Day 4: Isaiah 7:14
Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
Prophecies often carry immediate and future implications. In the immediate context of Isaiah 7:14, the nation of Judah was threatened by Israel and Syria (due to civil war, Israel is now two kingdoms: Israel and Judah). God would deliver Judah before a young baby would grow up and know right from wrong (Isaiah 7:15). However, the message is larger because a greater deliverance is needed. In this prophetic word, we see that a virgin will give birth to a son who will be called Immanuel, which means “God with us.”
The impossible will happen: a virgin giving birth and God bridging the gulf created by sin in Genesis 3, such that God will be with us. Certainly, this will be a sign from the Lord.
Jesus was born to a virgin (Luke 1:26-38) and is God who lived among us (see Matthew 1:23). This is not commonplace, though we may have heard it so often we lose the marvel of this reality. Even now, the person of the Holy Spirit is present in all believers. God is with us.