Old Testament Scriptures Were Not
Predictions Of Jesus’ Birth
Asserted Prophesy #1:
Jesus Was The Expected Messiah
Born Of A Virgin
New Testament: (Matthew 1, 22-23) All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23 “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).
Note: New Testament references are shown in bold print in the context of the Old Testament passages in which they were originally written.
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Note: New Testament references are shown in bold print in the context of the Old Testament passages in which they were originally written.
Old Testament: (Isaiah 7:1-17)
1 When Ahaz son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, was king of Judah, King Rezin of Aram and Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel marched up to fight against Jerusalem, but they could not overpower it.
2 Now the house of David was told, “Aram has allied itself with Ephraim”; so the hearts of Ahaz and his people were shaken, as the trees of the forest are shaken by the wind.
3 Then the LORD said to Isaiah, “Go out, you and your son Shear-Jashub to meet Ahaz at the end of the aqueduct of the Upper Pool, on the road to the Launderer’s Field. 4 Say to him, ‘Be careful, keep calm and don’t be afraid. Do not lose heart because of these two smoldering stubs of firewood—because of the fierce anger of Rezin and Aram and of the son of Remaliah. 5 Aram, Ephraim and Remaliah’s son have plotted your ruin, saying, 6 “Let us invade Judah; let us tear it apart and divide it among ourselves, and make the son of Tabeel king over it.” 7 Yet this is what the Sovereign LORD says:
“‘It will not take place,
it will not happen,
8 for the head of Aram is Damascus,
and the head of Damascus is only Rezin.
Within sixty-five years
Ephraim will be too shattered to be a people.
9 The head of Ephraim is Samaria,
and the head of Samaria is only Remaliah’s son.
If you do not stand firm in your faith,
you will not stand at all.’”
it will not happen,
8 for the head of Aram is Damascus,
and the head of Damascus is only Rezin.
Within sixty-five years
Ephraim will be too shattered to be a people.
9 The head of Ephraim is Samaria,
and the head of Samaria is only Remaliah’s son.
If you do not stand firm in your faith,
you will not stand at all.’”
10 Again the LORD spoke to Ahaz, 11 “Ask the LORD your God for a sign, whether in the deepest depths or in the highest heights.”
12 But Ahaz said, “I will not ask; I will not put the LORD to the test.”
13 Then Isaiah said, “Hear now, you house of David! Is it not enough to try the patience of humans? Will you try the patience of my God also? 14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. 15 He will be eating curds and honey when he knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right, 16 for before the boy knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right, the land of the two kings you dread will be laid waste. 17 The LORD will bring on you and on your people and on the house of your father a time unlike any since Ephraim broke away from Judah—he will bring the king of Assyria.”
DISCUSSION:
1. Old Testament texts were originally written in Hebrew. By the 1st century these Hebrew texts had been translated into Greek. The Gospel writers used the Greek translations of the Old Testament as their reference. The Greek word "parthenos", translates into either "virgin" or "young woman", and is used in the Greek translation of Isaiah 1:14. However, the original Hebrew word, "almah", found in Isaiah1:14, only meant “young woman” and not "a virgin." The Hebrew word for “virgin” is "betulah." Therefore, this scripture is correctly read as "the young woman...", (not a virgin), "...will conceive and give birth to a son..."
2. In addition, when you read the entire scriptural context around Isaiah 1:14 you get a complete picture of what it was actually about. This is a story of how God, through Isaiah, gives a sign to Ahaz, King of Judah (the southern Jewish kingdom), just as two adjacent kingdoms, Israel (the northern Jewish kingdom) and Syria, were attacking Jerusalem, the capital of Judah.
3. The sign is that a young woman will give birth to a son and name him “Immanuel” which means “God is with us.” Before this son is grown (“…knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right…”) the two kingdoms attacking him will be defeated (“…the land of the two kings you dread will be laid waste.”)
4. Ahaz was the King of Judah more than 800 years before Jesus was born. So a child born as a sign to King Ahaz could not have had anything to do with Jesus.
5. What was it about Jesus’ life and teachings that motivated Matthew to write his virgin birth narrative? By reading the OT context we understand that Matthew’s claim was not true in any literal sense, but what was his meaning in a metaphysical or spiritual sense? What does it mean to make a claim that Jesus is fathered by God? Metaphors are not meaningless and the virgin birth tradition is trying to express something about how unique Jesus was. These kinds of issues are what readers of the Bible need to discuss, consider, and understand better.
Asserted Prophesy #2:
Jesus Was The Messiah Born In Bethlehem
Who Was To Save Judah
NT: Matthew 2:3-6
3 When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written: 6 “‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for out of you will come a ruler
who will shepherd my people Israel.’”
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OT: Micah 5:1-6
A Promised Ruler From Bethlehem
1 Marshal your troops now, city of troops,
for a siege is laid against us.
They will strike Israel’s ruler
on the cheek with a rod.
for a siege is laid against us.
They will strike Israel’s ruler
on the cheek with a rod.
2 “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
though you are small among the clans of Judah,
out of you will come for me
one who will be ruler over Israel,
whose origins are from of old,
from ancient times.”
though you are small among the clans of Judah,
out of you will come for me
one who will be ruler over Israel,
whose origins are from of old,
from ancient times.”
3 Therefore Israel will be abandoned
until the time when she who is in labor bears a son,
and the rest of his brothers return
to join the Israelites.
until the time when she who is in labor bears a son,
and the rest of his brothers return
to join the Israelites.
4 He will stand and shepherd his flock
in the strength of the LORD,
in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God.
And they will live securely, for then his greatness
will reach to the ends of the earth.
in the strength of the LORD,
in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God.
And they will live securely, for then his greatness
will reach to the ends of the earth.
5 And he will be our peace
when the Assyrians invade our land
and march through our fortresses.
We will raise against them seven shepherds,
even eight commanders,
6 who will rule the land of Assyria with the sword,
the land of Nimrod with drawn sword.
He will deliver us from the Assyrians
when they invade our land
and march across our borders.
when the Assyrians invade our land
and march through our fortresses.
We will raise against them seven shepherds,
even eight commanders,
6 who will rule the land of Assyria with the sword,
the land of Nimrod with drawn sword.
He will deliver us from the Assyrians
when they invade our land
and march across our borders.
DISCUSSION:
1. Around 721 BCE the Assyrians attacked and defeated the northern Jewish kingdom of Israel. They also threatened the southern Jewish kingdom of Judah, but Judah accepted vassal status and paid tribute to Assyria. Micah was written about 750 BCE and is about these events involving Assyria, Israel, and Judah.
2. What Micah is saying is that a leader will arise from Bethlehem in Judah who will be mighty enough to provide the military leadership necessary to defeat Assyria. It asserts he will “…rule the land of Assyria with the sword…” Clearly, this scripture is not about Jesus, born more than 700 years after these words were written and whose message was love, not military power or vengeance.
3. Matthew may have been trying to suggest that the spiritual power of Jesus’ message and example is as meaningful to human life as was the military power of ancient messiahs (kings of Jewish states) who fought and defeated the enemies of the Jews. However, Jesus demonstrated a totally different way of approaching those who appear to be your enemies. Jesus' alternative message of love is what deserves our serious consideration and discussion.
Asserted Prophecy #3:
Jesus Was God’s Son Called Out Of Egypt
NT: Matthew 2:13-15
The Escape to Egypt
13 When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.”
14 So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, 15 where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called my son.”
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OT: Hosea 11:1-7
God’s Love for Israel
1 “When Israel was a child, I loved him,
and out of Egypt I called my son.
2 But the more they were called,
the more they went away from me.
and out of Egypt I called my son.
2 But the more they were called,
the more they went away from me.
They sacrificed to the Baals
and they burned incense to images.
3 It was I who taught Ephraim to walk,
taking them by the arms;
but they did not realize
it was I who healed them.
4 I led them with cords of human kindness,
with ties of love.
To them I was like one who lifts
a little child to the cheek,
and I bent down to feed them.
and they burned incense to images.
3 It was I who taught Ephraim to walk,
taking them by the arms;
but they did not realize
it was I who healed them.
4 I led them with cords of human kindness,
with ties of love.
To them I was like one who lifts
a little child to the cheek,
and I bent down to feed them.
5 “Will they not return to Egypt
and will not Assyria rule over them
because they refuse to repent?
6 A sword will flash in their cities;
it will devour their false prophets
and put an end to their plans.
7 My people are determined to turn from me.
Even though they call me God Most High,
I will by no means exalt them.
and will not Assyria rule over them
because they refuse to repent?
6 A sword will flash in their cities;
it will devour their false prophets
and put an end to their plans.
7 My people are determined to turn from me.
Even though they call me God Most High,
I will by no means exalt them.
DISCUSSION:
1. Hosea was written around 745 BCE and these particular verses are explaining why the Assyrians were victorious over the northern kingdom of Israel. In the phrase, “…and out of Egypt I called my son” the word “son” represents all the Hebrew slaves brought out of Egypt by Moses. Consider the preceding phrase. “When Israel was a child..." (in other words a slave population in Egypt) "...I loved him.” Both singular terms, “him” in the first phrase and “son” in the second phrase, refer to an entire nation of people.
2. Hosea describes how, once freed from the Egyptians, the Hebrews reverted to sinning and because they did not repent were ultimately conquered by the Assyrians. There is nothing in these passages about Jesus, who was born more than seven centuries later.
3. Matthew took what was a literary device describing a nation of people and used it as a description of a single person, Jesus, and his relationship to God. Accurate Biblical scholarship was not Matthew's strength nor, apparently, his concern. He had something to say that seemed more important and larger than the words he had available. What could possibly have moved Matthew to write the story as he did? That is the spiritual perspective worthy of serious thought and discussion.
