Isaiah 7-8 “The Dual Meaning of Immanuel: God with Us”

READ: Isaiah 7-8  

Verses chosen for meditation: Isaiah 7:10-14

¹⁰ Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz: ¹¹ “Ask a sign of the Lord your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven.” ¹² But Ahaz said, “I will not ask, and I will not put the Lord to the test.” ¹³ And he said, “Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary men, that you weary my God also? ¹⁴ Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

REFLECT

Isaiah 7 takes place at a time when king Ahaz ruled over Judah. Ahaz and the people of Jerusalem were terrified when they found that Syria and Ephraim (another name for Israel) joined hands to attack Judah. The backdrop of this war was the impending advance of Assyria towards Syria and Ephraim. Both nations planned to remove Ahaz from the throne as they knew of his loyalty to Assyria’s king, so that they did not have to fight both Assyria and Judah at the same time. Ahaz feared the attack from both nations, but was more fearful of joining both nations against Assyria, a superpower. It was at this time that God instructed Isaiah to approach Ahaz with an alternative: do without all the alliances and trust fully in the Lord (Isaiah 7:4-9).

Preparing for the attack, Ahaz went out to check the city’s water supply. In a country like Judah, cities were usually built on a hill. This meant their defence was better, but water supply (gathered from lower lands) became a problem. Attacking forces could wait out until they ran out of water, so Ahaz personally inspected to gauge how long they could hold out and plan their military strategy accordingly. Isaiah did not say such an action was wrong, but warned Ahaz that doing this was not the key to survival, but to trust in God.

God even offered a sign as added assurance, but Ahaz refused it. Nevertheless, the sign came, declaring a child born of a virgin and named ‘Immanuel’, which means ‘God with us’. We know this sign to be a foretelling of the coming of Jesus, but as with many of Isaiah’s prophecies, the signs often have present and future meaning. Isaiah used this sign to communicate how quickly God would destroy Judah’s enemies.

Before the child knows how to discern good from evil, Syria and Israel will be deserted (Isaiah 7:16). In other words, in the time it takes for an unmarried woman to go on to have a child of suitable cognitive age, Assyria will have destroyed the two kings Ahaz was worried about. However, Assyria will also eventually attack Judah. Because of Ahaz’s unfaithful response to God, what was supposed to be a sign of hope became a message of judgement.

RELATE

This brings us to the double meaning of ‘Immanuel’. We take great comfort in the promise, “God with us”, but this comfort is for those who stand faithful to God. Isaiah’s message shows a God who can bring opposite reactions, to those who are faithful and those who are wicked. For the faithful, “God with us” means the assurance of His comforting presence and protection, whether we are in good health or suffering, at home or in exile, have plenty or are in poverty. For the wicked, “God with us” can mean a promise of God’s judgement.

God was not insensitive to Ahaz’s dilemma. With the responsibility of leadership, it often comes with a high need for control. Leaders take action and get things done. If Isaiah came with a message saying, “Do something. Don’t just stand there”, it may sit well with Ahaz. Instead, God says “Don’t do anything. Don’t form unnecessary alliances. Just stand there”. It was tough for Ahaz to follow, so God takes the initiative to offer a sign.

God disapproves of people testing Him by asking for signs, but He sometimes grants signs to help those who really need it. There’s a difference between people who want to believe but need help, and people who don’t want to believe, so they look for an excuse. Ahaz belonged to the latter. Under the pretence of obeying God, Ahaz was justifying a decision he had already made: allying with the king of Assyria. In doing so, he compromised his faith. Political alliances with pagan nations usually lead to spiritual allegiance to their gods and that’s what happened to Ahaz.

Ahaz’s response was something very logical to many observing the situation then. We make similar decisions today. When we observe trends all around us, we take the route that best secures our positions in various areas, even if they may be spiritually unwise. We are warned here not to put our trust in temporary things, as they can come back and bite us. The superpower that Ahaz depended on, eventually became Jerusalem’s decimators. It’s all too easy to trust in the visible things around us and go with the world’s flow, than place our trust in the invisible and untouchable God. But that’s what true faith means.

The Immanuel sign is a message to the community of God’s people. Ahaz was one of them. As the book of Isaiah runs its course, we will see more and more the demarcation between the faithful and unfaithful within the community of God’s people. The demarcation between those who respond to God’s word with obedience and those who ignore, the true and the false, the sheep and the goats (Matthew 25:33). Life’s testings will increasingly distinguish the two groups. In these tests, Jesus warned of those who ‘have no root’ and last only for a while (Mark 4:17). So we can’t stay idle and must build our faith for such times. More crucially, for the last day, when this demarcation between both groups becomes permanent.

Whether we experience God as saviour or judge depends on how we respond to Him. When we accept Christ, we chose rightly, but that doesn’t mean we can be complacent. The temptations to not respond well, even after conversion, will always be there. The Immanuel sign reminds us to stay vigilant, that we can all fall from grace. It demands continuous discipline to live out our faith. Yet this promise offers great hope, that no matter how wretched one is, if the response is right, one will come to experience a saviour. It’s comforting to know this invitation is for all, regardless of family backgrounds, social standing, past sins, etc.

REST

Father, thank you for the gift of Jesus Christ. Thank you for this salvation, not earned through doing works, but by grace through faith. Teach me what true faith means and the heart condition I should have to remain faithful in testing times. Amen.  

Chris Chong