Sermon Central
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Great Light Series
Contributed by Rev. Dr. Andrew B Natarajan on Nov 30, 2023 (message contributor)
Summary: The world of darkness looks for its dawn . The world of strife, sufferings and despair looks for redemption of light. Jesus the great Light has come again on the earth. Let this season of Christmas bring joy.
Great Light
Happy seasonal greetings!
The background of Isaiah 7:1-9:7:
In 734-732 BCE, Ahaz the king of Judah faced attack from Israel and Syria, so he considered seeking the aid of Assyria. So, he wanted to have an alliance with the “Evil Empire” of his day. Isaiah urged Ahaz to stand firm in faith, trust in God, and refuse coalitions with other countries whether it be Syria, Israel or Assyria (Isaiah 7:3-9).
Land of Zebulun and Naphtali:
These were the two northeastern tribes of the land west of the Jordan and later came to be known as upper (Naphtali) and lower (Zebulun) Galilee. The phrase “the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali” refers to the region of Israel overrun by Tiglath-Pilesar III and annexed as the Assyrian province of Galilee.
Zebulun was the 10th son of Jacob, the 6th to Leah in Paddan-aram. Nothing is known of this patriarch's life.
The tribe of Naphtali figures in prominently to the history of Israel. This tribe followed in the footsteps of its founder, the sixth son of Jacob, Naphtali. As he was a godly man, so was his tribe. However, they eventually fell into apostasy, as did the other tribes of the Northern Kingdom. Naphtali left an imprint on the Old Testament through their exploits on the battle field. They were praised by Deborah in the Song of Deborah. They provided one of the major workers on the Temple. Naphtali produced officials in both the courts of David and Solomon. The tribe of Naphtali was blessed by God.
Galilee of the Gentiles - Galilee means "circuit" (other meanings are cylinder, ring, circle, "district, region"). "We derive the name Galilee historically from the Hebrew word for "area" or "region" = galil. "The region of Galilee originally had been given by the Lord to the tribes of Asher, Zebulun and Naphtali when Israel began to settle in Canaan (Joshua 19:10-39).
But, contrary to God’s command, Zebulun and Naphtali failed to expel all of the Canaanites from their territories (Judges 1:30-33). From the beginning, therefore, these unfaithful Jews suffered the problem of mixed marriages and the inevitable pagan influence which that practice brought. This references the end of the previous chapter (Isaiah 8:22).
General Darkness
Darkness: Choshek means “deep shadow”. In the present context the darkness is figurative and refers to spiritual darkness
The Hebrew word Choshek translated in Psalm 23:4 as “shadow of darkness”, the valley of the shadow of death. The phrase is one Hebrew word formed through a combination of two Hebrew words: shadow and death, representing the darkest forms of darkness or pitch dark. All becomes dark, sullen and dead.
The word is used to refer metaphorically to "trouble," "death," "judgment," "evil," "prison" and "hidden things." Darkness is used as an image for difficult times in life.
Isaiah 9:2 sets out the contrast between the darkness and light in two phrases, each complementing each other. On the one hand, you have people who walk in darkness and those who live in a dark land. This typify the world.
Remember this was written even to God’s promised people, the Jews. Without the Messiah, it was dark. Promises about what will happen are not like the fulfillment of the event. As long as it is promise, it has yet to be and unsurety arises. Promises, however, do provide an important ray of hope.
Isaiah said those who have rejected God's revelation of His word and truth will live in great anguish and darkness. It will be a darkness of their own making leading to the judgment of God. No matter where they look for the light, the dawn will not come for them.
Personal Darkness
The darkness, an absence of light and figurative an absence of moral values and fear of God. The same is true with the darkness of the human soul. Do you allow yourself to be persuaded by the feelings and thoughts of evil, selfish forces? How much darkness is in you? How much darkness has hidden dormant in you, waiting for its chance to arise?
The Light of which Isaiah spoke was to shine even more brightly. It was to shine beyond the blessed inhabitants of Galilee, who would be the first to witness Incarnate Light walking through their land. The Light of which Isaiah prophesied was to be so brilliant that it was to embrace every man, woman, and child, born into this world.
It was Israel who were walking in darkness when the Light came into the world. The people living in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali, who were were blinded to the truth. The gospel of Matthew, "Jesus moved to Capernaum to fulfil that which was spoken through Isaiah the prophet. The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, by way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles were sitting in darkness saw a great light, and those who were sitting in the land and in the shadow of death, upon them a great light dawned.
