Author: A WLCN Contributor
SCRIPTURE VERSE
“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isa 9:6 NIV)
PERSONAL REFLECTION
When a child is born, we expect its parents to make a birth announcement after the child’s birth. In royal circles, much fanfare typically accompanies the birth announcement, whereas less pageantry is associated with the birth report in other classes of society. In any case, the announcement of the birth follows the birth itself.
SCRIPTURAL REFLECTION
It is significant to note that, in the text before us, the birth of the “child,” the “son,” was prophetically announced seven hundred years before the event took place (Isa 9:6a).
The Book of Genesis records an event that occurred a long time before Isaiah’s prophecy, but that event and Isaiah’s prophecy seem to be correlated. In Gen 3:15, God makes a promise about the “seed” of the woman, and He later prophesies, through Isaiah, about the birth of a “child,” a “son.”
Does God keep his promises? Have these prophesies been fulfilled? Yes, according to the Gospels, God’s promise in the Garden of Eden and Isaiah’s prophecy came to pass with the conception and birth of Jesus, which both Matthew and Luke record (Matt 1:18–25; Luke 1:26–38). God, Himself, identifies this “seed,” “child,” and “son” to be Jesus Christ (Matt 3:17; John 3:16, 17).
EXHORTATION
God is faithful. He keeps his promises. The fulfillment of His servants’ prophesies demonstrates this to be so. Therefore, we have the assurance that we can trust Him wholeheartedly as we hold fast to our faith.
PRAYER
Heavenly Father, help us, Your children, to trust You completely, for You are faithful. We can depend on You, for your promises are sure. Thank You, Father, for sending Your Son to save us from our sin. We give You thanks and praise in Jesus’ name. Amen.