So I am reading War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy right now. When you undertake some task as crazy as reading War and Peace, you have to work it into conversations as often as you can. Anyway, War and Peace is set during the Napoleonic wars from about 1803-1815. The book really makes the point that these wars shaped the mindset, politics, religion, and pretty much everything during this time. You see, the problem was that France was the center of culture, even two hundred years ago. People in the upper class in Russia spoke French (I didn’t know that), drank French wine, read French writers, and wore French clothes. And then Napoleon happens and suddenly Russia was at war with its cultural role model. This causes all sorts of interesting dynamics.
So, I just went through 1809 in the book, War and Peace, and even though I was not alive in 1809, I am sure that most of the world thought that the French invasion of Austria was the most important thing going on in 1809. But it wasn’t. Not even close. There were other things happening in 1809 that would have a far bigger impact on the world than an insignificant trifle like the Napoleonic wars: babies were being born.
1809 was a big year for babies. Three brilliant and hugely influential writers were born in 1809, whose work is still read and studied today: Edgar Allen Poe and Oliver Wendell Holmes, born just a few miles apart in Boston, Massachusettes, and Alfred “Lord” Tennyson in England. It’s hard to estimate just how much these three authors changed the literary world. Another baby was born in England in 1809 who had an even greater impact than any of those three authors and his name was Charles Darwin. Whether you agree with his theories or not, it’s hard to imagine a person who has had a greater impact on the world of biology over the last two hundred years than Charles Darwin. But probably eclipsing all of those men, one more baby was born in 1809 in a little log cabin in Kentucky. Abraham Lincoln was also born in 1809 and it is hard to imagine a person who has had a larger impact on this country than him.
Here’s my point. If you would have asked anyone on the street in 1809 what is the most important thing going on in the world today, they would have probably all pointed the Napoleonic war. But they would have been wrong. The most important events in 1809 didn’t happen on the battlefield, they happened in the cradle.
This same phenomenon happened a little over 2,000 years ago in the middle east. The Roman Empire was at its peak and had a tight grip over a massive number of people. Power shifted back and forth between different local rulers that the Romans set up to keep the peace and everyone thought that was the most important thing in the world. But the most important event was the birth of a baby boy in a little town about 5 miles outside of Jerusalem.
Just to show how important this baby’s birth was, the birth announcement was sent 700 years before the baby was born.
Isaiah 9:1-7
1 Nevertheless the dimness shall not be such as was in her vexation,
When at the first he lightly afflicted the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali,
And afterward did more grievously afflict her by the way of the sea,
Beyond Jordan, in Galilee of the nations.
2 The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light:
They that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.
In chapter 8, Isaiah wrote about the darkness that had descended on Judah. This darkness was the direct result of God’s people choosing to reject God’s offer of help and protection. The final verse of chapter 8 seemed to spiral down into darkness and dimness. But now, in chapter 9, the first verse picks right up and sounds out a message of hope. Isaiah reminds the people that the darkness (dimness) they are experiencing is going to be dealt with. Unfortunately, the King James translators did a poor job of translating this verse. Isaiah is saying that that the dimness is not going to last. In the time of Judah’s vexation, things got pretty dim, but that dimness was going to be changed into light. At first, Zebulun and Naphtali (two regions based on two of the tribes of Israel) would be afflicted (this area would prove to be the first part of the country to fall to the Assyrians). But the light affliction would be like nothing compared to the glory that would come from beyond Jordan, from Galilee. In this passage, Isaiah is using the same play on words that Paul will later use in II Cor. 4:17. Light affliction (from the Assyrians) is being contrasted with “heavy” glory that will eventually come to Galilee (the more general name for the area where Zebulun and Naphtali were). For some reason the KJV translators chose to interpret the word in Hebrew to “greviously” when Isaiah certainly means gloriously! The light afflictions of the Assyrians aren’t going to compare at all to the heavy glory of what is going to come to Galilee! The dimness is about to be lifted!
Verse 2, then fills it in a little bit. Those people in the regions of Zebulun and Naphtali who are currently walking in darkness are actually living in the land of the shadow of death. In very little time the Assyrians are going to march into this area and begin slaughtering God’s people. God will allow this to happen to his people so that they would be drawn back to him. They are walking around in the darkness, they are living in a place of death (although they don’t know it yet). These same people will later see a great light walking among them. It is here in Galilee that Jesus will spend a great deal of time. It is in by the sea of Galilee that Jesus will find Peter, James, John, and Andrew and will call them to be his disciples. This same area that was a killing ground for the Assyrians, such a place of misery, will now be a place of light and joy.
Matt. 4:12-16
12 Now when Jesus had heard that John was cast into prison, he departed into Galilee; 13 And leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim: 14 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, 15 The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthalim, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles; 16 The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.
3 Thou hast multiplied the nation, and not increased the joy:
They joy before thee according to the joy in harvest,
And as men rejoice when they divide the spoil.
Here is a side note. The first part of verse says that the joy of the nation will not increase and the second part of the verse says that the joy will be like the joy in harvest. This contradiction comes from the Masoretic text (the official Hebrew text of the Bible) and is most likely a very minor transmission error. The spelling of the word “not” and the word “to them” is exactly the same, but for a small accent mark. The oral tradition has it that Isaiah is saying “and increased to them the joy,” and the plain reading of the Masoretic text (from which the KJV is ultimately drawn) has it “and not increased the joy.” Most versions accept the oral tradition since it presents no contradiction, but the KJV follows the Masoretic text.
There is also going to be a tremendous amount of joy. The nation of the Lord will be multiplied (it will grow exponentially) and it will grow in joy as well. The joy that will come will be like the joy that comes at the harvest or the joy that comes when men divide the spoils of their enemies. The reason for the joy comes in three cumulative statements (all starting with “for”):
4 For thou hast broken the yoke of his burden, and the staff of his shoulder,
The rod of his oppressor, as in the day of Midian.
The ultimate reason for rejoicing is because oppression has come to an end. In the story that Isaiah references from Judges, the Israelites were being oppressed by the Midianites. The oppression was one of domination. The Midianites would sweep through the land taking all of the harvest, robbing the people of their livestock, and driving the Israelites into caves. But the reason for their oppression was because they had strayed from the one true God and turned to idols. The oppression that Ahaz and the Jews were facing was from the Assyrian threat. But this oppression was also a symptom of a larger problem. The king of Judah was an evil man and the people were walking in darkness. They were content to reject God and follow after Baal. You see the real oppression that people were dealing with was not the Midianites, nor was it the Assyrians. The oppression came from their own decisions, from their own sin. So there is a two-fold problem: the cause of the oppression and the oppressor. In the first “for” statement the Jews are told that God is going to break the yoke, the staff, and the rod of the oppressor.
Darkness flees when the light arrives. Remember the story of Gideon? Gideon’s 300 surrounded the enemy with lamps inside clay pots. With a shout, they broke the pots and let the light shine in the darkness. Now Isaiah is using the same metaphor with the Jews. Things are dark now, but the light is going to shine in the darkness, driving the oppressor away. Interestingly, when the child king comes he will place his people under a new yoke (take my yoke upon you and learn of me…my yoke is easy, my burden is light: Matt. 11:29), and guide his people with his staff and rod (Psalm 23).
5 For every battle of the warrior is with confused noise,
And garments rolled in blood;
But this shall be with burning and fuel of fire.
How will this be accomplished? God will put an end to war. The boots from the tumult (a better translation than battle here in the KJV) and garments covered in blood will be piled up and burned with fire. When the battle was over, the spoils would be divided, the bodies buried, and the blood soaked clothes and boots would be piled up and burned. This act signified the end of the battle once and for all and in this passage it is being used both as a promise and as a metaphor. The promise is that when the oppressor is finally defeated (the Assyrians) their defeat will be complete and the threat will be completely gone. The metaphor, however, is pointing to a time when warfare itself will be over. When all such oppressors will be done away with, even the oppression of sin.
6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given:
And the government shall be upon his shoulder:
And his name shall be called Wonderful, Counseller, The mighty God,
The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
7 Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end,
Upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom,
To order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice
From henceforth even for ever.
The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.
How will this be accomplished? In the most unpredictable way. God is going to send a baby. In what appears very much like an ancient birth announcement, Isaiah declares the ultimate reason that the oppression will come to an end, that the warfare will come to an end: a person (the light) is going to arrive. This light will take on four powerful names:
Wonderful Counselor: the right to judge
At this time in history there was no balance of power. There was no separate judicial branch and executive branch. The king was the final court of appeal. There were magistrates and local rulers who judged, but if you appealed, the king’s word was final. This child king, therefore, would have to judge. The problem that has been passed down throughout history, however, is the fallen nature of the king. But this child king will not be like that. He will be a counselor by nature of his position, but he will be a WONDERFUL counselor. The Hebrew behind the word wonderful doesn’t mean great or neat or above average. It means supernatural. It is almost exclusively used to describe God or his handiwork. The coming child king will not just be a judge, he will be a supernatural, god-like, perfect judge. Therefore, more than anyone before or after, this child king has the RIGHT to judge.
Mighty God: the right to reign
This new king who is the beneficiary of all of these throne names is not just described as the ultimate judge, but also mighty God. Now there has been more dancing and hemming and hawing over these two words than just about any other two words in scripture. Did Isaiah really mean that this child king would, in fact, BE GOD? Or is it possible that what is meant is a name more like Ezekiel (which means God is my strength)? The problem is that there is no verb here. It is not, “God is mighty,” it is Mighty God. The other problem is that the exact same name is used to refer to God himself, by Isaiah, in the very next chapter (10:21). To say that Isaiah uses the words mighty God in chapter 9 to mean God is mighty and then uses the words mighty God in chapter 10 to mean God himself, seems inconsistent to say the least. It is really difficult to get around it…Isaiah is calling this coming child king God! Not just God, but MIGHTY God. Many kings in scripture have the term mighty associated with them, but when you tack the word mighty in front of the word God, you have a whole different concept. A mighty king is able to defend his country or region and thus has the right to reign. A mighty GOD, however, will defend ALL of his people regardless of where they are or who they are. He therefore has the ultimate right to reign.
Everlasting Father: the right to relationship
So the child king is the ultimate judge who has the ultimate right to reign, but how can you love such a being? It’s hard to even approach a mighty God without being struck down with fear. We all know our inadequacies. We all know our sins. We all know the areas of our life where we deserve condemnation from a supernatural judge. The Christian religion is unique in that we have a God who is simultaneously all powerful and completely personal. He is the ALMIGHTY and he is also Abba. But there is a problem with thinking of a king as a father. Our relationship with our father only lasts as long as he is alive. Many have lost their fathers and struggled to make the transition to be a father themselves. But the child king will be the everlasting father. We will still have relationship, but that relationship will never be severed by time or death or the other limitations of human life. The child king will thus have a right to relationship like no other.
Prince of Peace: the right to reconcile
The child king is the ultimate judge, he is almighty God, and he is our father. But if you think about it, there is a substantial gap between one’s relationship with a mighty God and a father. There is also a substantial gap between the idea of a supernatural judge (before whom we all stand guilty) and a father. So how do we bridge the gap? How do we go from being fearful of the just judgment that we deserve to loving God as our father? The final role of the child king is that he will also be a prince of peace. Now the word prince doesn’t mean the child of the king (as we often think of today), but it means something like a government official. Better put, the child king is the administrator of peace or the director of peace. The role of the child king is not just father and counselor and God, but also as the reconciler of these different roles. You can’t just expect to call the king your father. You can’t just expect the judge to overlook your sins. No, something has to MAKE the king your father. Something must take your place before the judge. YOU DON’T DESERVE PEACE. But God, in his mercy and love has appointed the child king as the administrator of our peace. Isaiah will further develop this concept in chapter 11 and ultimately prophecy about it in chapter 53. The chastisement of our peace was upon him and with his stripes we are healed. Healed from our sin so that we can stand confidently before the judge. Healed in our relationship with a mighty God so that we can call him Father.
This amazing baby will usher in two amazing promises: unending government (kingship) and unending peace.
Unending Government
This baby will be a king with the government of God’s people on his shoulders like every other king, sure, but he will be far different than any other king that has ever reigned. As verse 7 goes on to describe, the increase of this child king’s government will know no end. Every other king that has ever lived anywhere has known that their government ends somewhere. Every king knows that he cannot presume to govern people outside of his kingdom. But this child king will govern everything and everyone for all of time. Even today, many of us are patriotic. We love our county and want to see it succeed. But deep in our hearts we know that we are citizens of another country first and our allegiance is ultimately to another king. 2,700 years after Isaiah wrote this prophecy, the government of that baby is still increasing to include even you and me.
This child king will assume the throne of David, but unlike every other Davidic king, his judgment and justice will never end either (from henceforth even for ever). One of the duties of the king (in the time of the monarchs) was to be the ultimate court. If differences could not be resolved in any other way, the king had the final say. This was true in personal disputes and in crimes against the state. The king sat on a throne of justice, but the kings were not always just. Their judgment was not always Godly. But this king will be just and he will judge perfectly forever. That must mean that this king will always be on the throne, another human impossibility.
This is an amazing birth announcement already and the people in Isaiah’s time surely were asking the obvious question: who is this baby and when will he arrive? Is this going to be Ahaz’s son? Whoever it is, he has to come soon because the oppression is bad! Isaiah, of course, does not specifically name the baby, but instead he gives the baby four throne names.
Unending Peace
This king will also usher in a time of profound peace, which also will never end. Of course, we already have gotten a glimpse of that in verse 5 when Isaiah says that warfare itself is going to end. There is going to be profound peace with this child king: peace unlike anything that has ever been experienced. All peace between humans is temporary. No one can believe that whatever amount of peace they might currently enjoy will continue for the rest of their lives. Anyone who has ever been married knows that in close human relationships, peace is temporary. At some point the fighting will resume. But just like the government of this child king will never end, the peace that this child king brings will never end. This is obviously something vastly different than the kingdoms of the earth.
