In this essay submitted as part of his theology studies at ACU National, Daniel Gullotta asks who really is the 'Immanuel child' from the Book of Isaiah and how is it relevant for us today?…

The Book of Isaiah is probably one of the most well known texts of the Hebrew Scriptures. This lengthy text consists primarily of the judgement awaiting the nations who persecute Judah but also the judgement awaiting Judah itself, yet one of its most famous passages contains the story of a child named Immanuel. It is clear that this short passage has been adopted by the evangelists Matthew and Luke in telling the birth of Jesus but while it is easy to see this passage through scope of the nativity it is important to ask what is this text really about, who really is the 'Immanuel child' and how is it relevant for us today?

Examining the text…

It's an interesting question: what precisely would have been in the mind of the writer of Isaiah when these words were first written down, many centuries before the birth of Jesu?. Portrayal of Isaiah prophesying the Birth of Christ by an unknown artist. Image from Coptic Church website (Click image for source)

When speaking of the Sign of Immanuel, most Christians read this passage from Isaiah as a single verse, focusing only on the part which reads, "Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Look, the young 'virgin' is with child and shall bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel". (Isa 7:15) This is immediately then related to the virgin birth of Jesus, however in its original context it has nothing to do with virgin conception. The language of the Hebrew text does not read 'virgin' but actually 'young woman'.

Again the LORD spoke to Ahaz,
Ask the LORD your God for a sign,
whether in the deepest depths or in the highest heights.

But Ahaz said, I will not ask; I will not put the LORD to the test.

Then Isaiah said, Hear now, you house of David! Is it not enough to try the patience of men? Will you try the patience of my God also?

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The young woman will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.

He will eat curds and honey when he knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right.

But before the boy knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right, the land of the two kings you dread will be laid waste. (Isa 7:10-17)

Rather the text relates to Ahaz's dilemma referring to YHWH giving him a sign. Signs formed a very important part of a prophet's mission and ministry and something that traced back to Moses performing the signs against Pharaoh and Egypt. As the prophets used words to serve as vocal tools by which the message of YHWH could be heard, a sign served as a message and action of God that could be seen. This sign was often acted out by prophets and classic examples of these include Isaiah's nakedness, Jeremiah's smashed pot and even traces of these prophetic actions can be found with Jesus turning the tables in the Temple. Yet signs were not just acted out by the prophet but also in the very world around them.

God intervenes in the politics of the Ancient Middle East…

The world of Isaiah is one of crisis and impeding war with Israel and Damascus putting pressure on Judah. The real heat of this pressure came from Israel forming an alliance with the superpower Syria, placing King Ahaz of Judah in one the nation's gravest crises. With war seemly fast approaching, Ahaz was given the choice between certain defeat and appealing for foreign assistance. In what could be seen as an act of desperation, Ahaz chose the latter deciding to form an alliance with Tiglath Pileser III, the King of Assyria. Despite the continuing warnings and criticisms of Isaiah and other prophets like Hosea and Micah, Ahaz continued to flirt with the foreign superpower. Isaiah agreed that the opposing forces posed a threat to Judah's national security but it was a threat that should not have been concerning. Isaiah's message was simple, pleading with the king to "trust in God, be quiet and keep calm." From this message, Isaiah promised a sign to Ahaz of God's grace of the House of David and doom on the Syro-Israelite alliance.

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The young woman will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. (Isa 7:15)

This sign was to be shown through the birth of child named "Immanuel", a name meaning "God [is] with us". The text suggests that the young woman to bear this child is already pregnant and that the child's birth is due in the not too distant future. Isaiah continues by saying that before the child can even choose between good and evil, the Syro-Israelite alliance will break up and Assyria will have wrought mayhem upon Judah.

He will eat curds and honey when he knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right.
But before the boy knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right, the land of the two kings you dread will be laid waste. (Isa 7:15-16)

Victory from grace and the covenant with YHWH rather than political alliances and miltary power…

"Matthew and Luke are trying to get the message of across that in the person of Jesus of Nazareth, God was and is with us."

Isaiah is promising Ahaz that YHWH will be with him during his time of invasion threats shown through the birth and presence of this newborn. Interestingly enough, the food Isaiah describes the child eating, milk and honey are associated with the Promised Land, suggesting an important future for this child, a future which Isaiah continues to describe in Isaiah 9:1-7. These verses suggest a link between the Immanuel child and the House of David, specifically stating that the child will sit upon the throne of David as an agent of YHWH's rulership. What Isaiah is suggesting to Ahaz is that victory will come from divine intervention by the grace and covenant of YHWH rather than political alliances and military power.

Yet while we can trace back the context of the child Immanuel to Ahaz, it is important to look at how this prophecy has been used by the evangelists in the light of the Christ Event. Most literalists looking at the nativity narrative as some kind of ancient prophecy being fore filled, relating the young maiden to Mary and the child to Jesus. While Luke and Matthew are hinting the idea that Jesus' birth was ordained and foretold by Isaiah in some sense, I believe that they are emphasizing the name Immanuel more then anything else. Matthew and Luke are trying to get the message of across that in the person of Jesus of Nazareth, God was and is with us. As Jesus states in the Gospel of Matthew, "surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age". (Mt 28.20)

As the birth of the child named Immanuel was a sign to King Ahaz as God being with him, Jesus is our sign of God with us.

REFERENCES:
Anderson, W.B. The Living World of the Old Testament. England: Longman, 1988.
Birch, B, ed, et al. New Interpreters Bible: A Commentary in Twelve volumes v6 Introduction to Prophetic Literature; Isaiah; Jeremiah; Barauch; Letter of Jeremiah; Lamentations; Ezekiel. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1995.
Irvine, Stuart. Isaiah, Ahaz and the Syro-Ephraimitic Crisis. Atlanta: Scholars Press, 1990.
Moyise, Steve & Menken, Maarten. Isaiah in the New Testament. London: T & T International, 2005.

Daniel Gullotta is a student at ACU National, studying a Bachelor’s degree in Theology. He is a convert to the Anglican Church and a member of MEC's Youth Ministry in the Anglican Diocese of Brisbane.

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©2007 Daniel Gullotta

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