Read: Isaiah 7:10-16
The Lord himself will give you a sign. Look, the young woman is with child
and shall bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel. (v. 14)
The Gospel of Matthew cites this passage as a prediction of Christ’s coming (Mt 1:23), but it is fascinating to consider within the context of this whole passage. God tells Ahaz to ask for a sign from God as “deep as Sheol or high as heaven,” but Ahaz refuses to “put the Lord to the test.” I wonder if, like Ahaz, we sometimes approach God with trepidation or worry that we’re asking for the wrong thing. God knows better than we do, so why would we ask? With so much pain in the world, it’s easy to worry whether our troubles really merit God’s attention.
While it’s a good thing to acknowledge the blessings we have that others don’t, thinking “my troubles aren’t worth God’s attention” because others suffer more actually limits God. The message of Immanuel, “God is with us” is that God is with us in ways we can’t even fathom. God will far surpass any sign Ahaz could ask for, and is big enough (infinite in fact) for us to be truly open in prayer. What more could we ask for than God being with us incarnate, as close as our own skin? As we approach the incarnation afresh, how might we open ourselves to God? How might we display the amazing truth that “God is with us” to each other and our neighbors?
Eternal God, in your providence you made all ages a preparation for the kingdom of your Son. Make ready our hearts for the brightness of your glory and the fullness of your blessing in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
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