Immanuel - God With Us

     When we think of the name "Immanuel," the first thing that comes to our mind is often Jesus. But Jesus is never directly called Immanuel. First, we want to look at the passages where Immanuel appears in the Old Testament. Then, we will talk about why Jesus is Immanuel, even though He is never directly called that.

Passages in the Old Testament
     The name of Immanuel appears three times in the Old Testament, all in the same passage. It is in Isaiah 7-8. In each situation where the name appears, God's people face a problem.

     In Isaiah 7 the situation is as follows: the king of Syria, Rezin, and the king of Ephraim (which is the northern part of Israel) come to Judah to start a war against them. Ahaz, the king of Judah was scared to death and so were all the people of Judah. So, God sends Isaiah and his son to Ahaz to tell him that he does not have to fear because of these (as He calls them) "two smoldering stumps of firebrands." And God goes on to say that both kings will soon be shattered. About Ephraim He even says an exact number, namely 65 years.

     And in order to strengthen Ahaz even more, Isaiah tells him to ask a sign from God. Ahaz was not a very godly person, so in false piety he says he does not want to test God. In verse 13 Isaiah replies, "Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary men, that you weary my God also? Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. He shall eat curds and honey when he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good. For before the boy knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land whose two kings you dread will be deserted." So we see in Isaiah 7 that Immanuel is a sign for Ahaz that God's people will not be shattered, but their enemies will be.

     But, the passage goes on and we learn even more what Immanuel means. In the very next verse (verse 17), God continues to tell Ahaz: "The LORD will bring upon you and upon your people and upon your father's house such days as have not come since the day that Ephraim departed from Judah - the king of Assyria." Assyria was know to be one of the most cruel countries back then. And we ask, "Why? Why does God do this now?" I will skip a few verses and in chapter 8:6 we read, "Because this people has refused the waters of Shiloah that flow gently, and rejoice over Rezin and the son of Remaliah, therefore, behold the Lord is bringing up against them the waters of the River, mighty and many, the king of Assyria and all his glory. And it will rise over all its channels and go over all its banks, and it will sweep on into Judah, it will overflow and pass on, reaching even to the neck and its outspread wing will fill the breadth of your land, O Immanuel." Because Judah and Ahaz are ungodly, God will judge them by sending the Assyrians. And the picture is indeed pretty scary: God judges those who refuse "the waters of Shiloah." But in the end of verse 8 and the following verses we also find a huge comfort.

     First, in verse 8, it says whose land it is. It is Immanuel's land. Still. and it goes on, "Be broken, you peoples, and be shattered; give ear, all you far countries: strap on your armor and be shattered; strap on your armor and be shattered. Take counsel together, but it will come to nothing; speak a word, but it will not stand, for God is with us." We see that other lands might run against God's elect, but God will finally protect the rest and all the nations, running against them, will come to nothing. Why? For "God is with us," which is the meaning of Immanuel. So it is just because of Immanuel that God protects the rest of Judah

Fulfilled in Jesus
      In Matthew we read, "'Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.' All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: 'Behold a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call His name Immanuel."

     In Isaiah Immanuel was a sign that God will deliver His people from their enemies. In Isaiah, Judah's problem was Aram, northern Israel and Assyria. But here we read what Immanuel actually does: He will save His people from their sins. This it the main problem for all people.

     "God with us" is on the best promises we receive in the Bible. It is the promise that God renews what has been destroyed by sin, because Jesus bears all judgment. So let's listen to some verses from the very end of the Bible. Revelation 21 talks about what it will be like when God is with us and when God dwells among His people: "Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, the New Jerusalem, coming down out from heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, 'Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be His people, and God Himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.'"

By Elsbeth Tafferner