Exposition by Max A Forsythe
As we continue in our study this winter of the Gospel of Matthew (an earlier
series), we will turn very often to the prophetic sources which the New Testament writer quotes as pointing to the life, ministry and purpose of the long expected Hebrew Messiah: Jesus Christ. To that end, today we begin with the prophetic vision of Isaiah concerning our doctrine of the virgin birth of our Lord: Jesus Christ.
This doctrine is well stated in both Scripture and in our own Larger Catechism:
Question 37: How did Christ, being the Son of God, become man?
Christ the Son of God became man, by taking to himself a true body, and a reasonable soul,
being conceived by the power of the Holy Ghost in the womb of the Virgin Mary, of her
substance, and born of her, yet without sin.
This doctrine we affirm in the midst of a world that would dispute any hint of the supernatural work of our Father in heaven. This doctrine is not one where Christians may choose what to believe, all who would call themselves Christian must affirm this doctrine. Ever since the founding of the Church, the Apostles and Fathers of our Church have asserted this carefully in the plainest of language in all of the great Creeds and Confessions. To deny the virgin birth is to deny the credibility of the Scriptures and the testimony of the Church. To deny the virgin birth is to question the uniqueness of who and what Jesus Christ exactly is!
Now, the key verse in our passage is the seventh verse. In the New International Version we read: "Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel." Older translations clear back to the Greek Septuagint affirm this meaning of the text. Several newer texts however insert the words
"young woman" instead.
The Hebrew word here is the literal equivalent of "maiden". Linguistically it would be reasonable to use any of these terms. However anyone might read it, it must be understood in the context of the fuller revelation of the New Testament writers. In Luke especially but also in Matthew, the understanding is that the words of Isaiah clearly imply a virgin birth. Certainly, the words
"young woman" would allow such a possibility. The Old English word
"maiden" would imply it much more strictly, but the word
"virgin" used in our translation makes the facts of God's plan perfectly clear.
Our problem is to clearly communicate the teaching of Scripture to a crass and incredulous world. The task may not be as difficult as one might believe. People are still blessed with some common sense. A few weeks ago in school, two of our teachers were experiencing some tensions with one group of young women. It seems the group had gotten into the habit of calling each other names. One of the most popular putdowns was "heifer". Tension in the herd increased! Finally, one of the teachers tackled the problem head on. He quietly asked them what the word meant. Even our city girls knew a heifer is a young cow. But he insisted on a more specific definition. After some probing questions one of the girls guessed that a heifer was a virgin cow. It got awfully quiet. Then one of the young women observed loudly that there weren't too many heifers around after all! We haven't heard that word too much lately since it's not fashionable to be in the true condition of a heifer!
Now, if these worldly young women can figure out the meaning of the word heifer, why is it that worldly scholars have so much trouble determining the meaning of our Hebrew text today? It is precisely because they want the text to read young woman, so that they can then call the doctrine of the virgin birth a lie! If there is a lie, then the gospel writer's by implication must be liars. If the gospels are based upon such despicable characters, then the whole legend created by Paul in their thinking is undermined and the Jesus who is our Christ becomes just another human teacher. Neither do they want Christ nor any sign of His divinity.
It is interesting to look at the context of Isaiah's revelation which we have read and recited this morning. Look at verses ten through seventeen. King Ahaz of Israel is challenged to ask God for a sign. This Ahaz refuses to do. Isaiah declares that this rebelliousness of the House of David will not prevent the giving of such a sign. The eventual sign will be a virgin birth. However in the context of Isaiah's commission in
6: 9-10 the prophecy is couched in terms of the immediate needs of Ahaz and the Kingdom of Judah. What I mean is this, even when the Lord speaks clearly and succinctly through His prophets there are many who will not hear and will not listen nor understand. Thus, we may understand the incomprehension of Israel in the time of Christ as well as in the time of the prophets. The immediate needs of Ahaz and Israel cloud the issue of Isaiah's prophecy. And many have been the misunderstandings of the application of our passage today.
This confusion is only multiplied when one considers the various commentators on these chapters of Isaiah and our passage later today in Matthew. About a year ago, one of you asked me to consider a series from the book of Isaiah. I still have the same handicap with this book that I had then. There is only one great modern commentary on the wholeness of Isaiah and that commentary is now out of print! Just this week as I was reading about Matthew, several conflicting theories about the meaning of this Isaiah passage were offered in separate volumes. The mistakes of two thousand years ago are still being taught!
Fortunately J. Gresham Machen was able to clarify these issues for me in his wonderful book on
The Virgin Birth. The problem of interpreting the context of Isaiah 7:14
is not impossible. A very ancient application of the text explains that the young woman in the passage is Isaiah's wife. Their son Maher-shalal-hash-baz becomes significant in the timing of Israel's immediate political future. A second Jewish interpretation, which was eventually discredited, has the wife of Ahaz bearing Hezekiah in fulfillment of Isaiah's words. A third interpretation allows for any young woman to conceive and bear a child within the timeframe for God's judgment on Ahaz's enemies.
A fourth possibility which is urged upon us by Dr Machen is more in accord with the prophetic symbolism of Israel:
"in our passage, the prophet, when he placed before the rebellious Ahaz that strange picture of the mother and the child, was not merely promising deliverance to Judah in the period before a child then born should know how to refuse the evil and choose the good, but also, moved by the Spirit of God, was looking forward, as in a dim and mysterious vision, to the day when the true Immanuel, the mighty God and Prince of Peace, should lie as a little babe in a virgin's arms."
Just as we look forward to the final coming in victory of the second coming of Jesus Christ and expect His continuing presence in our time as well, so to may we apply this passage in the life of Judah. In Jewish terms: "Messiah shall come", but until He came, God would deal justly with His ancient people. In the immediate context of our passage then, Isaiah is looking forward to the coming of Christ.
In chapter eight we see that Isaiah's own son is given a name other than Immanuel. Instead of God with us, he is named
"quick to the plunder, swift to the spoil". The immediate enemies of God's people were destroyed even as they waited patiently for God's final victory. The poetry of Isaiah eight celebrates the victory, which was accomplished in the Lord's, own time. And there as well as in verse eighteen of chapter eight we may be well instructed from this experience in the life of Judah!
Look at verse eleven where God warns His true followers not to follow the worldly ways of the people. Rather than believe in conspiracies and be caught in traps and snares, God's people are to believe in His testimony and law. Then we are to wait for the Lord and put our trust in him! Finally, just as Isaiah and his family, we are to be signs and symbols in the world for our Father in heaven even as we wait for the return of His own Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. May the Holy Spirit so encourage and sustain us. Amen.
Resources Used:
Archer, Gleason L. Encyclopedia
of Bible Difficulties.
Machen, J Gresham.. The
Virgin Birth of Christ
Smith, George..
The Expositor's Bible: The Book of Isaiah.
Sweet, Louis M.
"Virgin", International Standard Bible Encyclopedia.
The Holy Bible.
New International Version (1984 Edition)
NOTE: I am not able to automatically
recommend any future editions.
Christ Covenant Reformed (Presbyterian Church in America) -
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(c) 2001
15 December 91
Permission granted to redistribute unedited versions with this notice.