Together - Daily DevotionalSample

Immanuel

Reading: Isaiah 7:14

Key Verse: “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.” v.14

In our devotions on the person and ministry of Jesus, it is important to recognise that the Bible speaks of Him in the Old Testament as well as the New. It is said that the New Testament is concealed in the Old and the Old is revealed in the New. For example we look today at a prophecy of Jesus written by Isaiah some seven hundred years before Jesus was born. There are many other prophecies, “types” and even appearances of God the Son in the Old Testament.

In the Bible, names are not merely a way of identification but a form of explanation. For example, Eve means “life” and she is noted as the mother of all peoples. Isaiah means “salvation of the Lord” and his book is probably the pre-eminent Old Testament record of how the Lord saves people. In today’s key verse we read that a virgin will give birth to a child to be called Immanuel.  El is a Hebrew name for God and so Immanuel literally means “With Us – God”. Turning to Matthew 1:18-23 we see this was fulfilled in the birth of Jesus – God with us.

Prayer: Jesus, I thank You that You are not a God far off but God with me