The First Reading (Isaiah 7:10-14) for Advent means that this narrative contains the prophecy of the incarnated Christ’s virgin birth (Isaiah 7:14), though some Jewish and Protestant biblical scholars disagree. But the context of this prophecy of the incarnated Christ’s virgin birth.
Through Isaiah, God invited Ahaz, king of Judah, to ask him to ask Him an extraordinary sign (Isaiah 7:11). It was to help Ahaz believe in Him and trust His providence, understanding Ahaz’s difficult situation in dealing with a threat from the coalition of Aram (Syria) and Ephraim (Israel), for he was fear-stricken (Isaiah 7:1-9).
God assured that Judah’s sovereignty would not be destroyed and wanted Ahaz to believe it. To ascertain this further, God called him to ask for a greater sign.
But Ahaz refused, making an excuse, saying that he would not tempt (test) Him (Isaiah 7:12).
At first, this response of Ahaz may make him “faithful”, for it is in the Trah that teaches us not to put God to the test (Deuteronomy 6:16). But it was nothing but Ahaz’s rejection of God. Though he was a descendant of David, Ahaz turned himself and Judah against and away from God (2 Kings 16:1-18). It was out of his pride pitted against God.
In response to Ahaz’ rejection, God said through Isaiah:
Listen, house of David! Is it not enough that you weary human beings? Must you also weary my God? Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign; the young woman, pregnant and about to bear a son, shall name him Emmanuel. Curds and honey he will eat so that he may learn to reject evil and choose good; for before the child learns to reject evil and choose good, the land of those two kings whom you dread shall be deserted. The Lord shall bring upon you and your people and your father’s house such days as have not come since Ephraim seceded from Judah (Isaiah 7:13-17).
Even though Ahaz was very defiant to Him, God still saw him Davidic. He did not cut this sinful king of Judah out of the Davidic lineage. And he prophesized that God Himself would send a sign, through which the young woman (הָעַלְמָ֗ה /haalmah) would bear a son to be named “Emmanuel” (v.14).
There have been various interpretations of this verse about the woman bearing a son to be named Emmanuel. In the original Hebrew text, the word used for “woman”(NABRE) is עַלְמָה/almah, and this word can be translated as “a maiden” , as well as, “a virgin”. And in the verse, it is “the” woman or “the” virgin (הָעַלְמָ֗ה /haalmah), suggesting the specific virgin or maiden.
The Catholic interpretation is, of course, this הָעַלְמָ֗ה /haalmah (the virgin) is Mary. In fact, it was Archangel Gabriel to have made it clear to Joseph, saying:
Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her. She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins. All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel,” which means “God is with us”(Matthew 1:20-23).
Matthew wrote in Greek, “ἡ παρθένος”(he Parthenos)(Matthew 1:23), which is translated as “the virgin”(or the maiden), to correspond to הָעַלְמָ֗ה /haalmah (the virgin)(Isaiah 7:14).
Arguing that הָעַלְמָ֗ה /haalmah (the virgin)(Isaiah 7:14) is not Mary but someone else means to deny Gabriel’s statement to Joseph.
The son conceived in the womb of the virgin is named Emmanuel, which means “God with us”. And this counter Ahaz, who rejected God for Assyria and pagan idols. But, it is about Mary’s Son, who is Theos-Logos incarnated in the human flesh, by the power of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 1:20; Luke 1:35), to dwell among us (John 1:1, 14), namely, Jesus Christ, to be with us alwa15-16ys until the end of the age (Matthew 28:20).
Upon his birth from the virgin, he will grow healthy by eating well and grow up as a faithful man, fighting evil, and Syria (Aram) and Israel (Ephraim) will be no longer a threat to Judah by the time he grows up (Isaiah 7:15-17).
In a way, the son born of the woman can be interpreted as Ahaz’s son, Hezekiah, who was courageous enough to cut Judah’s vassal relation to Assyria and brought Judah back to God (2 Chronicles 29:1–32:33). Because Hezekiah, another Davidic king of Judah brought Judah back on the right path with God, he points to Christ the Davidic King to consummate the good work done by Hezekiah. Of course, the incarnated Christ grew in strength and wisdom (Luke 2:40; Isaiah 7:15a) and fought evil (i.e. Colossians 2:15; cf. Revelation 19:11-21; 20:10), fulfilling Genesis 3:15.
The Gospel Reading (Luke 1:26-38) describes how exactly God’s sign of making the virgin bear a son to be named Emmanuel was fulfilled at the time of Annunciation.
The fact that this prophecy of Mary the perpetual virgin to bear the Son of God in Isaiah 7:14 came against Ahaz’ refusal of God and His invitation affirms that our God makes good out of evil. Mary's fiat (Luke 1:38) was a strong blow to the evil of Ahaz, and more were made by her Son.
The below is a bit more about this evil king of Judah, Ahaz, against whom God promised a sign of Christ.
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Ahaz was one of egregiously sinful kings of Judah (southern kingdom), like kings of Israel (northern kingdom), for turning Judah away from God, as he turned the Davidic kingdom (Judah) into a nation of idolatry and child sacrifice for pagan deities (2 Kings 16:1-4; 2 Chronicles 28:1-4). Then, God unleashed the Syro-Ephraimite coalition force (the coalition of Syria (Aram) and Ephraim (Israel, the northern kingdom), to attack Judah, to punish Ahaz for his grievous sin (2 Chronicles 28:5-8, 9). This is also known as the Syro-Ephraimite War (735 BC). However, because of Oded’s prophesize against Ephraim’s intent to enslave the captives of Judah as a further sin against God, the captives were sent back (2 Chronicles 28:9-15).
Having managed to survive the Syro-Ephraimite War, Ahaz regarded Aram (Syria) and Israel (Ephraim) a great threat to Judah. So he sought a protection from Assyria (2 Chronicles 28:16), against which Syria and Ephraim formed a coalition.
In fact, this political move to enter the Assyrian arms umbrella for Judah’s national security meant Judah to become Assyria’s vassal state. In order to keep up with Assyria’s demand for tributes, Ahaz had to plunder the Temple’s treasures (2 Chronicles 28:19-21). Ahaz’s betrayed God further more by turning his free will against God in order to please Assyria in the hope of protection of Judah under Assyria’s security umbrella (2 Chronicles 28:19, 22), rather than listening to God and seeking His protection.
Ahaz really provoked God’s anger by turning the Davidic kingdom, Judah, further away from Him, shutting down the Temple, in order to promote idolatry practice to please pagan deities (2 Chronicles 28:23-25).
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