OT Prophecy

How many of us remember the days of waiting on the Christmas catalogs to arrive so we could go through the books and see what new toys were going to be the latest and greatest thing to grace our Christmas trees? I can remember going through and finding the toys I didn’t think I could live without! I’m sure there are things we can think of that made our Christmas mornings memorable. I remember a particular Christmas when I was 16, my uncle had let me borrow his Remington 700 BDL 270 with a Leupold 3X9 scope. During Thanksgiving, I was able to harvest one of the biggest deer I have ever taken. I can also remember the disappointment of having to give it back to him after season ended. But when that Christmas came around, there were not too many presents under the tree for me. I waited patiently (yeah right) while my brother and sister opened their gifts, and at the very end, I remember a package being pulled out from under the couch. It was that 270. Dad and uncle had made my Christmas. I can remember the disappointment of not having many gifts, but I also remember the excitement of seeing that last gift that made my day.

Do you remember how excited you got waiting on Christmas morning, and wondering what presents we would find under the Christmas tree? The anticipation, the excitement, the impatience. There’s nothing like waiting to try ones patience!

Scripture gave the Old Testament believers something to look forward to. It describes an exciting time somewhere in the future where there will be a Messiah born. The promised savior and deliverer, foretold in the Old Testament scriptures, who is believed to be the anointed one of God, sent to redeem and save humanity from sin and bring about God’s kingdom on earth. The Israelites should have been like us; awaiting Christmas morning - looking forward to the best present ever given. This is something they should be looking forward to; anticipating; waiting with excitement. Unfortunately, not everyone believed and not everyone trusted that the Gift would be sent. The same thing occurs today, we are told of Jesus’ second coming - a time when He will fulfill a promise - another great gift from God. But many do not believe or trust that Gift is coming either. Because one doesn’t believe, doesn’t mean it won’t happen.

God With Us

Isaiah 7:10–16 ESV

10 Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz: 11 “Ask a sign of the Lord your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven.” 12 But Ahaz said, “I will not ask, and I will not put the Lord to the test.” 13 And he said, “Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary men, that you weary my God also? 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. 15 He shall eat curds and honey when he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good. 16 For before the boy knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land whose two kings you dread will be deserted.

In a last attempt to stir belief within Ahaz, the LORD made an unusual offer to the king. Ahaz could ask the LORD for a supernatural sign. No matter what the sign was, God would grant the king’s request. But Ahaz rejected the offer, using the excuse that he would not put the LORD to a test. In this statement, the king was exposing a wicked, hypocritical heart. Although God’s Word forbids putting the LORD to a test (De. 6:16), this offer was being made by God Himself. When God makes a promise to a person, that individual is not putting God to a test by claiming the promise. Ahaz’s refusal was not due to his concern for obeying God’s Word. Ahaz was an evil ruler, a man who wanted nothing to do with God. He had even barricaded the door of the temple, disallowing worship therein (2 Chr. 28:24). His real reason for rejecting the offer of the LORD was that he had already decided to trust Assyria, not the LORD (2 K. 16:5–7). When Ahaz rejected God’s offer, righteous anger surged through Isaiah’s body and he immediately rebuked the king. Ahaz had exhausted God’s patience because of his unbelief and rejection of the LORD.

b. Whether Ahaz wanted a sign or not, the LORD was going to give a sign and the sign would be supernatural. Furthermore, the sign would not be for Ahaz’s benefit but, rather, for the benefit of the whole “house of David.” Note that this sign would be given by the LORD Himself. The sign would be that of a virgin who would bear a son named Imman-uel, meaning God with us. (vv. 14–16). Of course, we may assume that this sign had an immediate fulfillment for the king and the people of that day. Most likely Isaiah’s wife was a virgin before she conceived her first son, or else some other virgin woman would get married and bear a son whom she and the father would name “God with us.” Throughout the years while the child grew into manhood, people would be reminded of God’s promise to always be with them if they would simply trust Him. Note that the child would be reared in poverty, reared during a time when only the curds of milk and honey were available for food. It would be a time of national crisis. Notice, too, the promise of God: when the child was old enough to know right from wrong, approximately a two-year period, both Syria and Israel would be destroyed. What a wonderful promise from the LORD to King Ahaz and the people of Judah.

But even more wonderful is the ultimate fulfillment of this prophecy, which is given to the people of all succeeding generations. The prophecy finds its ultimate fulfillment in Jesus Christ, who was born of the virgin Mary.

Immanuel

Isaiah 7:17–25 ESV

17 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!” 18 In that day the Lord will whistle for the fly that is at the end of the streams of Egypt, and for the bee that is in the land of Assyria. 19 And they will all come and settle in the steep ravines, and in the clefts of the rocks, and on all the thornbushes, and on all the pastures. 20 In that day the Lord will shave with a razor that is hired beyond the River—with the king of Assyria—the head and the hair of the feet, and it will sweep away the beard also. 21 In that day a man will keep alive a young cow and two sheep, 22 and because of the abundance of milk that they give, he will eat curds, for everyone who is left in the land will eat curds and honey. 23 In that day every place where there used to be a thousand vines, worth a thousand shekels of silver, will become briers and thorns. 24 With bow and arrows a man will come there, for all the land will be briers and thorns. 25 And as for all the hills that used to be hoed with a hoe, you will not come there for fear of briers and thorns, but they will become a place where cattle are let loose and where sheep tread.

c. After explaining this second sign, the prophet Isaiah warned King Ahaz of God’s future judgment (vv. 17–25). Although Judah would escape destruction by Syria and Israel, the nation would face the most severe crises of its history. The people would soon suffer the worst enemy attacks they had ever known, the worst suffering since the birth of the nation when the ten tribes broke away.

1) In that day—the day of God’s judgment—the LORD would whistle for Egypt and Assyria to attack Judah (vv. 18–19). Like swarms of flies and bees, enemy soldiers would cover the whole countryside of Judah. Throughout Ahaz’s reign, he continued to trust Assyria for help during raids and attacks by surrounding nations. Assyria responded to Ahaz’s appeal, accepting a large fee for Assyrian protection. However, the Assyrian king Tiglath-Pileaser ended up oppressing Ahaz instead of helping him (see outline and note—2 Chr. 28:16–21 for more discussion). Throughout the days of Ahaz, the Assyrians caused enormous problems for Judah. And in the days of Hezekiah, Assyria finally invaded Judah because the king sought to make an alliance with Egypt against Assyria (see outline and notes—Is. 30:1–14 for more discussion).

2) In that day—the day of God’s judgment—the LORD would use Assyria to execute His judgment against Judah (v. 20). The people would suffer utter humiliation at the hands of the Assyrians. The enemy would be like a razor, shaving off the hair of their captives, totally humiliating them.

3) In that day—the day of God’s judgment—the people would also suffer utter depravation at the hands of the Assyrians (vv. 21–22). A farmer would struggle to have one cow and two goats. The animals would produce milk, but it would be very little milk. Only a few survivors would remain in the land, and those who remained would have only a small amount of milk curds and wild honey to eat.

4) In that day—the day of God’s judgment—the cultivated land would be utterly wasted (vv. 23–25). Fruitful vineyards would be overtaken by briars and thorns. The land would become wild, good only for honey and wild game. As for the cultivated farms, they too would be overtaken by briars and thorns. Only animals would graze in the fields, trampling down the soil.

Thought 1. When enemies attack us, we have the most wonderful promise. The LORD’s presence will deliver us. If we trust Jesus Christ as our Savior and walk in His righteousness, we can call upon Him for deliverance. And He will deliver us. No matter how fierce the enemy attack may be, the Lord Jesus Christ has the power to rescue us. He can empower us to walk through the most terrifying danger, the power to conquer and overcome any enemy. A victorious life—triumphing over all enemies—is the promise given us through Jesus Christ.

If Jesus Christ had been mere man, He would have needed a Savior as much as any of us do. But since He was born of a virgin by the Spirit of God coming upon Mary, He is the God-Man. As the God-Man, he was able to live as a human being and to secure righteousness—a sinless perfection—for us. Because He kept His divine nature and entered the world through a virgin, He was able to live a sinless life and to die for us. Thereby, He is able to save us from our sins and make us acceptable to God.

Closing

As Christmas approaches, the Old Testament prophecies would be fulfilled. One who is coming, the Messiah, their Savior, Jesus. God Himself gave His people a sign, not just prophecy, but the child born to the virgin Mary. This child WAS the sign from God to the world. But even when others anticipated the coming of Jesus, some didn’t believe. They didn’t put their faith in God or His promise.

As we prepare for this Christmas, we should be asking the same questions - are we preparing for the coming of the Messiah - the Savior - the Deliverer of the World? Are we looking, not for the first coming, but excitingly anticipating the SECOND coming of Jesus?