“Immanuel, God with us”
A virgin … shall call his name Immanuel. —Isaiah 7:14
Read Isaiah 7:1-16
Ahaz was the king of Israel centuries before Christ came into the world. It seemed as though God’s promises about the Messiah would not be fulfilled. At the time of today’s Scripture reading the Syrians were gathered around Jerusalem, but the bigger problem was that the heart of Judah’s king was full of unbelief.
The Lord would not let the Syrians gain the victory, and as a symbol of His faithfulness He gives a sign to King Ahaz, a sign that Ahaz did not want: a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son. This sign that we read of in verses 14 and 15 was still a rich promise for those who were looking forward to the coming of the Messiah.
In this precious promise the Lord reveals the unity between the Old and New Testaments. The promise of Christ’s coming was marvelously fulfilled. Read Matthew 1. Do you see the beauty of Christ’s coming? Or are you like Ahaz who had no interest in Christ’s coming?
What miracle is contained in the name Immanuel?