God with us

Hebrews 1:1-2 God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world. Sinful man should be greatly encouraged that God has spoken into our history. First, we are told in the first verse of this book that God spoke to the fathers in the prophets. He didn’t say through the prophets, but in them. What does the presence of the prophets like Moses, Samuel, Isaiah, and Jeremiah say to the fathers? I don’t know for sure what the author had in mind, but as one reads through the Old Testament, there’s only one thing that God told to most, if not all the fathers. It is this: “I will be with you.” If God spoke through a prophet, He was declaring one thing for sure, namely, that He was with whomever He was speaking to. The only explanation for the faith of the fathers long ago and the works they did was the presence of God. One of those prophets, Isaiah, prophesied the virgin birth of Jesus Christ and what God was speaking to Israel and the world in His coming. Isaiah 7:14 “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel.” Of course, we all know what His name means because of Matthew’s gospel account. It means “God with us.” Jesus Christ is God with us. Everyone who believes in Jesus as “God with us” and trusts in His work on their behalf, has eternal life living within them. In giving them His Son, God is saying again, “I am with you.” We also learn from Isaiah that when God speaks to them in Christ, He does so because He loves them. “Since you are precious in My sight, since you are honored and I love you,…do not fear, for I am with you.” If He is with us, He loves us! Living to love is only possible if God is with us. That’s why I add “with Jesus” to the phrase “living to love.” Having God with us is the confidence of all believers and one of the great themes of the book of Hebrews. The author laid down the authority for all that he writes: God has spoken, and in these last days, He has ratified a new covenant of love, grace, and mercy with His people in Jesus Christ, His Son. May we be encouraged by this great reality. We who believe in Jesus have Him living in us so we can love with Him.