Isaiah 7:14 All right then, the Lord himself will give you the sign. Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means ‘God is with us’). (NLT)
I was surprised to find that only three translations of Isaiah 7:14 included the words “God with us”. To me, that’s the most important part. The Old Testament God seems an angry, distant, vengeful God. The New Testament God, personified in His Son Jesus, died and rose again. He was here, but He has now taken His rightful place in Heaven at God’s right hand.
Isaiah 7:14 Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Listen carefully, the virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and she will call his name Immanuel (God with us). (AB)
Turns out that Matthew 1:23 parallels Isaiah 7:14 exactly, with one crucial distinction—the inclusion of “God with us” in every translation of the verse. And that’s what I need in this life—God with us, present, available, fiercely loving. I need a God who shows up, who shows His presence in the breathtaking beauty of the ordinary, in the porch fellowship with a friend, in the shape of a heart on a rotting gourd. Immanuel. God with us. Always.
Isaiah 7:14 So the Lord himself will give you this sign: A virgin will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and she will name him Immanuel [God Is With Us]. (GWT)
Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Thank You for being God with us, close enough to whisper to our hearts, willingly opening the eyes of our hearts to Your presence if we only ask. Thank You for this journey through Your word and for drawing me closer every day. Help me to shine Your light for all. Amen.
Isaiah 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. (NIV)
Have a blessed day.