As we enter the season of Advent and Christmas often we hear, read (or sing in Handel’s Messiah) Isaiah’s passage about the child born to a virgin. He is Immanuel and the promise is that at some point in the future this supernaturally born child will become ruler of the people in the kingdom of God. The passages in chapters seven and nine can hardly be read without our hearts soaring in expectation and hope. For to us a child is born and to us a son is given … and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end … the zeal of the house of the Lord of hosts will perform this.
The leaders didn’t really want this sign but God said He would give it anyway and they needed to deal with it. There are still many today who would just as soon God had chosen another sign but the choice isn’t ours and we still need to deal with it.
Right in the middle of the first mention of this controversial son of a virgin, whose name is Immanuel, and who will be a sign of hope to the people, is the promise of another child. A child of a prophetess who is not named Immanuel (God with us) but has the threatening name of Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz. The translation of the name is Quick Pickings — easy prey. He forecast the coming devastation on Judah. The problem was that the people and the leaders weren’t living with lives focused on God. They were tinkering with other loyalties. In the image of the prophet they were not enjoying the calm waters of God — symbolized by the waters of Shiloh that flow softly — so now they would experience the strong and wild waters of the king of Assyria. They envied this man created of glory and so now they experience the flood waters of that glory that has invaded their land and nearly drowned them. The water comes up to their necks.
Today there are many in a similar situation; they know God has promised Emmanuel but they experience more readily Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz. They feel the overwhelming situation that is threatening to drown them — whether it is financial pressure, broken relationships, or outside forces that overwhelm them. Somehow, like God’s people of old, we know in part this has come on us because we haven’t been content to rest in His peace and go with the flow of His will. We’ve tried to make things happen ourselves and the stress on our lives has become overwhelming. It is time now, to once again, look beyond the immediate to what is promised in the future. Though we are up to our necks in water we aren’t doomed. We are called to remember that even in this situation God has given us the sign of Immanuel — the sign that He will be with us and with Him times will get better. This is not the easy answer or some glib self confidence that ‘things will work out somehow,’ rather it is a call to repentance. A call to make a choice about whether we are going to let our lives go on being pillaged — Quick Pickings — easy prey, or whether we are going to look to Immanuel — God with us — and learn again to place our hope in Him and follow along the quiet waters where he leads.
It’s Advent, the time when we are to remember and prepare for Christ’s coming and maybe it’s time to think about two children that God gives as signs to His people so we’ll be ready when He comes.
Happy Advent; Joyful Christmas!
