, I will not lose heart; I will always trust You.”

PRAYER:

Lord, sometimes in the midst of turmoil in my life and in the world, I can become fearful like king Ahaz of long ago. Help me to hear Your voice reassuring me that even when I can’t understand, You are in control and I am in Your hands. 

In the peace only Christ Jesus can bring. Amen.  -AP