Everlasting Father Series

Everlasting Father

Isaiah 9:1-7

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What do you do when life feels overwhelming and chaotic? When King Jehoshaphat faced the imminent threat of the Moabites, Ammonites, and Meunites marching against Judah (2 Chronicles 20:1-37), fear gripped the people’s hearts. But rather than relying on his own military strategy or succumbing to panic, Jehoshaphat sought the Lord’s help. He proclaimed a nationwide fast and led the people in earnest prayer, acknowledging their powerlessness and God’s supreme authority: “We have no power to face this vast army... Our eyes are on you” (v.12). In response, God assured them, “Do not be afraid or discouraged... For the battle is not yours, but God’s” (v.15). Acting in faith, Jehoshaphat sent men ahead of the army to sing praises: “Give thanks to the Lord, for His love endures forever” (v.21). As they worshiped, God caused their enemies to turn on each other, and Judah triumphed without lifting a sword (v.22). This story reminds us that when we seek the Lord with humility and trust, He hears our cries, fights our battles, and works all things for the good of those who love Him (Romans 8:28).

In Isaiah’s time, the people of Israel faced incredible fear and uncertainty, yet God offered them a promise of hope—a promise fulfilled in Jesus, our Everlasting Father. Over 2,700 years ago, around 700 years before the birth of Christ, the prophet Isaiah delivered a message that shook the very foundation of Israel’s existence. At the time, the mighty and feared Assyrian Empire was expanding its power westward and southward, and by 738 BC, the Assyrian king was demanding tribute from Israel. Despite Assyria's might, Israel and Damascus tried to resist through alliances. Assyria swiftly retaliated, and by 722 BC, the northern kingdom of Israel was destroyed. In 705 BC, King Hezekiah of Judah also withheld tribute, but this time, the angel of the Lord miraculously defeated 185,000 Assyrian soldiers. While Isaiah recorded these events with hope and joy, his heart must have been heavy when God revealed the coming Babylonian captivity of 586–539 BC. Yet even in this moment of despair, God showed Isaiah a future of redemption: Babylon’s defeat by Cyrus, king of Persia, and the subsequent release of Israel in 538 BC. This promise of restoration must have lifted the prophet’s spirit, reminding him and his people of God’s enduring faithfulness.

Jesus is Everlasting

Isaiah’s message of hope wasn’t just for his time. It pointed to an everlasting promise fulfilled in Jesus Christ. Yet the God who sustained them, offering hope and a future, remains the same today. Amid all the chaos, God’s message through Isaiah was clear: the brokenness of the moment would not last forever, and a greater hope would one day shine through. In the first half of the book of Isaiah, God warns Israel of their coming captivity, while the latter half speaks of the hope found in their Everlasting Father, Jesus. Though Israel would endure nearly two centuries of hardship, they needed to know that, despite their punishment for sin, God’s love would remain, and restoration would come. In Isaiah’s prophecies, the promised Messiah has “no beauty or majesty” (53:2), yet He springs forth as a shoot from Jesse’s line (11:1) and is born of a virgin (7:14). Though He would be “despised and rejected,” acquainted with suffering (53:3), He would be “pierced for our transgressions” and “crushed for our iniquities,” bringing us peace and healing by His wounds (53:5). These events happened millennia ago, yet the uncertainty and fear they experienced resonate with us today. We, too, live in turbulent times—surrounded by wars, rumors of wars, famines, and earthquakes—signs Jesus Himself forewarned in Matthew 24. Amid this instability, we must remember that Christ, the Alpha and Omega (Revelation 22:13), dwells at the Father’s right hand, sovereign over all creation (Colossians 1:16). Because He is everlasting, we can fully trust Him as our Lord and King.

Jesus is our Father

Today more than ever, we need our heavenly Father’s guidance to navigate life’s uncertainties and challenges. Our Everlasting Father assures us that our identity is found in Him—not in race, status, or wealth, but in faith in Christ’s atoning sacrifice on the cross (Galatians 3:26–29; John 3:16). Those who believe are called by the Good Shepherd (John 10:14–15), set free by His truth (John 8:31), and adopted as His own children (John 1:12). Christ is the vine, and we are the branches; remaining in Him allows us to bear much fruit (John 15:5) and to use the spiritual gifts He gives us to do His work (1 Corinthians 12). Though we are servants of the Most High, we are also His friends and disciples (John 15), loved and cherished so deeply that we can approach His throne of grace to receive forgiveness, mercy, and love (Hebrews 4:16). Even as we experience poverty of spirit, mourning, and meekness, in Christ we are transformed into merciful, pure-hearted peacemakers—His precious children (Matthew 5:3–10).