Isaiah 7:9

The Bible says in Isaiah 7:9, “And the head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is Remaliah's son. If ye will not believe, surely ye shall not be established.” Of course, the most important part of this verse is the last phrase: “If ye will not believe, surely ye shall not be established.” The necessity of the principle of faith has always been emphasized by God both in the Old Testament and in the New Testament. The reason that Abraham was so highly honored is that he put his faith in God. It says about Abraham in Genesis 15:6, “And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.” In the New Testament the Bible says in Hebrews 11:6, “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” A Christian has to be absolutely certain that he or she is living by faith in the Lord. This means to trust in the Lord Jesus for whatever comes their way in life instead of trusting in all of the other things that unspiritual human beings tend to trust in. God said, “If ye will not believe, surely ye shall not be established.” It is no wonder that Jesus said in Matthew 21:21-22, “Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done. And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.”

The Bible says in Isaiah 7:10-13, “Moreover the LORD spake again unto Ahaz, saying, Ask thee a sign of the LORD thy God; ask it either in the depth, or in the height above. But Ahaz said, I will not ask, neither will I tempt the LORD. And he said, Hear ye now, O house of David; Is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will ye weary my God also?” Ahaz was smart enough to know that if he was going to live by faith, then he could not ask for signs from God. People naturally want to know what is God’s will, and what should they do in a particular situation. To live by faith means to live by faith in God’s Word and God’s promises. A “sign” is something that you can see. People who want to see something in order to know God’s will are actually demonstrating their lack of faith. It says in First Corinthians 1:18-27, “For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men. For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty.”

One of the great Messianic prophesies is given in Isaiah 7:14, “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” This verse tells us a couple of very significant details about the Jewish Messiah. His name would be called “Immanuel” which means “God with us.” God would come and dwell with man, and He would do so by taking upon Himself the form of a man. The means by which God would take upon the form of a man was by the virgin birth: “Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son.”

It is interesting that this prophecy would be given just at this place in the book of Isaiah. The Word of God had been telling us how wicked the Israelites had become and how terribly God’s judgment would come against them because of their wickedness. But the Word of God had also been telling us in the book of Isaiah that God still had a great future planned for Israel, and that God was going to preserve a remnant of those who serve Him. This future would only come and this remnant would only be reserved if the Messiah came to rescue and to redeem the believers.

It is also interesting to notice that this promise about the coming of the Messiah was centered around a young woman who was pure. What a contrast to the description of unchaste women who lived in the nation of Israel during the time of Isaiah. We read in Isaiah 3:16-17, “Moreover the LORD saith, Because the daughters of Zion are haughty, and walk with stretched forth necks and wanton eyes, walking and mincing as they go, and making a tinkling with their feet: Therefore the LORD will smite with a scab the crown of the head of the daughters of Zion, and the LORD will discover their secret parts.”

Isaiah 7:14 is quoted in a very important passage in the first chapter of the Gospel of Matthew that introduces the life of Christ. It says in Matthew 1:18-25, “Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily. But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife: And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.”

God decided to use Mary because she was a virgin and because of her life of faith in Him. It is no wonder that God decided to use a young woman who was “pure.” Remember that the seraphims cried out about the throne of God, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts.” The example of Mary’s life is clear: if you want to be used more by God, then find ways to live a more holy life and a more pure life in mind and in body. Some believers in our corrupt society might think that they could never be holy in the way that Mary was. They might think that it is too late for them. But the important thing to God has to do with what kind of life you are living today and what kind of life you will be living tomorrow. Confess your sins to Jesus, and the sins of the past are forgiven. Then start living a holy life and starting today you will be just as holy as was Mary.

The Bible says about the Messiah in Isaiah 7:15, “Butter and honey shall he eat, that he may know to refuse the evil, and choose the good.” This Bible verse tells us something very revealing about God concerning when He would come to the earth as a man: He would go through the normal child development process. Some might assume that if God came to the earth that He would come as a mature adult recognizable as God. God could have done that, but God did not choose to come in such a manner. He came as a baby, born of a virgin. And then He grew in the normal child development process. In other words the Messiah went through what every human being goes through: growth and development.

That is exactly what the New Testament says also about Jesus. It says in Luke 2:46-52, “And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions. And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers. And when they saw him, they were amazed: and his mother said unto him, Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? behold, thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing. And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business? And they understood not the saying which he spake unto them. And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them: but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart. And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.” It says in Philippians 2:5-11, “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” This process that Jesus went through on the earth tells us something very revealing about human life. How twisted human nature is. Each of us have had the same opportunity to learn and to grow in wisdom starting in early childhood. How do we compare to Jesus? What did we become by the age of twelve? At the age of twelve Jesus was already teaching the doctors of the law in the temple. The sad thing is that most of us reached adulthood and still have not learned the things that God wants us to learn. Everyone except Jesus failed to become everything that we could have become. If only we had learned, if only we had grown, and if only we had taken advantage of the opportunities that God gave to us.

There is at least one positive thought that we can gain from all of this. We have one more reason to honor and to praise Jesus Christ. He did not fail. He did not waste His opportunities. He did not come up short. From a small child Jesus “increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.”

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