Immanuel: God With Us

Isaiah 7:1-17

The context: The United Kingdom of Israel is long gone and has now been divided in 2: Israel (aka Ephraim) in the North and Judah in the south. Assyria is the growing and expanding super power seeking to conquer further and further west, eventually into Palestine. In Palestine’s northern region, Syria and Israel (Ephraim, Northern Kingdom) ally against the impending Assyrian invasion and they ask Judah to join. Judah says no, so the Syro-Ephraimites attack them to force an alliance. They do significant damage to Judah, but are unable to either (1) force Ahaz to become and ally, or (2) kill Ahaz and set up a proxy king of their choosing.

At the same time, Judah’s enemies to the west (Philisitia) and south (Edom) attack around the same time. Ahaz must deal in the present moment with these smaller attacks on 3 different fronts, while also considering the large future attack of Assyria. He is divided on 3 different fronts with an impending 4th and he isn’t sure if he can win any single one of them, much less all of them, even less than that all of them at the same time.

Then he is approached by Isaiah. “Trust God to save you, and you will be saved.” Ahaz, evil and wicked as he was, still had an oppoetunity to turn over control and command to God. God will save them.

Then he is told that God will give him any sign he requests to prove that He will save them as promised. Ahaz refuses to ask for one. Give graciously gives one anyway. IMMANUEL is the sign. God is with us. (If God be with us who can be against us?).

(1) This happens in its immediate context with the desctruction of syria and Israel to the North not long after Isaiah’s son Mahershalalhasbaz is born. (2) This happens in its future fulfillment with Jesus of Nazareth who came to deliver his people from the enemy himself through his perfect life and sacrificial death.

Interpretation:

Our sins may have different names than those of Ahaz. Our lives will look different than Ahaz. But our predicament remains the same.

*All of us are sinful people in dire straits, in need of deliverance. We have no hope of saving ourselves, so we must call out to God for salvation and give him power over our lives and control of the results.

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Isaiah 7:7 “thus says the Lord God: “ ‘It shall not stand, and it shall not come to pass.”

Isaiah 7:9 If you are not firm in faith, you will not be firm at all.’ ””

What is the significance of these promises given in the context of impending war? What correlation do wartime and death have with the Christian life and spiritual deliverance?

war results in death and destruction. it is finality for physical life. salvation from sin saves us from spiritual death.

compare physical circumstances of israel to spiritual circumstances today

Isaiah 7:2 “When the house of David was told, “Syria is in league with Ephraim,” the heart of Ahaz and the heart of his people shook as the trees of the forest shake before the wind.”

In what ways can the fears and stressors of Ahaz and Judah relate to those experienced in your life?

Describe the most stressful time in your life that you’re open to sharing. How did God help you through this?

Isaiah 7:12 “But Ahaz said, “I will not ask, and I will not put the Lord to the test.””

Is there a difference between this statement from Ahaz and Jesus’ statement in Matthew 4:7 [“Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’””]? If so, describe it.

Why would Ahaz refuse this offer?

Name a passage or concept from the Bible that you hear used out of context.

Isaiah 7:14 “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”

Why would it matter that the Messiah is born of a virgin?

Have people become too familiar (complacent, entitled) to the reality that God is with them? What can we do to avoid that?