Isaiah 7--Immanuel

"Therefore, the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive a and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel." Isaiah 7:14

Preaching from prophecy is a tricky thing. We are often tempted to look at the passages quoted in the New Testament as being fulfilled in Christ as if they had no immediate context. However, while the prophets did predict the future with the aid of the Holy Spirit, and while they did write out of a conviction that was tied to a messianic hope, they were nonetheless writing to those who lived in their own day as well. This makes the task of interpreting the prophets difficult. 

Take, for instance, the prophecy of a virgin birth from Isaiah 7:14. This is particularly difficult. While Matthew clearly identifies this as being fulfilled in Christ, it is hard to see this from the passage itself. There are a few objections that the majority of scholars point out. First, the Hebrew term which our Bible's translate as "virgin" in this verse is more accurately rendered "a young woman of marriageable age." While the Greek Septuagint translates the word specifically as virgin, the Hebrew does not require it. So, to be precise, the prophecy did not require a virgin birth in the sense that we understand that it is fulfilled in Jesus. Second, the immediate context of the verse suggests that Isaiah is talking about a sign that will happen in his immediate context. It appears that the sign is to be given for king Ahaz of Judah as a sign that God would protect them from the imminent danger of an attack from Syria and Israel, the Northern Kingdom. Isaiah says to Ahaz that the two kings he fears will no longer be a threat by the time the child is old enough to tell right from wrong. Finally, chapter 8, within the immediate context of Isaiah, we see that there is a child born who is intended to be a sign. Isaiah has a son named Maher-shalal-ash-baz of which it is said, "before the boy knows how to cry 'My father' or 'My mother,' the wealth of Damascus and the spoil of Samaria will be carried away before the king of Assyria." It seems as though Isiah's prophecy was fulfilled by the birth of his own son. Isaiah even says in 8:18 that his two children were given to him as signs from Yahweh for Israel. 

So how do we understand this in the light of what Matthew said? I believe he understood Isaiah 7 in the light of Isaiah 9. In Isaiah 9, we see another promise of a child to be born (9:6-7). In this promise it says that the child will be called "Mighty God" among other magnificent names. It also says that this child will sit on David's throne forever. In chapter 9, Isaiah is looking back to 2 Samuel 7:12-13. The LORD promised David, "When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring [seed] after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever." This promised seed who would sit on David's throne forever is none other than the blessing that would come to all nations through Abraham. This son was also none other than the seed of the woman promised in Genesis 3:15. I suspect, that in Matthew's mind the Isaiah 7:14 was connected with 9:6-7 and that these were pointing to something that would find their ultimate fulfillment in someone much greater than the immediate context suggested--they were fulfilled in Christ. Jesus was born of a virgin, he was God with us, and he was David's son who would sit on his throne forever.

"For unto us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, and on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this." Isaiah 9:6-7

Pslam 138: I Will Give Thanks

"I give you thanks, O LORD, with my whole heart; before the gods I sing your praise." Psalm 138:1

There is a fine line between thanks and praise. When we look at the Psalms, there are some who suggest that the category of "Thanksgiving Psalm" doesn't exist. Rather, what we see are "Hymns of Praise." Yet even they see a distinction between two subcategories. Praise is when we praise God for his intrinsic attributes. We praise him for his power, his goodness, his love, his mercy, his eternal wisdom, etc. On the other hand, "Thanksgiving" is when we praise God for his specific actions in our behalf. In the Psalm we are looking at this week, David thanks God that he was heard in the day that he cried for help. He is thanking God for his saving work on his behalf.

He tells God that he is giving thanks with his "whole heart." David holds nothing back. As Jesus told us to love God with all our mind, soul, and strength, David gives God whole hearted thanks.

David then says he will sing God's praise "among the gods." This seems strange to us. Did David believe in more than one god? Certainly not. Yet David lived in a polytheistic culture. David's devotedness to the Lord was such that he could stand in the midst of a foreign people among their idols and unashamedly give praise to Yahweh. He would not cower back and be ashamed, but he would attribute his salvation to the Lord alone.

He then thanks God for his steadfast love and faithfulness. The steadfast love that it is talking about here is God's covenant loyal love. He has made a covenant with Abraham, and with David himself, and he will keep his covenant promises. He will save David from trouble because he will keep his word. David follows this up by stating that God has exalted his name and his word above all things. These two things are connected. His name (or his reputation) and his word (or his promise). Because the lord values his own glory above all things he will be faithful to his covenantal promises. For his own name's sake.

In verses 4-5 David talks about the kings of the earth. He says that they will give Yahweh thanks for they have heard the words of his mouth. While this is not the way most commentaries take this, I'll entertain a suggestion here. I would suggest that when it says they "heard" the words of his mouth, that it may mean hearing in the sense of obeying. I would suggest that this is the concept we see in Proverbs 21:1 and in the book of Daniel. God is the one who establishes kings, and the king's heart is in the hand of God. He will turn it however he wishes. So, who do kings have to be thankful for for their position? God! It doesn't matter if it is a good king or a bad king. All rulers have been put in place by a sovereign God. And ultimately, God is sovereign and he rules over every king. No matter how wicked a king is, he will not thwart the will of this sovereign God. So the kings have no choice but to obey the sovereign decree of God.

In the final verses, David returns to his personal reasons for thanking God. God preserves him in the midst of trouble. God will not forsake the works of his hands. He will fulfill his purposes and his plans. He will keep his word and he will preserve his people.

This is a great thing for us to be thankful for today. If we are in Christ, it doesn't matter what distress may come to us. He will protect us, and if any harm should come to us, we won't ultimately be harmed, because he will raise us again. We have been given indestructible life, and God will honor that for the sake of his own name.

Genesis 11: Let Us Make a Name for Ourselves

Then they said, "Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth." (Gen 11:4 ESV)

"Let us make a name for ourselves." The people of Babel wanted to make a name for themselves. They wanted to be famous, and they were not the first with this designation. Back in Genesis 6:4, in the verses leading up to the Noah story, Scripture tells us of "the mighty men who were of old, the men of renown." Literally, "renown" is "men of the name." They were men who had made a name for themselves. This was in the era where things had gotten so bad that God determined that the earth was so corrupt that he would destroy the whole world. Now here, again, after the flood, people were saying, let's make a name for ourselves. Let's be like the men of old who had been famous. 

But God had made a covenant with Noah. The people at the time of Babel were among the seed of Noah and they were within that covenant relationship. God would not destroy them. He would be faithful to his covenant. Yet he would bring about a judgment mingled with grace. He knew that it would be bad for humanity if they were able to do anything they purposed in their hearts. He came down and confused the language of the people to prevent them from becoming self sufficient. If they remained unified in their plans they would not have seen their need for Him, and the line of the "seed of the woman" would have become indistinguishable from those around. They had to divide into nations so that the messianic seed would be preserved. 

And what is ironic is that God gave them what they wanted. They wanted to make a name for themselves, and God gave them a name--Babel--Confusion. Forever they would be famous. They would be remembered as the place where God confused the languages. God made a name for them.

Yet the story is not over here. In the very next chapter, Genesis 12:2 contains a promise to Abraham about a name. "And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing." There is a contrast here. the people of Babel wanted to make a name for themselves so they worked in their own effort, and God made a name for Abraham because of his faith and apart from works. 

Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the LORD confused the language of all the earth. And from there the LORD dispersed them over the face of all the earth. (Gen 11:9 ESV)

Genesis 10: Another Genealogy?

“These are the clans of the sons of Noah, according to their genealogies, in their nations, and from these the nations spread abroad on the earth after the flood.” Genesis 10:32

Genealogies! Why is it that the Bible has so many genealogies? As modern western people they drive us crazy. Nothing could be more boring than a genealogy. It’s like reading through names of a phonebook. Or is it? We’ve already looked at Genesis 5 and the genealogy of Seth, and we saw some very significant truths embedded within the passage. Will Genesis 10 be a repeat of the same? No. Genesis 10 is a different kind of genealogy, and it has some similar but substantively different lessons to teach us. 

Genesis 5 was a very formulaic genealogy. It repeated the same pattern over and over again, and there were three significant breaks from the pattern that we looked at. Genesis  was also a linear genealogy in which it passed from one generation to the next following one family line from father to son. Genesis 10 is different. This chapter is not linear in progression. It first traces the line of Japheth; however, instead of just listing one son, it lists all of them and traces each of their lineages. Then, comes the lineage of Ham—again tracing through each of his sons. The chapter ends with a genealogy of Shem. There are two significant facts about this genealogy which help us to grasp its meaning. First, at the end of each section of the genealogy it mentions that they were listed by their land, language, clan, and nation. Also, the chapter ends by giving the main point. Each of the sons represented in this genealogy was the father of a nation as humanity spread out from Noah’s sons. In fact, many of the names represented are actual names of nations. For example, Egypt is listed as one of the sons of Ham. While some translations just transliterate the name as Mitzraim, this is the word used for Egypt throughout the rest of the Bible. Cush is another nation and we know it as Ethiopia. Canaan, of course is a nation that had many interactions with Israel. Not only are character names equivalent with the names of nations, but the text also explains that these men were fathers of specific nations that we read about throughout the Bible. We know that Israel had many dealings with peoples like the Jebusites, the Amorites, the Girgashites. We see that Nimrod built cities like Babylon, and Niniveh. Elam and Ashur are also listed as sons of Shem. From these names we get the Elamites and the Assyrians. Probably one of the most significant, but maybe not the most recognizable is the name of Eber. The name Eber is formed with the same letters as the word Hebrew, and that is the line which Abraham came from. It is likely that the Hebrews derive their name from this ancestor.

There are other names that could be linked to peoples known from within the Bible, but my aim isn't to meticulously point each of them out. Rather, I think we should see that the point the author is making is that "all the families of the earth" come from Noah and his sons. We are connected in a biological solidarity. This becomes even more significant just 2 chapters later. In Genesis 12:3, God promises Abraham, "I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed." The families that are listed in Genesis 10 are the families that will be blessed in the seed of Abraham.

The Blessing of Noah and the Curse on Canaan

And when the LORD smelled the pleasing aroma, the LORD said in his heart, 

"I will never again curse the ground because of man, 

for the intention of man's heart is evil from his youth.

Neither will I ever again strike down every living creature as I have done. 

While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, 

summer and winter, day and night shall not cease. (Genesis 8:21-22 ESV)

Following the flood, the next part of the narrative of Genesis contains back to back accounts of blessing and curses. Genesis 8:20-9:17 records blessing. Noah offers a sacrifice to the LORD, and God says to himself that he will not destroy the earth with a flood again. God commands Noah's family with a re-institution of the same instruction that he gave to Adam and Eve--to be fruitful and multiply. God gave humanity the animals for food in the same way that green plants had been from the beginning. God reminds Noah that human beings are created in the image of God and of inestimable value. God makes a "covenant" with Noah--a promise never to destroy the earth by flood again, and he seals the covenant with a sign of the rainbow as an eternal reminder of God's faithfulness. However, Genesis 9:18-29 records a curse. It begins with Noah getting drunk and laying naked in his tent. In some mysterious way that is ambiguous in the text, Noah's son Ham dishonors him while his nakedness was uncovered in the tent. When Noah awoke, he cursed Canaan--Ham's son. The passage ends in an echo of chapter 5. "After the flood Noah lived 350 years. All the days of Noah were 950 years, and he died. 

God's word is revealed in a way that we often see patterns. What we see in this passage follows the same pattern of Genesis 1-3. Chapters 1-2 tell us an amazing story of God's blessing in creation. God has been good in providing all things good for Adam and Eve in the Garden, and he gives them a job to do. In the first part of our text, the same thing happens for Noah. God graciously gives Noah animals for food and he pledges his faithful sustaining power over the earth. He also commands Noah's family to be fruitful and multiply. Adam was a man who worked the soil--just like Noah. However, in Genesis 3 Adam partakes of a fruit, his nakedness is revealed, and he plunges the earth into a curse. Similarly, Noah partakes in a fruit, his nakedness is revealed, and a member of his own family is cursed. 

What does this teach us? On the other side of the flood, sin's consequences still hold sway. While Noah saved the human race in his obedience, he was not the seed of the woman promised in Genesis 3:15. The serpent was still at enmity with man, and death still reigned. While we can be thankful that man retains the image of God, we are reminded that we are still frail sinners, and prone to commit the worst of sins--even against our own family members. 

Yet in the same way that the curse of Genesis 3 contains a promise, so does Noah's curse. "He also said, 'Blessed be the LORD, the God of Shem: and let Canaan be his servant.'" It was through the line of Shem, as we trace the genealogy, that Abraham was to come--and thus the messianic seed continued on. Canaan in the end was conquered by the generation of Israelites that Moses was writing to when he recorded this story. Moses's intention as the author must have been to show that God's giving them the land of Canaan was in continuation of the promises that he had made concerning the messianic seed.

What's the point here? How does this apply to us? Massively! This is at the core of our faith. Even though mankind is "evil from his youth," and even though the very people who God saved on the ark fell into sin again, God will be faithful to his covenant promises. So when we fall into sin, when we face the darkness of death, and when we find ourselves experiencing the discipline of a Father, we can know that God is faithful to us because he will keep his covenant promises. He will keep his promises to his people and to his Son.