IMMANUEL...GOD IS STILL WITH US

DAY 4  "OUT OF THE MOUTH OF PROPHETS"

Scripture:   Isaiah 7:14,  Isaiah 9:6, Isaiah 53,  Matthew 1:23

“The only reason I will do this is if God writes it in the sky", I thought! From time to time, throughout my journey of faith, I have made this stubborn declaration. I knew that God was leading me in a particular direction, but the risk was big, the stakes were high, the likelihood of failure was strong. I didn’t think it was possible, so I wanted to be sure. I needed a sign.

Even after being a Christian for a long time, it’s easy to reach this point in our faith journey where we desire a sign from God, perhaps even more than we desire Him. We want to trust in something concrete, clear, and undeniable. Something we can point to and believe that “Yes, God is real, and I can trust Him with this.”

Wouldn’t faith be easier that way?

That’s what makes Isaiah 7 such an interesting story. In verses 10-14, King Ahaz of Judah is facing terrible odds. His enemies are strong and their armies are powerful. The fate of God’s people looks grim. And so, in a display of love and goodwill, God offers Ahaz a sign of His trustworthiness. Any sign Ahaz desires, God will do it.  

However, rather than accept God’s generous offer, Ahaz does something startling: he rejects it.

Instead, Ahaz quotes Scripture back to God, as if he is holier and more knowing: “I will not ask; I will not put the Lord to the test” (v.12). It’s a stunning moment of human pride, which Old Testament scholar John Goldingay explains this way: “The offer functions to expose Ahaz as a man who did not want to trust God even if he had the evidence.”

God nevertheless promises a sign to His people: a child born of a virgin, called Immanuel (v.14). The sign, in short, will be Jesus.

This story is a prophecy foretelling the birth of Christ, but it also challenges us with two truths. The first is to beware of our desire for a sign. Too often, our hearts are like Ahaz’s. We aren’t earnestly interested in trusting God more, but in trusting God less. Even if the sign would come, our circumstances would still be difficult. The odds would still be tall, the risk great, the darkness deep. Faith would still be required. A sign changes nothing about the situation or God’s character; it only clarifies the source of our trust. If we need a sign to trust God, then we don’t trust God.

The second lesson this story teaches us is that a sign has already been provided. In Christ, we have the definitive sign of God’s faithfulness and love. Immanuel, “God with us,” is God’s proclamation to the universe that His intention is always redemption. Jesus is all the evidence we need that God is trustworthy and good. No additional sign could possibly supplement the bright, blazing promise of the Messiah coming near.

That’s not to say God won’t provide occasional signs of discernment to guide us toward His will, but our faith cannot stand on these things. When it comes to trusting God with our families, our futures, and our lives, the sign has already been provided, once and for all, and His name is Jesus.

Isaiah prophesies about our Messiah with His characteristics listed as His many names. Jesus Christ, God the Son, given to us is our source of peace, power, provision, and purpose. He shall reign over all of the earth. God has provided us with the abundance of His riches by satisfying all of our needs through Jesus Christ. 

                                        

Write out your thoughts

Prayer
Lord, in a season, when every heart should be happy and light, many of us are struggling with the heaviness of life—burdens that steal the joy right out of our stockings. Tragedy arrives as innocent victims suffer, and an inner voice whispers, “Be afraid!” We need your peace, Jesus. We confess that our hearts are too often filled with the wonder of a different kind: wondering when the bills will be paid, when the terror will stop, when rest will come. Will it ever? Is the message still true? In a world where worry, not peace, prevails, stir up that good news again. This Advent, make it real in our hearts.