Isaiah, Chapter 7
Isaiah 7:10-16 · Vern Peterman · Feb 12, 2006
Isaiah, No. 10
Holly Hills Bible Church
https://hollyhillsbiblechurch.org/teaching/messages/4826234357695

Transcribed from the recording by SermonAudio, so expect the occasional misheard word.

Good morning. Here we are in the 10th week, believe it or not, studying through the book of Isaiah. And as we look at this chapter here, this is a section of verses that in one sense has been very clear over the centuries, and yet we'll be breaking it into two parts for the sake of splitting it up on your sheet and getting it a reasonable size. But there's also a caution to issue. And that is, this is one of those passages that though there is a message that's abundantly clear, exactly how it's understood has been, well, let's just say it's been all over the place. So as I was looking at this over this last week, early on in the week, I sent an email to the other elders and I said, hey, this is a real humdinger because it's understood in all these different ways.

Still having gone through it, I'm convinced that there is a clear and simple understanding and I hope to take you through it, so bear with me. Last week, remember, Isaiah was in heaven. This is Isaiah chapter 6. By the time that chapter 7 rolls around, some history has come to pass. And as Isaiah 7 opens, a new king reigns in Judah, and he is anything but godly. He is most certainly an ungodly king. His name is Ahaz, and he is evil to the core.

He serves pagan deities exclusively. He cuts up the utensils or has the utensils cut up from the temple, even portions of the temple doors chopped to bits if it'll buy him something. He even gave his own son to burn in the god Molech. They had among the pagans, neighbors of the Jews, a god in which the firstborn child was sacrificed to this burning god Molech, a horrible thing. Here this king, who should be a spiritual leader and example to the whole nation, sacrificed his own son this way.

Ahaz, in addition to being very pagan and ungodly, was also very fearful. He was fearful of an impending attack, and he had good reason to be fearful in a human sense, from the neighboring Jewish tribes of Israel, and also their neighboring country, Aram, or the modern name would be Syria, And in response, Ahaz thought, well, I'll just hire Assyria to help me. It turns out to have been a very bad choice, but we'll see how this turns out. Ahaz had a grandfather and a father who were largely godly kings.

But what's amazing is in spite of that heritage, it somehow didn't get passed down to him. And in every turn, this guy took the wrong turn. At every opportunity, this fellow took the wrong direction. It not only caused him a great deal of trouble, but the whole nation bore the brunt of the consequences from his decision.

You can look in 2 Chronicles 22 through 25 to look at some of the examples of things that he did. He would have a neighboring nation experience some military victory, so he would go and try to woo the god of that neighboring pagan nation. He put pagan deities worshiping places throughout the nation in Israel and Judah.

Now, one of the questions is, when are we talking about? What's the time frame here? Well, okay, to do that, we've got to get in the Holly Hills Bible Church time machine. Here's Isaiah, as we mentioned before, he lives about seven centuries before the time of Christ, about 2700 years ago.

That's the general time frame for his ministry. Specifically, his little range of ministry compared to this whole timeline here lasted for a fairly long period of time for a prophet. Some of them only had a ministry of a short period of time. Isaiah's ministry was lengthy.

This particular time we can pin down because of historical events about 735 BC. One of the reasons we're able to do so is because the things that are described in here The Assyrians kept records of it and we have their accounts and we're able to correlate the two and they fit together quite well. We're going to go through this as a quick summary. So we're going to call this Isaiah chapter 7 in fifth gear and full turbo. So the Lord told Isaiah to take his son. His son's name is Shurjashib. I wouldn't recommend that as a name for any of your kids. Shurjashib was his name. He told him, take his son and go and talk to Ahaz. The king is thinking that we're under threat of military attack. He's looking at water supplies and fortifications and things of that. You know, how are we going to get through this?

And there's a personal threat. One of the things that would happen in those days is frequently the leader of a losing nation in a military battle would simply be killed or sometimes worse. So it wasn't good. It wasn't something for his people that he wanted to lose, but it was also for him personally and for his family. He would be quite concerned that they not suffer a loss here.

And Isaiah tells him, Ahaz, he says, you need to just trust the Lord in this. If you trust, it'll go well with you. If you don't, it won't. Trust the Lord with this threat. That's the message that he ends with in verse 9. Now, what was Ahaz's response? He says, of course I'll trust the Lord. Not. Instead, he prefers to trust the pagan gods and he prefers to trust the Assyrians. Very bad choice. That's what he did, nonetheless. Ahaz refused to trust the Lord for a better outcome. That would have been far better.

So, God didn't just walk away from this, so to speak. Instead, the Lord responded with some two-fold promises and signs that we'll see here. Both a near future and a far future fulfillment. But had he simply obeyed God, he would have had those plus blessings. But instead, He says, the Lord is going to give you out of His character and His grace and His promise these things, but nothing more. Then the Lord speaks through Isaiah, speaks to Ahaz and says, this is how this is going to play out. This is how this is going to look as this unfolds.

It's not good. Judah will come eventually between the jaws of Egypt and Assyria, whom Isaiah calls the fly and the bee. Sound pretty bad? Here's the way it was eventually going to play out. You would have Egypt pressing on Judah coming from the south and from the west, and you would have Assyria coming in from the north and from the east. Between the two, Egypt would be the fly and Assyria would be the bee. Let me tell you, I don't want a whole lot of either one of those hanging around. But that was what was going to happen.

Now, let's step through the verses you have on your handout on page 1, 7, 10 through 13. Then the Lord spoke again to Ahaz. We say again because one of the things that, as you see clearly in the context, this is the second time in this passage that the Lord had spoken through Isaiah. The first one, in verse 7, He had spoken to him before. So now He's speaking to Ahaz for the second time, and that's the portion we're focusing on here. The Lord likely spoke through Isaiah. It wasn't, as I see it, likely the Lord speaking directly to Ahaz as if through a voice coming out of the clouds. But more, the Lord's word through Isaiah is quite likely. The prophets often spoke, thus saith the Lord.

And we see examples of that, Isaiah 3.16 and 7.3, even earlier in this chapter. Now, here's what he says. Ask for a sign for yourself. Ask for one. Now, if you look at signs in scripture, sometimes signs were not a good sign. How about that? Jesus would say a wicked generation or an evil generation asked for a sign. But here the Lord tells Ahaz, ask for a sign. Just go ahead. Go right ahead and do it. So we have the Lord's authorization to ask for one.

It's interesting if you think about signs and look at it throughout scripture, there are various places all the way to the very last book of the Old Testament where we see the Jews are given signs and they're granted them. One of them that's well known is the one of Gideon with the fleece. People even talk about putting out a fleece, even if they don't even know the Bible story very well. You'll hear people mention that, the fleece being dry or wet, contrary conditions around them. So there are instances of that being something that the Lord has indeed granted. What's interesting is, as you get into the New Testament, when you get past the time of the apostles, because 2 Corinthians 12, 12 says that there are signs of an apostle.

The word signs begins to disappear and the next time you see it is in the tribulation period. After the time of the apostles, it does not appear that the church is to be looking for signs. It does not appear that the church is to be looking for wonders. If you're wanting to wait for that, you're not going to like it because the Antichrist is the next one who is described in scripture as doing signs. I don't suggest you wait around for that. We are, however, to look for the Lord's coming. That is clear, but not for science. Then this is interesting.

From the Lord your God, make it deep as Sheol and high as heaven. Or some translations will just say the depths and the heights. What this is, it's a Hebrew figure of speech that basically takes the idea of from one end to the other. We have the same idea, and Jesus says, I am the Alpha and the Omega. You take the maximum extent, describe the ends, and that includes everything else. So, what the Lord is telling Ahaz here is, ask for anything. Anything you want. Can you imagine that? Here is Ahaz. He's worried about these kings coming. He's just deadly afraid. As a matter of fact, he's described as like a tree trembling in the wind. He is really scared.

And here the Lord comes to him and says, Ahaz, ask for anything you want. And not only that, the Lord didn't do it in response to Ahaz pleading for it. The Lord comes. Can you imagine that? If the Lord came to you and said, ask for anything you want, top to bottom, no limits, anything. Of course, Ahaz is just falling all over himself to say yes, right?

Not so. I will not ask, nor will I test the Lord. What's interesting is Ahaz's refusal is absolute. original here is in the Hebrew and is translated into Greek, roughly 200 BC. When they did that, they used two little Greek words for that will not, and it's oo-may. And it's words that are used in the New Testament repeatedly for not in the slightest chance.

So here's Ahaz And he should be falling all over himself to say, man, what can I ask? Let me get it out. Let me think about this and get back to you. And what does he say? Not even sort of, not remotely am I going to ask the Lord anything. How about that? Amazing. Phenomenal. He has an absolute, abject refusal. I will not ask the Lord anything. He says, nor will I test the Lord.

That's from Deuteronomy 6.16. So here's Ahaz, almost sounding pious, as he refuses the Lord's offer.

And I think that's one of the things that is really clear, is the character of the sin nature does not change. Once you're an Adam, you're an Adam. The character of the sin nature does not change. And the sin nature is pretty good at fake religion. Here's Ahaz, and he comes back to, quote, Deuteronomy 6.16, basically, and answer Isaiah. Thus, the Lord. And refuse. So what is a refusal to respond to the Lord comes across as being really pious. And, oh, I'm regarding the Scripture. When in truth, it's just fake religion. It's phoniness.

It's the sin nature doing its best. You see, the expressions and appeals of the sin nature appear to human beings real subtle. But the truth is that God isn't fooled by anything that comes from the sin nature. The sin nature will appeal to you in lots of ways. Some of them will even look good. We use a kind of joking example here. It's Jesus on your fridge.

It's easy for us to come up with, oh, here's a list of things that I'm not going to do, and I'm going to be really good because I don't do those things. Or, here's the list of things that I'm going to do, and I'm going to try really hard to do those things and show myself worthy because I kept the list. when really that whole long list is just a big burden. Ahaz wasn't pleasing God by saying, I'm not going to testify. But he was instead testing God by his refusal.

So what's the response? Now, verse 13, then he said, Listen now, O house of David. Do you notice a distinction? A difference? Now he widens it. Listen now, O house of David. Is it too slight a thing for you to try the patience of men that you will now try the patience of my God as well? Isaiah addresses Ahaz now with this wider address, and that is to the whole house of David. All the lineage, all the relatives and all the people of the house of David. And as we mentioned quite some weeks ago, it's even possible that Isaiah was of the house of David. But here is Ahaz. He's standing against faith in the Lord. He is dishonoring the Holy One of Israel. So, there's some details to notice here because it'll become important. Pay attention to this. This is on page 2 of your handout. Yourself in verse 11 is in the singular. That's addressed just to Ahaz and Ahaz responds in the singular as well. So, 10 through 12 are in the singular. Conversation between the Lord and Ahaz. Verse 13, however, the two U's are plural.

When I was in Texas, they had a way to say that in English. It's y'all, or even all y'all, okay? So it'd say, listen now, House of David, it's a two-slided thing for all y'all, okay? That would be the idea. It's a U plural, which in English, other than that, we don't have an easy way to say.

Then as we get into verse 14, notice the plural continues. This U, like twice in verse 13, is plural addresses the promise again to the house of David. This is not just a has it is just like verse 13 address to the entire house of David. All those who are of the lineage. All those who are of the living and future and past house of David are included in this.

Then we get to verse 16 and this you like in verses 10 through 12 the singular. It returns to this idea of speaking with Ahaz in verses 15 and 16. We'll see more reinforcement for that idea in a little bit here. Verses 10 through 12 are between the Lord and Ahaz. Singular, they're talking to one another. Verses 13 and 14 is where the plural you is used, and it is between the Lord and the house of David. where it says, David, this is the house of David, not just to David, but the whole house of David.

And then versus 15 and 16, returning to the singular you and speaking the Lord into a half. First of all, it's you singular. Then it's all y'all. And then it's you singular again. So I've tried to highlight the difference black than blue with the plural and then black again for the singular.

OK, now to make this clear versus 10 and 12 and 15 and 16. Our conversations in the singular address to Ahaz near term. Verses 13 and 14, however, from the Lord to the house of David, it's the plural you in both verses. It's a prophecy with far future fulfillment, as we'll see, and it's given only because of the promise to David. So we've got this distinction here. Go back to verse 14.

Since Ahaz refused to ask for the offered sign, here the Lord says, ask for a sign, any one you want. And he comes back and says, no chance. Not even sort of. And so since he refuses, the Lord gives him this sign in verse 14, not just to him because he wouldn't respond and listen. I'll give it to the whole house of David. I'll tell you guys, all of you. Here's my sign. Here's my promise, because I'm going to honor my promise to David, even if the rest of you, a bunch of rats with a double T at the end.

OK. So, he says, behold. Now, this word behold, when we are going through the book of Revelation, we said repeatedly, because the word shows up repeatedly, and Isaiah is going to use it repeatedly, it means to take a mental picture and get it in your head.

Stop and take a mental picture. Pull out the digital camera, get the settings just right, plug it in to a USB port and go click. Take a mental picture. Get it in your head, this thought. This was to draw attention, because what's going to happen here is momentous. You won't want to forget this. That's what he's telling them. Keep this in mind, because you don't want to let this slip. This isn't one of those moments you want to let just fade by and fade out of memory. Get this in your mind.

It points to a future event, and that's why we'll see the translations have it here, will be. It is a future event. It's not something that's already in motion. There's something else to point out here, and this is something that's a distinction between the different translations.

The New King James and the NIV have THE Virgin, and the NAS, New American Standard, and the King James have A Virgin. What's clear, not only from the Hebrew, but also the Greek version of the Old Testament, and that's carried over where it's quoted in Matthew 123, is this definite article. It's not, Behold A Virgin, but it's, Behold THE Virgin. So from this point forward, you'll see in your handout, THE Virgin, and that's the reason why.

It's abundantly clear that it's a specific one that's being talked about. It is not vague. How many of you have heard somebody question the idea that this really means virgin? Did you hear anybody question that? Okay, all right. Let's take a look at it. This Hebrew word here, this translated virgin, and I think the revised standard is the one translation I'm aware of that says young woman, can have a broader meaning like maiden or young woman, but it implies virginity. But beyond that, there are seven places where the word shows up in the Old Testament And outside of this place, all the other six passages in every single case, it's an unmarried woman. So strong implication under Jewish law that this is a virgin because the penalty for being unmarried and not being the virgin for a young woman would be death penalty. Right. So strong implication. Here's another instance, I think, that makes the case. This is the first place where it shows up.

Genesis 24. Here's the account of finding Rebecca, a suitable wife for Isaac. And how is that handled? Here's Genesis 24, 16. It clarifies and says no man had had relations with her. Right down in the same chapter, several verses later, Rebecca is referred to as an Alma. This is the same word that's used here in Isaiah 7, 14. So it's clarified that that's what's meant by that word. Here's another one.

This passage is a clarifying passage that we're studying in Isaiah 7, 14, because in Genesis 3, 15, the Lord tells the outcome of the serpent's temptation. And remember, what happened is the Lord tells the serpent, here's what's going to happen. And then to Eve, this is what's going to happen. And then to Adam, what's going to happen? He will set enmity between her seed and the seed of the serpent.

The question there, what does he mean by the seed of the woman? Well, what's interesting is you go through the rest of Genesis, any reference to seed and it's the man is the one that's mentioned, not the woman. So a seed of the woman is something unique. And so 714 of Isaiah clarifies here. That's what he's talking about. This is going to be someone born of the woman, but not of the man, not of the man.

Now, the prophecy, her seed does no human father indicates that the favor would be born of a virgin uniquely because the other seed that you see coming born of men is like seed of Abraham and subsequently in Scripture. Now, back to Isaiah 714, did the Jews at the time of Christ or before that view that word Alma as virgin? That would be a good test too, wouldn't it? How did the Jews before the time of Christ, where you don't have Christ's virgin birth at issue, did they look at that word Alma and see it as meaning virgin? Let's take a look. The Greek Old Testament, this is on page three of your handout, was translated by Jews about two centuries, about 200 years before the birth of Christ. The Hebrew word Alma was translated there, Parthenos, which means virgin.

And you have on the right side there, there's interlinear where you have the Strong's numbers, then the Greek words, and then the English words underneath. So behold the, and notice the definite article, the virgin. This is a portion of the interlinear Greek Old Testament there. Now we get to Matthew 1, 22 and 23. It quotes Isaiah 7, 14 and verse 23 from the Greek Old Testament.

And it clearly conveys in that context that Mary, the mother of Jesus, was a virgin until after Jesus' birth. Remember, Gabriel says, you're going to be with child. And her response is, I am a virgin. I'm a parthenos. How's this going to be? That was her way of saying clearly, not just I'm a young woman, but I am a virgin. How am I going to bear a child? How can this happen?

And Gabriel's response, it will be, by the Holy Spirit's doing so the words translated behold the Virgin Matthew one twenty two and twenty three are the exact same as the Greek Old Testament there by seven fourteen. Parthenon clearly means virgin as you look in the context both in Matthew and in Luke.

Now we're not done some claim that Bethula is the right word. By the way, I've been around circles with some people on this particular issue. They'll say, oh, if Isaiah really meant virgin, he would have used that word Bethulah. That that's the word that specifically means virgin, and he didn't use it. And therefore, he chose the wrong word if that's supposed to be a prediction of the birth of Christ into Mary as a virgin.

But there are a number of contexts that show that this Hebrew word Bethulah doesn't mean only virgin, although it often does. Here's some examples. Isaiah, we're going to see farther on this very same book, chapter 47, first 12 verses, verse one, the word Bethulah is used, and it's there to describe Babylon. And shortly thereafter in the subsequent verses talks about nakedness and shame. So the word does not explicitly mean virgin there.

Joel 1.8, it's used for a widow mourning the husband of her youth. So it does not exclusively mean that.

The word Alma, which is only used in the Old Testament to mean a young woman strongly implying virginity is the best choice of words. And that's why the Jews prior to Christ translated it with Parthenos. OK, finally, if the word Alma in Isaiah 714 doesn't mean virgin specifically, then Isaiah 714 is pretty vague if we don't understand it that way. So here's Isaiah and he's speaking to Ahaz and he says, a young woman is going to bear a son. Is that a very specific and powerful sign? Not so much. Ahaz is quickly going to be saying, which young woman are you talking about? A son? Which son? How am I going to know this sign's fulfilled?

So it would be nothing specific. This makes it specific. The virgin, specific. One virgin. The virgin will bear a son. To be with child and bear a son. This is specific reference to the virgin's pregnancy and delivery of a son. Not just any son, as the rest of the verse is going to make clear here.

Will call his name. Now, in our language, we would look at a word label and say, oh, that's what it applies to. But as we'll see, as we go through the book of Isaiah, and you can see in other places in scripture, calling a name is oftentimes not just the superficial word label, but it refers to the character, identity and destiny. Those three things, the character, identity and destiny of the meaning of the name. You should call his name Immanuel. Here's a, for instance, in Isaiah 9, 6, and 7, we'll be looking at here in just a few weeks. His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. He's got a lot of names if that's just word labels, right? Instead, what is it? This is his identity. This is his character. This is his destiny.

Then it makes sense. We understand it in that context. Okay, how does that fit into verses 15 and 16, especially with verse 14? Notice in verse 15 and 16, almost identical words there. He knows enough to refuse evil and choose good. The boy will know enough to refuse evil and choose the good.

In Jewish culture, the sense of the age of discernment, typically about 12 or 13. In our own time, we have Bar Mitzvah. What is that? That is this age of discernment. In the modern Jewish culture, taken as about 13, the age of moral discernment. So this is what this is in reference to.

So now, 12 or 13 years old, he's saying, before the boy reaches this age, and these are the timing indicators. So each of these is identical, and their timing indicators, why do we say timing indicators? Look at, at the time he knows, so at the time that he's 12 or 13 years old, the boy will know how to refuse evil and choose the good, And before that time, another timing indicator, before this boy Cherjashib is 12 or 13 years old, before he gets to that age, the land whose two kings you dread will be forsaken. Now, let's see what that means. Remember this, the U has changed from plural now to, in verses 15 and 16, referenced to single. Back to Ahaz. He's no longer looking in the far future as he was in Verse 14, he is looking at Ahaz's own time.

He will eat curds and honey at the time. So you're looking at the timing indicator. Before he's 12 or 13, he'll eat curds and honey. Why is he going to eat curds and honey? Because he just loves that stuff, right? No. Here's what's going on. This was a diet that was particularly suited for survival.

Eating bread and wine, olive oil, things like that would have been more typical. Give the kids some juice. Give them some pomegranate juice. Give them some grape juice. Here's some bread, much more typical. Instead, this is a land whose fields have been stripped, whose orchards have been ruined. This is a land whose vineyards have been broken down and not maintained. Curds is the way it comes across in the New American Standard.

King James has butter, and butyron is what's in the Greek, in the Greek Old Testament. And a melted strain butter, and the term that most fits it is what we might call, if you even heard of it, ghee. How many of you had ghee to eat? Anybody had any ghee? Maybe a little bit. It's pretty uncommon, but nonetheless, that would be, rather than any curdled or fermented product, that would be what we'd call it.

So how about the honey? What's interesting is while the Egyptians had cultivated honeybees in their land because the priests used both the honey and the wax in their mummification process and preparations, they kept their process secret. So it was unknown to the people of Judah. So basically people would have found wild honey, but if they couldn't find that, this same word would be used for a sweetened syrup that would come from dates or figs. Okay? So any one of those things could be included. So it would be ghee and sweet syrup. How about that? That would be the terminology. This ghee and sweet syrup was suitable for a land that had been beaten down.

You no longer had cultivated crops. The vineyards were broken down and they had all kinds of things growing in them. Things had begun to fall apart. The orchards had been busted up and broken. Briars and thorns and thistles had grown in their place. The invading armies would come in and people couldn't go to the crops. So they just had whatever they had stored up in their walled cities, wherever they could hide, the crops would be left. And so now you're stuck to, how can I live off this land now that the armies have left?

Verses 17 through 25 describe what will happen in this time to come. When basically everything falls apart, everybody, that's Isaiah 7.22, will be eating this. So this boy Shurjashib will be eating this because everybody will be eating this. So the curds and honey, or better, ghee and sweet syrup, are indicative, yes, this boy is going to be eating this before he turns 12 or 13, but everybody will. but he wants to have an example for AHAS. Watch this kid, okay? Now, the animals can get in there and make use of the land and get something off the land when nobody else can.

I know even in Nevada, Nancy and I lived in Carson City for about 15 years. You know, out in the middle of Nevada, if you've ever been out there, the grass is so sparse, if the cows move anything less than five miles an hour, they'll starve to death, okay? It's really bad. It's not the sort of place you're going to till and grow a bunch of tomatoes. It just isn't enough water. In Nevada, the average rainfall across the state, about two to three inches in most places.

So there'll be lots of places. Now in Judah, with things having kind of gone to pot, so to speak, lots of places where you could get animals in there. Vines would overtake some of the fields, some of the vineyards, and you couldn't get in there without a lot of work and clear it and get the vineyard going again. So you just start running animals in there because at least you could get something, milk from the animals, maybe some meat. The vines would easily take over some of these areas.

So here's verse 14. What's verse 14 saying? Verse 14 is saying, telling Ahaz, that the lineage of the house of David, because remember he's talking to the house of David, he's speaking in plural, the lineage of the house of David would be preserved. He says, Ahaz, you won't believe me. I tell you to ask for a sign and you won't ask for one.

So I'm going to give you one and it's going to be based on my promise to David. The house of David will be preserved until this promised one comes. One born of the house of David who will sit on the throne over his kingdom forever. I'm going to fulfill that promise I made to David.

He's telling Ahaz. When we go into these passages that talk about the Virgin Mary, especially in Luke chapter one, to the house, the throne, the kingdom, the exact same words, the house and throne of kingdom, it's this one whom you, Mary, the Virgin, are going to bear, the one who will reign over the house and the throne and the kingdom of David. God is telling Ahaz, I am going to keep my promise to David, and this is how you will know it, a virgin will bear a son just exactly as I promised David. Real clear.

Verse 15 is saying the boy that Isaiah was told to take with him, that's Shurjahshib, and he's saying, see this kid? Before this kid turns 12 or 13 will eat the ghee and the sweet syrup by the time he's about 12 or 13 years old. So here he is standing there with his son Shurjahshib, pointing to him and saying, this one, he will be eating this ghee and sweet syrup because all of our crops will be ruined. We'll be living off the land. It'll be survival food. The boy will have to eat the ghee, the sweet syrup, the survival food, because all the cultivated crops, all the vineyards, all the orchards will be in terrible shape from all the military people running through it and keeping the workers off of the fields, unable to work them until they're all wrecked. Verse 16 is saying, but even before that, resin and pica would both be taken out by the Assyrian military anyway. The guys that you're just scared to death of, don't worry about them. They'll be gone before this kid turns 12 or 13.

So what does that tell us? We know from history, 735 is when this happened. We know that within about three years' time, this was fulfilled. So that when Isaiah was standing there with Sir Jashub, if 12 or 13 was the target date, the boy was about 9 or 10 years old. standing there with Isaiah when he was talking to Ahaz, and he was telling Ahaz, see this kid?

Keep an eye on him. Because before he becomes to that age of responsibility, this is what's going to happen. We're all going to be living on survival food, all of us. And, before he reaches that age, the enemy that you're so dreadfully afraid of, the enemy that has you shaking in your sandals, that enemy will be gone entirely. One more thing.

Matthew 24.2. Not one stone here will be left upon another." Remember when that happened? Here's the disciples. They're pointing out to Jesus, look at these stones. And some of these stones that they're pointing to are impressive. Some of them we know weighed as much as 50 tons. And they were so tightly milled that you couldn't put a knife blade between them. That's incredible for 50 ton stones. But as impressive as the temple was, Jesus' response was, not one stone here will be left upon another, which will not be torn down.

This is fulfilled in 70 AD. Why do I bring that up? The Jews' genealogical records were destroyed. In order for this to be fulfilled, because remember, it has to be of the house of David. Remember, the Virgin must bear this child, the fulfillment of the promise to David. And you'll still be able to determine, is this of the house of David? By 70 AD, the records were gone. So the fulfillment had to have been prior to that time, or you couldn't determine, was this Jesus of the house of David? And that's why both Luke and Matthew show in their genealogical record, the connection to David and are able to do so. And anyone living at the time up until 70 AD could have verified it. Now, what do we get from this?

The world and those living in it and bias dictates are fearful of lots of things. No question about it. They'll make those decisions. based on their limited and warped perspective. As believers in Christ, however, we're not to make decisions based on fears like Ahaz did. I'm afraid, so I'm going to go run towards the paganists. I'm afraid, so I'm going to go depend on what I can see instead of what I can't see. I'm afraid, so I don't care what the Lord has promised, because I want to make sure I have a solution for myself, for me, because I want to do it myself! Right?

Instead, we're to cast every care on Him. and be anxious for nothing. Israel was blessed only if they obeyed. But in the church, we don't look for those blessings as an if. That's not the position that we're in. The world's going to offer lots of tantalizing things. No question about it. But we've died to those things. The things of the flesh and the things of the world. They've been crucified unto us. How about parents?

Here's Ahaz. Here's Isaiah. They both had sons. And one of the things that's abundantly clear here, Isaiah has a son who is a living sign. Well, you may not always have sons and daughters who are living signs, but God has spiritual purpose in your being a parent and for each of your kids. God has his intent for those things.

One of the things that's really sad as you look through the history of the line of David, though there were some righteous kings, many of them did not pass that faith onto their sons. Sad case. Should be one we should listen carefully to. Pass it on.

For those of Israel, the birth of Christ through the Virgin Mary was certainly God with us. And that was the promise. And certainly the Jews could count upon that. He will indeed reign from Israel over Israel and the world during the millennium. But we have this promise in the church that when the Lord takes us to be with Him, we will always be with the Lord. So it is not just God with us, us with Him. Moreover, we're always in Him, fixed and eternally. So is Emmanuel, God with us?

Yes, but much more. Let's pray. Lord, as we look at this passage here, we see that You have fulfilled promises that some did not even ask for. And yet You have filled it because of Your faithfulness, but not because of the faithfulness of man. We thank You for Your faithfulness to us, that we can count always and ever upon you and who you are and what you've done and who we are in you. In Jesus' name, amen.