Pictures of hope
Text Isaiah 9: 2- 7 (NIV)
Introduction
Last week in our first Sunday of Advent, we looked at Noah and Abraham, two of the Patriarchs of whom the first candle of the advent wreath is said by some to signify. We looked at the promises God made to them and how those promises, in particular the one made in the covenant with Abraham were pointers of promise of the first coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Earlier in the service we lit the second candle on our advent wreath, this candle, based on the same school of thought that regards the first to signify the Patriarchs, is said to represent the prophets and if the patriarchs can be described as being pointers of promise, then I believe the words of the prophets, in particular Isaiah can paint pictures of hope. The first picture of hope is that of a...
Light to live by
Turn with me again to this morning’s main bible text, verse 2 & 3 reads
“2 The people walking in darkness
have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of deep darkness
a light has dawned. 3 You have enlarged the nation
and increased their joy;
they rejoice before you
as people rejoice at the harvest,
as warriors rejoice
when dividing the plunder.”
Of all the elements that form the basis of life on this planet, none are as important as light, nothing on earth can live without it. Apart from the fact that light is essential to life on earth it is also important in many other ways. We use it to find our way; we use it to warn of dangers, it gives heat and in its most concentrated form can cut through metal and be used to remove unwanted or life threatening growths within our own bodies. Light is also one of the most important factors in painting pictures.
God had a very special relationship with the people of Israel but that relationship was never meant to ignore everyone else. God knew that his chosen people- the people of the covenant, were in need of light. That was the purpose of the Torah, in Psalm 119: 105 we read “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.” It became evident; however, that Israel needed an even greater light, because as they stumbled through history to live out God’s purposes for them as a nation, even the illumination of Moses’ law had grown dim. Despite the best efforts of the prophets and priests, the people of Israel constantly stumbled in their efforts to be the people of God.
Light was also a provision for the Gentiles, if the people of Israel were the people of the covenant then all peoples were the people of promise as we read last week in Genesis 22: 18 “18 and through your offspring[b] all nations on earth will be blessed,[c] because you have obeyed me.”
Isaiah, more than most prophets was the champion of what the theologian J. I. Packer describes as God’s “cosmic generosity”. Isaiah’s prophecy is a mark of God’s commitment not only to Israel, who lived by the lamp the lamp of the Torah but also to those who lived in outer darkness, a deep darkness that was the total unawareness that they were already the objects of God’s incessant love. God’s intention was clear: those who stood outside the covenant relationship, whether nation or individual were to be harmonised into his purposes. Eventually the great wall of separation was to be shattered and everyone in every nation and culture would have access to the great light, as we read in John 1: 3- 5 “3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome[a] it.” As a result of this great light, nations would experience unrestrained joy, like that which farmer’s sense following a great harvest. This picture of hope is one of recognition that God is for everyone and is an important lesson for us in the church today, those of us who have truly received the living light of Christ have a responsibility to allow that light to shine outside of the walls of this building and into the lives of those walking in the darkness outside so that they too can gaze upon and receive this picture of hope.
Our second picture of hope is that of wise counsel, in verse 6 we read
“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 Counsellor...”
In chapter 2 verses 41 onwards of Luke’s gospel, he tells the story of how on one occasion after celebrating the Passover Feast in Jerusalem, Mary and Joseph set off for home unaware that the twelve year old Jesus had stayed behind in Jerusalem. Only after travelling for a day, did they realise that Jesus was not in the family party and anxiously set off to retrace their steps in order to find him. Three days later they arrived back at the temple courts and there he was, large as life sitting amongst the teachers, listening to them and asking questions. In verse 47 we read how “Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers.” In verses 48 onwards we read “48 When his parents saw him, they were astonished. His mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.”
49 “Why were you searching for me?” he asked. “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?”[a] 50 But they did not understand what he was saying to them.”
They shouldn’t really have been surprised, as the boy grew it must have been evident that he had a maturity and wisdom beyond his years. At times he made adults uncomfortable by his penetrating questions and insights, he was so young and yet so old.
That’s what Isaiah saw: a child on whom the responsibility of government rested. The child would be known as a wise counsellor. In those days child kings were not uncommon but would have been surrounded by chaperones and counsellors. Isaiah would have been familiar with Uzziah, who ascended the throne at the age of sixteen and left the throne fifty two years later as a leper. He would have known of Solomon who came to the throne ‘young and inexperienced’ but asked God for wisdom, however, like Uzziah who came after him, Solomon’s reign though starting well ended in disaster.
For Isaiah to prophesy the coming of a king whose wisdom and righteousness would last for infinity was quite a promise but in the Messiah, Isaiah foresaw more than just a powerful king he saw also a wonderful counsellor. Jesus as Counsellor ensures a rule with people in mind, not just a king over the kingdom but also a counsellor to the people in that kingdom. His power guarantees his authority as ruler but his counsel will show his sovereign care for his subjects, a king as a counsellor is a very precious picture of hope.
The idea that our King is also our Counsellor is quite incredible, kingship as with any form of mass authority can be very impersonal and detached from the people for whom it has responsibility for. When I was in training at William Booth College, I was greatly impressed by the fact that our Territorial Commander, Commissioner John Matear , a man who has many officers and staff under his authority knew all of not only our session but also those of other sessions that at passed through the college during his leadership by name and noticed if for some reason we were not present during spiritual days. It gave me a confidence that at Territorial Leadership level at least, we had a leader who was concerned for our welfare, it was also quite an uncomfortable feeling that my Cadetship and subsequent Officership was also very much open to scrutiny. On an Infinite level we can have an even greater confidence that we have a King who knows each one of us by name and whose wisdom is at our disposal, should we ask it of him. By the same token we shouldn’t assume that having a King who is a Counsellor is always meant to be a comfortable experience; the child turned adult King can still be as uncomfortable and bemusing as the young boy in the temple.
It’s not just what he knows that makes his counsel wise but often the questions he asks of us which makes it so effective. Wise counsel doesn’t always console us but it will always guide us. To sit in this counsellor’s presence can be as demanding as it is empowering. Our “Wonderful Counsellor” will point us in the right direction in times of uncertainty, he may also point us to the right people when we have run out of ideas. His counsel will goad us into right behaviour or say nothing at all, leaving us to apply his grace to our own wisdom and experience but if we are willing to listen he is always wonderfully wise whatever path he leads us into.
Our third picture of hope is one of “Endless parenting”, again in verse six we read “And he will be called... Everlasting Father”
Unfortunately we read all too often of gun and knife crime and gang violence, in 2007 following the gunning down of five young men in London and Manchester’s Moss Side in the space of ten days during February of that year, galvanised the Chief of the Metropolitan Police, stirred the Home Secretary and pushed the then Prime Minister to make new notice for the punishment of gun crime, it also resulted in a prayer walk around London and was front page and TV headline news for over a week.
This resulted in numerous articles and interviews on the subject, when questioned, most of the young people involved said that the gangs had become their families, this response caused shock and alarm when the general population learned of the extent to which older and more experienced criminals had become surrogate parents for young men who were desperate for role models.
Biblical response to fatherhood is about much more than gender, there is something radical about the idea that God, the creator of the universe presenting himself to his creatures as Father, but so he is. Fatherhood begins as a genetic and biological reality, God is Father in the sense that he is the source of our being, we are all God’s children simply because we exist.
There are three important aspects about the Messiah as Father we should consider.
First, fatherhood in the Bible is about spiritual ancestry and historic identity, this is why the Jews argued against Jesus that Abraham was their father. Paul explained however, that Abraham has become the father of everyone who puts their faith in God through Jesus Christ (Romans 4: 11). Secondly, if we take the example of Joseph in Egypt (Genesis 45: 8), fatherhood also describes the relationship between a wise counsellor and his leader. Thirdly, fatherhood is about caring. In the Jewish context, fatherhood made no sense without the concept of caring, which is why the story of the Prodigal Son was such a powerful illustration of a loving father (Luke 15: 11- 32)
This was what Isaiah was describing in presenting the Messiah’s eternal fatherhood, he is our eternal source of wisdom and belonging, everything comes from him as the source of life itself. Our spiritual ancestry clearly comes from him as our source of salvation (John 1: 12- 14)
To have a father who is living is one thing but to have a Father who lives forever is quite another.
For some the idea of God as our Father doesn’t sit easily, far too often we hear of fathers who either abuse their children, or simply abandon them. We hear of fathers who are malfunctioning through drink or drug abuse or who simply do not pay attention to their children because of other distractions such as work because their careers have taken over their lives, sadly even some ministers of religion fall into this category (though often it is entirely unintentional) because of the demands of the calling they answered.
I myself, did not have a very good relationship with my Dad, it wasn’t because he was cruel or abused me in any way, he just never seemed to want to pay any attention or spend any time with me, at least until I had grown up and could afford to pay for his nights out, yet I would still feel that he looked upon me as a disappointment. That relationship thankfully grew stronger towards the end of his life, as he nursed my mum through her illness but I have very few happy childhood memories of him.
As Everlasting Father, Jesus, our role model is a true picture of hope. Always ready to listen, never too busy to care and ever present in time of need. His fatherly advice is not always what we want to hear but it is always what we need to hear.
Our final picture of hope is the fact that we have a very big God. Again in verse six we read “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 Counsellor, Mighty God...”
Someone once said that God created man in his own image, then man returned the compliment!
Our image of God is clouded by our finite minds, ingenious as we are, we lock ourselves into small chambers of reality when compared to God’s immense greatness. No matter how many words we use, our language and imagination fail us when trying to understand the mind of God but more importantly it fails God. This is why the Bible warns us against replicating God’s image or using his name in vain, Jewish people would not even speak his name. Our God is beyond measure, as the universe is apparently infinite, God is even greater.
However, in Isaiah’s vision of the future a baby would become God’s co- equal as Mighty God.
If it is true that people can make God in their image, Christians need to beware, especially at this time of Advent. Ironically there is no other time of the year when we are more likely to forget that the baby laid in the manger at Bethlehem is also mighty. In doing so we can so easily construct a helpless Jesus whose sovereignty becomes limited to our own notions of who we would prefer him to be. The truth is that our mighty God, sovereign Creator of all the universe, saw the mess his creation had got itself into but loved us so much that he gave up the throne of heaven to step down to be born as a baby and live amongst us and then paid the ultimate price for our sins by taking them upon himself on the cross at Calvary. A sacrifice that we didn’t earn or deserve but one he chose out of love and that is a true Picture of hope this advent.
Shall we pray?
