ISAIAH
Isaiah 7:14-17

quote:

"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. 15 He will eat curds and honey at the time He knows enough to refuse evil and choose good. 16 For before the boy will know enough to refuse evil and choose good, the land whose two kings you dread will be forsaken. 17 The LORD will bring on you, on your people, and on your father's house such days as have never come since the day that Ephraim separated from Judah, the king of Assyria."

Because King Ahaz rejected the opportunity to choose a sign, the Lord Himself gave a sign of His own choosing and what a sign it was! Isaiah speaks not only to the king, but now turns to the whole nation to give them a sign which announces the birth of a child. He uses the Hebrew word "hinneh", meaning "here", and translated "Behold!". This language is significant in that it is used to say "pay attention", as it was used to announce something of unusual importance. It was commonly used to announce the birth of a significant child.

This sign had an immediate significance to Ahaz and the people of Judah, because the announced birth of this child offered hope, since it was to be a sign of deliverance. He was to be called Immanuel, meaning "God with us". There is no mention of a child appearing in the immediate future by this name. It could be no ordinary child because it had to serve as the sign. Shrouded in mystery, Isaiah looks forward to the birth of a child whose very Presence brings God to His People. Jesus is mysteriously hidden in the Hebrew Scriptures, but God gives us glimpses of His plan for salvation throughout, not the least of which is the book of Isaiah. The infancy of the promised child is symbolic that the danger of Judah's two enemies would not last long. The infancy period made the measure of time that Judah would be under threat from Syria and Israel, a period of two to three years.

Though this word "hinneh" was not specifically used in Genesis Ch. 17:19, it was in a somewhat similar fashion that the birth of Isaac was announced to Abraham and Sarah. Significantly, the birth of Issac was a foreshadowing of the Messiah's birth in that it required divine intervention, as both Abraham and Sarah were beyond their child bearing years. It too was no ordinary birth.

The language of this passage is very important to the meaning of who this child could be. The child was to be born of a virgin! Though there has been much dispute in regard to Isaiah's choice of the Hebrew word "almah", when one studies other possible words, it appears that the word "almah" was well selected. "Almah" is the most accurate Hebrew word to convey the thought of an unmarried virgin woman. Though "bethulah" may designate a virgin, it is also a word used for a married woman. No other available word in Hebrew than "almah" could clearly indicate a mature unmarried young (virgin) woman that would identify Mary, the mother of Jesus, because "almah" refers only to one who is unmarried.

So the ultimate fulfillment of this prophecy is that of the promised Messiah, who is "God with us" as Matthew quoted this Isaiah passage seeing it fulfilled in Jesus, the child of Mary.

Matthew 1:23
"Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and shall bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel," which translated means, "God with us."

The virgin birth is a key doctrine, for if Jesus is not God come to earth as man, living a life of sinlessness, then we have no Savior. Praise God we have the evidence of an ancient prophecy fulfilled in our Lord and Savior, Jesus!