Devotions: God's Sign of Love

Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel. He will eat curds and honey at the time He knows enough to refuse evil and choose good.  For before the boy will know enough to refuse evil and choose good, the land whose two kings you dread will be forsaken.

Isaiah 7:14-16 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

Israel was in bad shape for many years. They had terrible kings who led the people to worship false gods, practice witchcraft and human sacrifice, and generally destroyed the country. As a result of turning away from God, they were conquered and exiled to Babylon. Isaiah foretold all of this long before it happened. Most refused to believe what he said, but some were distraught at the prophecy. The beauty of this is that while God was telling them in advance the horrible destruction that would befall, He also gave them a glimmer of hope which showed His love for His people. While He willingly gave them over to slavery and allowed great tragedy, even before it happened He had already planned for a way to save them. The exiles returned from Babylon after 70 years, but they remained under foreign rule for centuries. God gave them a sign to show not only His sovereignty but also His love for them. He disciplines as any loving father does, but after the discipline, He lovingly welcomes back His child and gives the opportunity for reconciliation. Jesus is that reconciliation. Without Him, we are permanently alienated from God because of our sin, with no hope of ever making it right. But God loved us so much that He made a way for us to be made right with Him, even though we could never deserve it. Jesus is the sign of God’s love for us! Remember that as we begin to celebrate His birth!