Christmas Family Devotional Guide

Immanuel, God with us (Isaiah 7:14)

Why did the Prophet Isaiah say that when God's Son was born He would be called "Immanuel?"

In today's family devotion, we are going to learn how to speak the work, "Immanuel," and learn what it means. This will also explain the answer to our question.

First, we have to know that the Hebrew language is very different from the English language that we speak today. That one single word, "Immanuel," is transliterated from the Hebrew language into English. All that means is that the word has been spelled in English so that it sounds like it would be pronounced in Hebrew.

So if everyone is able, as a family, take the time to practice saying the word together until everyone can say it plainly by him or herself. That way each one can say that they know how to say a word in the Bible language that Jesus knew, and which describes Him.

The word "Immanuel" in our English is actually a combination of two Hebrew words that have been put together to form one word in our language.

Speak the letter, "M." That is how to pronounce the Hebrew prefix spelled "Im" in our English. That little word simply means "with."

Speak the word "NEW." That sounds exactly like the Hebrew suffix spelled "nu" in our language. It means "us." Now we know that the first part of this name for Jesus describes him being "with us." These two little words, taken together, form one word in Hebrew. It would be pronounced the way in English it is spelled: "IMMANU."

Now speak the sound made by putting together the letters, "E" and "L." Together they make the sound "L." Putting those letters together forms the Hebrew word, "EL," which is the word for "God."

That means, when you put it all together, it forms the word, "Immanuel." As we have seen by looking at the Hebrew portions of the word, taken together, it means, "With us is God," or, as we would say it in English, "God is with us."

When Jesus was born in the manger in Bethlehem, God came to live with us here on the earth. But the Bible says that when He returned to heaven, He told His followers that He would send His own Holy Spirit to live in them and be with them forever, in John 14:17.

If you ask Jesus to forgive your sins and come into your life and be your Lord and Savior, the Bible says that He comes to live with you and be in you as your personal Guide and Friend. Truly, it is wonderful to know this One who is "Immanuel." He is the Lord God, who is "with us."