Advent 4 Matthew 1:18-25 God With Us
Isaiah 7:10-14 Romans 1:1-7
During the time of Isaiah, God sent a message to Ahaz the King of Judah. God told Ahaz not to worry about the armies that were preparing to attack. The King of Syria and the King of Israel combined their forces and marched against Judah. Even though these armies looked fierce, God called them two smoldering stubs of firewood.
Even though God had encouraged the people of Judah to trust in His strength, Ahaz and all Jerusalem were in a panic. But instead of trusting in God, Ahaz turned to false gods, even sacrificing two of his sons in an effort to gain favor. When that proved of no use, instead of relying on God, He made an alliance with Assyria. To make matters worse he sent the temple treasury money to buy the favor of the Assyrian king. (2 Kings 16:7–8).
Once again the Lord spoke to Ahaz, “Ask a sign of the Lord your God.” Despite the hardness of Ahaz’s heart, God, in His love for His people, reaches out to the wicked and unbelieving King. The Lord was willing to give Ahaz a sign to show His great strength. God was willing show Him either the destruction to come upon Judah’s enemies or the joyful victory that He will bring about.
Ahaz pretends to be pious and refuses to “put the Lord to the test.” Here we plainly see the stubbornness of the king. The fact is that he has already made an alliance with the King of Assyria. Certainly to demand a sign from God to confirm what he has already said in his Word is a sign of unbelief. But it is an even greater sign of unbelief to refuse to trust God’s promises and to reject his invitation. Luther wrote, “This is what hypocrites are like: where it is not necessary, they are pious; but when they ought to be humble, they are proud.”
Not taking what God offers is a serious sin. God was offering Ahaz assurance that He would be safe if only He would obey. No one tempts God by obeying Him; rather obedience shows belief in Him.
Even the devil believes in God, but the devil does not obey or trust in Him. Isaiah announces that Ahaz’s twisting of scripture fools neither men nor God, but only wearies God with his arrogance.
So God gives Ahaz a sign, “Behold the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. He shall eat curds and honey when he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land whose two Kings you dread shall be deserted. The Lord will bring upon you and upon your people and upon your Father’s house such days as have not come since the day that Ephraim departed from Judah—the King of Assyria.”
In other words God would bring about the defeat of both Syria and Israel in only about 12 years. But what should have been a joyous time of deliverance now becomes an ominous warning. The king of Assyria, in whom Ahaz chose to trust over God, will become God’s weapon of punishment against Judah. By His lack of trust and rejecting God, the sign of the Child would bring a new curse upon the land. The very things they did to save themselves brought about their punishment.
What enemies are you battling against? What keeps you from trusting in God? I can think of some things; health care and insurance, cold weather, heating bills, perhaps you need a new car, taking care of children, and house payments. I hear many reasons why people don’t worship: “Sunday is my only day off.” “I don’t like some of the people in the congregation.” “When things get better in my life, I’ll start attending, but now is not a good time.” One answer I find especially interesting is, “A pastor said something offensive to me once and I’ll be never go to church again.”
The point I am trying to make is that although they are making these statements to me, they are really making them to God. For God is with us. He hears and sees everything we say and do—everything! You can say you believe in God and yet you show your lack of faith when you do not obey Him or trust in His promises!
You are like Ahaz when you give God all the reasons and excuses for not trusting in Him, but those reasons only show your lack of trust. So like Ahaz, God gives you a sign whereby you can test Him. In fact it is the only place in all of scripture where you are to put Him to the test. It is found in the third chapter of Malachi.
“God says, “I the LORD do not change. So you, O descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed. Ever since the time of your forefathers you have turned away from my decrees and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you,” says the LORD Almighty. “But you ask, ‘How are we to return?” “Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. “But you ask, ‘How do we rob you?’, “In tithes and offerings. You are under a curse—the whole nation of you—because you are robbing me. Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the LORD Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it. I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not cast their fruit,” says the LORD Almighty. “Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land,” says the LORD Almighty.” (Malachi 3:6-12)
Like I said earlier, “Certainly to demand a sign from God to confirm what He has already said in his Word is a sign of unbelief. But it is an even greater sign of unbelief to refuse to trust God’s promises and to reject his invitation.” God is not looking for excuses. He is looking for those who believe in His promises and who trust in Him rather than relying on themselves.
Joseph was such a man. Joseph was righteous and feared the Lord. He was not a King but a poor carpenter. He was betrothed to Mary, engaged to be married to a teenage girl, perhaps as young as 14. But before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. Being betrothed to her, he could have had her stoned to death. But being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, he resolved to divorce her quietly. Joseph intended to do what the Law required of him.
But when the angel came to him in a dream, Joseph saw the wisdom of God. He obeyed the messenger and trusted that God would protect them. And so Jerusalem and the entire world of believers would be blessed through faith in Jesus. The difference between God being in the world and God being with us is faith. God was with Ahaz, but Ahaz rejected Him. God was with Joseph and Mary, not as a bystander but with them in a way that blessed them and gave them protection because they heard and obeyed His word.
My friends, God is with us today. He is here to offer you His blessings and protection. Think of the Gospel that you hear, the Sacraments you receive and what God freely offers to you in them. He invites you to participate in such things often out of His love for you. He offers a washing of your sins away in baptism. He offers His body and blood for the forgiveness of your sin. What God offers you at each and every worship service are more than just signs. He offers you the very substance of forgiveness, life and salvation.
Consider how many despise these gifts, doubt their power and neglect their use. Rather than trust in God, they trust in the things of this world. Yet those very things that they trust will condemn them when they stand before Him at judgment.
But those who understand the power that is contained in God’s Word and Sacraments will make every effort to overcome any obstacle that stands in their way in order to receive them. When the Lord directs us to act on His promises, then we, who act in faith, receive His blessings by His grace.
Saint Paul says it best, “If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?
Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. “(Romans 8:31-39)
May God be with you in Spirit and in Truth, now and forever, Amen.