Reflecting God – Monday, 12 December 2013 – “A Sign of Hope” - Scripture Reading: Isaiah 7

Reflecting God – Monday, 12 December 2013 – “A Sign of Hope” - Scripture Reading: Isaiah 7: Isaiah Reassures King Ahaz

1 In the days of Ahaz son of Jotham son of Uzziah, king of Judah, King Rezin of Aram and King Pekah son of Remaliah of Israel went up to attack Jerusalem, but could not mount an attack against it. 2 When the house of David heard that Aram had allied itself with Ephraim, the heart of Ahaz[a] and the heart of his people shook as the trees of the forest shake before the wind.

3 Then the Lord said to Isaiah, Go out to meet Ahaz, you and your son Shear-jashub,[b] at the end of the conduit of the upper pool on the highway to the Fuller’s Field, 4 and say to him, Take heed, be quiet, do not fear, and do not let your heart be faint because of these two smoldering stumps of firebrands, because of the fierce anger of Rezin and Aram and the son of Remaliah. 5 Because Aram—with Ephraim and the son of Remaliah—has plotted evil against you, saying, 6 Let us go up against Judah and cut off Jerusalem[c] and conquer it for ourselves and make the son of Tabeel king in it; 7 therefore thus says the Lord God:

It shall not stand,

    and it shall not come to pass.

8 For the head of Aram is Damascus,

    and the head of Damascus is Rezin.

(Within sixty-five years Ephraim will be shattered, no longer a people.)

9 The head of Ephraim is Samaria,

    and the head of Samaria is the son of Remaliah.

If you do not stand firm in faith,

    you shall not stand at all.

Isaiah Gives Ahaz the Sign of Immanuel

10 Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz, saying, 11 Ask a sign of the Lord your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven. 12 But Ahaz said, I will not ask, and I will not put the Lord to the test. 13 Then Isaiah[d] said: “Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary mortals, that you weary my God also? 14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Look, the young woman[e] is with child and shall bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel.[f] 15 He shall eat curds and honey by the time he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good. 16 For before the child knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land before whose two kings you are in dread will be deserted.

Footnotes:

Isaiah 7:2 Heb his heart

Isaiah 7:3 That is A remnant shall return

Isaiah 7:6 Heb cut it off

Isaiah 7:13 Heb he

Isaiah 7:14 Gk the virgin

Isaiah 7:14 That is God is with us(NRSV)

“A Sign of Hope” by Debbie Salter Goodwin

We are sign seekers. We listen to our favorite prophets about weather, the market, elections, and whatever else we want to know about. But let one of our prophets be wrong, and we act as if they are responsible for our bad decisions.

King Ahaz of Judah was in the same predicament. The Northern Kingdom had allied with Aram against Judah. Everyone knew that they would lose the battle. However, Isaiah said that God told him that the Northern Kingdom would not win. He encouraged Ahaz to ask for a sign from God. Ahaz didn’t want a sign because it would confirm that Isaiah was right. Better to live in fear than know the truth.

Into this climate of political power plays and hopeless futures, God sent a sign anyway. “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.” Do we really understand that this is our sign too! We don’t have to live with hopeless predications. The birth of Jesus confirms that every promise and prediction of God is true and will bring hope, no matter the context. It is a Christmas that we can live all year.

Hymn for Today:

“Hark, the Herald Angels Sing” by Charles Wesley

Hark! The herald angels sing,

“Glory to the newborn King;

1. Peace on earth, and mercy mild,

God and sinners reconciled!”

Joyful, all ye nations rise,

Join the triumph of the skies;

With th’angelic host proclaim,

“Christ is born in Bethlehem!”

Refrain:

Hark! the herald angels sing,

“Glory to the newborn King!”

2. Christ, by highest Heav’n adored;

Christ the everlasting Lord;

Late in time, behold Him come,

Offspring of a virgin’s womb.

Veiled in flesh the Godhead see;

Hail th’incarnate Deity,

Pleased with us in flesh to dwell,

Jesus our Emmanuel.

Refrain:

Hark! the herald angels sing,

“Glory to the newborn King!”

3. Hail the heav’nly Prince of Peace!

Hail the Sun of Righteousness!

Light and life to all He brings,

Ris’n with healing in His wings.

Mild He lays His glory by,

Born that man no more may die;

Born to raise the sons of earth,

Born to give them second birth.

Refrain:

Hark! the herald angels sing,

“Glory to the newborn King!”

4. Come, Desire of nations, come,

Fix in us Thy humble home;

Rise, the woman’s conqu’ring Seed,

Bruise in us the serpent’s head.

Now display Thy saving pow’r,

Ruined nature now restore;

Now in mystic union join

Thine to ours, and ours to Thine.

Refrain:

Hark! the herald angels sing,

“Glory to the newborn King!”

5. Adam’s likeness, Lord, efface,

Stamp Thine image in its place:

Second Adam from above,

Reinstate us in Thy love.

Let us Thee, though lost, regain,

Thee, the Life, the inner man:

Oh, to all Thyself impart,

Formed in each believing heart.

Refrain:

Hark! the herald angels sing,

“Glory to the newborn King!”

Thought for Today:

“Better to Start with a small piece of faith rather than a big part of doubt”(Debbie Salter Goodwin).

Prayer Needs:

Many people in Albania with come to know Jesus the Christ (Yeshua the Messiah) and receive the fullness of the Holy Spirit..

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Global Church of the Nazarene

Global Ministry Center

17001 Prairie Star Parkway

Lenexa, KS 66220 United States

Phone: (913)577-0500

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