Hope Has Come Part 1 Series

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Series Christmas: Hope has Come – The promise has been delivered!

Scripture: Isaiah 9:1-7

Isaiah 9 - To Us a Child Is Born is prophesied 700 years before Jesus’ birth:

1Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future, he will honor Galilee of the Gentiles, by the way of the sea, along the Jordan— 2The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned. 3You have enlarged the nation and increased their joy; they rejoice before you as people rejoice at the harvest, as men rejoice when dividing the plunder. 4For as in the day of Midian’s defeat, you have shattered the yoke that burdens them, the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor. 5Every warrior’s boot used in battle and every garment rolled in blood will be destined for burning, will be fuel for the fire.6For us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this.

Background on Isaiah:

This verse is a promise of what God will do through Jesus the Messiah – when this promise was given to Israel (To God’s People) things looked dark and hopeless. But God wanted the people to know there was a light coming it would show up about 700 years later – there was hope coming to deliver them out of their darkness and despair. Yes, death was haunting them, and darkness have engulfed them, but God promises a Hope that will snatch them from the darkness, from bondage and from death. They are also promised that joy is coming – it will return – that rejoicing will return to their lives when this promise of the child is fulfilled – when this hope has arrived – with the child will come peace and a Savior! This Hope will deliver them from the oppressor, and He will become known as a Wonderful Counselor – The Mighty God – An Everlasting Father and The Prince of Peace!

How will this all happen? In other words how will Hope come to God’s People? The Lord says it will happen by the zeal of the Lord.

Zeal: Refers to a fervent, righteous passion for something, such as God's honor and justice. An example is when Phinehas' zealous act to defend God's honor was credited to him as righteousness (Numbers 25:11). The Hebrew word for "zeal" is ??????? (qin'ah). When referring to the "zeal of the Lord," the phrase is ??????? ???? (kin'at Adonai). This term encompasses a range of intense, passionate emotions and shows how God will wage war on the darkness to bring Hope to this world through His divine child – The Savior – He will deliver the people from their sin, and from their bondage – the oppressor’s yoke will be broke off the people of God by the awesome power of this Child! This powerful child!

Listen carefully to Isaiah this is the Promise of Hope and Jesus fulfilled this promise to God’s people about 2,025 years ago when he was born as a baby in a manger – in Bethlehem! He literally fulfilled this promise and prophecy when he died on the cross and ascended Heaven see Revelation 5!

The prophet Isaiah and other OT prophets were given amazing revelations from God, and it is hard to know what they must have been thinking when communicating this revelation to the people. Sometimes they warned of judgment for disobedience, and other times proclaimed news of the coming Messiah. This set of verses from Isaiah instilled into the people of God a Divine Hope – that was coming – This Hope would set them free from the darkness!

It's important to note: The prophets like Isaiah were given special and amazing visions that they were to communicate to the people of God what they saw and heard - for example see Isa 6:1-8:

Isaiah’s Cleansing and Call

1It was in the year King Uzziah died that I saw the Lord. He was sitting on a lofty throne, and the train of his robe filled the Temple.

2Attending him were mighty seraphim, each having six wings. With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew.