The Biblical Age of Accountability (Isaiah 7:15-16 and Deut 1:39)

Children are innocent until they reach the biblical age of accountability. Isaiah 7:15-16 twice states that until a certain age a baby will not know, "how to refuse the evil and choose the good." Similarly, Deuteronomy 1:39 says, "little ones...have no knowledge of good or evil." This post will allow you to read, watch, or listen if you want to learn about the age of accountability in the bible.

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00:00 The Biblical Age of Accountability
04:06 Lesson One: Jews disobey the Mosaic law and Gentiles disobey their consciences.
09:07 Lesson Two: Babies can’t choose between good and evil.
27:06 Lesson Three: (Part One) Babies are ignorant...
32:01 Lesson Three: (Part One) Babies are ignorant (Part Two), and God is merciful to the ignorant.
41:05 Lesson Four: God is less merciful to the knowledgeable.

Babies “Have No Knowledge of Good or Evil” Until They Reach the Biblical Age of Accountability

In Numbers 14 the nation of Israel rebelled when the 12 spies come back with a report that the enemies in the land were too great for them. God told the people they would not get to enter the land because of their unbelief, but he added something interesting:

Numbers 14:31 But your little ones, who you said would become a prey, I will bring in, and they shall know the land that you have rejected.

If these little ones were as guilty as their parents, why weren’t they judged? Why did they get to enter the land? We aren’t told in Numbers, but when Moses recounted Israel’s history to the nation in Deuteronomy, right before they entered the land, God revealed why the infants were able to enter:

Deuteronomy 1:39 And as for your little ones, who you said would become a prey, and your children, who TODAY HAVE NO KNOWLEDGE OF GOOD OR EVIL, they shall go in there. And to them I will give it, and they shall possess it.

They were able to avoid the judgment their parents experienced, because they couldn’t choose between good and evil. Notice the way it’s worded: it says TODAY they have no knowledge of good and evil. It won’t always be that way. At some point they’ll have that knowledge.

The Famous Sign to Ahaz

Ahaz is the king of Judah and he’s terrified of being attacked by two kings, Rezin and Pekah. God gives Ahaz a sign that within a few years both kings will be dead, so he has nothing to worry about. The sign that God gives Ahaz is one of the most famous in Scripture:

Isaiah 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

Even though the word “you” is singular, it can be used plurally, like if someone said to a group of people, “I am talking to all of you,” which is the case here. In other words, the prophecy isn’t just for Ahaz.

We know how the prophecy is for others: There was a virgin, Mary, who gave birth to a Son, Jesus. But this verse says his name would be Immanuel, so how do we explain that? Listen to Isaiah 7:14 quoted in the New Testament…

Matthew 1:21 [Mary] will bear a son, and you SHALL CALL HIS NAME JESUS.”…22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet [Isaiah]: 23 “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and THEY SHALL CALL HIS NAME IMMANUEL” (which means, God with us).

The Child Is Named Jesus or Immanuel?

These verses state his name would be Jesus and Immanuel. We know his name was Jesus, but how do we explain the Immanuel title? Immanuel means God with Us. Jesus didn’t fulfill this by being given this name. He fulfilled this by literally being God with Us.

Isaiah said, the Lord Himself will give YOU a sign, referring to Ahaz. Ahaz lived about 700 years before Jesus was born, so how could Jesus’s birth be a sign to Ahaz, who was long dead when Jesus was born? Prophecy often has a future, complete fulfillment, and a near, partial fulfillment. The future, complete fulfillment is Jesus, the true and greater Son born of a Virgin.

The near, partial fulfillment took place in Ahaz’s day. There would have been a young woman who was, at the time of this prophecy, a virgin. She would get married, cease...

Read the rest of the blog post: https://www.scottlapierre.org/biblical-age-of-accountability/