"God with Us" May 6 Readings: Isaiah 5-8

By

 


Reading the Bible Chronologically in 2026

This year, we will read the Bible chronologically, as it happened, instead of simply reading from Genesis to Revelation. The Old Testament is approximately 3/4 of the Bible, but we will give more emphasis to the New Testament, spending half the year in the Old Testament and half in the New. 

Bible Readings: Isaiah 5-8

In Bible Gateway, we will link to the NIV this year, though you can choose any version you prefer. 

Background:  

Isaiah has some of the most powerful prophecies of the coming of Christ, beginning with Isaiah 7:14, the "Immanuel" prophecy. 

Daily Devotional: God with Us

The prophecy of Isaiah 7:14 is one of the best-known of the Christmas story. A virgin will conceive and bear a son, and that son will be "Immanuel," which means "God with us." We are most familiar with this passage from its New Testament setting when it is clearly applied to Christ, the virgin-born Son of God, but when we look at it in context here, it becomes a little confusing.

Like many prophecies, it has a dual fulfillment. The first was the OT fulfillment, the specific focus of Isaiah's prophecy. Then, during the time of Jesus, the prophecy was applied in a more powerful way to Christ. In Isaiah's day, Pekah and Remaliah were threatening Judah, and King Ahaz was scared. God gave him a sign. He would marry a young woman, a virgin maiden, and she would conceive and bear a son who would represent the fact that God was with him, with Israel, and would not abandon them to the wicked kings Pekah and Remaliah. This prophecy came true.

This rescue of Israel from two evil kings bent on its destruction foreshadowed the greatest act of rescue God would undertake. A virgin would conceive again, but this time it would not be because she married a prophet, but because of the miraculous power of God. This baby boy would be a deliverer, God incarnate, the promised Messiah, the Savior of the world.

The first baby, in Isaiah's day, was a symbol of the fact that God was with Israel. The baby that would be born in the second fulfillment, the greater fulfillment, was no symbol. He was literal! God with us. God in a human body. The Creator becomes part of his creation. God did not send us a set of principles to live by, a list of rules to follow, or a series of rituals to perform. He did not even give us an example to follow. He gave us himself. He came to us. He became one of us.

And because God came to us, we can go to him! We have access to God through Jesus Christ. God became a man so that we could become the children of God. He left heaven so that we could go to heaven. He took on our nature so that we could share in his.

Thank you, Father, for sending your Son - not just rules, or religion, but Jesus himself. Thank you for Immanuel. 

 

Consider God's Word:


Reflect on the fact that God gave himself to us - the greatest act of love. It isn't Christmas, but we can still rejoice in God's great gift of love. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

"Prayer-ables" April 28 Readings: 1 Samuel 15-16, Luke 18:1-30, Psalm 53, Proverbs 11:27-29

By
Image
   Reading the Bible in 2025 Each day this year, we will read a selection from the Old Testament, the New Testament, a portion of the Psalms, and part of Proverbs. By the end of the year, you will have read the entire Bible. We read this way to give you a bit of variety.  NOTE: If you get behind, do not give up. Read today's readings and try to catch up when you have a chance. The goal is not to "accomplish a task" but to meet God in his word. Read the word. Also, if you are short on time, READ GOD'S WORD and skip my devotional! Bible Readings:   1 Samuel 15-16, Luke 18:1-30, Psalm 53, Proverbs 11:27-29      Scriptures linked to Bible Gateway in ESV version  Daily Devotional:   Prayer-ables In Luke 18:1-14, Jesus tells two "prayer-ables." Sorry, is that too corny? Okay, parables about prayer? These stories remind us of some important lessons about prayer. The first parable, in verses 1-8, tells the story of a hardhearted judge who neither fea...
Read more

"A Psalm for Christmas" December 25 Readings: Zechariah 5-6, Revelation 15–16, Psalm 147:1–7, Proverbs 31:14–16

By
Image
   Reading the Bible in 2025 Each day this year, we will read a selection from the Old Testament, the New Testament, a portion of the Psalms, and a part of Proverbs. By the end of the year, you will have read the entire Bible. We read this way to give you a bit of variety.  NOTE: If you get behind, do not give up. Read today's readings and try to catch up when you have a chance. The goal is not to "accomplish a task" but to meet God in his word. Read the word. Also, if you are short on time, READ GOD'S WORD and skip my devotional! Bible Readings:   Zechariah 5-6, Revelation 15–16, Psalm 147:1–7, Proverbs 31:14–16      Scriptures linked to Bible Gateway in ESV version  Daily Devotional:   A Psalm for Christmas MERRY CHRISTMAS! I'm going to keep this short today since you and I both have a lot to do. There are presents to open, a goose to cook (if you are the Cratchit family), and families to enjoy. Christmas has become about so many things in ...
Read more

"God's Relentless Faithfulness" February 22 Readings: Judges 1-5

By
Image
  Reading the Bible Chronologically in 2026 This year, we will read the Bible chronologically, as it happened, instead of simply reading from Genesis to Revelation.  The Old Testament is approximately 3/4 of the Bible, but we will give more emphasis to the New Testament, spending half the year in the Old Testament and half in the New.  Bible Readings :   Judges 1-5 In Bible Gateway, we will link to the NIV this year, though you can choose any version you prefer.  Background:     Having divided up the tribal land, Israel failed to drive out the inhabitants as they were commanded to, and the result was a terrible cycle of spiritual drift, catastrophe, revival, and renewed drift. Chapter 2 explains the cycle, and the rest of the book covers the stories of the judges who led Israel back to God. There are 12 judges, but the book focuses on 7. Throughout the duration of this book, there is a downward moral spiral that results in Israel's lowest point in its ...
Read more