His Name Is...

His Name is…

Reading: Isaiah chapter 9 verses 2-7:

Ill:

• A little girl walked into her local pet shop,

• And the lady behind the counter said,” Hello What's your name, little girl?".

• The little girl replied,..."Tweacle, 'cos dad says I'm thweet”

• The assistant said,..."AAAh, what can I get you, today, Treacle?"

• And Treacle said,..."I wanna buy a widdle wabbit"

• So the assistant kneeled down by the rabbit pen, and said,..

• "Which widdle wabbit do you want to take home,

• the widdle bwack one,

• or the fwuffy white one with the pink eyes,

• or that wuvwy bwown one with the long ears?"

• Treacle thought for a moment and leaned over and whispered in the assistant's ear;

• “I don't fink my pyfon really cares!”

Sometimes things are not how they seem:

• These verses that we know so well, possibly quote by heart;

• Are set in a context that you might not expect!

(a). The darkness:

2 The people walking in darkness

have seen a great light;

ill:

• A mother was tucking her small son into bed.

• Outside was a terrible severe thunderstorm.

• She was about to turn the light off when the boy asked in a trembling voice,

• “Mommy ,I’m scared, will you stay with me all night?”

• Smiling, the mother gave him a warm, reassuring hug and said tenderly,

• “I can’t dear. I have to sleep in Daddy’s room.”

• A long silence followed.

• Then a shaky little voice said, “The big sissy!”

IN ISAIAH CHAPTER 9:

• Gods people were living in dark times.

• Israel the northern kingdom and Judah the southern kingdom (split by a civil war).

• Both nations were in darkness.

(a). Dark circumstances:

• Their circumstances were bleak, Assyria the aggressor;

• Had already started invading the north and would soon conquer the whole land.

(b). Dark spiritually:

• Spiritually the nation was walking in darkness;

• Selfishness & sinful actions dominated in the majority of people.

• The early chapters of Isaiah do not make pleasant reading.

Ill:

• Superstitions (2:6),

• Materialism (2:7; 5:8-9),

• Idolatry (2:8,20),

• Arrogance (2: 12-17; 5:15),

• Lack of good leadership (3:1-4),

• Social disintegration (3:56,12-14),

• Sensuality (3:16-26),

• And alcoholism (5:11-13,22).

• And if you keep looking;

• You probably find a whole load of other things going on!

GODS PEOPLE WERE TRULY IN THE DARK AND THERE WAS NO HOPE!

(a). No help in themselves.

• Because they themselves were the problem!

• ill: Like the blind trying to help the blind!

(b). No help in the monarchy.

• The final years of Israel's monarchy were a period of political uncertainty.

• Kings like Shallum and Menahem were quickly assassinated.

• The royal and political leaders of the day were also swamped by darkness;

(c). No hope in their religious leaders.

• Religion had become syncretistic (syn-cret-is-tic);

• A mixture of every conceivable practice of the Canaanites, Assyrians and Egyptians.

• ill: The so called people of God;

• Were even sacrificing children to Molech, the god of the Ammonites;

Question: What could turn the nations hopelessness into hope?

Answer: The answer is not ‘WHAT’ but ‘WHO’!

• The people may have ignored and forgotten the true God,

• But the true God had not ignored or forgotten them!

• And into their situation of darkness,

• God would shine his light and so dispel the darkness.

(B). The light:

ill:

How many Christians does it take to change a light bulb?

• Pentecostal: Ten:

• One to change the bulb & nine to pray against the spirit of darkness

• Presbyterians: None:

• The lights will go off & on at predestined times

• Roman Catholics: None:

• Candles only

• Baptists: At least 15:

• One to change the bulb and three committees to approve the change.

• Anglicans: Nine:

• One to change the bulb and eight to talk about how much better the old one was.

• Amish: None:

• What’s a light bulb?

• Brethren: None:

• What do you mean change!

Isaiah tells these people that light is coming:

• Notice that God’s light did not shine to condemn them,

• But rather to bring them hope.

• The people would not have to dwell on their sin and remain in darkness,

• Instead they could look to the light and find a remedy, a cure in the child to be born!

Question: What could turn the nations hopelessness into hope?

Answer:

• The answer is not ‘WHAT’ but ‘WHO’!

• The birth of a child to the royal house of David.

• Note the contrast in these verses:

• King Ahaz was looking to Assyria (World superpower) for help,