🎄 Isaiah 7:14 | "Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign..."

Background on Isaiah, faith vs. fear and a song to help you meditate..

Jake Doberenz & Kieran Lenahan
December 23, 2024

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Happy Monday! 🎉

This week, we’re memorizing Isaiah 7:14 (appropriate for the season)! 🎄

📧 In today’s email…

📜 Background context on the book of Isaiah
😨 Fear vs. Faith
🎵 A song to help you meditate

Let’s dig in…

🧠 Memorize

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

(Use our free web app to help you memorize in your favorite translation. Instructions to set it up are at the bottom of this email.)

Author, Audience & Book Context ✍️

Before we get into our memory verse, let’s get some basic background on Isaiah:

Author: The prophet Isaiah, writing around the 8th century BC
Audience:
- Primarily the kingdom of Judah, during the reign of King Ahaz
- A few sections are meant for foreign nations such as Babylon, Moab, and Assyria

The nation split after the death of King Solomon due to tensions between the northern and southern tribes

Book Context: Important Themes in Isaiah:

Judgment and Compassion: While God is holy and just, God also has compassion to redeem his chosen people.
Messianic Prophecies: Isaiah contains many profound prophecies that point ahead to Jesus, such as the Immanuel prophecy, the suffering servant, and the vision of a peaceful kingdom.
Salvation for All People: Isaiah envisions a future where salvation extends beyond Israel to include all nations.

📹️ Check out the Bible Project’s overview of Isaiah (Part 1) here.

Passage Context: Filled with Fear 😨

King Ahaz sits on the throne, but news has just come that two neighboring powers — Israel and Syria — formed an alliance and are planning to invade Judah.

Ahaz doesn’t know what to do.

Enter Isaiah, the prophet.

God sends him to deliver a message:

⁴ And say to him, ‘Be careful, be quiet, do not fear, and do not let your heart be faint because of these two smoldering stumps of firebrands, at the fierce anger of Rezin and Syria and the son of Remaliah.

Isaiah 7:4

The prophet reports that Judah won’t be destroyed if he stands firm in his faith.

Isaiah even offers King Ahaz a sign from God to prove He will protect Judah.

However, prideful King Ahaz refuses. He doesn’t trust God.

He’s already scheming to make a deal with Assyria for help — a move that will lead Judah down a dangerous path.

God responds anyway. Whether Ahaz wanted one or not, God was going to let him now what would happen.

¹⁴ 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 sign is layered. In the immediate context, it points to a child born in Isaiah’s time— a symbol that God is present with the people and will protect them from their enemies.

But there’s a deeper meaning here that we can all be thankful for, especially this week.

The Gospel of Matthew connects this prophecy to the birth of Jesus Christ:

²² All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:

²³“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and they shall call his name Immanuel”

(which means, God with us).

Matthew 1:22-23

The ultimate “Immanuel,” God in Flesh, comes to dwell among us — not just for one battle, but to save us from sin and death forever.

💡 Imagine the tension in that moment. A king gripped by fear. A prophet speaking bold truth. A God who refuses to abandon His people, even when they refuse to trust. As you reflect on Isaiah 7, try to feel the weight of that promise: God is with us.

Apply & Respond: God with Us ⬇️

God’s message through Isaiah was clear: Trust me. I’m with you.

Ahaz was terrified and tempted to rely on human solutions, but was reminded that God was enough.

Immanuel wasn’t just a temporary sign for Ahaz; it is the ultimate sign for all humanity.

God came to be with us, not just to deliver Judah, but to rescue the whole world.

Reflect 🤔

Where do you place your trust?
When life feels uncertain or overwhelming, it’s easy to look for “Assyrians” in your life — quick fixes, worldly solutions, or self-reliance. But Isaiah’s words remind us that God’s presence is always enough.
Immanuel is more than a name — it’s a reality.
Through Jesus, God is with us in every situation. He’s not distant or uninterested. He’s here, walking alongside you in every trial and triumph.

Let this truth shape your week: Whatever fears or uncertainties you’re carrying, remind yourself: God is with me.

Pray 🙏

Lord, thank you for being my Immanuel — God with me. Help me to trust you when life feels out of control. Show me the areas where I’m relying on my own strength instead of yours, and remind me of your faithful presence.

Thank You for fulfilling this promise through Jesus, who is with me always. Amen.

Read 📖

Take a few minutes today to read all of Isaiah 7.

As you read, notice the tension between fear and faith in King Ahaz. Reflect on how you might relate to his struggles and how God’s response can speak into your life today.