Israel was in the midst of a seemingly endless cycle of blessing and judgement. Despite strong injunctions in the Pentateuch, Israel forgot to remember its covenant with God presented to them by Moses. Unlike the faithfully-kept, ‘one-sided’ covenants with Noah and Abraham, God demanded fidelity from Israel as a condition of His ongoing provision of safety and blessing.

Without fail, the convenient forgetfulness would permeate Israel’s royal, civil and priestly life. Israel’s uniqueness among the nations was squandered as they intermingled with the surrounding nations, the temple precincts and high places sprouting Asherah poles and enthroning other strange gods. The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob would enact the curses from the covenant, and deliver judgement on Israel by plague, sword and exile.

For the faithful remnant of each generation, these dark times caused anguish and despair. Isaiah’s vision of God’s condemnation of His chosen nation in the opening chapters of his book was bruising, a seemingly relentless wringing-out of the last droplets of hope for Israel.

But God had not forgotten His covenant with King David. While dark days were ahead, a season of light would come. David’s descendant is described in such majestic terms it is almost as if the throne of Jerusalem had been occupied by a pastiche of royalty. Blow after blow of judgement and righteous condemnation would be replaced by wave after wave of grace and joy and peace and blessing: this was the advent of Immanuel and the new covenant between God and man.

Jonathan Stockwell