December 4 – Day 5

Isaiah 7:10 – 14

Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz, “Ask the Lord your God for a sign, whether in the deepest depths or in the highest heights.”

But Ahaz said, “I will not ask; I will not put the Lord to the test.”

Then Isaiah said, “Hear now, you house of David! Is it not enough to try the patience of humans? Will you try the patience of my God also? Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.”

The setting is the Kingdom of Judah, approx. 730 BC, during the reign of King Ahaz. Ahaz learns that the Kings of Israel and Aram had formed an alliance to come against him and his people’s hearts “shook as the trees of the forest shake with the wind.

The Lord sent Isaiah to say to Ahaz, “Take care and be calm, have no fear and do not be fainthearted. The Lord says, “It shall not stand, nor shall it come to pass”.

The Lord spoke again to Ahaz and told him to ask for a sign of Him and that it could be deep as sheol or as high as heaven. However, Ahaz said that he would not ask for a sign, nor would he test the Lord. Since Ahaz refused to ask for a sign, the Lord Himself gave him a sign “a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel.

This is one of the earlier announcements of the birth of Jesus, our Lord and Savior, and was a prophecy to those in the Old Testament. Today we look back on it as history, as is most of the bible. 

Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you feel uneasy or afraid, as Ahaz did? We can look back on Ahaz’s sign and know that our savior has already come to earth and paid the price for our sins and promised us a home with Him for eternity.

Let us look forward to the celebration of His birth in the upcoming days.