Thursday: “God Is With Us”!
Isa: 7:14
Like the name of Isaiah’s children (Shear-jashub, “a remnant shall return,” and Maher-shalal-hash-baz, which means “swift is booty, speedy is prey”), the name of Immanuel has a meaning. It is literally “with us God.” But the commonly accepted translation “God with us” misses something important. As with other Hebrew names of this kind that lack verbs, the verb “to be” must be supplied, because it is not expressed in Hebrew. So, Immanuel must be translated “God is with us” (compare the same words in Isa: 8:10), just as the name “Jesus” (Greek, and short for Hebrew Yehoshua, or Joshua) means “The Lord is salvation,” with the verb again being supplied (compare Isaiah, which means, “salvation of the Lord”).
But the name “Immanuel” is not just an abstract description; it is an assertion of a promise that is fulfilled now: “God is with us”!
What is the significance of the promise that God is with us?
Image © Review & Herald Publishing at Goodsalt.com
There is no stronger assurance and comfort. God does not promise that His people will not endure hardship and pain, but He promises to be with them. The psalmist says: “Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff—they comfort me” (Ps: 23:4, NRSV).
“God says: ‘When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you’ (Isa: 43:2).
Where was the Lord when the Babylonians threw Daniel’s three friends into the fire? With them (Dan: 3:23-25). And where was the Lord during the time of Jacob’s trouble when he wrestled until daybreak? In Jacob’s arms, as close as he could get (Gen: 32:24-30).
Even when the Lord does not appear in physical form on earth, He goes through the experiences of His people with them. Where was the Lord when the mob condemned Stephen? ‘Standing at the right hand of God’ (Acts 7:55). But when Jesus ascended to heaven, He ‘sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high’ (Heb: 1:3). Why did He stand when Stephen was in trouble, about to be stoned to death? As Morris Venden has said, ‘Jesus wasn’t going to take that sitting down!’ ” — Roy Gane, God’s Faulty Heroes (Hagerstown, Md.: Review and Herald Pub. Assn., 1996), p. 66.
| Even though we have the promise that “God is with us,” what difference does that make if we still face terrible trials and suffering? What good does the knowledge of His presence, then, do for us? Explain your answer. |
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What is the significance of the promise that God is with us?
It's a physical form that comforts. Whisper to a baby that the Holy Spirit is with her and that probably won't shush her crying. We adults aren't too much different. We need touch, voice, eye contact. With physical distancing in play, we're using technology like Zoom to more fully facilitate physically-interactive engagements. FaceTime and Video chatting is a more popular way to communicate than personal letter writing. So why did God come for just 33 1/2 years in physical form and that is enough to meet the "Immanuel" needs of all who predate and postdate that time and that place around Nazareth, Israel? And the needs of all who were contemporaries of His and yet never met Him in person?
Here are 3 possible thoughts....
(1) Jesus knew we'd ask this. Jesus knew we'd feel a little envious of the 12 disciples. He said to Thomas in that locked room after His resurrection: "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." John 20:29. He said it to Thomas, yet somehow it feels like it was meant more for us. Thomas had just said that he wouldn't believe Jesus had come back to life (John 20:25). Thomas was saying that he needed to touch Jesus to believe in Him. When we insist that our Immanuel must be a physical Immanuel, like Thomas did, Jesus is saying we'll be "happier" or more "blessed" if we don't. Why?
(2) Form confuses us, like a dog staring at the pointing finger instead of to where it's pointing. We don't have a record of what Jesus looked like. We would hold onto that. Some try to do it with even supposed traces of Him, like the Shroud of Turin. He doesn't want us to worship His body, He wants us to worship in spirit and in truth (John 4:23-24). Stripped of everything except non-tangibles, God speaks to us. One of my favorite Christian authors, Oswald Chambers, says it this way:
(3) Lastly, WE are Christ's Body (Rom 12:5). Functioning as His Body is our new role on Earth after we are born again (1 Cor 12:12-31). The "Love" chapter of the Bible, 1 Cor 13, shows how the Love shown by Christ's Body - US - is far beyond a humanistic approach. It is beyond linguistic skills, intellect, predictions and follow-up actions, beyond faith, even, and hope ... all really good things. The Love we posses and share as Christ's Body is a mature Love born of an intimate relationship with Jesus (Is 54:5). We put the flesh on Jesus' grace. We humbly and gratefully dry the tears for Him right now. We show the world what Immanuel looks like until He appears again and all can see Him fully "as He is" (1 John 3:2).
Beautiful quote, Esther, thank you for sharing! I'm going to look up that author.
I love how you stated "we put the flesh on Jesus' grace." I've also heard it said that "we should be putting skin on God's love". Blessings!
Happy Sabbath, Karen! Oswald Chambers wrote My Utmost For His Highest. The daily devotionals from this book may be found at https://utmost.org/. Interestingly, the one for today, January 16, is based on Isaiah 6:8, receiving the call of God.
4. He came for a short while because he understood us humans. John 16:7
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Thank you, John, for this succinct additional statement of faith, that God always knows best!
Thank you Esther for those thoughts, they help me to understand that the LORD is with us through the Holy Spirit dwelling in our hearts.
It is only recently that I discovered the real impact of Jesus sending the Holy Spirit to dwell in our hearts to guide and reveal the truths about Jesus that He didn't tell them when He was here in the flesh because they wouldn't be able to bear it then. John 14:17, 16:12
I understand the point that the LORD didn't give us physical things to remind us of Him because humans have a tendency to concentrate on them like statues or beads or candles. As you quoted Jesus as saying: John 4:24 God is a spirit, and they who worship Him must worship in spirit and in truth.
It is fascinating to learn about the work of the Holy Spirit while understanding His main job is to point us to the work of Jesus not himself. As Ps David Ascherick says we pray to the Father, in the name of Jesus, through the intercession of the Holy Spirit.
It is in the being of the Holy Spirit that God is with us!
"We pray to the Father, in the name of Jesus, through the intercession of the Holy Spirit" .... thank you, Shirley, this and your other thoughts help me better understand the work of the Holy Spirit and Godhead.
God is salvation "Joshua" and Jesus in Greek sums up the Almighty God we serve ;even amidst the storms of life like we experience now in the COVID-19 pandemic as well as turmoil in the US and, air crash in Indonesia. Let's believe the psalms 23;4 and Isiah 43;2 as we sing: "Till the storm passes bye" Amen to our Almighty God; Immanuel.
Justus in London
He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. Psm 91:1-16.
“God Is With Us”
God is with me. Yesterday I spoke about the outbreak of covid19 at my work place. I am a front line worker and so cant run from the covid19 but what I can do is to follow the guidelines how I can stay protected as much as possible. Covid19 had been around for more than a year. People are still dying from the onslaught of the virus. But what I can do is to follow the guidelines set out by my employer. If we who know better shouldn't we be an example to the world?
At work there was another member of staff who heckled me every time we work (for months) for a hug and said it was a hocks about the virus. I told her the authorities stated we should not be hugging at this time because we don't know how it is transmitted. She related to me that she only wear the face mask at work because they make her but any place else she doesn't wear no protection.
At work and everywhere else I wear my face mask (2 most of the times) and the are over my nose, I also have my face shield, my goggles, wash my hands frequently or use purell, do six feet distancing, remain in one place or next to someone more than 15mins, choose to walk away from crowds, and anything else that I must do.
Now the time to prove the working of the Lord as my shield and protector was in the testing to see who had covid19. The same day both of us worked and she was not smiling on that day. She is at home with the Covid19 infection for two wks and I am negative and cont to work.
I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: My God; in him will I trust. Psm 91:1-12.
God words will never fail, as he protected Daniel and the others in time of trouble, Noah and others in time of trouble and many others in the bible, he will protect those who put their trust in him.
But some might ask, what about those times when bad things happen to good people? The answer, 1 Thess 5:18.
For me the "NEWSTART" is also playing a great part in my life as a SDA and having my feet planted on the ground to the road of being healthy.
We should always remind ourselves that "God is with us" though we have sinned against Him and His government. But God being "with us" can only benefit those who "draw nigh unto God" through repentance, which is the specific condition for personal relation with God.
To address the final question above, I would point to Romans 8:28, and cite the story of Joseph as a fitting example. From the pit his own brothers put him in, sold into slavery, innocently put in prison, God was leading Him the whole way to the very palace of the worlds most powerful kingdom at that time. God has an important work for every believer, and He leads through every trial needed in preparation for that work. God can only lead those who obediently follow.
1st thing that came to my mind is: God is with(for) us who can be against us? Romans 8:31. He was with Daniel in the Lions den, and with Daniel's friends in the fiery furnace. He will be with us, just ask, as we studied in Tuesdays lesson. Matthew 7:7
Interesting that Emmanuel's promise to King Acaz was worthless, but for his son King Hezekiah served as comfort and encouragement! Read what the Adventist Bible commentary says about Isaiah 7:14:
The sign of "Emmanuel" would testify of God's presence in the midst of his people to guide, protect and bless. While other nations would be defeated, Judah was to be sustained. While Israel would perish, Judah would survive. When Sennacherib attacked the land of Judah to destroy it, Hezekiah son of Ahaz, no doubt found comfort and encouragement in Isaiah's words concerning Emanuel. In his message of encouragement to the people of Jerusalem, Hezekiah assured them that
"Jehovah our God is with us to help us and fight our
battles "(2 Chron. 32: 7-8).
Another way of saying “God is with us” is “God is present”. The name of Jesus, “The Lord is Salvation”, both names tell me that, even though we do not see God the Father, God the Son or God the Holy Spirit, the presence of the Father, the Holy Spirit and of the Word – His Son is all around mankind until it is withdrawn.
The Almighty God’s intentions are for the good of mankind. His presence in a person’s life will do great things, as He is the embodiment of Love which is Righteousness. It is our blessing to recognize His Omnipresence.
God was with man at the Beginning and He remained with man after the Fall. Man just could not recognize His Presence in the same way as he was able to before the Fall. I do not think that God is a bystander watching as his creation flounders. He is the pro-active part that continuously knocks on the door of man's heart. He is present in the conscious life of all, but only understood and recognized by those who believe.
Robert Whiteman made a comment in Monday’s which helped me to understand God’s presence better. God is present all the time, in all circumstances because He is omnipresent. He is not only present in times of peril or need, He is present because He lives in man until man's mind and heart is filled with enough rejection of Him that he cannot recognize Him any longer. Then he joins the people who think that they are alive but are already dead. A person who rejects Him over and over again, does not wish that God continue to live in His soul and God will not communicate with Him any longer - Rom.1:17-25KJV.
I believe that we misunderstand the presence of God if we relegate it to certain, observable events; God does not pop in and out of mankind’s lives. He calls everyone to repentance as man engages in live. How we respond to His call, the effect of our choices create the environment which increases or diminishes our contact with the Creator.
Our Father is and wants to be present in everyone’s life, but only those who do not harden their heart to His Will when the opportunity arrives for their choice to be made will keep Him there. He said that He will never leave us or forsake us – Heb.13:5KJV.
He is and remains with the sinner who is still open to the still, small voice. Just because we now recognize His Presence does not mean that He was not present before we recognized this fact.