Isaiah 7:1-6 (NIV) 1When Ahaz son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, was king of Judah, King Rezin of Aram and Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel marched up to fight against Jerusalem, but they could not overpower it. 2Now the house of David was told, “Aram has allied itself with Ephraim”; so the hearts of Ahaz and his people were shaken, as the trees of the forest are shaken by the wind. 3Then the LORD said to Isaiah, “Go out, you and your son Shear-Jashub, to meet Ahaz at the end of the aqueduct of the Upper Pool, on the road to the Launderer’s Field. 4Say to him, ‘Be careful, keep calm and don’t be afraid. Do not lose heart because of these two smoldering stubs of firewood—because of the fierce anger of Rezin and Aram and of the son of Remaliah. 5Aram, Ephraim and Remaliah’s son have plotted your ruin, saying, 6“Let us invade Judah; let us tear it apart and divide it among ourselves, and make the son of Tabeel king over it.”
Isaiah 7:10-14 (NIV) 10Again the LORD spoke to Ahaz, 11“Ask the LORD your God for a sign, whether in the deepest depths or in the highest heights.” 12But Ahaz said, “I will not ask; I will not put the LORD to the test.” 13Then Isaiah said, “Hear now, you house of David! Is it not enough to try the patience of humans? Will you try the patience of my God also? 14Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.
Birth, what an amazingly miraculous event! No matter which way you look at it, the whole process from beginning to end is a miracle. One doesn’t really understand the process until they actually experience it. As science evolves and we learn more and more about birth and the development within the womb, the more of a complete mystery it becomes.
I remember when we were expecting our son, my wife had this app on her phone that would provide weekly updates of roughly the size of our child compared to fruit and what parts of our son were being knit together within her womb that week. Yet, even though our child was growing inside of my wife, the miracle of conception took 2 people. Even with all of mankind’s scientific knowledge, DNA from 2 separate people is needed in order to conceive a child.
Isaiah gives King Ahaz a sign of the coming messiah that could only be possible with the help of God. “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel, which means God is with us”. How could He not be there when He turns the common miracle of birth into a supernatural miracle? What are some mundane or common parts of your day that are actually miracles that God has placed in your life? How can we see the simple miracles of life around us this season?
Memory Verse: Isaiah 7:14 (NIV)
Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.