December 14 Daily Devotional

Bible Reading

Isaiah 7:10–17

Devotional

Jerusalem is in dire circumstances. Two armies besiege the city: the armies of Rezin, the king of Syria, and Pekah, the king of the ten tribes of Israel. The people seem to be doomed and king Ahaz is in despair. What can he do against such a large army? Yet, while the enemies besiege the gates, the prophet goes through the streets of Jerusalem to the king’s palace with a message of deliverance from heaven. He tells king Ahaz that there is no need to be afraid of these two armies. To assure Ahaz, he is allowed to ask for a sign from heaven. He only has to choose what sign he desires. It cannot be any easier for the king. His crown and city are both granted to him.

But Ahaz refuses the sign. He does not accept the offer of deliverance. He does not reach out to the lifeline that the Lord casts to him. And he even uses pious words, for he says: “neither will I tempt the Lord.” Why does Ahaz refuse the sign of deliverance? Is the situation not desperate? Is he not in the greatest need? Yes, certainly, but he looks for help from elsewhere. He expects help from Tiglathpileser, the king of Assyria. He expects more from him than from God; thus he rejects the words of Isaiah.

The sign, however, is still given. It is the sign of the coming Immanuel. The sign is still given. How terrible that Ahaz rejects the sign! He chooses Tiglathpileser instead of Immanuel. He chooses to have Assyria with him rather than “God with us.”

Human nature causes man to long for something to hold on to in this world and he prefers that above God’s offer of deliverance. The offer is there, but he does not ask for it. From the descendants of Ahaz, Immanuel is born. Is that not a miracle? He is born from those who do not ask for Him. If the Lord had to come because man asked for it, it would not have happened, and Christ would not have been born. Who ever of his own initiative asks for God’s salvation? On the contrary, he refuses it.

Is man’s need not great? Yes, he has an eternal need. The city of Mansoul is surrounded by the powers of hell. But alas, the carnal city prefers to rely on powers outside of the Lord, just as Ahaz did. Isaiah, the herald of God’s salvation, still comes with the sign of Immanuel, but the king of this city, man’s own self, is too proud to expect anything from someone else. The eternal enemy besieges the gates. One more step, and he is inside. The sinner is told that there is deliverance, but he still possesses too many weapons to rely on another to save him. In a pious way, the sign is rejected. He rejects the sign just as Ahaz did.

A sinner does not perish because he asks too much of the Lord, but because he asks too little, or because he does not ask anything at all! It is because he considers “the blood of the covenant...an unholy thing” (Heb. 10:29). The city of Mansoul will be bound forever. His greatest need is that he would see his need for God’s salvation.

When man sees this, the miracle becomes so great that the Child Jesus comes in spite of the fact that man never asked for Him. The rejected sign is still given. “Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” This Child is a divine miracle. He is born from those who did not ask for Him and who perished without Him.

 

From The Everlasting Word by Frans Bakker, compiled and translated by Gerald R. Procee. Reformation Heritage Books and Free Reformed Publications, 2007. Used by permission. For further information, click here.