Morning Devotions: Isaiah 7:9-15

….If you will not believe, you surely shall not last. Then the LORD spoke again to Ahaz, saying, "Ask a sign for yourself from the LORD your God; make it deep as Sheol or high as heaven." But Ahaz said, "I will not ask, nor will I test the LORD!" Then he said, "Listen now,O house of David! Is it too slight a thing for you to try the patience of men, that you will try the patience of my God as well? "Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel. Isaiah 7:9b-15

Do you know what a sign is? A sign from the Almighty is something only he can do. The first sign ever was the sun, the moon and the stars. They were created primarily as signs (Genesis 1:14).

Then God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night, and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years;  Genesis 1:14-15 NASU

 The bow in the sky is also a sign

I set My bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a sign of a covenant between Me and the earth. Genesis 9:13

In Exodus chapter 4 Moses was given multiple signs to convince Pharaoh to let Israel go. God gave another great sign to his people. A sign that could not be done by pretenders.

… the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel. Isaiah 7:14

Often we read the Gospel of Luke and think that the sign is for shepherds to “find the child wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger” (Luke 2:12) There are so many problems with this verse in its English translation, but I will tell you of just one. The sign is not what you have been led to believe. The sign was the fulfillment of Isaiah 7:14; a virgin had a son she named Immanuel (God is with us). Matthew gives a sharper image of what happened but Matthew does not make as kewl of a christmas program as Luke does.

Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: when His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit.  And Joseph her husband, being a righteous man and not wanting to disgrace her, planned to send her away secretly. But when he had considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus (Y’shua means salvation), for He will save His people from their sins."  Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet:  "BEHOLD, THE VIRGIN SHALL BE WITH CHILD AND SHALL BEAR A SON, AND THEY SHALL CALL HIS NAME IMMANUEL," which translated means, "GOD WITH US." And Joseph awoke from his sleep and did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and took Mary as his wife, but kept her a virgin until she gave birth to a Son; and he called His name Jesus (Y’shua). Matthew 1:18-25

  
Joseph knew the sign of Isaiah 7. He also knew that he was a descendant of David, a man who would have inherited the throne of David if not for circumstances of history. He knew Mary was a virgin, yet she was pregnant. He also knew that “the house of David” was the only family that could receive the sign. His virgin bride, a woman who would be the final queen of David’s royal line, was about to become the fulfillment of the sign!

For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; and the government will rest on His shoulders; and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.  There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness from then on and forevermore.  The zeal of the LORD of hosts will accomplish this. Isaiah 9:6-7

My dear friend and fellow teacher, Mrs Swale, has been singing a song under her breath, over and over for the last few days. “Mary Did You Know?” I believe Mary DID know, so did Joseph. The real question is, did Israel know?, Do you know?

Straightening up, Jesus said to her, "Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?" She said, "No one, Lord." And Jesus said, "I do not condemn you, either. Go. From now on sin no more."… Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, " I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life."  John 8:10-13

The Light of the world, the Word made flesh was conceived on the last great day of Chanukkah when the light of the celebration of the dedication of the altar, the place where we meet with the Almighty, was brightest. Nine months later he was born on the first day of Tabernacles and circumcised at the Temple on the eighth day of Tabernacles. The light of the world was not wrapped in rags but in the bloody garments of the priests who served in the Temple. Their soiled robes were cut into strips and used as wicks to light the Menorah (candle stick) in the Temple. How appropriate because Y’shua-Jesus is the Light. 
  
The shepherds did not find “the babe” in a barn but in the Innkeepers Sukot- his booth built for the eight day celebration of Tabernacles. Tabernacles is all about being a wander, a pilgrim on this earth. Y’shua had no place to lay his head because the booth of Tabernacles, the movable tent, was his place.

At that time the Feast of the Dedication (Chanukkah) took place at Jerusalem; it was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple in the portico of Solomon. The Jews then gathered around Him, and were saying to Him, "How long will You keep us in suspense? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly." Jesus answered them, "I told you, and you do not believe; the works that I do in My Father's name, these testify of Me. But you do not believe because you are not of My sheep. My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. I and the Father are one."  John 10:22-30

  
Mary knew. 
Joseph knew. 
Do you know? 
Mrs. Hagerty, December 18, 2015 

Isaiah 53: can I get an Amen?

Can I get an Amen?

Isaiah 53

Who has ¹believed what we have heard?

And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?

2 For he grew up before him like a young plant,

and like a root out of dry ground;

he had no form or comeliness that we should look at him,

and no beauty that we should desire him.

3 He was despised and rejected by men;

a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief;

and as one from whom men hide their faces

he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

1. Who “can say amen” (believed)

How many of you know that the Hebrew word “amen” in not meant to be a way of signing off from prayer? Amen means to trust or believe. It is to be certain about something. In this passage, the word “believed” has been translated from the Hebrew word “amen.”

“What we have heard” is from the Hebrew word “shemuw’ah” (shem-oo-aw’). By itself, it just means, something heard, like an announcement. In this passage, Isaiah put a “lamed” prefix on the word. Lamed is a Hebrew letter that is a pictograph for a “shepherd’s staff” used to guide cattle toward something. Jesus (Y’shu-ah in Hebrew) is the shepherd of the souls of we who believe in Him. When a word has a lamed prefix it will be translated as “to” or “for” (but not always, as in this passage). The last letter of “shemuw’ah” is the Hebrew letter “hey” which communicates that God has made it fruitful (think, fruit of the spirit). Strangely enough, Isaiah has removed the letter hey and replaced it with the combination letters, tav-nun (tav pictures a sign from God and was originally written with a picture of a cross, and nun (pronounced noon) is generally said to be a sprouting seed, but some teachers have told me that it is a picture of a path with a goal that we are walking toward.

The “arm” is symbolic of strength. It is YHVH’s (the LORD’s) strength that is being reported. The English passage asks, "to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?" However the Hebrew word “revealed” is prefixed with the letter nun which communicates “we will.” As a sprout, nun tells us “this is not yet mature”, We cannot yet see the goal but we will trust the great shepherds arm to guide us to the goal, the kingdom of Heaven and Jesus our king.

4 Surely he has borne our grief (sickness, Deuteronomy 7:15)

 and carried our sorrows (pain, as in childbirth);

yet we esteemed him stricken, (stricken is to hit in the face, smitten is a slap)

smitten by God, and afflicted (afflicted is to be humbled with words-nagged or brow-beaten, “by God” because the people who claim this do not know the LORD well enough to call him by name, only by position).

5 But he was wounded for our transgressions (rebellion),

he was bruised for our iniquities (perversion-immoral evil);

upon him was the chastisement that made us whole,

and with his stripes (welts, bruises, cuts) we are healed.

6 All we like sheep have gone astray (we are not walking in “the way”);

we have turned everyone to his own way;

and the LORD has laid on him (the alaph-tav or alpha and omega) the iniquity of us all.

7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted,

yet he opened not his mouth;

like a lamb that is led to the slaughter (loving the hand that holds the knife),

and like a sheep that before its shearers is dumb (silent, no begging for understanding),

so he opened not his mouth.

8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away;

and as for his generation, who considered

that he was cut off (Daniel 9:26) out of the land of the living,

stricken for the transgression (rebellion) of my people?

9 And they made his grave with the wicked

and with a rich man in his death,

although he had done no violence (nothing wrong),

and there was no deceit in his mouth.

10 Yet it was the will of the LORD to bruise him;

he has put him to grief;

when he makes himself an offering (gives his life) for (my) sin,

he shall see his offspring, he shall prolong his (my-the offspring-believers) days;

the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand;

11           he shall see the fruit of the travail of his soul and be satisfied;

by his knowledge (Hebrews 12:2) shall the righteous one, my servant,

make many to be accounted righteous;

and he shall bear their iniquities.

12 Therefore I will divide him a portion with the great,

and he shall divide the spoil with the strong;

because he poured out his soul to death,

and was numbered with the transgressors;

yet he bore the sin of many,

and made intercession (Hebrews 7:25) for the transgressors (those who go their own way).

On Isaiah 53:8 he carried our grief and sickness.

Deuteronomy 7:15 And the LORD will take away from you all sickness; and none of the evil diseases of Egypt, which you knew, will he inflict upon you, but he will lay them upon all who hate you. 

From Isaiah 53:8 On being "cut off" from the land of the living.

Daniel 9:26 And after the sixty-two weeks, an anointed one shall be cut off, and shall have nothing; and the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. Its end shall come with a flood, and to the end there shall be war; desolations are decreed. 

From Isaiah 53:11 The "knowledge" of Y'shu-ah was the joy that was before him as he faced and endured the cross.

Hebrews 12:2 looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. 

From Isaiah 53:12, Y'shu-ah makes intercession (an action verb, someone who settles disputes by pleading for someone. He can do this because his blood paid the penalty for my sin. Sometimes I hear people who believe "Jesus" pleads to God on our behalf, but I suspect that Y'shu-ah, who knows what my sin cost him, pleads to me to stay the course, The Way of righteousness. 

Hebrews 7:25 Consequently he is able for all time to save those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them. 

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