November 26: SIGNATURE OF BELIEF!
Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel. Isaiah 7:14
The highlight of Isaiah chapter 7 is this stunning Messianic prophecy. The accepted translation of the name Immanuel is God with us, but more literal is: “with us God”. The mention of this name requires a closer look. As with many Hebrew names, there is no verb. But in the Hebrew understanding, this name means with us is God (present tense - right now!). Isaiah 8:10 states plainly: For God is with us.
To a faithful believer, any reminder of that fact is welcome and comforting. God knows that assurance and comfort are essential as we walk through a world that has been commandeered by the enemy of souls. The promise that God is with us means that He goes through the experiences of His people with them. “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you” (Isaiah 43:2). When the Babylonians threw Daniel’s three friends into the fire, The Lord was with them (see Daniel 3:23-25). When Daniel himself was sentenced to the lion’s den, though he didn’t see anyone, he knew that God was with him (see Daniel 6:22). King David suffered through many dark days due to persecution and also terrible scenes of his own making, for which he was truly repentant. Through it all, he knew that the presence of God meant that he had all that he needed: The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want (Psalm 23:1). Brothers and sisters in Christ, whether or not we see Him, He is with us. Where was the Lord when the Jewish mob stoned Stephen? He was standing at the right hand of God (Acts 7:55) showing Himself to His dear servant. But we are taught that the resurrected Son of God ascended into heaven and sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high (Hebrews 1:3). Why did He stand during the time of Stephen’s trouble? Because “Jesus wasn’t going to take that sitting down!” Roy Gane quoting Morris Venden in his book God’s Faulty Heroes, p.66
King Ahaz, whose name means “he has taken hold”, refused to be persuaded of the truth of God’s presence and protection. He simply did not want to believe, and he didn’t want to hear anything that might change his mind, fearing any influence toward altering his course from the policy he had fixed in his own mind. He knew he needed help, but he sought it from Assyria, not God. If only he had taken hold of the truth, he would have trusted God over his own devices. And his name—or signature—would have gained a positive connotation in history. But his stubborn unbelief equaled a forfeiture of a relationship with the Lord, a forfeiture of His divine protection in a fallen world, and ultimately, a forfeiture of salvation. Do not let the enemy’s temptation persuade you into the deadly sin of unbelief (see Hebrews 3:19).
Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord I believe; help my unbelief!” Mark 9:23-24