Sunday Sermons
Isaiah 7:14
Isaiah 7:14
“Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel. He will eat curds and honey at the time He knows enough to refuse evil and choose good. For before the boy will know enough to refuse evil and choose good, the land whose two kings you dread will be forsaken” (Isaiah 7:14-16).
The Context
God had sent Isaiah to king Ahaz as Ahaz was viewing the defenses of the city and making ready for the siege that was bound to come. God offered Ahaz a sign from as high as the heaven above or in the depth below, indicating both extremes from which Ahaz might select any sign that would be sufficient proof to him that God was faithful and a keeper of His promises. However, Ahaz refused to ask for a sign and, therefore, God, through the prophet, gave him one. The sign was that a virgin would conceive and bare a son and that son would be called Immanuel. To assure Ahaz that he had nothing to fear from the two kings besieging Jerusalem, God told Ahaz to ask for a sign and the extent of God’s offer was unlimited (7:10-11). Yet the faithless king refused, and pretended respect for God by saying, “Nor will I test the Lord” (Deuteronomy 6:16). This appears to be an excuse to cover his lack of faith for one is not tempting God when one does what God commands or directs. Apparently, he did not want to believe in God, nor did he have any faith in God’s promises, rather, he was planning or had already appealed to the Assyrians for help. This expression of unbelief brought a rebuke from God, “Listen now, O house of David! Is it too slight a thing for you to try the patience of men, that you will try the patience of my God as well?” (7:13). The rejection of Ahaz not only involved himself, but the entire nation and the destiny of those who would follow him on the throne. The matter is now taken out of the hands of Ahaz, for the prophet now addresses not the king, but the house of David. As a result, the Lord Himself would select the sign.
7:14
“Behold”: The term behold arouses our attention. The prophet is going to announce an unusual birth of a special child who will be a sign to the house of David and of the nation of Israel.
“A Sign”: This “sign” was offered by God after Ahaz had refused to ask for a sign from as high as heaven or as deep as Sheol. This indicated the miraculous, and this sign spoken of by Isaiah would be a miracle that could not be denied as such by anyone. Therefore, the term “sign” argues that the birth to be mentioned is a miraculous birth. This rules out the argument that is given by critics of the Bible who claim that Isaiah was simply describing a natural birth.
“A virgin”: Controversy has long existed over the term virgin. Some critics of the virgin birth and those who reject the miraculous events in the Scriptures seek to argue that this Hebrew term simply means a “young woman”. The Hebrew term rendered “virgin” here occurs six times in addition to this passage and in each instance refers to an unmarried, chaste maiden(Genesis 24:43,16; Exodus 2:8; Psalm 68:25; Song of Solomon 1:3; 6:8; Proverbs 30:19). There are other Hebrew terms that are used of a woman who has a child, or any woman indiscriminately. In effect, Isaiah said that this woman is not an old woman, a married woman, a bride, nor a young girl. Finally, only a “virgin”, a woman who has never been with a man, conceiving a child would fit the term “sign”. Obviously there is nothing special or significant about a woman who has been with a man conceiving a child, this happens every day.
“Immanuel”: This expression means “God with us”. Twice more the prophet will use this name, “And the spread of its wings will fill the breath of your land, O Immanuel” (8:9); “For God is with us” (8:10). These verses are speaking of the coming Assyrian invasion that will come not only upon Syria and Israel, but also upon the unfaithful nation of Judah (8:8). Notice that the Promised Land is called “your land, O Immanuel”. The land was Immanuel’s land, that is, God’s land. Therefore, the child called “Immanuel” is not merely someone that God favors, but is actually God Himself, in the flesh (John 1:14). This same truth is seen in other passages, that is, the promised son to be born, would be divine:
Isaiah 9:6 “For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; and the government will rest on His shoulders; and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace”.
Micah 5:2 “But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel, His goings forth are from long ago, from the days of eternity”.
Psalm 110:1 “The Lord says to my Lord.”
Psalm 2:7 “He said to Me, ‘Thou art My Son, today I have begotten Thee’”.
Clearly, the Messiah would be God Himself, but why would God become man? McDowell notes, “Imagine you are watching a farmer plow a field. You notice an ant hill will be plowed under by the farmer on his next time around. Because you are an ant lover, you run to the anthill to warn them. What is the best way to communicate with them? Only by becoming an ant can you communicate with them so they will understand. Now, if God wanted to communicate with us, what would be the best way?”(Evidence that Demands a Verdict, p. 111) (John 1:18; 14:9).
The Necessity for This Sign
Henry Morris observed, “It is altogether fitting that the One who performed many miracles during His life, who offered Himself on the cross as an atoning sacrifice for the sins of men, and who then rose bodily from the dead in vindication of all His claims, should have begun such a unique life by a unique entrance into that life” (Evidence that Demands a Verdict, McDowell, p. 118). That is, if God became man, then we should not be surprised to find that He had a miraculous entrance into this life, just as He had a miraculous exit (Acts 1:9-11).
7:15
“He will eat curds and honey”: “Having rejected Jehovah, the house of David and of Israel will experience evil days, not good. The child’s food will not be royal food or the food of plenty and prosperity but of scarcity” (Hailey p. 89). In Isaiah 7:21-22 we find the coming of the Assyrians who will so devastate the land that a man will be fortunate to have even a young cow or two sheep and butter and honey will be the individual’s only food, since the fields and vineyards will have been destroyed.
“At the time He knows enough to refuse evil and choose good”: That is, the time of his childhood, from infancy to the age when he can make a choice of the good over evil. Before this child grows up (Luke 2:52).
7:16
“The land whose two kings you dread will be forsaken”: The question that commentators usually have is how could the birth of Jesus, some 700 years after this prophecy have any significance or meaning to Isaiah’s generation? In view of this question, some have argued that we have a double fulfillment here. That is, there was a virgin in Isaiah’s time who also gave birth to a son named Immanuel, yet we have already clearly pointed out that the child is divine, and passages such as Isaiah 9:6-7 and 11:1-5 all refer to the same child. Consider the following points:
1. The sign is not given to Ahaz, for he had been given an opportunity to receive a sign and had rejected that offer. The sign is promised to the house of David (7:13). Furthermore, it is evident that verses 15 and 16 apply to the Son promised in verse 14.
2. This sign is not given to comfort Ahaz, for he had rejected God. In verse 17 the prophet continues to address Ahaz. Since he had rejected God and would appeal to the Assyrians for help, God would given him the Assyrians. He had feared the forces of Pekah and Rezin (the Israelite and Syrian kings), but their invasion is not to be compared to that of the Assyrians. Because of their unfaithfulness, days would come upon the king and the nation “days as have never come since the day that Ephraim separated from Judah” (7:17). “The tragic separation of Ephraim (and the nine other northern tribes) from Judah and Benjamin had dealt a fatal blow to the United Kingdom. Assyria would now strike an additional blow against Judah and the house of David, which would eventually result in final destruction by the Babylonians a century later” (Hailey p. 89).
3. The purpose for which Israel and Syria would come against Judah was to establish their own king in Judah, “and set up the son of Tabeel as king in the midst of it” (7:6). God had exhorted Ahaz that such a plan would fail (7:7). Pekah and Rezin had not reckoned with God and He would stop their evil plan. God further declares that Syria is all that Damascus will rule and within sixty-five years the northern kingdom of Israel will not only be destroyed, but the people will be taken into captivity and their land will be repopulated with foreigners. Neither Syria nor Israel will ever be the head of Judah. Finally, God tells Ahaz that if he refuses to listen to God, his rule will end as well, “If you will not believe, you surely shall not last” (7:9). It is against this background that the prophecy of the virgin birth is given. Therefore in verse 13, Isaiah addressed not only Ahaz, but also the whole house of David, and it involves the Messianic promise that the throne of David should be established forever (Luke 1:32-33).
4. In order to better understand how a sign can be promised which comes after the event predicted, notice Exodus 3:12 “Certainly I will be with you, and this shall be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall worship God at this mountain”. Here is a sign promised to be given after the passing of the event spoken, which it was to confirm. Notice the different elements in Isaiah 7:14-16: A virgin will be with child, His name will be Immanuel, and He will eat butter and honey, but before He will do that, the empires that there threatening the house of David will be forsaken. This is true, before Jesus was born, both of these events happened. Ahaz probably saw the end of Syria and Israel. The house of David did see the sign of the Messiah being born. Therefore, Isaiah saw not only what was coming upon the nation and the surrounding nations in the near future, he also saw the coming of the Messiah, “These things Isaiah said, because he saw His glory, and he spoke of Him” (John 12:41).
Mark Dunagan/Beaverton Church of Christ/503-644-9017
www.ch-of-christ.beaverton.or.us/mdunagan@easystreet.com
