Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin will conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. Isaiah 7:14 WEB
Isaiah gave this prophecy of the birth of our Savior during the reign of Ahaz, king of Judah. Judah and Israel were separate nations at the time. Three men of Israel, Rezin and Aram and of the son of Remaliah, plotted to conquer Judah and divide the wealth of the land among themselves. After describing Israel’s plan to invade and destroy Judah, Isaiah reassured Ahaz that the Lord would not allow this to happen.
After Ahaz received the warning about his enemies and the reassurance of God’s favor from Isaiah the prophet, the Lord prompted him in Isaiah 7:11 saying, “Ask thee a sign of the Lord thy God; ask it either in the depth, or in the height above. KJV” But, Ahaz, being a devout man, did not ask for a sign. Instead, he said in Isaiah 7:12, “I will not ask, neither will I tempt the Lord. KJV” Jesus echoed these words generations later when refusing Satan’s request to put God to the test by throwing himself from the pinnacle of the temple.
God With Us
But before Jesus could resist evil in the flesh, he had to be born in the flesh. Isaiah’s prophecy given after Ahaz’ refusal to request a sign, offers a miraculous sign predicting the birth of Jesus to a virgin mother. The term translated from Hebrew as virgin commonly refers to a “young maiden” and not necessarily a virgin. However, the Septuagent, an Old Testament translation to Greek centuries before the birth of Christ used the Greek word “parthenos.” This specifically means “virgin.”
Further, a pregnant maiden is not a sign but a pregnant virgin is in fact a miracle. For most biblical scholars, Isaiah’s prophecy predicts the virgin birth of Christ. As an angel of the Lord explained to Joseph in Matthew 1:21, “Joseph, son of David, don’t be afraid to take to yourself Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. She shall give birth to a son. You shall name him Jesus, for it is he who shall save his people from their sins. WEB” Matthew 1:23, offers the translation of Immanuel as “God with us” in reference to Isaiah 7:14.
Prayer: “Father God, thank you for demonstrating your love and grace through the life of Jesus Christ. Thank you for the truth of your holy word. Lead me away from temptation and sin. Guide me to live according to your will. In Jesus’ name – Amen”
Yesterday’s Devotional: The Atoning Sacrifice
