The Promise of Christmas
Isaiah 7:1-8:4
Introduction:
A pastor was preparing his sermon when his daughter came in and said, “Daddy, can you come and play with me?” Her father responded, “Honey, I need to finish my sermon, but give me an hour, and I will play with you.” “Okay,” said the girl, “And when you finish, I am going to give you a great big hug.” So the daughter started out of her dad’s office and then turned around and gave her dad a big hug. “I thought you were going to give me a hug when I was finished?” asked her father. “Daddy, I just wanted you to know what you have to look forward to!”
I don’t know about you, but Christmas is a time of year that creates anticipation. I know growing up I couldn’t wait until Christmas to open up the gifts. Many times my anticipation led me to peak at my gifts early so that I could know what to look forward to. Of course, if you ask my wife, she would say that I haven’t changed.
The Advent season is the opportunity for the church to remember and reflect upon what Christmas is all about. It is about reflecting upon the anticipation of a Messiah that was fulfilled at the first coming of Christ and also to remember what we have to look forward to at the second coming of Christ.
The Old Testament is filled with “Hugs from God.” By that I mean God has generously provided prophecies to his people of old to show them what they had to look forward to in the coming Messiah.
This Advent season I want to spend some time looking at some of those “Hugs from God” or “prophesies” that are found in the Old Testament and were fulfilled in the first advent of Jesus Christ. For those of you wondering, the word "advent" comes from the Latin word “adventus” that means “to appear.”
I want to spend the weeks up to Christmas focusing on the prophecies in the Old Testament book of Isaiah that were fulfilled at the first Christmas. There are several “hugs from God” in Isaiah that remind us what Christmas is all about, and what it really means for those who have Christ in their hearts.
The first prophecy I want us to understand is found in the seventh chapter of the book of Isaiah. It is important that I put this chapter into its larger context if we are going to fully understand what it means.
The first five chapters of the book of Isaiah deal with the Israel’s present, that is when Isaiah was serving as a prophet, which probably started around 740 BC. It also would deal with their future also. Chapter one is a summary of the whole book. Isaiah’s purpose as God’s prophet was to warn Israel of the coming judgment upon their sins and to call them to repentance before it was too late.
Many are familiar with the sixth chapter of the book of Isaiah because that is where we see God calling Isaiah to service as a prophet. What follows chapter six is a record of Isaiah’s ministry and the message of that ministry.
From chapters seven through 39, God is challenging Israel in the area of trust. God wanted to know if Israel was going to put their faith in the one true God or where they going to put their trust in the ungodly nations around them. If they would put their trust in God, they would be okay, but if they trusted in other nations, discipline and destruction would surely come.
In these several chapters, we see many prophecies concerning judgment upon Israel’s sins. Yet, within these declarations of judgments God gives hope. Alternatively, shall I say, he gives his people a hug so that they can see what is to come beyond the judgment. God gives hope in these chapters that a believing remnant saved and hope that the believing remnant after a season of exile and captivity would return from captivity.
Nestled within chapters 7-39 we find several prophecies concerning a coming Messiah. Chapter seven has one of those promises concerning a Messiah. In chapter seven God provides his people something to look forward to. For the people of Isaiah’s day, it was a look forward, but for us today it is a look back. We want to look back to the hug that God gave in chapter seven to remember what Christmas means, especially for those who have thoughtfully exposed their hearts to the Christ child. Notice verses one through fourteen:
1And it came to pass in the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, king of Judah, that Rezin the king of Syria, and Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, went up toward Jerusalem to war against it, but could not prevail against it. 2And it was told the house of David, saying, Syria is confederate with Ephraim. And his heart was moved, and the heart of his people, as the trees of the wood are moved with the wind. 3Then said the LORD unto Isaiah, Go forth now to meet Ahaz, thou, and Shearjashub thy son, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool in the highway of the fuller’s field; 4And say unto him, Take heed, and be quiet; fear not, neither be fainthearted for the two tails of these smoking firebrands, for the fierce anger of Rezin with Syria, and of the son of Remaliah. 5Because Syria, Ephraim, and the son of Remaliah, have taken evil counsel against thee, saying, 6Let us go up against Judah, and vex it, and let us make a breach therein for us, and set a king in the midst of it, even the son of Tabeal: 7Thus saith the Lord GOD, It shall not stand, neither shall it come to pass. 8For the head of Syria is Damascus, and the head of Damascus is Rezin; and within threescore and five years shall Ephraim be broken, that it be not a people. 9And the head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is Remaliah’s son. If ye will not believe, surely ye shall not be established. 10Moreover the LORD spake again unto Ahaz, saying, 11Ask thee a sign of the LORD thy God; ask it either in the depth, or in the height above. 12But Ahaz said, I will not ask, neither will I tempt the LORD. 13And he said, Hear ye now, O house of David; Is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will ye weary my God also? 14Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
I. God is for us
Christmas time reminds us that God is for us. The fist two verses set the stage for what is about to follow. We are told that two kings wage war against King Ahaz of Judah. King Rezin of Damascus and King Pekah of Israel allied together to wage war against Judah. Their intentions were to remove Ahaz as king and put their own king on the throne so that their puppet king would ally with them against Assyria. Assyria was the powerhouse nation at that time, conquering nations and attempting to set up a one world-government.
Ahaz was not really wanting to fight against the Assyrians and evidence in the text shows that he was prepared to fully submit to the Assyrian takeover and rule. The other two kings didn’t want to submit to Assyria so they prepare to attack Judah and replace Ahaz. We are told in verse one that their attack against Judah was unsuccessful.
Look at the fear that gripped Ahaz in verse two, “When it was reported to the house of David, saying, "The Arameans have camped in Ephraim," his heart and the hearts of his people shook as the trees of the forest shake with the wind." As you can see they were terrified. God then sends Isaiah to talk to Ahaz about the situation.
Notice Isaiah 7:3, “Then the Lord said to Isaiah, "Go out now to meet Ahaz, you and your son Shear-jashub, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool, on the highway to the fuller’s field,” There is significance in the name of Isaiah’s son. It can mean either “a remnant will return,” or “a remnant will repent.” The context will show that the latter is a better interpretation of the name.
The Lord sends Isaiah to speak comforting words to Ahaz and the people, “Say to him, ’Take care and be calm, have no fear and do not be fainthearted because of these two stubs of smoldering firebrands, on account of the fierce anger of Rezin and Aram and the son of Remaliah. [5] ’Because Aram, with Ephraim and the son of Remaliah, has planned evil against you, saying, [6] "Let us go up against Judah and terrorize it, and make for ourselves a breach in its walls and set up the son of Tabeel as king in the midst of it," [7] thus says the Lord God: "It shall not stand nor shall it come to pass. [8] "For the head of Aram is Damascus and the head of Damascus is Rezin (now within another 65 years Ephraim will be shattered, so that it is no longer a people). The reason that Ahaz and Judah are not to be afraid is found in verse seven. What man or nations plan can only happen by God’s permission. The Lord says to Ahaz “it won’t happen, I am in control, don’t be afraid.”
This victory that God promises is conditional for Ahaz. God would bring victory if Ahaz chooses to trust God to take care of him. If he doesn’t choose to trust in God then God will bring discipline. God will allow the thing in which Ahaz puts his trust him to become his destruction. Notice what the Lord says to Ahaz in verse nine, “And the head of Ephraim is Samaria and the head of Samaria is the son of Remaliah. If you will not believe, you surely shall not last.” In the phrase, “If you will not believe, you surely shall not last,” there is a word play found in the Hebrew. The word play is between the words “believe” and “last.” In the Hebrew word play in this verse is designed to draw attention to the two alternatives. If one is not firm in faith, then one will not be firm in life. If you don’t have a firm faith you won’t have an established life. If you have a firm faith in life then you will have an established and secure life.
God gives a promise to his people in these first eight verses and the people have to give a reply. If Ahaz and the people believe the promise they will be okay. If they choose not to believe then God will discipline them for their unbelief.
I find it interesting that the Lord uses the symbolism of a child’s name to draw attention of the great need of the people; to trust in the Lord alone with all their heart. God basically says to Israel, “I am for you just trust in me.”
The Christ child of Christmas reminds us that God is for us, we don’t have to be afraid, just trust him.
God is for us, and we don’t have to fear condemnation for there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
God is for us, and we don’t have to fear circumstances for God causes all things to work together for good to those who love him.
God is for us, and we don’t have to fear conflict for God is for us who can be against us.
God is for us and wee don’t have to fear separation for nothing can separate us from the eternal love of God. God is for us, don’t be afraid, just trust him.
God is going to speak again to Ahaz beginning in verse ten. It is important to note that in this next passage we have a child with symbolic meaning. The first child reminds God’s people to trust in the Lord for God is for us. The second child teaches us trust in the Lord for God is with us.
II. God is with us
Verse nine is a challenge to the people to trust in the Lord. Verse eleven is an invitation for king Ahaz to trust in the Lord, “Ask a sign for yourself from the Lord your God; make it deep as Sheol or high as heaven." God is challenging Ahaz to ask for a sign that will confirm everything that God said he would do in the previous verses.
Ahaz responds in verse twelve, “But Ahaz said, "I will not ask, nor will I test the Lord!" This response looks pious, but it isn’t. Sure the Lord forbids putting him to the test, but only when we test him out of rebellion or doubt. God wants us to test him when it comes to faith. God tells us to test the tithe in Malachi chapter three. The denial on the part of Ahaz is evidence of his disbelief. He most likely has made up his mind that he is going to put his trust in Assyria. The reason that he wasn’t going to ask for a sign is not because he didn’t want to test the Lord. No, it was because he didn’t want to trust the Lord.
God responds to his unbelief in verses thirteen and fourteen, “Then he said, "Listen now, O house of David! Is it too slight a thing for you to try the patience of men, that you will try the patience of my God as well? [14] "Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel.”
This sign has two sides to it. For the remnant that trust in the Lord’ this sign means deliverance and joy. For those who choose not to trust the Lord, like Ahaz, it would mean destruction and sorrow.
To fully understand what is taking place in these verses we need to go back to chapter six and see the call to ministry that the Lord gave to Isaiah. Look at verses nine and ten, “He said, "Go, and tell this people: ’Keep on listening, but do not perceive; Keep on looking, but do not understand.’ "Render the hearts of this people insensitive, Their ears dull, And their eyes dim, Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, Understand with their hearts, And return and be healed."
What a terrible ministry. He basically says that people are not going to listen to the message that the Lord gives through Isaiah. However, there is hope. Because in verse thirteen the Lord declares that there will be a remnant who trust in the Lord. He calls that trusting remnant “a holy seed.”
Ahaz’s response represents those who don’t hear the message of God and don’t trust in the Lord. The sign of the child means discipline and sorrow. Because Ahaz doesn’t trust in the Lord God says in verse seventeen that destruction will come upon him and others who don’t believe. At the same time, we are told that those who do trust in the Lord the sign of Immanuel is reminder that God is with those who trust in him.
In the immediate context, the child was a sign of destruction and sorrow for those who don’t trust the Lord; deliverance and joy for those who do.
Fast forward about 700 years from this prophecy and we see that verse fourteen has a double fulfillment. It was fulfilled in Isaiah’s day partially, but ultimately it would be fulfilled in the coming Messiah.
Turn to the first chapter of Matthew. In this chapter God speaks to Joseph in a dream. Listen to what is said in verses twenty through twenty-three, “But when he had considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. [21] "She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins." [22] Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet: [23] "Behold, the virgin shall be with child and shall bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel," which translated means, "God with us."
You see, the greatest thing humanity needs to be delivered from is not the Assyrians or the Babylonians, but from the power of sin and death.
The world we live in is a prison cell of darkness and doom. The only way that we can be freed from this prison is if someone on the outside opens the door. Knowing that we couldn’t open the door ourselves, God sent his son to be our Savior. He who is God became a man, he came to dwell among us and be with us and die for us so that we could walk out of the prison cell of endless darkness into the wonderful kingdom of light.
However, like Ahaz, we have to make a choice. If we choose to trust in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, then we will experience deliverance and joy. Nevertheless, if we choose to place our trust elsewhere we will experience destruction and sorrow. That which we trust in will either be for our deliverance or destruction. Trusting in Christ brings deliverance. Trusting in anything else brings destruction.
Lt. Gerald Coffee spent 7 years as a POW during the Vietnam war. During his second Christmas in camp, he made an amazing discovery. He had been stripped of everything by which he measured his identity: rank, uniform, family, money. Alone, in a cramped 3’x7’ cell, he began to firmly understand the meaning of Christmas. Removed from all commercial distractions, he was able to focus on the simplicity of Christ’s birth. Although he was lonely and afraid, he was able to focus on Christmas and how God is for us and with us who trust in him.
Who are you trusting today? What are your trusting today? Do you need to trust Christ as Lord and savior so that you can be delivered from the prison of endless darkness into the kingdom of light? As a Christian do you need to remove some of the distractions in your life and renew your trust in the Lord this Christmas. Remember, Christian, God is for you and with you, all you need to do is seek him and trust him.
May we get back to the heart of Christmas. Christmas is all about Jesus…May we come and adore him this season…
