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Isaiah 7:10-16 - Isaiah gives Ahaz the sign of Immanuel:
“Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz saying, Ask a sign of the Lord you 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 Immanuel. 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.”
King Ahaz was very afraid because two large forces were aligned against him. God wanted to reassure him, but the king didn’t have enough faith and was hesitant to ask for that reassurance. We are very fortunate that our God is so generous that he does not always wait for us to come to him, but went ahead and sent King Ahaz a sign. Isaiah tells us “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 Immanuel.”
God tells us not to worry, that he is with us and that those things we are worried about are temporary. The season of Advent is our preparation for the second coming of Immanuel - Jesus, Christ the King. How do we respond, with trust, to God’s sign that he is with us?
Dear God, as we come before you with our worries and concerns may we feel your peace and love comfort us relaxing in your steadfastness, knowing you are always with us. Amen.
Janet Lonski
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