Promise and Fulfilment

Galatians 4:1-7              Isaiah 7:10-17                Matthew 1:18-25

Promise and Fulfilment

Most of us know what Immanuel means: God with us. Yet we often stop at the definition without letting the weight of that name press into our souls. We affirm that God is with us, but in moments of crisis we can behave as though he is far off, distant, unmoved, or uninterested. Many Christians live as if Jesus had never come at all, simply because the force of this name, Immanuel, has never truly dawned on them. And yet, whatever we feel, however dark the hour, God is with us.

Matthew reached back to Isaiah 7 when he announced this name. To grasp both the promise and its fulfilment, we must hear the two Scriptures together…the ancient word and the newborn reality.

But first we need a quick bird’s-eye view of the world into which Isaiah spoke. The once-united kingdom of David and Solomon had long since fractured into north and south, and tension simmered between Israel and Judah. At this moment in history, Israel, the northern kingdom, joined forces with Syria to resist the growing power of Assyria. They urged Judah to join their coalition, but Judah refused. Enraged, the two allies turned their armies toward Jerusalem.

In panic, King Ahaz of Judah did the unthinkable: he sought protection from Assyria, the very empire threatening them all. It is into this swirl of fear, of politics, and of misplaced trust that God sent Isaiah with a message, not simply of warning, but of promise. A promise wrapped in a name: Immanuel…God with us.

The first words spoken by the prophet were words of comfort. Referring to the coalition Isaiah prophesied: “It shall not stand, and it shall not come to pass.” But Ahab was required to believe God and not go ahead with his alliance with Assyria and so Isaiah added a stern warning: “If you are not firm in faith, you will not be firm at all.” It all sounds simple enough, doesn’t it? God gave his promise and expected an obedient reaction.

But not only did God give his promise, he also graciously allowed Ahab to ask for a sign…any sign he could think of that would prove to him that God’s word was trustworthy. “Ask a sign of the Lord your God,” Isaiah continued, “let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven.” Again, the proposition was quite simple. If you do not have enough faith to trust God’s word, well then, ask for a sign of your own choosing to validate it…a sign which would authenticate the prophetic message concerning the seemingly foreboding future.

But notice how the king responded to this gracious offer. “I will not ask, and I will not put the Lord to the test.” Now that may sound so spiritual, but what exactly was behind these pious words? From God’s response through the prophet we see that Ahaz simply did not trust God. He wasn’t willing to take the chance of God actually coming through. “Look, Isaiah,” he seemed to say, “we need to be practical. There’s no point in bringing God into this equation…he’s in heaven, we’re here on planet earth. I just must make the best of a very sticky situation, don’t I? After all, God gave me a brain to think these things through, didn’t he?” 

But faith is knowing God’s promise, understanding it intellectually, and trusting him to do what he said he would do. Ahaz did not want to risk his future by trusting in an unseen God when he had a very powerful seen ally. Seeing is believing…better to trust in chariots and horses than in the name of the Lord God.

You see, a word from God could be easily dismissed, but a personal sign…a sign Ahaz himself could choose…well that would really complicate matters, wouldn’t it? What if it actually happened? Coincidence is a fearful thing for a non-believer. If God granted him the sign he requested, then the king’s overtures to Assyria would make him look like a fool. Pride has often come between a man and his God.

In a vivid prediction of judgement and promise that would make the king’s head spin, God revealed the consequences of his foolish decision. Isaiah said, “Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary men, that you weary my God also? 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.” But then the words became very personal. “The Lord will bring upon you and upon your people and upon your father's house such days as have not come since the day that Ephraim departed from Judah—the king of Assyria!”

Do you see the result of the king’s lack of faith in God? The judgement previously pronounced upon the coalition forces was now extended to Judah as well. And the very one Ahaz trusted, the kingdom of Assyria, would be the instrument of God’s judgement. The treaty itself would become a burden as Assyria levied heavy taxation on Judah.

The consequences of sin are heavy indeed. To trust in anything other than God comes with a very high price tag.

But as you well know, God is not only a God of judgement…he is primarily a God of mercy and grace and therefore woven into the very fabric of this grim prophecy is an element of hope. God would preserve his people amid judgement. Where Ahaz refused a sign, God provided a sign himself…one which would have a double fulfilment. “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son and shall call his name Immanuel.”

Ahaz dismissed God as an uninterested, impotent, and distant Deity…one who was either not able or not interested enough to direct the affairs of history, let alone assist in a moment of national crisis. And so, if God was removed, the king might as well get on with the job of being king and run his country along the political rules of logic. No faith, no trust, just political wheeling and dealing, all the while selling his people down the line.

But God is not removed! He is Immanuel…God with us…he is involved in every aspect of human existence…he upholds all things by the word of his power and turns the hearts of people whichever way he wills. At some point in life, everyone will come to know this and experience it first-hand…hopefully during this life.

God has not abandoned his creation…he has not abandoned us…he is not distant or uninterested. The coming of Jesus proves that God is intimately interested and involved in our lives. None of us may do and live as we please…we are all accountable to God and we will all answer to him in this life or the next. There are no number of doors we can close and no number of lights we can turn off to hide from him.

He is Immanuel…God with us…and so Isaiah added that though Judah would suffer the consequences of Ahaz’s lack of faith and trust, God would cause a faithful remnant to return from exile to the Promised Land. But the prophecy had more than one fulfilment in mind. Yes, Isaiah’s young wife conceived and bore a son, and yes, before that child was weaned the coalition Ahaz feared had collapsed, but the words of God were not limited to that application. Hundreds of years later, a virgin conceived…this time not from a man, but by the overshadowing of the Holy Spirit. She conceived a Child that would truly be Immanuel…God with us. 

But as Isaiah’s prophecy applied to his generation as well as to generations later, his words can be applied to us as well. How many of us have not faced at least one crisis this past year? Some of us have come through unscathed, but others may still be struggling to understand why God would allow something so difficult or so painful to happen to his children. Some may be confused by his apparent indifference to the many awful recent events that happen almost on a daily basis in this troubled world of ours. 

But God is not indifferent. As he revealed to Ahaz, so he reveals to us his immanence…he is Immanuel. While adversity may be inevitable in this fallen, broken world, he has promised us a peace in the very midst of our worst trials…a peace that transcends logic as it is based on faith and trust in who our God is…a God of truth and justice, of righteousness and goodness, of mercy, grace, and love…and a God who always knows what is best. 

Our God never downplays or denies our struggles…but he does promise an inner sanctity that leads to an inner sanity…serenity now and serenity always. How do we know this? Well, because we have his Word and because we have his Sign…we have Immanuel…God with us and in us and he is our hope of eternal glory. Through his victory, we have victory…through his death we have life…eternal life.

So the message to Ahaz echoes on down through the ages to us here today. Don’t worry about the coalition forces lined up against you…whatever they may be. Shift your focus from your adversity and your adversary and see who is with you…see the one who is before you, behind you, beside you, beneath you, above you, and within you. Turn and focus on the one who calls himself Immanuel…God with us…and trust him because he has promised never to leave you nor forsake you.

Shall we pray?

© Johannes W H van der Bijl 2025