O Come Immanuel
By Ray C. Stedman
Nothing in history remotely approaches the wonder of the birth of the Lord Jesus. In Isaiah 7 we have the prophetic announcement of that virgin birth. As one commentator put it: ìOf measureless importance to the universe, to this world, to every individual of the human family is the prophecy to which we have now come. On the fulfillment of this prophecy all Christianity rests, as a building on its foundation.îIsaiah 7:14; 9:6,7 Let me give you the historical setting of that prophecy: The ten tribes of Israel had joined in a military alliance with Syria and invaded the southern kingdom of Judah. They besieged Jerusalem, surrounding it with their armies. The heart of king Ahaz and that of the people of Judah, Isaiah describes ìshook as the trees of the forest shake before the wind.î
Right at this point, God tells the prophet Isaiah:
Go forth to meet Ahaz, you and Shear-jashub your son, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool on the highway to the Fullerís Field, and say to him, ëTake heed, be quiet, do not fear, and do not let your heart be faintÖíîSo, Isaiah goes and tells king Ahaz that there is no need for him to fear because the threat will come to nothing. Within sixty-five years, he explains, both Syria and the northern nation of Israel will no longer stand.All this seems very far removed from us. Yet included here are several important matters that we should note.
First, the prophecy that Judahísenemies would be gone within decades was fulfilled. Israel soon became a captive nation, and Syria was smashed by Assyria. Their realization points up the reliability of God's promises.
Second, God tells the prophet to take along with him his little son Shear-jashub. Although the boy does and says nothing, somehow his presence is required to make this prophecy meaningful, as we'll see later.
Finally, Isaiah is told to go specifically to the "end of the conduit of the upper pool on the highway to the Fuller's Field" and give the message of comfort to Ahaz there.
Hidden truths. Isaiah typically writes in cryptic, double-meaning language. The phrase "the conduit of the upper pool on the highway to the Fuller's Field" is a good example of this.
The Hebrew word for "pool" also means "blessing." And the word for "upper" also means "the most high." So, a second meaning for the term "upper pool" is "blessing of the Most High."
The water from this pool flows down a conduit, or aqueduct, to the city. The end of the conduit, where it empties into a small pool, is the spot where the prophet was told to take his stand.
That spot is also located on "the highway to the Fuller's Field." A highway in the scripture has to do with spiritual ascent. For example, Isaiah 35:8 speaks of a highway called the Holy Way. In old English, a fuller was a laundry man, a washing person. So Fuller's Field would be a place of washing.
Putting these second meanings together, we can already see that the message Isaiah is bringing has something to do with the gospel. The Lord Jesus is the end of the channel of the blessing from the Most High. He is also the Holy Way of cleansing.
A Universal Sign
Before we learn why the prophet is told to take his son Shear-jashub with him, let's go back to the historical setting. To help assure Ahaz that what He says is going to happen, God tells the king to ask Him for a sign. But with false modesty, Ahaz said, "I will not ask, and I will not put the Lord to the test." Then Isaiah says in verses 13 and 14:Hear then, O house of David!The Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, a young woman (or, as some texts have it, a virgin) shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.Jewish commentators insist that this prophecy has nothing to do with Jesus, that it is merely a sign given to king Ahaz regarding the immediate events that would transpire in that land. They also say that it is not a prophecy of the virgin Mary bearing a child, but that it was fulfilled by a young woman of that time, probably the prophet's wife. The fact that Isaiah uses parabolic language is why they have missed the import of this message.For the church. Note that the prophet addresses here not king Ahaz, but "the house of David." And the "you" is a plural word, meaning the sign is for the entire house of
David, or the people of God. The Hebrew word translated "a young woman" in the Revised Standard Version can mean a young married as well as a young unmarried woman. But to be a divine sign, it really would have to be a virgin that conceives and bears a son.That sign did come 750 years later. We learn from Matthew 1:20,21 that an angel appeared to Joseph, an offspring of David, and said to him, "Do not fear to take Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit; she will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins." The next two verses then declare:
All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: "Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and his name shall be called Emmanuel (which means, God with us).""God with us." All the beauty, mystery and majesty of Christmas gather around that name. When Jesus was born of a virgin in a stable in Bethlehem, the angels broke through the heavens and cried to the shepherds, "Behold, I bring you good news of a great joy,for to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord." Surely anyone reading these two scriptures together cannot fail to see the tie between them.For Ahaz. That was the sign to the house of David, but not to Ahaz. The sign for Ahaz is stated in Isaiah 7:15,16:
He shall eat curds and honey when he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good. 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.The "He" here seems to refer to the Immanuel that Isaiah has just spoken of in verse 14. But the latter part of this passage speaks of two kings that Ahaz are in dread, so the child that shall eat curds and honey cannot be Christ. To whom, then, does this "he" refer?Perhaps you have already guessed. This is why Isaiah was told to take with him his little son Shear-jashub. When Isaiah is saying "He shall eat curds" and so on, he probably had his hand upon the boy's head.
You see, God indicates later in this chapter that after the Assyrian invasion, everyone in the land would have to eat curds and wild honey, the food of poverty. By eating this food of poverty Shear-jashub would learn "to refuse the evil and choose the good" for the land was destroyed because the king had chosen evil instead of good. Incidentally, the boy's name means "a remnant shall return."
This, then, is a prophecy containing two signs: (1) the sign to the world of the coming of the child born of a virgin whose name would be Immanuel, and (2) the sign to the unbelieving king concerning the invasion of Assyria, during which his only comfort would be derived from the name of Isaiah's son, "a remnant shall return."
Another Beautiful Prophecy
In chapter 9, there is another beautiful prophecy that was fulfilled by our Lord's birth. We read in verses 6 and 7:For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the governmentWhat a remarkable picture! It hardly needs any exposition. Suddenly, without fanfare or pomp and circumstance, the Messiah comes as a little child. God has given us His Son. Remember John 3:16? "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." This is Immanuel, "God with us."
will be upon his shoulder, and his name will be called "Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David, and over his kingdom, to establish it, and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and for evermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.The four titles Isaiah lists highlights that fact well. No one deserves to be called "Wonderful Counselor" more than Jesus. He unveils to us secrets about ourselves, shows us the way of deliverance from sin, and counsels us on how to live to the glory of God. He is surely the "Mighty God." All things were created by Him and for Him. He is "Everlasting Father" because He is the "Father of Eternity." The Lord Jesus alone can give eternal life. He is its father for it originates with Him. And no one can contest the last title, "Prince of Peace." He states Himself, "My peace I give unto you."
Of the increase of His government and of peace there will be no end. This phrase captures the universal character of the Messiah's reign and its extension to the new heaven and new earth.
For us individuals. The key, of course, is in these words: "Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given." Even though this event took place 2,000 years ago, when an individual first comes into personal contact with the Lord of Glory, he is the recipient of this wonderful gift for the first time. That is why we often speak of when we found the Lord, and how He came to us.
It is unto us that He came, unto us that He was born. He is Immanuel, God with us. He is with us to strengthen and guide us, to meet our needs, to solve our problems, but most of all, to save us from the bondage to sin and to assure us a place in heaven. o
The late Rev. Ray C. Stedman was pastor of Peninsula Bible Church, 3505 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto, CA 94306.