Advent Day 2: "The Virgin Shall Conceive..."

The first theme that we are going to explore during this Advent season is that of the prophetic announcements about the coming of Messiah. These announcements were numerous - so numerous that there is no way that we will exhaust the many Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah over the course of the next seven posts.

One thing to understand about the Scriptures and the prophecies contained in them can be summed up in this passage from 2 Peter:

For we were not making up clever stories when we told you about the powerful coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. We saw his majestic splendor with our own eyes when he received honor and glory from God the Father. The voice from the majestic glory of God said to him, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy.” We ourselves heard that voice from heaven when we were with him on the holy mountain.

Because of that experience, we have even greater confidence in the message proclaimed by the prophets. You must pay close attention to what they wrote, for their words are like a lamp shining in a dark place—until the Day dawns, and Christ the Morning Star shines in your hearts. Above all, you must realize that no prophecy in Scripture ever came from the prophet’s own understanding, or from human initiative. No, those prophets were moved by the Holy Spirit, and they spoke from God. 2 Peter 1:16-21

Here is the information about tonight's study.

Texts: Isaiah 7:1-14 and Matthew 1:18-23
Key verse: Isaiah 7:14

Isaiah was astounded. God was sending him to Ahaz - one of the most wicked and stubborn kings in Judah's history - to offer to help him out of a major crisis. The northern tribes and Syria were threatening to come and attack the land of Judah, and Ahaz was scared. He had come up with a desperate plan to join forces with the Assyrians to defeat the armies that were coming against him. But God had a better plan. He told Isaiah to tell Ahaz:

But this is what the Sovereign Lord says:

“This invasion will never happen; it will never take place; for Syria is no stronger than its capital, Damascus, and Damascus is no stronger than its king, Rezin. As for Israel, within sixty-five years it will be crushed and completely destroyed. Israel is no stronger than its capital, Samaria, and Samaria is no stronger than its king, Pekah son of Remaliah. Unless your faith is firm, I cannot make you stand firm.”

Well, Ahaz's faith wasn't too firm, so a little while later God sent Isaiah back to Ahaz.

God had instructed Isaiah to tell Ahaz that God would perform a sign for him to prove that the word that He had spoken through Isaiah was true. Ahaz could ask for ANYTHING at all and God would do it for him. But Ahaz refused. “No,” he said, “I will not test the Lord like that.” Wrong answer. Perhaps Ahaz was trying to be humble or appear spiritual. Perhaps he thought that God (or at least Isaiah) would be impressed that he knew that somewhere in the Good Book it says "Thou shalt not put the Lord Thy God to the test." It is even possible that he was just being petulant and stubborn in his refusal to acknowledge the God of his fathers. But God wouldn't take no for an answer.

Then Isaiah said, “Listen well, you royal family of David! Isn’t it enough to exhaust human patience? Must you exhaust the patience of my God as well? All right then, the Lord himself will give you the sign. Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means ‘God is with us’). Isaiah 7:13-14

As I was studying earlier on some of the meaning of this passage I found a really good observation about this passage and both its Old Testament and New Testament implications:

Isaiah 7:14 is a beautiful prophecy of hope and deliverance during time of distress. It is also a powerful testimony to the grace of God Almighty, who is not willing to quickly abandon even the most obstinate among us. God delivered His people Judah from the threat they faced during the time of King Ahaz. He also, in a far more significant way, has delivered His people of all ages from the threat of sin and death with the incarnation of His Son -- the true embodiment of Immanuel: "God with us!" Praise God for His matchless grace.
- Al Maxey

In the New Testament book of Matthew we find the ultimate fulfillment of this prophecy.

This is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But before the marriage took place, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit. Joseph, her fiancé, was a good man and did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement quietly.

As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit. And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”

All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord’s message through his prophet:

“Look! The virgin will conceive a child!
She will give birth to a son,
and they will call him Immanuel,
which means ‘God is with us.’”
Matthew 1:18-23

God proved that He was true to His word, and God proved that He is not willing to allow sinners to perish without a fight - a fight that required God Himself to enter the world.

Questions and thoughts to discuss with your family:
1) If God gave you the same opportunity that he did Ahaz what would you ask Him to do to prove His faithfulness? How has God already proven His faithfulness in your life?

2) The Lord told Ahaz "Unless your faith is firm, I cannot make you stand firm." Have you ever experienced this in your life? Have there been times when you couldn't "stand firm?" How can a person make their faith firm? See Romans 10:17.

3) What does today's passage have to do with Christmas?

4) Why do you think that God did the impossible when He caused Mary to conceive Jesus as a virgin? Why was that sign so important? How does God do the "impossible" for us?

5) In the Bible, names and their meanings are often very significant. The prophecy said that the child would be called "Immanuel" which means "God with us." The name "Jesus" is a derivative of the name "Joshua" and means "Yahweh is salvation." What do these names tell us about what and who Jesus is?

6) Can you imagine what it would be like to have God/Jesus visit your home? How would you act if Jesus were to come to your house?

7) Why do you suppose that God was so patient with Ahaz? Have you ever done anything that required your parents, siblings, teachers, or friends to have patience with you? Do you need for God to be patient with you?