Immanuel God With Us: Jesus In Isaiah

Introduction

It is the Christmas time. We have all read that passage in Matthew 1:23 ““The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).” taken from Isaiah 7:14.

Let’s Read the passage

Isaiah 7:10–20 NIV

10 Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz, 11 “Ask the Lord your God for a sign, whether in the deepest depths or in the highest heights.” 12 But Ahaz said, “I will not ask; I will not put the Lord to the test.” 13 Then Isaiah said, “Hear now, you house of David! Is it not enough to try the patience of humans? Will you try the patience of my God also? 14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. 15 He will be eating curds and honey when he knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right, 16 for before the boy knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right, the land of the two kings you dread will be laid waste. 17 The Lord will bring on you and on your people and on the house of your father a time unlike any since Ephraim broke away from Judah—he will bring the king of Assyria.” 18 In that day the Lord will whistle for flies from the Nile delta in Egypt and for bees from the land of Assyria. 19 They will all come and settle in the steep ravines and in the crevices in the rocks, on all the thornbushes and at all the water holes. 20 In that day the Lord will use a razor hired from beyond the Euphrates River—the king of Assyria—to shave your head and private parts, and to cut off your beard also.

Ahaz, the king of Judah at this time, is being addressed by God. God promised he would defeat the kings from the north who threatened Ahaz’s kingdom, and he now asks Ahaz to test God to see that his word is true.

However, it becomes apparent that Ahaz is the one being tested. Ahaz refuses to put the Lord to the test, but God still revealed a sign to him.

The sign is that the virgin (עַלְמָ֗ה) shall conceive and bear a son, and she will name him “God with us.” And before the child “knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good,” the two threatening kings will be destroyed. Thus God’s promise will be fulfilled.

However, there remains a downside to this sign as well: “The Lord will bring upon you and upon your people and upon your father’s house such days as have not come since the day that Ephraim departed from Judah—the king of Assyria.”

In other words before that sign can be interpreted as a very good news, they will be replaced by an even worse invader, the Assyrians.

God with us is a great sign of hope. but but it was during a time of destruction

Before move forward lets stop and talk about a word that is often debated. עַלְמָה (ʿalmâ)

עַלְמָה (ʿalmâ) as virgin and maiden

Many modern English translations render ʿalmâ as “virgin” (ESV, NASB, HCSB, NIV, etc.), while others use “young woman” or something similar. In Hebrew there is a word that would better denote virginity (בְּתוּלָה), as well as a word that would more clearly refer to a young woman (אִשָּׁה), so why this word in this context?

I don’t know why Isaiah chose to be ambiguous using ʿalmâ here instead of the unambiguous beṯûlâ.

But it is possible that Isaiah used עַלְמָה to allow for both an imminent fulfillment of the word by a “maiden” as well as a future and final fulfillment by a virgin?

Multiple-fulfillment prophecy

When we read the Bible it is easy for us to say well this was for them there, or that it is for us now. But in truth is is usually for them then and one long past it.

We often miss that so it had an immediate action of a maiden at that time period and also something that was yet to come.

For example in Luke 21:5–9, where many scholars say Jesus predicts both the destruction of the temple in AD 70 and the end of the age. The Bible seems to be full of these sorts of prophecies.

It was speaking to them there. There was a child to come that would be God’s voice in that time of trial. God with us. Hezekiah (King) or Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz (Isaiah’s Son). Both have been suggested.

The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Volume 17: Isaiah 1–39 Child of Suffering

In a vivid portrayal of the near future, Isaiah foresees the Lord putting two fingers in His mouth to whistle for flies from Egypt and bees from Assyria to swarm over the land and sting its inhabitants (v. 18). Even more vividly, Isaiah sees the Lord using Assyria as a “hired razor” to shave the last whiskers of dignity from the beard of Judah

In the Middle East, a beard is a symbol of masculine identity. No humiliation is greater than to have the beard forcefully shaved by a conquering enemy. Only the bittersweet food of “curds and honey,” and the fear of “briars and thorns” in once fertile fields, will remain

But it also has another fulfillment as we read and as we see Matthew Claim

Matthew 1:23 NIV

23 “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).

The Ultimate Fulfillment of this passage is found in the birth of Jesus the Christ, God literally with us.

In a commentary by John Oswalt As Isaiah’s prophecy brought about a positive (destruction of the northern kingdoms) and a negative (the terrifying reign of the Assyrian king), so too Jesus’ birth brings about joy for those found in him and sorrow for the unrepentant who reject him.

Jesus has come and is coming again.

He, God with us, comes to give us life. Jesus answers the call found in Isaiah. Jesus will be the fulfillment of many prophecies found in the Old Testament. Jesus came not to over throw the OT but to Fulfill it.

Next Steps

As we look forward to the coming Christmas. Where we as a collective have choose to worship the birth of Jesus the Christ. God with us.

Is he Lord of Your Life?

Bibliography

The New International Commentary on the Old Testament: The Book of Isaiah, Chapters 1–39 by John N. Oswalt

Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old by D. A. Carson and G. K. Beale

Introduction to Biblical Interpretation by Craig L. Blomberg, William Klein, and Robert L. Hubbard Jr.

David McKenna and Lloyd J. Ogilvie, Isaiah 1–39, vol. 17, The Preacher’s Commentary Series (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc, 1993), 130.