Look for the Sign

 Look for the Sign…And Wait On It!

Today there is another reason that phones are joined to the hand – it is because inside the phone is the technology to point out directions – the GPS! Just like people no longer memorize telephone numbers, because our calls a click away – so people also don’t pay attention to directions, because the faithful GPS will give step-by-step directions to your destination. Over 4,000 years ago there was no GPS, yet God carved out a people who He gave directions – from crossing the Red Sea to going through an open wilderness to crossing over into the Promise Land; the Israelites learned to follow the voice of God.

Sadly, there were times when the Israelites failed to listen to God’s voice and heed His warnings. Over and over again this failure led them into dire circumstances. God would raise up a prophet who would counsel them on God’s desires and plans and over and over thy would reject that counsel and go their own way. One such prophet, Isaiah was instructed by a weary God to tell them:

So Isaiah told him, "Then listen to this, government of David! It’s bad enough that you make people tired with your pious, timid hypocrisies, but now you’re making God tired. So the Master is going to give you a sign anyway. Watch for this: A girl who is presently a virgin will get pregnant. She’ll bear a son…Isaiah 7:3-14

God was going to give them a GPS sign! There would be a virgin maid who would conceive a son…an impossibility! Every living thing in God’s creation came from a seed – yet there would be no human seed planted to conceive this child, but as we later learned from the angel Gabriel:

But the angel assured her, "Mary, you have nothing to fear. God has a surprise for you: You will become pregnant and give birth to a son and call his name Jesus.
He will be great,
be called ‘Son of the Highest.’…
Mary said to the angel, "But how? I’ve never slept with a man." The angel answered, The Holy Spirit will come upon you, the power of the Highest hover over you; Therefore, the child you bring to birth will be called Holy, Son of God. Luke 1:30-35 (Select verses – MSG)

This was the sign God gave to point a rebellious Israel back into fellowship with God – seven hundred years before it happened – a long wait – but well worth it, we can even follow it today!

Maria