Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz, saying, Ask a sign of the Lord your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven. But Ahaz said, I will not ask, and I will not put the Lord to the test. Then Isaiah said: ‘Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary mortals, that you weary my God also? Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son, and shall name him Emmanuel. He shall eat curds and honey by the time he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good. For before the child knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land before whose two kings you are in dread will be deserted. (Isaiah 7:10-16, NRSV)
Now this prophecy from Isaiah is one we read as Christians as a for-telling of Jesus’ birth…
There is a few issues with this…
One is that according to this reading Isaiah is telling Ahaz, that the siege on his city will be over when this young woman, who is with child, gives birth and that child is able to eats curds and honey. If this is about Jesus, then Isaiah is telling Ahaz, to hold on about 700 years and the siege will be over…
Is that good news?
Does the fact that this prophecy is probably pointing to a different woman than Mary and the birth of Jesus mean that this text is not about Jesus?
How many times is a prophecy to happen before it is no longer a prophecy?
Jesus came to us from a young woman, just as the scripture for-told. And He came to bring peace, and to have us beat our swords into plows, and because of that we took up arms and had Him put to death…
He came to bring us peace, and we saw a different outcome.
So are you ready for Jesus to come as a baby?
But even more are you ready for the peace that He promised to come and for Him to come again to bring the Kingdom in fruition!
And now, O Lord God, you are God, and your words are true, and you have promised this good thing to your servant; now therefore may it please you to bless the house of your servant, so that it may continue for ever before you; for you, O Lord God, have spoken, and with your blessing shall the house of your servant be blessed for ever.’ (
But let your hand be upon the one at your right hand, the one whom you made strong for yourself. Then we will never turn back from you; give us life, and we will call on your name. Restore us, O Lord God of hosts; let your face shine, that we may be saved. (
Now before faith came, we were imprisoned and guarded under the law until faith would be revealed. Therefore the law was our disciplinarian until Christ came, so that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer subject to a disciplinarian, for in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith. As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to the promise. (
When Jesus entered Peter’s house, he saw his mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever; he touched her hand, and the fever left her, and she got up and began to serve him. That evening they brought to him many who were possessed by demons; and he cast out the spirits with a word, and cured all who were sick. This was to fulfill what had been spoken through the prophet Isaiah, ‘He took our infirmities and bore our diseases.’ (
aSacredRebel 