Christian Reflection and Prayer

(Day 17 of Advent)

Scripture:

Read Isaiah 7:1-14.  The Lord Himself will give you
a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a
Son (see Isaiah 7:14).

By the Holy Spirit, King David was a strong man of
faith. Sadly, not all his descendants were. After David's
son Solomon turned from the Lord to worship the false
gods of his many wives, the Lord divided Israel into two
kingdoms. David's descendants ruled the smaller
kingdom called Judah. The other ten tribes formed the
northern kingdom called Israel.

More than a dozen generations after King David, a
descendant named Ahaz ruled Judah. But he found
himself threatened by an alliance of the kings of Israel
and Syria. Ahaz was terrified. God sent the prophet
Isaiah to calm the king and assure him the kings of
Israel and Syria would fail.

In order to strengthen his faith and confidence God
promised to perform any miracle Ahaz chose. But
unbelieving Ahaz dismissed God's offer, already
determined to seek help from another country. So
God Himself chose the sign. It was actually two signs:
the first would be the defeat of the two kings in the
time it took a woman to conceive, bear and wean a
child. Indeed, in that short time Ahaz watched the
kingdom of Assyria sweep through and conquer both
Israel and Syria.

But Ahaz did not live to see the second sign. It is
the one you and I celebrate every Christmas. By the
power of the Holy Spirit, the Virgin Mary conceived
and bore a son-God's own Son Jesus Christ. He
delivered us from a calamity far greater than enemy
nations. Jesus conquered Satan, sin, death and hell
to give us perfect peace and joy forever.

THE PRAYER:

Holy Father, thank You for foretelling the miraculous
conception of Your Son Jesus of the Virgin Mary.
Give me confidence that because Jesus Christ is
both God and Man, He is our Lord and Savior. In J
esus' Name. Amen.

(Lutheran Hour Ministries)