The News of Immanuel

Passage: Isaiah 7:1-16

Before our text let me give you a very brief context.  After Solomon died, Israel split into two nations.  The 10 northern tribes were Israel, which is also sometimes referred to as Ephraim and the capital is Samaria.  The two southern tribes were Judah, sometimes referred to as the house of David, and the capital of Judah is Jerusalem.  At the time of our text Pekah is king of Israel and Ahaz is king of Judah.

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In the basement of the West Wing of the White House there is a large room called the Situation Room, or War Room.  It is a place where high level secure meetings take place, often meetings filled with tension, drama and serious consequences.

Crises have a way of bring the worst and the best out of people.  Crises have a way of exposing our faith, they test what we are trusting in.  That has been illustrated over and over these past three weeks in our county.  I wonder how much prayer has ever gone on in that White House Situation Room?

What is going on in Israel is a Situation Room kind of experience, so significant that it merits a supernatural sign from heaven which has serious consequences.  The situation and the sign.