The Incarnation: Looking to the Past for Hope in the Future Imagine that the leader of your country is a wicked man who does not fear God, who promotes liberal policies and agendas, engages in and promotes child sacrifice, and is leading the country into a time of economic disaster and war where husbands, fathers, and sons will be killed (feels a little close to home doesn’t it?). How would you feel? At times you’d probably feel anxious, afraid, angry, and alone. You’d be longing and hoping for some change in the future. This is exactly what the Israelites and the prophet Isaiah felt under the reign of King Ahaz in Judah (2 Kings 16). On account of Ahaz’s wickedness, the people were facing destruction at the hands of two enemy nations (2 Chron. 28:1-8). The only hope they clung to was God’s promise to produce a king from David’s lineage who would have an everlasting kingdom, who would lead the people in worship of the true King, and help the people reap and enjoy all the prosperity of the covenant blessings. But even this promise seemed to be under threat! In an act of great mercy and grace, God gave King Ahaz and the people of Judah a comforting prophesy: “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. He shall eat curds and honey when he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good. For before the boy knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land whose two kings you dread will be deserted.” In essence, God told Ahaz, “I will prove to you that I keep my promises by showing you a sign to remind you of my power. I’m going to tell you the future so that you know I am in control: a virgin will give birth to a baby and by the time the child is old enough to eat curds and honey, your enemies will leave you alone.” And lo and behold, God’s prophecy came true when Isaiah fathered a child with a prophetess (Is. 8:1-4). As foretold, when the child was at the right age, the enemy nations abandoned their attack against Judah. But this was not the end of the prophecy. This was just part one of two. Fast forward about 700 years and you have yet another period of great darkness, evil, and uncertainty. Herod the Great, an incredibly evil man who wasn’t even Jewish, is now king over Israel while underneath the thumb of the Roman empire. In the midst of this a great light dawns upon the people when Jesus is born – whose birth Matthew tells us ultimately and wondrously fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah (Matt. 1:23). God preserved the lineage of David through the centuries (1:10-16), and even through wicked men like Ahaz (1:9), until the fullness of time had come to bring the King of Kings and Lord of Lords into the world to deliver God’s people from their sin and suffering (1:21). Through the power of the Holy Spirit, the virgin Mary miraculously conceived the Son of God. When we look back at the incarnation, it causes us to marvel at God’s power, the love and humility of our Savior, and to rejoice in the good news of our salvation. But it should also catapult our hearts forward to the future hope we have in the promises of God that have not yet been fully realized. It should strengthen our souls in these present times. Jesus has been exalted on high! He is reigning over all right now and nothing happens outside of His sovereign ordination, but His kingdom has not been fully established yet. We are not experiencing the fullness of the new covenant blessings. Satan is still loose and reigning in this world. Sin’s presence still haunts our sanctified souls. All things have not been made new. So while you live out your days in the midst of this evil and crooked generation, while you endure through trials of various kinds, when you suffer for the sake of Christ, do not worry and do not be afraid. May the birth of our Savior serve as the comforting sign of God that He keeps His covenant promises and nothing in this present age can thwart His power. Be strong and courageous for our God reigns.
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