The Sign of the Virgin Birth (Isaiah 7–8)

Fear has a way of turning up the volume on every bad prediction. We open the page on Isaiah 7–8 where Judah trembles under the shadow of Assyria, and King Ahaz faces pressure to join a doomed alliance. Into this storm walks Isaiah, hand in hand with his son named Shahar Yashuv—a living reminder that a remnant shall return—and a message that slices through panic: be careful, be quiet, do not fear.

From there, we explore one of Scripture’s most arresting promises: a virgin shall conceive and bear a son called Emmanuel. We trace the near horizon of that sign as Isaiah’s new marriage and newborn son serve as proof that God is with His people and that Israel and Syria will collapse before the child can discern right from wrong. Then we follow the far horizon into the New Testament, where Matthew reveals the greater fulfillment in the virgin birth of Jesus. The first sign calms a king under siege; the second ushers in God with us in flesh and blood.

Along the way, we confront Judah’s rush to mediums and necromancers, those who chirp and mutter with counterfeit clarity. We draw a straight line to today’s appetite for horoscopes, spiritual guides, and curated mysticism, and we hold it up to Isaiah’s standard: to the teaching and to the testimony. Counsel that doesn’t align with God’s word carries no dawn. If you’ve been scanning the horizon for light, this conversation points you back to the lamp that doesn’t dim—Scripture—and to the presence that doesn’t leave—Emmanuel.

Listen for a faith that steadies when headlines roar, a framework for dual fulfillment that deepens how we read prophecy, and a practical call to trade panic for trust. If this episode encourages you, share it with a friend, subscribe for more, and leave a review to help others find the hope of God with us.

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Transcript

Assyria Looms And Panic Rises

Isaiah’s Assurance To A Frightened King

The Sign Of Emmanuel Explained

Immediate And Future Fulfillments

Maher Shalal Hashbaz And Assyria’s Plunder

Rejecting Occult Voices, Returning To Scripture

Wait For It: Toward Isaiah 9

SPEAKER_00 0:49

You might remember that after the death of Solomon, the nation of Israel split in two. The ten tribes of the north called themselves Israel, and Samaria became their capital city, and the two tribes in the south, Judah and Benjamin, remained loyal to the house of David, and they kept Jerusalem as their capital, and they were called Judah. Now, by the time Isaiah is preaching here in Jerusalem, this split or this division in the nation is around 200 years old. As we arrive now at Isaiah chapter 7, the setting for Judah is one of panic and terror. The empire of Assyria is growing more and more aggressive, and frankly, they want the territory of Israel and Judah. The Assyrians were known for their military power, they were known for their brutality and cruelty toward captured people. Rumor had it that the king of Assyria sat on a throne he'd actually covered with the skin of conquered kings. So the nation Israel, the ten northern tribes, created a coalition with their neighbor Syria. And they now want Judah to join them in the hope that together they can defeat this brutal Assyrian army. But Ahaz, the king of Judah, knows it's a lost cause, and he refuses to join this coalition. So Israel and Syria invade Judah, and they're going to try to force them into making this alliance. And as you can imagine, Ahaz is terrified. He and all of Jerusalem are in panic mode. In fact, chapter 7 opens here in verse 2 by telling us the heart of Ahaz and the heart of his people shook as the trees of the forest shake before the wind. Well, God responds to their terror by telling Isaiah to take his son and go out to meet King Ahaz and reassure him. Isaiah's son's name here in verse three is Shahar Yashuv, and that means a remnant shall return. So the presence of Isaiah's son is a significant sign that God isn't going to erase his covenant promises no matter what happens. So Isaiah and his son go out here to meet King Ahaz and tell him here in verse 4, be careful, be quiet, do not fear, do not let your heart be faint. In other words, God has everything under control. Isaiah is effectively saying to Ahaz, listen, you know, God doesn't make plans. He's always had plans. His plans go all the way back into eternity past, and his plans are unstoppable into eternity future. Doesn't matter what coalitions, doesn't matter what kings, doesn't matter what evil empires rise and attempt to do. Now maybe that's exactly the message you need to hear today from the Lord. You know, maybe you're panicking over something, maybe your back is against the wall, perhaps the pressure is on. Listen to the Lord, this truth is timeless. Be quiet, do not fear, do not let your heart be faint. Now, what Isaiah does next is deliver one of the greatest prophecies about the Lord Jesus that we find in all the Bible. Isaiah says to King Ahaz here in chapter seven and verse fourteen. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Emmanuel. Emmanuel means God with us. Now that sounds familiar, doesn't it? You go over to the Gospel of Matthew, and Matthew cites this text as being fulfilled in the virgin birth of Jesus Christ. But now here in Isaiah, it gets a little confusing because if you keep reading here about the birth of this particular boy, you'll find this in verse sixteen. Before the boy knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land whose two kings you dread will be deserted. In other words, these two kings of Israel and Syria who are threatening the king of Judah, well they're going to die while this boy is still a little toddler. And that's exactly what happened before two years had passed. Well, is this prophecy here then talking about Jesus or not? One of the key elements to keep in mind as you study the prophets is this. Prophecies can have an immediate fulfillment and a future fulfillment. In other words, there can be an immediate application and a later application, and that's exactly what you have here. First, there's an immediate fulfillment here of Isaiah 7.14. Isaiah's first wife has evidently died. We aren't giving the details, but we're told that Isaiah marries again and he marries a virgin. They consummate their marriage, and around nine months later she has this little boy. God directs them to give two names to their son. One of his names is a sign, and the other name is going to be his signature. Now Isaiah and his wife don't need to think through a list of possible names, you know, names that sound good with their name or names that came down from Grandpa Harry or Uncle Henry. Now God says here that the boy's name shall be Emmanuel. That name is a sign. God is reassuring his people that even in these panic stricken, chaotic times, God is still with them. Then over in chapter eight, we're given his signature, that is his formal name, so to speak, and here's what Isaiah writes in verse three. And I went to the prophetess, that's his wife, and she conceived and bore a son. Then the Lord said to me, Call his name Maher Shalal Hashbaz. That's a long name. I had to practice that. I I can imagine this kid's going to have a tough time in kindergarten learning to write his name. Now, even though this is his formal name, it also serves as a sign because it means quick to plunder. And if there's any question about who's going to do the plundering, the Lord spells it out now here in verse four. Assyria is going to be quick to plunder the kings of Israel and Syria. Now, all of that is the immediate application of this prophecy. But the later fulfillment is indeed found in Jesus Christ. It's the greater fulfillment, in fact, according to the gospel accounts of Mary. Mary wasn't just a virgin when she got married, like Isaiah's wife, and then later conceived. No. Mary was still a virgin when she became pregnant. Matthew uses this text from Isaiah in its much more miraculous meaning. Now, unfortunately, Isaiah's message and the signs of his son's names, well, they're ignored by Ahaz and the people of Judah. In fact, the people here are rushing to hear from occult leaders and sorcerers who supposedly get in touch with the spirit world, all the while ignoring the prophet of God. Isaiah challenges them as he preaches. He tells them that they're trying to get direction from all the wrong places. In fact, he says here in verse 19 of chapter eight that they inquire of the mediums and the necromancers who chirp and mutter. In other words, they're going to people who supposedly contact the dead and deliver their little chirping messages which deceive their audiences. They're going to occult practitioners who are reading the stars. And let me tell you something, beloved, nothing much has changed to this day. Millions of people are checking their horoscopes every day. They're speaking with spiritual guides who have nothing to do with the Word of God, and they're false deceivers. I read of a believer who was being pressed by a fortune teller who promised to tell him his future if he would give her some money. And he said to her, You mean you can tell me what I'll be doing this same time tomorrow? And she said, Absolutely. And he said, Well, I'll tell you what, I'll pay you double if you can tell me what I was doing this same time yesterday. Well, that ended the conversation. Well, Isaiah now goes on to challenge the people to return to God's word here in verse 20, to return to the teaching, to the testimony. If they, that is the spiritual advisors, will not speak according to this word, it is because they have no dawn. That is, they have no light. Verse 22 adds, they will be thrust into thick darkness. And that's what happens when you ignore the dawn, the light of the gospel, God's word. You're going to walk into thick darkness of unbelief. Now, with that, Isaiah delivers more amazing prophecies of the Lord Jesus in chapter 9. Well, that's where we'll pick it up, Lord willing, in our wisdom journey next time. Until then, beloved, may the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.