The Kingdom of David, a small state sandwiched between strong neighbours, would always be in danger of invasion if there was doubt about the succession or about its constitutional stability. Despite the exasperating conduct of the king, the prophet remains alert to all that is happening in the royal household, and can proclaim with confidence that a young woman from the family will give birth to a child who would become the kind of king God wants.

Centuries later the young woman responds to God's call as expressed in the messge of the angel. This response was filled with trust, evidence of a faith which made it possible for the prophecy of Isaiah to be fulfilled in its entirety. Mary's faith did not come cheap. St Luke shows her as puzzled and as putting questions which expressed her feelings of being troubled. Despite her natural anxiety at the ambiguous situation in which she was placed, she could describe herself as the "handmaid of the Lord" echoing the description of Abraham, Moses, David, and so many figures as "servants of God" persons singled out to have the whole of their lives dedicated to serving God.