Immanuel Makes a Difference!
Rev. Enoch Thompson | December 9 2024 | Isaiah 8:1-8
KEY VERSE:
. . . . ⁷ therefore the Lord is about to bring against them the mighty floodwaters of the River — the king of Assyria with all his pomp. It will overflow all its channels, run over all its banks ⁸ and sweep on into Judah, swirling over it, passing through it and reaching up to the neck. Its outspread wings will cover the breadth of your land, O Immanuel! Isaiah 8:7-8 (NIV)
MESSAGE:
In this Advent season, four weeks before Christmas on the Christian calendar dedicated to reflection on the birth and the second coming of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, it is necessary to revisit the circumstances that accompanied the prophecies of the first coming of the Lord. One such key text is Isaiah 9:6-7 (quoted in Matthew 1:23), and we shall seek to reflect on it. But in order to get a better grasp at the oft-quoted text, we may need to spend some time on the context in which the prophecy was given.
The presence of God with His people in ancient times and with His Church today is a cornerstone of biblical teaching. The Name of the Redeemer, whose birth is celebrated at Christmas, was to be Immanuel, meaning “God with us.” While we know this fact, we often forget that the name Immanuel was used by God Himself to refer to the land of Judah, as here in Isaiah 8:8.
At the time in which Isaiah wrote his prophecy in the eighth century BC, the people of Israel (the Northern Kingdom) had forsaken God and His rulership over them. They had attached themselves to alliances with the human military strength of Syria (Isaiah 8:6). Therefore, the Lord sent a message to them through Isaiah to announce their impending doom at the hands of Assyria (Isaiah 8:7-8). To demonstrate the doom that was to overtake Israel, Isaiah was to name his son Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz (8:1,3), which means “quick to the plunder, swift to the spoil.”
The invading forces of Assyria will also reach Judah (the Southern Kingdom) and almost overtake it. But unlike their northern brethren, Judah will be preserved (Isaiah 8:8) because they were “Immanuel,” the land and people who had Yahweh with them as their God and were, therefore, to be safe from the flood of Assyria!
The people of the Northern Kingdom (Israel) were equally descendants of Abraham but had forfeited the presence and power of Yahweh for them by their choice of idolatry and reliance on the arm of flesh.
FEET AND HANDS FOR THE MESSAGE:
The battle for your soul is ongoing. God offers to be with you to keep you safe and blessed. Will you let Immanuel remain Immanuel for you?
PRAYER:
Lord, you never fail, and you never disappoint, and I can depend on your promises to keep me and to provide for me. Please help me to be true and to live within the terms of your calling so that I will not be exposed to the power of the enemy. For your dear Name’s sake, Amen.
THERE SHALL BE SHOWERS OF BLESSING.
SHOWERS! BLESSINGS!!
DAILY word study: IMMANUEL
The name Immanuel comes from the Hebrew phrase ʿimmānû ʾēl, meaning “God with us.” It is a compound of ʿim (with), ānû (us), and ʾēl (God). This term signifies the presence of God dwelling among His people—a central promise of the covenant relationship between God and Israel.
In Isaiah’s prophecy, Immanuel signifies God’s presence with Judah amidst Assyrian invasion. Despite the overwhelming threat, Judah, as Immanuel’s land, would be preserved, unlike the Northern Kingdom, which lost God’s protection due to idolatry and misplaced alliances. Immanuel signifies God's presence and faithfulness. In Isaiah, it assures Judah of protection; in Jesus (Matthew 1:23), it fulfills God's promise, bringing salvation and hope. Reflection: Are we living with the assurance of God’s presence, or do we trust in fleeting earthly solutions?
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