IMMANUEL: A MESSAGE OF HOPE

 

Friday, December 2, 2022

 

IMMANUEL: A MESSAGE OF HOPE

Isa 7:11-14

11 Ask thee a sign of the Lord thy God; ask it either in the depth, or in the height above.

12 But Ahaz said, I will not ask, neither will I tempt the Lord.

13 And he said, Hear ye now, O house of David; Is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will ye weary my God also?

14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. KJV

 

Matt 1:22-23

22 Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,

23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.   KJV

 

          There was 700 years between Isaiah’s prophecy and Matthew’s reality. Ahaz was king over the southern kingdom of Judah. Warren Wiersbe notes that “Syria and Ephraim (the Northern Kingdom) tried to pressure Judah into an alliance against Assyria, but Ahaz refused to join them. Why? Because he had secretly made a treaty with Assyria! (2 Kings 16:5-9) The king was playing "power politics" instead of trusting in the power of God.”

 

          Isaiah, along with his son Shear–jashub (a remnant shall return) offered Ahaz a wonderful thing. He was to ask God for a sign – anything – from the depths below to the heights above. Ahaz pretended a piety he did not own and said that he would not ask or tempt God. So, Ahaz granted a request that was not asked for. A virgin would conceive and bear a son who would be called “God-with-us.” Ahaz desperately needed God but would not ask.

 

          Fast forward 700 years to a little village of Nazareth where resided a godly but insignificant virgin maiden named Mary. Once again, Israel was overrun and occupied. This time by Rome. Once again Israel desperately needed God but this time every heart was asking for relief.

 

          Today the whole world is being overrun by wrong and, even in their ignorance, every heart is crying for relief. Now we wait for another promise, and it seems that it can hardly wait any longer.

 

Acts 1:8-11

8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

9 And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.

10 And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel;

11 Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven. KJV

 

Ah, Lord! We can barely identify our need and our longing. Come soon! AMEN