The year was about 735 b.c. when Ahaz, age 20, became king of Judah. “Unlike David his father, he did not do what was right in the eyes of the Lord his God” (2 Kings 16:2). He even sacrificed his own son to idols. Despite this, God made some wonderful promises to Ahaz.

The kings of Aram and Israel were seeking to conquer Jerusalem. Ahaz and the people were afraid. Their hearts “were shaken, as trees of the forest are shaken by the wind” (Isaiah 7:2). Have you ever felt fear like that?

Fortunately for Ahaz, God sent Isaiah with a message of comfort and a promise of rescue. Isaiah told the king of Judah not to fear because of the minor foes against him—God would deliver them from their enemies. The Lord even graciously offered to give Ahaz a sign to assure him of this promise of deliverance, but in fake piety, Ahaz refused. Perhaps Ahaz declined the offer because he already planned to follow his own will rather than God’s. God was not pleased with Ahaz’s rejection. He gave Ahaz a sign anyway!

“The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14). 

Yes, God would deliver his people from the two kings who threatened them, but an even greater deliverance was coming. God wouldn’t use a powerful king or a great nation to deliver his people. Instead, he would provide deliverance through a woman—a virgin, no less! God himself would step down from his throne in heaven and take on human flesh. He would take on human flesh and become Immanuel, “God with us,” to deliver his people from their sin, the awful punishment of death, and their devilish enemy.

Rather than trusting in God as Isaiah had advised, the apostate Ahaz looked elsewhere for deliverance: to the country of Assyria. He sent silver and gold from God’s temple, offering Judah as another vassal state. This supposed “ally” would eventually besiege Judah.

Ahaz was fearful—a “shaking in your boots” kind of fear! What do we do when we are fearful? Sometimes it’s easier to trust in the strength of what we can see and touch rather than in a God who is invisible and feels far away. Do we look to politicians to fix our problems? Do we rely on our savings account more than God? Do we put our faith and hope in doctors to cure us? Do we get impatient waiting for God to act and try to take matters into our own hands? I am guilty of it all.

In our moments of fear, in the midst of our trials, we can remember God’s promise to deliver us from all our troubles and thank him for his promise of IMMANUEL! God with us! With us in our fears. With us when our foes loom large. He has delivered us from our sin and will deliver us from our fears and failures with love, forgiveness, and mercy!