|
by
Doug Ward |
The prophet Isaiah had a difficult assignment. Called to reprove
the kingdom of Judah in the eighth century BC, he knew that most people would
not be receptive to the correction he offered. Even so, he faithfully warned of
coming judgment while giving reasons for hope (Isa 6:9-13). Hard times lay
ahead for Judah, but God would not abandon his people.
We
see all of these aspects of Isaiah's mission and message in the seventh chapter
of Isaiah. Early in the reign of King Ahaz (c. 735 BC), Jerusalem faced a
serious military threat from the combined forces of Syria and the northern
kingdom of Israel (vv. 1-2). Israel and Syria had formed an alliance against
the powerful Assyrians, and they wanted to force Judah to join them. If Ahaz
would not cooperate with them, they planned to replace him with someone who
would (vv. 5-6).
In
the face of this threat, God sent Isaiah to encourage young Ahaz to trust in
him. Rezin and Pekah, the
kings of Syria and Israel, were mere human beings, and their schemes would be
fruitless. On the other hand, the Creator and King of the Universe stood behind
the throne of David (vv. 3-9; see 2 Sa 7).
As
an incentive to faith, Ahaz was directed to ask God for a sign, with no
limitation placed on his request (vv. 10-11). Sadly, Ahaz declined this
generous offer, making the excuse that he did not want to put God to the test
(v. 12). He may have already decided by that point to place his trust in an
alliance with Assyria (2 Ki 16:5-7).
|
The
Sign of Immanuel |
Since Ahaz was not receptive to God's instruction, Isaiah responded
with a message to the whole "house of David," the descendants of
David in that generation and thereafter. Ahaz had refused to ask God for a
sign, but God would give them a sign: "Behold, the virgin shall conceive
and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel" (v. 14).
Isaiah
went on to speak about the future of the house of David and kingdom of Judah
(vv. 15-25) In the short term, the enemies Ahaz feared would soon be defeated
(v. 16). In the longer term, Judah's trust in the Assyrians would backfire, and
God would use Assyria to punish Israel and Judah. (These things did indeed come
to pass.) Through it all God would be with his people, as implied by the name
Immanuel ("God with us").
Verse
16 says that Ahaz's enemies would be defeated "before the boy knows how to
refuse the evil and choose the good." If "the boy" in this verse
is Immanuel, then the sign of Immanuel began with the birth of a son shortly
after Isaiah spoke-perhaps Ahaz's son Hezekiah. On the other hand, "the
boy" could be Isaiah's son Shear-jashub, who
accompanied his father to speak to Ahaz. In that case, verse 16 is an aside
intended specifically for Ahaz. (In verse 16, "you" is singular
rather than plural as in the rest of the prophecy.)1
In
any case, there are indications that the main manifestation of the Immanuel
sign would come later. The child's mother is referred to as "the
virgin," a specially chosen maiden. Since the sign offered to Ahaz could
be "deep as Sheol or high as heaven" (v.
11), we would expect the sign of verse 14 to be a momentous one. In Isaiah
9:6-7 and Isaiah 11 there are predictions of a great Davidic king, so it is
reasonable to conclude that Isaiah 7:14 is a messianic prophecy as well.
Moreover,
the mention of "curds and honey" in verse 15 connects Immanuel with a
later time when Israel would suffer under foreign domination (see vv. 17-25). Often,
we associate "milk and honey" with the abundance of the Promised
Land, but in this context "curds and honey" refers to a limited diet
available when the land has been ravaged by enemies and is uncultivated,
growing "briers and thorns" (vv, 23-24). Isaiah's
prophecy pictures a coming time of punishment and purification for Judah, and
verse 15 suggests that Immanuel would be born during such an era.
|
Jesus
as Immanuel |
With the benefit of hindsight and the guidance of the Holy Spirit,
we Christians see Jesus clearly in the sign of Immanuel. Verse 15 says that
Immanuel would eat curds and honey "when he knows how to refuse the evil
and choose the good." This phrase may refer to more than the boy reaching
an age of accountability. It can also be rendered "so that he may know how
to refuse the evil and choose the good," as the Vulgate has it, for
example.2
This
rendering of verse 15 reminds us of the Israelites being fed a limited diet in
the wilderness in order to learn obedience (Dt 8:3). Whereas Israel often
failed to "refuse the evil and choose the good," Jesus resisted
temptation (Mt 4), carried out his mission to die for the sins of the world,
and "learned obedience through what he suffered" (Heb 5:8). He is the
"Wonderful Counselor" who judges righteously (Isa 9:6; 11:3-5).
Christian
reflection on the Immanuel prophecy began with the apostles, who recognized the
Virgin Birth and Incarnation in the words of Isaiah 7:14 (see Mt 1:22-23). The
sign of Immanuel truly is "deep as Sheol or high
as heaven." It is a sign, to both Israel and the nations, of the amazing,
incomprehensible love and faithfulness of God the Father and Jesus the Messiah.
1See for example
Michael Rydelnik, The Messianic Hope, B&H
Publishing Group, Nashville, 2010, chapter 10.
2See
Joseph Jensen, "The Age of Immanuel," Catholic Biblical Quarterly
41 (1979) 220-239.
File
translated from TEX by TTH,
version 3.66.
On 22 Nov 2023, 17:29.
