Week #28 | "The Promised Child, and a Godly Old Man"

 LOOK | WHAT DOES IT SAY?

Read Isaiah 7-14 and 28, Hosea 12-14, Micah 2-7, 2 Kings 17-18:12, 1 Chronicles 5, 2 Chronicles 29-31, Psalms 99 and 106

THINK | WHAT DOES IT MEAN?

Jesus, the Child Who Will Be Born (Isaiah 7-12). There are several different pictures of Jesus throughout the different sections of the book of Isaiah. As we walk through Isaiah, we will see that Jesus is variously the Child (7-12), the Cornerstone (13-39), the Servant (40-55), and in the unique and final section he is the Anointed (56-66). In Isaiah 7 we are introduced to Jesus as "the Child" whose name is Immanuel and whose sign will be that he will be born from a virgin. At this point it's not entirely clear whether Isaiah is talking about the Messiah, and it seems like this might be fulfilled with the birth of Isaiah's son Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz in Isaiah 8. But the name "Immanuel" doesn't really fit with Isaiah's son, and there's nothing particularly significant to a child being born of healthy parents.  Then in Isaiah 9, after Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz is born, the prophecy of the Child is added to in a way that clearly doesn't point to Isaiah's son: "For to us a Child is born..." and this child is described in ways that are only truly appropriate for God. Then in Isaiah 11, this Child is referred to as both the "shoot" (11:1) and the "root" (11:10) of Jesse, the father of David. He is someone who is both the descendant of David, and the one from whom David's lineage has its origin. He is a future figure as well as someone whose origins lay in the distant past--he is Immanuel; God with us. In Isaiah 12, with the revelation of the Child fully laid out, the last chapter of that section reflects on what has been revealed with a song of joy and salvation.

Jesus in Micah and Hosea. Refer to the previous post where we walked through how both of those books point to Jesus. Last year for Advent I walked through Genesis, Psalms, Isaiah, and Micah to show how those books point to Jesus. Since then I've also preached a single message through the whole book of Job. I think that Hosea might be another good one to do, along with Amos. All of the book of the Old Testament point to Jesus in very obvious, clearly observable ways.

Good King Hezekiah, and the Gooder Zechariah (2 Chronicles 29-31). Hezekiah was one of the great kings of Judah, and he oversaw along with Uzziah and Jotham something of a spiritual renewal in Judah (though Ahaz, in between, was a disappointment). This line of great kings may have been because of the legacy of a godly old man by the name of Zechariah. This Zechariah instructed Uzziah in godliness (2 Chronicles 6:5), befriended and signed papers for Isaiah -a counselor to several kings- during the reign of Ahaz (Isaiah 8:2), and then his daughter Abijah was Hezekiah's mother (2 Chronicles 29:1)--if this is all the same guy, that's incredible. That would make him the instructor of King Uzziah, the father-in-law of King Ahaz, and the grandfather of King Hezekiah. This shows the power of a positive legacy, that as we pour into the lives of others and our own families, these efforts can come together to bring restoration and blessing on many generations. The best string of kings that Judah ever had likely comes down to the behind-the-scenes influence and faithfulness of one man who sought to influence others to know the Lord. How might he use your influence?

DO | HOW DO WE RESPOND?

How can we respond in our worship, attitude, and actions? I won't lay out exact responses in this space because the possibilities are often endless. But it is worth it to think about application in the categories of worship, attitude, and actions. Does this reading direct me to God in worship and thanksgiving and praise, or does it direct me towards a change that I need to make here and now? If it's about a change that I need to make, is this something inward in my attitude, or outward in my actions? This helps to rescue application from just being a series of how-to tips, or one-size-fits-all instructions that go beyond what the Bible actually states. Sometimes, the most helpful application we can make is to get a different perspective on what's the most important thing, or about how we should respond inwardly to the things going on around us.

PRAY | HOW DOES THIS BRING US TO GOD?

Whether in response to anything pointed out here, or to something else in your Bible reading time, take a few moments before you close up your Bible to pray in response to God. If you need a format for prayer, both the ACTS (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication), CALL (Confess, Ask, Love, Listen), and PRAY (Praise, Repent, Ask, Yield) methods are helpful ways to stay consistent.

-Sean