IMMANUEL: WITH US THE GOD.
Isaiah 7:10-14.
The northern kingdom of Israel/Ephraim, along with her ally Syria/Aram, intended to force the Davidic kingdom of Judah into their alliance against the Assyrians (Isaiah 7:1), by setting up a puppet king - a ‘Son of No Good’ (Isaiah 7:6) - in Jerusalem. The LORD instructed Isaiah to take his son and confront King Ahaz of Judah, who was busy taking stock of the water supply for a possible siege of Jerusalem (Isaiah 7:3). There the LORD’s word to Ahaz was meant for comfort - not so much ‘Let go and let God’ on this occasion as ‘Take stock, don’t panic, vanquish fear… and trust in the LORD’ (Isaiah 7:4; Isaiah 7:9).
The name of Isaiah’s son faced Ahaz with the alternatives: was it ‘A remnant shall return’ or ‘It returns in pieces’? Or even, more pertinently to the immediate situation, ‘A remnant shall repent’ (Isaiah 7:3)?
Thankfully, the LORD does offer second chances:
“Moreover, the LORD spoke again to Ahaz” (Isaiah 7:10). The words were still intended to embrace the stubborn king: ask a sign - any sign - of the LORD “your” God (Isaiah 7:11). Ahaz, however, had already decided to lean not on the LORD, but on Assyria, and feigned piety to cover his faithlessness (Isaiah 7:12).
Isaiah was close to losing his temper with this awkward character. Will you also weary “my” God as you are wearying me (Isaiah 7:13)? Then the LORD stepped in and gave him a sign anyway (Isaiah 7:14).
There are those in the church today - in its hierarchy, and teaching in its seminaries - who want us to think that it is not necessary to believe in the virgin birth. The Hebrew word they say, could just as easily mean ‘young woman.’ This may be true: but the full understanding of the word would then be ‘young woman of marriageable age’ - like our old English word, ‘maiden.’
Matthew is clear: reading from the Greek translation of the prophecy, this woman is “the virgin” - and her child’s name Immanuel means “with us the God” (Matthew 1:23). The definite articles are emphatic, leading us away from any other mother than the virgin Mary, and any other so-called ‘god’ than the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The young woman who would bear a son called Immanuel, God with us (Isaiah 7:14), was not ultimately the queen bearing Hezekiah (2 Kings 18:7), nor yet Zion bearing the remnant, but Mary bearing Jesus the Saviour.
