Old Testament Precedent For The Virgin Birth
This Advent I wanted to do a 4 week series on the virgin birth of Christ. This first week we will start our study with verses from the gospel of Luke:
Luke is clearly stating that Mary was a virgin upon the conception of Christ. Although the virgin birth is mocked by those who do not take the Scripture seriously, we as Christians ought to realize that according to Scripture the virgin birth is quite logical, for at least two reasons:
- The Scripture testifies that God is all-powerful.
- The Scripture testifies that there were numerous births specifically caused by God.
The first point needs little discussion – if there is an all-powerful God He can cause a virgin birth. Regarding the second point, the Old Testament lists at least seven ancestors of Jesus whose lives were specifically brought about by God’s intervention. Each of these seven men are referenced in either Matthew’s or Luke’s genealogies of Christ.
| Ancestor | Reference | Quote |
|---|---|---|
| Adam | Genesis 2: 7 | Then the LORD God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being. |
| Seth | Genesis 4: 25 | Adam had relations with his wife again; and she gave birth to a son, and named him Seth, for she said, “God has appointed me another offspring in place of Abel, for Cain killed him.” |
| Isaac | Genesis 18: 14 | Is anything too difficult for the LORD? At the appointed time I will return to you, at this time next year, and Sarah will have a son. |
| Jacob | Genesis 25: 21 | Isaac prayed to the LORD on behalf of his wife, because she was barren; and the LORD answered him and Rebekah his wife conceived. |
| Judah | Genesis 29: 31, 35 | Now the LORD saw that Leah was unloved, and He opened her womb, but Rachel was barren… And she conceived again and bore a son and said, “This time I will praise the LORD.” Therefore she named him Judah. Then she stopped bearing. |
| Obed | Ruth 4: 13, 17 | So Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife, and he went in to her. And the LORD enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son…So they named him Obed. He is the father of Jesse, the father of David. |
| David | Psalm 139: 13 | For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother’s womb. |
The Scripture makes it clear God played no small role in bringing about the birth of Christ. God planned for the Messiah to be human, so He created Adam, the first human. God planned for the Messiah to come from the offspring of Adam, so He intervened and caused Seth to be born to Adam through Eve, replacing the murdered son Abel. God planned for the Messiah to come from the offspring of Abraham, so He intervened and caused Isaac to be born to Abraham through Sarah. God planned for the Messiah to come from Israel, so He intervened and caused Jacob (who would be called Israel) to be born to Isaac through Rebekah. God planned for the Messiah to come from the tribe of Judah, so He intervened and caused Judah to be born to Jacob through Leah. God planned for the Messiah to come from the line of David, so He intervened and caused Obed (David’s grandfather) to be born to Boaz through Ruth. God formed David in his mother’s womb, anointed him as king of Israel, and gave him a promise that the Messiah would come from his line. Lastly, God intervened and caused Jesus the Christ to be born to Joseph, a descendant of David, through Mary. Mary conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit – the Child did not biologically belong to Joseph. And yet legally, because Joseph was a descendant of David, the Child was of the line of David.
When we consider all that has been said, it should be clear that the virgin birth recorded in the New Testament is in perfect harmony with the Old Testament record, which is full of examples of God causing particular children to be born to particular people at particular times.
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