Isaiah 7:10-16
10 Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz, 11 “Ask the Lord your God for a sign, whether in the deepest depths or in the highest heights.”
12 But Ahaz said, “I will not ask; I will not put the Lord to the test.”
13 Then Isaiah said, “Hear now, you house of David! Is it not enough to try the patience of humans? Will you try the patience of my God also? 14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. 15 He will be eating curds and honey when he knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right, 16 for before the boy knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right, the land of the two kings you dread will be laid waste.
If the God of the universe said that you could asked him to do anything "whether in the deepest depths or in the highest heights" what would you do?
Before November 2 I would have probably asked God to make the Cubs win the World Series, but now I'm not sure...
Maybe make Wisconsin weather more like California?!
In this passage God wanted Ahaz, the king of Israel to ask him for a sign, anything he wanted, to help Ahaz understand that God was with him.
You see, Ahaz was facing some pretty incredible enemies. Israel was a small nation stuck in between two major world powers: Assyria and Egypt. Israel was seen as a nice prize for whoever controlled it because the only major trade route ran straight through the middle of the country. It would be like owning the Suez or Panama canals. Whoever owns them would have incredible power over trade and wealth.
Ahaz had a right to be afraid.
But God cared deeply for Israel. Israel was God's chosen and cherished nation. God desperately wanted Israel to put their faith and trust in Him, rather than their false idols and political treaties.
I'm not saying that God does not want us to be wise and or to never work with people who are non-believers. We should work with others, collaborating to bring peace and make the world better. But more than anything God wants us to know, trust, and believe that He is with us each and everyday. That we are not alone. That He loves us, especially when problems and conflicts arise that we are too weak to handle on our own.
In 1990 Bette Midler recorded a song that became a huge commercial success called "From a Distance." The song has a sentimental message of hope, but the main line that stands out is: "God is watching us from a distance."
That message is nowhere in the Bible. From the beginning in Genesis when God comes down to walk through the Garden of Eden all the way to the cross where God comes down into the depths of human suffering God is always coming down, not staying at a distance. Even now, God promises to be with us through the power of the Holy Spirit.
At Christmas God came down to give us the hope and peace of His loving presence. God, our Lord, is Immanuel.
Gracious Lord, you were not pleased to stand at a distance and watch the creation that you love grow farther and farther away from You. Live with us. Abide with us. Give us a greater sense of your presence in our lives. Fill us with hope and give us faith in the "sign" of Immanuel, who is your Son, Jesus Christ, in whose name we pray. Amen.
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