Isaiah chapter 7 v10-14 and chapter 9 v 6-7

Tuesday December 15th:  Read Isaiah chapter 7 v10-14 and chapter 9 v 6-7:

Here are clear prophecies, centuries before, of the unique and wonderful birth of the Saviour. The context around the key verses ( which isn’t our concern here ) has some reference and relevance to events in Isaiah’s own day, but the fullness of their promise can only be understood in what God did that ” first Christmas”. So, Isaiah 7 v14 – however sceptical critics of God’s Word try to make it mean less – speaks plainly of how ” a virgin shall conceive and bear a Son ” – and how He shall be called ” Immanuel” – God with us!  This is, of course directly applied to the birth of Jesus in Matthew 1 v 22.

Then the verses from chapter 9 show the wonder of the true nature of the child who will be born. This Son ( every male child is someone’s son, of course – but he is uniquely God’s own Son, as these verse show, and the NT fully declares ) will be a “governor”, or ruler, a “wonderful counselor” ( both true of Jesus as of no other ), and is then declared to be ” the Mighty God” God Himself, born as a human child, God the Son, truly man yet truly God, and though the Son, called ” the Everlasting Father” – the wonder of the Holy Trinity is before us here, ever One God, yet ever Three Persons.  Moreover, he is ” the Prince of Peace” The nature of His ultimate eternal, just and  righteous kingdom is then declared – and the assurance that God, the Lord of Hosts, will surely do this! These verses, given to Isaiah so long before Jesus was born, declare so much of the wonder of what God did in sending His Son that first Christmas – and speak of what is yet to come in His eternal reign as King of Kings and Lord of Lords, a kingdom that all His redeemed people will share, by God’s amazing grace!