The Isaiah Oracles - 2
December 6, 2009
Isaiah 9:1-7
Last week we began looking at the first of many prophecies a prophet named Isaiah. These are prophecies which occurred around 740 B.C., which means they were about 740 years before Christ was born and about 2750 years ago. Many of Isaiah’s prophecies were about the coming of Jesus and who He would be.
During part of the time that Isaiah was a prophet, the king of Judah was a godless man named Ahaz. Isaiah had the burden of proclaiming God’s truth while his nation eroded before his eyes under the leadership of King Ahaz.
Ahaz was the godless 20-something year old king of Judah who faced a national crisis. For the Jewish people it was just like the title of the book Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very bad Day. Nothing good was happening, in fact it was getting worse and worse by the day. Judah was being threatened in two ways: internally, they were morally and spiritually rotting; and externally, the impending attack from multiple enemy armies was creating wide-spread panic.
In this desperate time, Isaiah was sent by God to share with Ahaz some amazing and unbreakable promises from God. The northern kingdom of Israel had aligned with Syria and they were ready to attack Judah, along with the super-power, Assyria. There was no way out, so Ahaz was going to form an alliance with his greatest enemy, Assyria, but God said don’t do it.
As we saw last week, God wanted to show Ahaz that God had all the power, so in Isaiah 7, God went out of His way to tell Ahaz to ask for any miracle he can think of, so that he would really believe in God. But Ahaz refused, so through Isaiah, God tells Ahaz and all of the people standing with him, that a virgin will give birth to a child and his name will be Immanuel. It’s a sign of the Savior who was to come 740 years later.
Along with this great sign was the warning to Ahaz, in Isaiah 7:9, If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all. The point was clear, God would rescue the people if they and most especially their king would stand firm, not using his resources, but using the main resource each of us should hold onto, our faith in God. In other words, ‘Ahaz, if you don’t trust and follow me, everything you’re trying to do will unravel.’
Ahaz was at a crossroads, choose God’s grace or choose His wrath. You would think that this young man who had been raised to love and trust the Lord would grab a the offer and run to Him for refuge and lead his nation back from disaster. Instead, Ahaz shoved God to the sideline, trading His presence and power for an alliance with the pagan nation of Assyria.
And so it was that the sun began to set for southern kingdom of Judah. To put it as Romans 1 does, Ahaz and those who followed him suppressed the truth, so they would experience God’s wrath because of their ungodliness and unrighteousness.
Chapter 8 of Isaiah’s prophecy details how this happened, as despair and gloom descended on Judah. Ahaz and the majority of the people of Judah had departed from God; so God handed them over to their sin and to their enemies. Already, the northern-most part of Israel had been destroyed by the Assyrians.
As it became clear that the godless plans of Ahaz were failing, people turned more and more to superstition and the occult to find hope. 2 Kings 16 tells us Ahaz even gave his son as an offering to the false gods of the Canaanites. It was a time of moral darkness, frustration, anger, and hopelessness under the judgment of God.
I really want you to consider what I’m about to ask you:
When people move away from the Lord, is judgment God’s only response to ungodliness and unrighteousness? Is that all we should expect? Do we say, “God is judging us. We’re doomed.” Is that God’s only response and option?
The resounding and repeated answer throughout the Bible is “No!” God warns us and exhorts us to turn to Him and flee the coming destruction. He woos us with His kindness. He makes a way to deal with our sin. He builds a highway that leads us back to Himself. And when by grace we see it for ourselves, it is the greatest news we’ve ever heard!
Something happens to Isaiah between Chapters 8 and 9. Right in the midst of describing what they can expect as a result of their rebellion against God, the Holy Spirit sort of fast-forwards time for Isaiah. Suddenly, the prophet sees the future God will bring, and the contrasts to the present gloom in Judah are so fantastic, amazing and powerful. We can’t help but celebrate the words from Isaiah 9.
In the summer of 1741, a 56-year old composer was suffering from poor health following a stroke and was in terrible financial difficulty. He was at the low point of his musical career. He wanted to do something different than his previous works, and had spent a great deal of time reading the Bible. The Scriptures too hold of him, and he began writing music that matched the glory and meaning of the Bible.
Twenty-four days later, George Frederick Handel had finished The Messiah. We all know the majesty of The Hallelujah Chorus that concludes this masterpiece. But you should know that the 12th song of the first movement captures the exuberant joy of Isaiah 9:2-7. It was the message of hope from God to the people.
Instead of the present darkness and doom in Judah, Isaiah said ~ The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned. (9:2)
Instead of the fears and the tears in this struggling nation, Isaiah thanks God saying: You 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 (9:3)
Instead of bondage, as thousands are taken prisoners of war by the Assyrians, Isaiah describes For 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.(9:4).
Instead of constant war, Isaiah sees the end of war: Every warrior's boot used in battle and every garment rolled in blood will be destined for burning, will be fuel for the fire. (9:5)
Right in the middle of pronouncements of God’s much-deserved wrath, with wars and rumors of wars swirling in Judah, Isaiah describes the great reversal for sinners. Light will come into their darkness. The fears and futility, the bondage and the guilt would be taken away. Joy in God will overtake those who once resisted and rebelled against God. And complete victory over every enemy will come for people who deserved the worst from a perfectly holy God.
Who is this glorious and powerful Hero, who does for us what we could never do for ourselves? How will we know how to find Him? Isaiah tells us!
6 For to 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.
7 Of 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.
God’s plan is a Person, a Messianic ruler unlike any other world leader. He is both human – a child will be born; and He is divine – a son will be given. The government will be upon his shoulders, meaning He rules as a King. Four titles tells us the character of this God-man who is a King, and they build upon one another.
Call Him Wonderful Counselor.
Literally, “wonder of a counselor,” and the word wonderful means “marvelous, extraordinary, beyond the normal capacity to perform.” In other words, the counsel of this God-man transcends human wisdom. He doesn’t need or want my counsel or any other’s.
Romans 11:34 reminds us that His judgments and ways are unsearchably deep. Paul asks, "For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been His counselor?" And the question still hangs in the air to this day because He is the supernatural counselor. He’s in a class by Himself. In any situation, in every challenge, He knows exactly what needs to be done. His plan of action is infallibly, wonderfully right. If you’re looking for guidance in life, let me introduce you to a wonder of a counselor! But He’s not only a wonderful counselor, we also . . .
Call Him . . . Mighty God.
Literally, this title is “the heroic, strong God.” This child is God’s Son, the Second Person of the Trinity and possessor of all the power of God. He is omnipotent, which means all powerful. He was and is and will be, He is without beginning and never ends. He always was and always will be. He is our Mighty God.
If you tie this title to the previous one, it means that this God-become-man possesses the ability to carry out to the full all that His brilliant plans call for. That’s why He is able to say, My plan will take place, and I will do all my will. (Isaiah 46:10) In fact, this King is so powerful that He can handle and take all the evil thrown at Him until none is left to throw, and still defeat His enemy!
And in this frustrating world, where were prone to grow weak and tired, we need a King who will be awake all night while we recuperate in sleep, a Champion who is strong enough to keep His word, and a Savior who is mighty enough to break the power of sin in our lives. Call Him Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God. And …
Call Him Everlasting Father.
Some translate this title as “Father-Forever.” This child will be a father to me in the best of ways — loving, self-sacrificing, always looking out for my best. Psalm 103:13 says: As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear and revere Him. Fatherly compassion from this king will never come to an end. He is my Father-Forever.
Mingle this title with the two previous ones, and you realize that the effective plans of my Wonderful Counselor will always have my best as the goal, and the power to accomplish those plans will always be perfect, even when I don’t understand His plans. He will carry me along in a deep, loving involvement in my life. That’s what it means to have a Father-Forever. And we will also . . .
Call Him Prince of peace.
He will over-match all His enemies, He will conquer the hearts of His people, He will start something as a child that will never stop growing, and He will do all this without brute force, but by disarming His enemies with the most powerful weapon . . . love. And through His love, He will bring peace.
The wondrous plans of my Counselor, who has all it takes to accomplish His designs, will only and always do what is right and best for me, and will never force me to submit to Him. Instead He woos and wins me with love which is so powerful, and amazing. He gets me with His kindness, His faithfulness, His goodness, His patience and His grace, among His innumerable characteristics. He leads me to the power where I want to do His will. Where I live to follow Him.
Isaiah saw Him coming, the One who would be God’s answer for sinners like you and me. He saw Jesus, the Wonderful Counselor, He came with wisdom and purpose, with a perfect plan. Follow Him.
As the Mighty God, He will accomplish all His purposes. The devil threw everything he had at Jesus and couldn’t thwart God’s plans through Christ. Hide behind Him.
As the Everlasting Father, He loves us endlessly. Enjoy being in His presence.
And as the Prince of Peace, He reconciles us while we are still his enemies. Trust Him and welcome His rule.
Friends, I give you the world’s final and greatest King, the King to end all kings, whose kingdom and peace will never stop expanding. I give you the Rescuer that we all need. I give you the Leader we all long for. I give you the answer to the heart’s great questions. I give you Jesus!
