Directory | Site Map | Explanation | Hebrew Bible "I Will Be With You"

by Paul Sumner Isaiah's Prophetic Reminder When the prophet Isaiah spoke of a young maiden who would give birth to a boy named Immanu El, Isaiah 7:14) he wasn't coining an innovative name or idea. He was recalling a phrase from Hebrew Scripture. He was reminding his generation of the ancient truth that throughout Israel's history God was "with" his people. From the earliest days, the statement "God is with" was an affirmation of the Lord's loyalty in the present and the basis of hope for the future. Abraham — "God is with you in all that you do" (Gen 21:22) Isaac — "Sojourn in this land and I will be with you… Do not fear, for I am with you, I will bless you" (Gen 26:3, 24) Jacob — "I am with you and will keep you wherever you go" (Gen 28:15). "Return to the land of your fathers and to your relatives, and I will be with you" (Gen 31:3) Joseph — "The LORD was with Joseph.... The LORD was with him" (Gen 39:2, 21, 23) Moses — "I will be with you" (Exod 3:12). "My Presence shall go with you" (Exod 33:14) Joshua — "Just as I have been with Moses, I will be with you" (Jos 1:5) Samuel — "Thus Samuel grew and the LORD was with him" (1 Sam 3:19) David — "I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite...and the LORD is with him" (1 Sam 16:18). "Saul was afraid of David, for the LORD was with him but had departed from Saul" (1 Sam 18:12). "David became greater and greater, for the LORD God of hosts was with him" (2 Sam 5:10). [Top] For the community of Israel, the declaration "God is with us" had special potency in times of excruciating challenge. The LORD is with us, do not fear them (Num 14:9, said by Moses) Later generations looked back to this ancient Promise when they were on the verge of great eras or in peril: May the LORD our God be with us, as he was with our fathers; may he not leave us or forsake us. (1 Kings 8:57, said by Solomon) The LORD God of hosts is with us, The God of Jacob is our fortress. (Psalm 46:7, 11=Heb vv. 8, 12) There is harmonic resonance with all these passages when the New Testament mentions Yeshua, beginning with his Jewish mother: [The angel Gabriel said to Yeshua's mother-to-be:] Greetings, favored one. The Lord is with you. (Luke 1:27) Rabbi, we know thatÉno one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him. (John 3:2) I am not alone because the Father is with me. (John 16:23) You know of Yeshua of Nazareth, how God anointed him with Holy Spirit and with Power, and how he went about doing good, and healing all who were oppressed by the devil; for God was with him. (Acts 10:38) [Top] Hope Revived So it was in the days of Isaiah. The covenant nation was in grave danger of invasion, decimation and deportation. To the shock of many, even the Temple in Jerusalem was not inviolate. The prophet foretold of coming days of severe sorrow. But he said ultimate rescue would follow the imminent disasters. To illustrate his prophetic messages, Isaiah bore two sons who wore symbolic, promissory names regarding the nation's future: "A Remnant Shall Return" (She'ar Yashuv; 7:3; 10:21) "Pillage Hastens, Looting Speeds" (Maher Shalal Hash Baz; 8:3) Because the name Immanu El is mentioned in the same narrative about these boys, some commentators believe he was also Isaiah's son (7:14). In the context of chapters 7 and 8, that would fit. Immanu El would be his second named son: She'ar Yashuv — 7:3 Immanu El — 7:14 Maher Shalal Hash Baz — 8:3 But the Text doesn't say Isaiah is Immanu El's father, as it does regarding the other two. [Top] Setting aside the issue of fatherhood, the boy Immanu El was indeed a prophetic "message" from God. With us is God in our times of uncertainty. We need not fear. In Isaiah 8:10 the phrase immanu El serves as a defiant protest against enemies planning to destroy the nation. Devise a plan but it will be thwarted; State a proposal, but it will not stand, For God is with us [immanu El]. Prophetic Names Many names in the Bible have a "God element." That is, they contain the ancient Semitic word for God, El. Yisra El (Israel) — contender with God Yehezki El (Ezekiel) — strengthened by God Yo El (Joel) — the LORD is God Dani El — God is judge Micha El — who is like God? Gabri El — warrior of God The El element doesn't necessarily imply the persons are divine. They are instruments through which El (God) does his work or reveals aspects of His character. "Immanu El" follows this pattern. Though in the NT, Yeshua is uniquely the prophet, servant, son, whose origins are divine. [Top] Yeshua as Immanu El “God was with him” (Acts 10:38) In the New Testament, Matthew draws upon the prophecy of Isaiah 7:14 to validate Yeshua's birth to the young virgin, Miryam of Nazareth (Matt 1:23). (See Betulat Yisrael: Mother of Messiah.) Matthew adopts the Greek Septuagint reading parthenos (virgin) instead of the traditional Hebrew text's almah (young unmarried woman). He agrees with the Jewish scholars who interpreted Isaiah's prophecy regarding "Immanu El" as a sign involving a miraculous conception. (See The "Virgin" of Isaiah 7:14.) The rabbis of the second century BC(E) who rendered the Hebrew Bible into Greek elsewhere reveal their belief in divine conceptions and miraculous births. In Psalm 110, God says to the "Lord" who sits next to him: Among the splendors of the holy ones, From the womb of the dawn, I have begotten you. (Ps 110:3; 109:3 LXX/Greek) [Some scholars believe this was the original reading of the Hebrew text.] When applied to Yeshua, however, Matthew sees "Immanu El" as a symbolic not a literal name. (He reports that Miryam is told to call her God-fathered Son "Yeshua" [Hebrew] which means "the LORD saves.") The Age-Resonating Name At the conclusion of his gospel account Matthew alludes to the promissory meaning behind the name in his final sentence — in words spoken by Yeshua himself: Behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. (Matthew 28:20) When this allusion to Immanu El is heard by later generations who know the ancient biblical story, there is an immediate thrill of recognition: "We've heard this before. Our fathers and our mothers knew this phrase. God was with them. So also God will be with us. His Messiah has brought the Presence of God (again) into our age. We need not fear." The One who is with us is greater than the one with him... [For] with us is the LORD our God [immanu YHVH Eloheinu] to help us and to fight our battles. (2 Chron 32:7-8; also 1 John 4:4) • Paul Sumner    [Top]

Directory | Site Map | Explanation | Hebrew Bible Studies Hebrew-Greek Transliteration [PDF] hebrew-streams.org