Isaiah 7:13-17
13 Then Isaiah said, "Hear now, you house of David! Is it not enough to try the patience of men? Will you try the patience of my God also? 14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. 15 He will eat curds and honey when he knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right. 16 But 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."
I read this passage this morning. I was surprised by verse 15. I have always thought of Jesus as fully man and fully God. I am not sure, but I might need to change that thinking after really looking at this verse. By the way, I know I have read this verse before. I put a question mark in the margin of my Bible but I don't think I thought about the verse like I thought about it this morning.
I never thought about Jesus as an infant not knowing enough to choose between right and wrong. When I think of God, I think of omniscience. My brain can't understand an infant being fully man and fully God and not knowing enough to choose between right and wrong.
This verse also made me think of the phrase I heard a lot earlier in my life - the age of accountability. No one ever had a good definition of what that meant. Based on a quick online search of the NIV for the word "accountability", it is not there.
If it relates to knowing enough to be able to reject wrong, think about how young little people are when they look at you after you have said "NO" and they smirk and do it anyway. We all know they know what the difference between right and wrong. I doubt anybody who has ever heard discussion about the age of accountability would ever say it occurs at this early stage of life. Should we change our thinking? If we did, what would it do to your thoughts about baptism?
My head is spinning right now so it is a good time to quit typing!
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2 comments:
I have struggled with that "age of accountability" thing too. Right at this moment, I don't believe it's the same for everyone, which probably doesn't make much sense.
The idea of Jesus being fully God and fully man, I think, is one of those concepts that we just cannot get our minds around. I was trying to think of something to compare it to, but I can't. :o)
OK, back to the "age of accountability": my opinion is that this magic age, again, isn't a certain age at all. When you get to the point where you realize you are a sinner in need of a Savior, you are then accountable to act on it. Does that make sense???
Okay - as you always make me do - I read your blog, think on it for a while and come back to it. The age of accountabilty question just came up in another conversation this week... funny how it does weigh on all of our hearts.
I subscribe to a weekly newsletter of a guy I have come to respect alot because of his deep study and respect for the Word. Last year one of his letters covered this subject. It took me a minute to find it - but if you paste this link into your box up there, it should take you to a great article:
http://www.zianet.com/maxey/reflx159.htm
And I think Danna is right in saying that Jesus being fully God and fully man is difficult to wrap our brain around. His divintiy is what makes His sacrifice to be human so great. He obviously chose to leave some of His knowledge behind, in order to fully comprehend and intercede for us. And while I don't understand the trinity completely, each unique part serves a role, though each make up the whole, as we are to do in the church. For example, the Spirit is said to guide us into the truth after Christ left. And other passages tell us not even Christ knows the hour of His return, only the Father.
Complete omniscence may belong to the Father, while Christ's ability to discern the thoughts and hearts of others while here on earth reveals His nature was still very different than ours - both human and divine.
My brain is hurting too....:)
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