"Therefore the Lord Himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel." Isaiah 7:14
God was known by many names, and therefore many things, to His people. This is something we must not forget: God's names mean Things. They were revelations of His character. For example: "Yahweh" means "I AM that I AM," i.e., God exist because of Himself. Nothing has formed Him, made Him, and nothing sustains Him except himself. It is the ultimate statement of being. (see also Acts 17:24-25)
"That [men] should seek the Lord...though He be not far from every one of us." (Acts 17:27) This is a part of God that we must not miss: Immanuel--God is with us, ever present, right by our side. "The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us..." (John 1:14a) The word "dwelt" in the Greek literally means "to tabernacle." The tabernacle (and later the Temple) was where God's presence was represented. Now through Christ He has tabernacled by mingling with the dust, and thus has sanctified it and made it holy, so that now those who are of the dust may be made sanctified and holy by Him, for by Him God can "tabernacle" within our dust (I Corinthians 6:19).
God was known by many names, and therefore many things, to His people. This is something we must not forget: God's names mean Things. They were revelations of His character. For example: "Yahweh" means "I AM that I AM," i.e., God exist because of Himself. Nothing has formed Him, made Him, and nothing sustains Him except himself. It is the ultimate statement of being. (see also Acts 17:24-25)
"That [men] should seek the Lord...though He be not far from every one of us." (Acts 17:27) This is a part of God that we must not miss: Immanuel--God is with us, ever present, right by our side. "The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us..." (John 1:14a) The word "dwelt" in the Greek literally means "to tabernacle." The tabernacle (and later the Temple) was where God's presence was represented. Now through Christ He has tabernacled by mingling with the dust, and thus has sanctified it and made it holy, so that now those who are of the dust may be made sanctified and holy by Him, for by Him God can "tabernacle" within our dust (I Corinthians 6:19).
Immanuel is not just a Christmas carol. It is a word of meaning, and meaning has power. It carries with it a truth that we can fling right into the face of the enemy: "I hear your lies; now hear the truth: God's presence is forever with me through Christ, and if He is with me, then you cannot stand or say anything against me."
God's names are revelations of His character. Do not let those revelations be nothing but words. Hold to them as actualities.
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