Experiencing the Joy of Christmas-II—Isaiah 8:5—9:7
Attention/Need:
Gloom/Hopelessness/Melancholy/Depression/Despondency—Ahhhhh. The joyous sound of Christmas. These happen when our holiday expectations collide with the reality of squabbling in-laws,dysfunctional family members, whining children, bickering teenagers, hurried gift-searching, depleted bank accounts & maxed-out credit cards.
Christmas is a time when we notice with particular clarity, those without jobs, health, houses, families & their pain is somehow transferred to & felt in our lives. We know their pain & we know the reality of living in a sin-sick world. We know the reality of mental, emotional & physical deprivation. It bears upon us with all its fullness during these times. The joy of others seems so blatantly out of place in the midst of the pain & sorrow this world offers. That’s the reality of Christmas for many people. Christmas is a profoundly sad time for these.
But it does not have to be that way. And it should never be that way. Yes, we are expected as God’s people, to meet the plight of the downtrodden, the helpless the sick, the hurting, the unstable.
If we lived the way we can in Christ, we & others would experience the utter joy of Christmas. Most of the aforementioned despondencies would be done away with, dismissed, dispensed with—not temporarily—but for the rest of our lives & the rest of theirs as well.
There is one factor we absolutely must consider above all others when it comes to dismissing the gloom of our lives. That leveling factor is God thru Christ!
Isaiah described a future state wherein the gloom which had engulfed the people would be dismissed outright.
The gloom of a sin-sick world can be dismissed.
How is the gloom of a sin-sick world to be dismissed?
We have found that 4 keys/undertakings for experiencing the joy of Christmas were to
Choose...
1.The UNASSUMING/Modest over the PRETENTIOUS/OSTENTATIOUS(8:5-10)
2. TRUTH over PARANOIA(8:11-15)
3. the OBVIOUS over OBSCURITY(8:16-18)
4. SIGHT over BLINDNESS(8:19-22)
5—Another key to finding the joy of Christmas is to Choose...
LIGHT over DARKNESS(9:1-2)
Explanation: (9:1-2)
:1—“Nevertheless the gloom will not be upon her who is distressed, As when at first He lightly esteemed The land of Zebulun & the land of Naphtali, And afterward more heavily oppressed her, By the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, In Galilee of the Gentiles.”
The gloom now experienced by the nation(“her”) in distress/anguish is not permanent. This is because God will bring “light” to those who formerly had been dishonored/treated contemptuously in their having been overshadowed/distanced/outpaced by Judah & Israel.
This removal of the gloom & distress will specifically come to effect or rather arise from the areas of Zebulun & Naphtali. These areas were remote from Judah on the northern border of Israel & thus more subject to pagan influence. Thereby they became easy prey for Assyria(Tiglath-pileser) (2Kgs. 15:29) particularly in 733/732BC.
Isaiah’s prophecy specifically focuses & involves the area traveled(“by the way of the sea”)surrounding the Sea of Galilee & “beyond the Jordan”(eastward). It gets even more specific in naming the area as “Galilee” which is considered to be “of the Gentiles.” The Gentiles have a heavy influence upon this area of Israel.
Matthew gives direct application of Isaiah’s words to Jesus’ ministry being centered in Capernaum on the Sea of Galilee.
Mat. 4:13-17—“And leaving Nazareth, He came & dwelt in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the regions of Zebulun & Naphtali, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: “The land of Zebulun & the land of Naphtali, By the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles: The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, And upon those who sat in the region & shadow of death Light has dawned.” From that time Jesus began to preach & to say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.””
From the beginning these areas were dishonored but later He will glorify “the way of the sea.”
“Gloom/Dimness”(Compare 8:22)—Pewm muw`aph—1) Gloom, darkness. Strong—properly, Covered, i.e. Dark; abstractly, Obscurity, i.e. Distress:-- Dimness. From—Pwe `uwph—V.—1) To fly, fly about, fly away; or —N. f.—Gloom.
“Distressed/Vexation/Anguish”—quwm moo-tsak’—1) Constraint, distress. Strong–Narrowness; figuratively, Distress:-- Anguish, is straitened, straitness.
“Lightly esteemed/Lightly afflicted/Treated with contempt/Humbled”—(See 8:21—“Curse”)—llq kaw-lal’—Hiphil perfect—1) To be slight, be swift, be trifling, be of little account, be light—1e)—(Hiphil)—1e1) To make light, lighten, 1e2) To treat with contempt, bring contempt or dishonor. Strong—To be (causatively, make) light, literally (Swift, small, sharp, etc.) or figuratively (Easy, trifling, vile, etc.):-- Abate, make bright, bring into contempt, (ac-)curse, despise, (be) ease(-y, -ier), (be a, make, make somewhat, move, seem a, set) light(-en, -er, -ly, -ly afflict, -ly esteem, thing), X slight[-ly], be swift(-er), (be, be more, make, re-)vile, whet.
“Afterward”—Nwrxa ’acharown—1) Behind, following, subsequent, western. Strong—Hinder; generally, Late or last; specifically (as facing the east) Western:-- After (-ward), to come, following, hind(-er, -ermost, -most), last, latter, reareward, ut(ter)most.
*“More heavily oppressed/More grievously afflict/Make it glorious/Honor”—dbk kaw-bad’—Hiphil perfect—1) To be heavy, be weighty, be grievous, be hard, be rich, be honorable, be glorious, be burdensome, be honored—1e) (Hiphil)—1e1) To make heavy, 1e2) To make heavy, make dull, make unresponsive, 1e3) To cause to be honored.
*Note both legitimate Hiphil translations. Young & Oswalt, etc. & newer Eng. versions opt for “Honor/Glory” vs. “Heaviness/Oppression.” The contrast is contextually appealing. The worsening can be more difficult unless it specifically speaks directly to Israel’s oppression by Assyria & even later by Babylon.
“Beyond”—rbe ay’-ber—1) Region beyond or across, side—1a) Region across or beyond, 1b) Side, opposite side. Strong—properly, A region across; but used only adverbially (with or without a preposition) On the opposite side (especially of the Jordan; usually meaning the east).
:2—“The people who walked in darkness Have seen a great light; Those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, Upon them a light has shined.”
“The people” of Zebulun & Naphtali are the ones who having previously “walked in darkness” have now “seen” a light of no small magnitude.
These very people are the ones who had previously(in the time of this prophecy) “dwelt”(past) in their own land of Israel which land is considered here as with “the land of the shadow of death.” This is spoken of as a fulfilled past event though they are currently in the throws of distress. Even the Light’s shining upon them is spoken of as having been fulfilled because in the reality of God’s time, all things spoken & revealed to man are certain unless a contingency/dependency is specified.
Though they have lived their lives in darkness & misery, because of their separation from God, He still has a certain plan for their future welfare & hope(Jer. 29:11).
This & the verses following describe the joys brought to the people by the shining of the light.
*This is quoted in Matthew’s Gospel 4:16 identifying this with Jesus’ ministry—Mat. 4:16—“The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, And upon those who sat in the region & shadow of death Light has dawned.””
Lk. 8:26—Gadarene demoniac—Lived among tombs—Possessed by Legion—Swine raised there
“Walked/Walk/Walking”—Klh haw-lak’—1) To go, walk, come. Strong—a primitive root; To walk (in a great variety of applications, literally & figuratively).
“Darkness”—Kvx kho-shek’—N. m.—1) Darkness, obscurity—1a) Darkness, 1b) Secret place. Strong—The dark; hence (literally) Darkness; figuratively, Misery, destruction, death, ignorance, sorrow, wickedness:-- Dark(-ness), night, obscurity.
“Great”—lwdg gadowl—1) Great—1a) Large (in magnitude & extent), 1b) In number, 1c) In intensity, 1d) Loud (in sound), 1e) Older (in age), 1f) In importance.
“Light”—rwa ’owr—Light. Strong—Illumination or (concrete) Luminary (in every sense, including lightning, happiness, etc.):-- Bright, clear, + day, light (-ning), morning, sun.
“Dwelt”—bvy yaw-shab’—Qal participle—1) To dwell, remain, sit, abide—1a) (Qal)—1a1) To sit, sit down, 1a2) To be set, 1a3) To remain, stay, 1a4) to dwell, have one’s abode.
“Shadow of death”—twmlu tsal-maw’-veth—1) Death-shadow, deep shadow, deep darkness, shadow of death. Strong—Shade of death, i.e. The grave (figuratively, calamity):-- Shadow of death.
“Shined/Dawned”—hgn naw-gah’—To shine. Strong—To glitter; causatively, To illuminate:-- (en-)lighten, (cause to) shine.
Argumentation/Illustration:
Jn. 8:12—“Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.””
Jn. 1:4-9 “In Him was life, & the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, & the darkness did not comprehend it. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.”
Jn. 12:46-48—““I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness. And if anyone hears My words & does not believe, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. He who rejects Me, & does not receive My words, has that which judges him--the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day.”
Jn. 9:5—““As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.””
Application:
?Have you Chosen the LIGHT of God in Christ?
?Are you Satisfied with that choice?
?Will you Experience the joy of Christmas this year?
6—A key to finding the joy of Christmas is to Choose...
FREEDOM over OPPRESSION(9:3-5)
Explanation: (9:3-5)
:3—“You have multiplied the nation And increased its joy; They rejoice before You According to the joy of harvest, As men rejoice when they divide the spoil.”
In speaking of YaHoVeH (Immanuel) as if He has already come, He will have increased the nation of Israel(true Israel). That is believers will become more numerous as opposed to those choosing to live in darkness of worldliness.
As a result of the increase of saved Israelites, the “joy” of the nation itself will have “increased as well. It is only thru our relationship with God in truth, that any individual or any people can experience real “joy.”
This inner joy causes “the nation” to “rejoice” before their re-discovered God, which they had for centuries, discarded. Their rejoicing will be like that experienced in the joy of harvest—knowing that the harvest is good & its returns are freeing.
Likewise their rejoicing is likened to that experienced at the division of “the spoil.” this would appeal to people who have been oppressed & have spent all their lives on guard & retaliatory against those who hate & oppress them.
“Multiplied”—hbr raw-baw’—1) Be or become great, be or become many, be or become much, be or become numerous. Strong—To increase (in whatever respect).
“Increased”—ldg gaw-dal’—V.—1) To grow, become great or important, promote, make powerful, praise, magnify, do great things.
“Joy”—hxms sim-khaw’—1) Joy, mirth, gladness. Strong—Blithesomeness or glee, (religious or festival):-- X exceeding(-ly), gladness, joy(-fulness), mirth, pleasure, rejoice(-ing).
“Rejoice”—xms saw-makh’—Qal Perfect—1) To rejoice, be glad—1a) (Qal)—1a1) To rejoice, 1a2) To rejoice (arrogantly), exult (at), 1a3) To rejoice (religiously). Strong—probably To brighten up, i.e. (figuratively) Be (causatively, make) blithe or gleesome:-- Cheer up, be (make) glad, (have, make) joy(-ful), be (make) merry, (cause to, make to) rejoice, X very.
“Rejoice”— lyg gheel—1) To rejoice, exult, be glad—1a) (Qal)—1a1) To rejoice, 1a2) To tremble (from fear). Strong—properly, To spin round (under the influence of any violent emotion), i.e. usually Rejoice, or (as cringing) Fear:-- -Be glad, joy, be joyful, rejoice.
“Divide”—qlx khaw-lak’—1) To divide, share, plunder, allot, apportion, assign. Strong—To be smooth (figuratively); by implication (as smooth stones were used for lots) To apportion or separate:-- Deal, distribute, divide, flatter, give, (have, im-)part(-ner), take away a portion, receive, separate self, (be) smooth(-er).
“Spoil”—llv shaw-lawl’—1) Prey, plunder, spoil, booty.
:4—“For You have broken the yoke of his burden And the staff of his shoulder, The rod of his oppressor, As in the day of Midian.”
The joy & rejoicing of the nation newly committed to YaHoVeH (Immanuel) has come to them for the simple reason that YaHoVeH (Immanuel) has Himself “broken the yoke” which had bound them to the pagan/secular world. The people have discovered a love for their God which had been previously non-existent. Their yoke was now formerly(prior to Immanuel) a “burden” to which they had allowed themselves to become ensnared because of their fleshly lusts & trusts(8:6, 12, 19-22).
Their yoke had also been a physical one as other nations—Assyria in Isaiah’s experience—had placed a burden upon the people. The picture is of hard forced labor with a staff to their back. The slavery was not unlike that the nation experienced “in the day of Midian.” This describes the time of Gideon. Jud. 6:1-6, 11 describes the Midianite oppression in some detail & the fear in which Israel eked out its livelihood.
“Yoke”—le `ol—Strong—A yoke (as imposed on the neck), literally or figuratively:-- Yoke.
“Burden”—lbo soob-bawl’—1) Burden, load. Used 3X.
“Staff”—hjm mat-teh’—1) Staff, branch, tribe. Strong—A branch (as extending); figuratively, A tribe; also a rod, whether for Chastising (figuratively, correction), Ruling (a sceptre), Throwing (a lance), or Walking (a staff; figuratively, a support of life, e.g. bread):-- Rod, staff, tribe.
“Shoulder”—Mkv shek-em’—1) Shoulder, back—1a) shoulder, shoulder-blade, 1b) back (in general). Strong—The neck (between the shoulders) as the place of burdens; figuratively, The spur of a hill:-- Back, X consent, portion, shoulder.
“Rod”—jbv shay’-bet—1) Rod, staff, branch, offshoot, club, sceptre, tribe. Strong—from an unused root probably meaning to branch off; A scion, i.e. (literally) A stick (for punishing, writing, fighting, ruling, walking, etc.) or (figuratively) A clan:-- X correction, dart, rod, sceptre, staff, tribe.
“Oppressor”—sgn naw-gas’—V.—1) To press, drive, oppress, exact, exert demanding pressure. Strong—To drive (an animal, a workman, a debtor, an army); by implication, To tax, harass, tyrannize:-- Distress, driver, exact(-or), oppress(-or), X raiser of taxes, taskmaster.
:5—“For every warrior’s sandal from the noisy battle, And garments rolled in blood, Will be used for burning & fuel of fire.”
Now the result of Immanuel’s appearance is brought far beyond even our time today. It is brought to the beginning of the blending of all things into eternity. Every aspect of the furtherance of war will cease among God’s people. The very gear of the warrior & the blood-soaked garments will be destroyed as they will be used instead as “fuel” for fire. There will thus be an “end to the warfare upon which oppression rests.”—J. N. Oswalt
“Every warrior’s sandal” is Lit.—“Every boot stamping/tramping”—or— “boot, booting with shaking.”
“Warrior’s”—Nao saw-an’—V.—1) (Qal) To tread, tramp. Strong—To be miry; used only as denominative; To shoe, i.e. (active participle) A soldier shod:-- Warrior.
“Sandal”—Nwao seh-own’—N. m.—Sandal, boot(of soldier). Strong—perhaps A military boot (as a protection from mud:-- Battle. Used 1X.
Argumentation:
Lk. 4:16-19—“So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, & stood up to read. And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written[Isa. 61]: “The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD.””
Ga 2:2-5—“And I went up by revelation, & communicated to them that gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but privately to those who were of reputation, lest by any means I might run, or had run, in vain. Yet not even Titus who was with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised. And this occurred because of false brethren secretly brought in (who came in by stealth to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage), to whom we did not yield submission even for an hour, that the truth of the gospel might continue with you.”
Gal. 5:1, 13-18—“Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, & do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.”.....“For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” But if you bite & devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another! I say then: Walk in the Spirit, & you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, & the Spirit against the flesh; & these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.”
Rom. 6:17-23—“But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness, & of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness. For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. But now having been set free from sin, & having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, & the end, everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
1Cor. 7:29-35—“But this I say, brethren, the time is short, so that from now on even those who have wives should be as though they had none, those who weep as though they did not weep, those who rejoice as though they did not rejoice, those who buy as though they did not possess, & those who use this world as not misusing it. For the form of this world is passing away. But I want you to be without care. He who is unmarried cares for the things of the Lord--how he may please the Lord. But he who is married cares about the things of the world--how he may please his wife. There is a difference between a wife & a virgin. The unmarried woman cares about the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body & in spirit. But she who is married cares about the things of the world--how she may please her husband. And this I say for your own profit, not that I may put a leash on you, but for what is proper, & that you may serve the Lord without distraction.”
2Cor. 3:17—“....where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.”
Illustration:
What drove our forefathers to ratify our US Constitution?/FREEDOM from Oppression
Application:
?Have you Chosen the FREEDOM of God in Christ?
?Are you Satisfied with that choice?
?Will you Experience the joy of Christmas this year?
7—A key to finding the joy of Christmas is to Choose...
The PRINCE of LIFE over The PRINCE of the POWER of the AIR (9:6-7)
Explanation: (9:6-7)
:6—“For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
A great light from Galilee is promised to those who have refused(false prophets, arrogance) God’s light(8:20). The oppressor of God’s people will be broken. This will occur for one reason....
“For unto us a Child is born,”
A male child will be born thru whom the oppression will end in some way. The Mystery of Christ is opened wide.
“Us”——
—Unqualified. Context suggests Israel &/or any whose yokes(spiritual) will be broken by this promised Son—A concept hinted at in this Child’s titles.
“Child”—dly yeled yeh’-led—Child, son, boy, offspring, youth.
—Immediate confirmation of the human nature of the coming Messiah. The One thru whom the yoke of oppression is broken(:3-4).
“Born”—dly yalad yaw-lad’—To bear, bring forth, beget, gender, travail.
—Not conceived but born as any other person on earth.
“Unto us a Son is given;”
This birth yields a “Son”. The son is “given”. Thus He is a gift of God for “us”, the oppressed. For anyone oppressed of spirit, the Son is the answer!
“Son”—Nb ben bane—Son, grandson, child, member of a group.
“Given”—Ntn nathan naw-than’—Niphal—To be given, be bestowed, be provided, be entrusted to, be granted to, be permitted, be issued, be published, be uttered, be assigned—To be set, be put, be made, be inflicted.
“And the government will be upon His shoulder.”
This Child/Son will Himself bear the weight of true government. He will oppose the oppressors. Their oppressive government will give way to His.
“Government”—hrsm misrah mis-raw’—Rule, dominion, government.
“And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.””
This Son/child will hold our attention by at least four titles describing the character of His ability & rule.
“Wonderful Counselor”—Uewy alp—Wonderful—alp pele’ peh’-leh—Wonder, marvel(extraordinary, a thing hard to understand)— & Counselor—Uey ya`ats yaw-ats’—To advise, consult, give counsel, counsel, purpose, devise, plan.
Jn. 14:26—““But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.”
“Mighty God”—la rwbg—Mighty—rwbg gibbowr ghib-bore’—Strong, mighty.— & —God—la ’el ale—God, god-like, mighty one.
—The Child which God gives to the downtrodden, will Himself be God. & not just any God but One who is has ability above others.
Joh 1:1-4—“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.”
“Everlasting Father”—deyba—Everlasting— de `ad ad—— & —Father—ba ’ab awb—Father of an individual—Head or founder of a household, group, family, or clan.
—He will bear many children, thru the Gospel. See 8:18(Heb. 2:13).
Rom. 8:15-18—“For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, & if children, then heirs--heirs of God & joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together. For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.”
“Prince of Peace”—Mwlv-rs—Prince— rs sar sar—Prince, ruler, leader, chief, chieftain, official, captain— & —Peace—Mwlv shalowm shaw-lome’—Completeness, soundness, welfare, peace.
—He is the owner of the peace which He will bring. It is thru Him that the peace comes.
Jn. 14:27—““Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”
Jn. 16:33—““These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.””
Mat. 11:28—““Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
:7—“Of the increase of His government & peace There will be no end, Upon the throne of David & over His kingdom, To order it & establish it with judgment & justice From that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.”
This child is also a King. However He is no ordinary king for His “government” & the “peace” brought by it never end. The government & peace which He ushers in will never cease &/or it may be invincible.
The reign of this Child will be upon an already established throne in Israel...that of David. Thus the child will be from the tribe of Judah. Thus David’s kingdom will not end.
Ps. 89:31-37—“If they break My statutes And do not keep My commandments, Then I will punish their transgression with the rod, And their iniquity with stripes. Nevertheless My lovingkindness I will not utterly take from him, Nor allow My faithfulness to fail. My covenant I will not break, Nor alter the word that has gone out of My lips. Once I have sworn by My holiness; I will not lie to David: His seed shall endure forever, And his throne as the sun before Me; It shall be established forever like the moon, Even like the faithful witness in the sky.” Selah”
God’s kingdom thru David will be set up & sustained to uphold God’s legal righteousness.
God’s personal zealousness for His creation’s, & particularly man’s, righteousness will bring about His giving of this child-God-king. God’s zeal is established in those things of His choosing rather than those of man’s choosing.
1Sam. 16:6-7—“So it was, when they came, that he looked at Eliab & said, “Surely the LORD’S anointed is before Him.” But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have refused him. For the LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.””
“Increase”—hbrm mar-beh’—Abundance, increase
—This child’s government/dominion will overshadow all others & will be ubiquitous. It will reach into every corner of every person’s life.
“Government”—See :6—hrsm mis-raw’—Rule, dominion, government.
“Peace”—See :6—Mwlv shaw-lome’—Completeness, soundness, welfare, peace.
“Kingdom”—hklmm mam-law-kaw’—Kingdom, dominion, reign, sovereignty.
“Order”—Nwk koon—Hiphil—To establish, set up, accomplish, do, make firm—To fix, make ready, prepare, provide, provide for, furnish—to direct toward—to arrange, order.
“Establish”—deo saw-ad’—To support, sustain, stay, establish, strengthen, comfort.
“Judgment”—jpvm mish-pawt’—Justice, judgment, ordinance, legal decision, legal right or privilege, proper, fitting, measure, fitness, custom, manner, plan.
“Justice”—hqdu tsed-aw-kaw’—Justice, righteousness.
“Zeal”—hanq kin-aw’—Ardour, zeal, jealousy.
“Perform”—hse aw-saw’—To do, work, make, produce.
Argumentation:
Jn. 11:25-26—“Jesus said to her[Martha], “I am the resurrection & the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives & believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?””
Jn. 14:6—“Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, & the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”
Col. 3:4—“When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.”
1Jn. 5:10-12—“He who believes in the Son of God has the witness in himself; he who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed the testimony that God has given of His Son. And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, & this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.”
1Jn. 4:4—“You are of God, little children, & have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.”
Illustration:
Abortion/Government okays it, sanctions it, pays for it/Do we trust that decision or go elsewhere for our guidance?/PRINCE of LIFE
Application:
?Have you Chosen Jesus, the PRINCE of LIFE?
?Are you Satisfied with that choice?
?Will you Experience the joy of Christmas this year?
CONCLUSION:
Visualization:
Christmas doldrums
Action:
7 keys to finding the joy of Christmas are to Choose...
1.The UNASSUMING/Modest over the PRETENTIOUS/OSTENTATIOUS(8:5-10)
2. TRUTH over PARANOIA(8:11-15)
3. the OBVIOUS over OBSCURITY(8:16-18)
4. SIGHT over BLINDNESS(8:19-22)
5. LIGHT over DARKNESS(9:1-2)
6. FREEDOM over OPPRESSION(9:3-5)
7. The PRINCE of LIFE over The PRINCE of the POWER of the AIR (9:6-7)
Lk. 2:25-32—“And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, & this man was just & devout, waiting for the Consolation of Israel, & the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. So he came by the Spirit into the temple. And when the parents brought in the Child Jesus, to do for Him according to the custom of the law, he took Him up in his arms & blessed God & said: “Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace, According to Your word; For my eyes have seen Your salvation Which You have prepared before the face of all peoples, A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, And the glory of Your people Israel.””
Presented 12/12/2010pm to:
Needmore Baptist Church
1620Mt. Vernon Rd.
Woodleaf, NC 27054
