The enemies were practically at the gates. Syria and Israel created an alliance against the southern kingdom of Judah and Ahaz, the king. Ahaz is a son of David, the giant killer; the one who trusts Yahweh to fight with him and for him against his enemies. However, at this moment, Ahaz was not acting like David. Ahaz and the people were gripped with fear. Their hearts were shaking like the trees of the forest when the wind blows (Isa 7.2).
In order to calm his fears, Yahweh sends his prophet Isaiah to give Ahaz the promise of victory. Yahweh invites Ahaz to ask for a sign that will seal this promise. In his unbelief, Ahaz refuses to ask for a sign. This is wearisome to God and Isaiah rebukes “the house of David” for it. Nevertheless, Yahweh promises a sign: the virgin will conceive and bear a son whose name will be called Immanuel. (Isa 7.14)
Ahaz still doesn’t trust Yahweh. Instead of relying on Yahweh’s promise, Ahaz forms an alliance with Assyria. This alliance must be bought at a terrible price. This son of David proclaims himself to be the son of Tiglath-Pilesar, king of Assyria. (cf. 2Kgs 16) Ahaz rejects his position as “son of God” (2Sm 7.14) to submit to the god(s) of Assyria. He puts Yahweh’s throne in subservience to the throne of the Assyrian god(s). (cp. 1Chr 29.23) While there were some bright spots along the way for the next one hundred years, Ahaz’s unbelief began a subservience to foreign rulers that would eventually lead to the destruction of Jerusalem and, with it, the exile of the Davidic monarchy.
But God had not forsaken his promise to the house of David.
About seven hundred years later, a son of David, Joseph, is a carpenter in the backwater town of Nazareth in Galilee of the Gentiles. He is betrothed to a young lady named Mary, who he sadly discovers is pregnant. He’s not the father of the child, which means, of course, that Mary has played the harlot. What other explanation could there be? Joseph is a righteous man, so he plans to divorce Mary privately so as not to put her to public shame.
While he is considering what he must do, an angel of the Lord appears to him to explain what is really going on. The angel addresses Joseph as “son of David.” (Mt 1.20) He is heir to the throne of Israel, but because of the sin of another king, Ahaz, he is in exile, unable to rule. But like Ahaz, Joseph is confronted with whether or not he will believe the sign of the virgin conceiving (by the Holy Spirit) and bringing forth a son (Mt 1.23). His belief will be demonstrated in his obedience in taking Mary to be his wife and raising Jesus as heir to the throne of David. Will he trust the word of Yahweh, knowing he and the child will face scorn for what appears to everyone to be a scandalous situation? (The chief priests and Pharisees may have been taking a swipe at Jesus in John 8.41 with the rumor that Jesus was born of sexual immorality.) Or will he proceed with his plan to protect himself in the way he originally thought?
The rest is, as they say, history. We don’t know what would have happened if Joseph had not obeyed, but I believe we are able to tease out the implications of his obedience, especially in contrast with Ahaz. The fall of Ahaz in unbelief precipitated the eventual exile of the David monarchy. The faith of Joseph in the adoption of Jesus was instrumental in the fulfillment of the promise of the exaltation of the seed of David to rule the kingdom of God.
One man’s obedience or disobedience has ripple effects throughout history and even into eternity.
