More...Christmas Listening

Later, the Lord sent this message to King Ahaz: “Ask the Lord your

God for a sign of confirmation, Ahaz. Make it as difficult as you want -

as high as heaven or as deep as the place of the dead.”

But the king refused. “No,” he said, “I will not test the Lord like that.”

Then Isaiah said, “Listen well, you royal family of David! Isn’t it enough

to exhaust human patience? Must you exhaust the patience of my God as well?  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’).   Isaiah 7:10-14

How well do you listen?  Do you listen well enough to follow through on what you hear?  “Wait,” you might say, “I thought I was reading a Christmas message?”  You are. A lot of listening happens in the Christmas story, actually. Mary listens and responds, “may it be done to me according to your word.”  (Luke 1:38)  Joseph listens and responds by taking Mary as his wife and ensures she will still be a virgin at the Baby’s birth even though by all appearances she has made a fool of him.  (Matthew 1:24-25)   The shepherds listen and after the angels leave them, they find the Baby and leave glorifying and praising God.  (Luke 2:16-20)  If any of these participants in the Christmas story had not listened well, they would have missed the wonders of what God had planned for them.

But the very first participant in the Christmas story didn’t listen well at all.  Perhaps you’ve never heard this part of the story. King Ahaz had frozen with fear.  His father, Uzziah, had died and he now found himself on the royal throne. And now, when the kings of Aram and Remaliah show up to do battle with him all he can do is quake with fear.  God, in His goodness shows up through the prophet Isaiah, saying, “Take care and be calm, have no fear and do not be fainthearted because of these two stubs of smoldering firebrands.”  (Isaiah 7:1-4)  You’d think that message would quell Ahaz’s fears.  After all, God is telling Him not to fear; He has it all under control.

Remember how I told you that Ahaz didn’t listen well?  Yep. You got it! That message didn’t stop his shaking.  So God tells Ahaz to ask for a sign. “I won’t do it!” Ahaz declares.  His fear is magnified with this request. He doesn’t want to put God to the test, or so he says.  He’s really just too afraid to ask.

“Okay,” God replies (my paraphrase), “but I’m going to give you one anyway.”  And God proceeds to tell him a little story. “Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel.”  

“Okay, God.  That’s a pretty fantastic story.”  A virgin having a baby? Impossible.  But that’s the point. God is God over even the impossible.  The exclamation point for Ahaz is the name - Immanuel...God is with us.  If God is with us, the impossible becomes possible.  If God is with us, there is a way through the pain, the difficulties, the rejection. Add your own issue.  If God is with you, that issue isn’t impossible. God has it under control. But there is a catch.

Ah yes, you knew it was too good to be true..right?  Wrong! Remember our character, Ahaz? God asked him to ask.  He wants you to ask. Are you listening? He is with you.  Immanuel did come.  God is with us. And He wants us to ask.  So do it! You have nothing to lose and everything to gain!