THE END OF SIN’s OPPRESSION—Isaiah 9:6-7
Attention:
I was watching a well-known, nationally televised, morning news program one day.
A special guest was an author of a book, in which he described the difficulties that his young family had undergone, particularly in the loss of one of their young sons.
Both the author & the TV anchors mentioned a few times that they sincerely believed their anger was rightly placed against God for taking the son’s life.
*Folks, that’s NOT the END of sin’s oppression...That’s the DEFINITION of it!
Their discussions revealed that they all had an indifferent ignorance of sin. And that neither of them had any kind of accurate concept of:
1)The unavoidable prevalence of sin’s reach among men,
2)The depth of the deceptive subtleties of sin’s reach—potentially touching every decision of every person,
3)The utter destructiveness wrought by sin’s reach.
They blamed what they determined to be ‘bad things’ on God! What a monster they must suppose God to be!?!
Need:
To grasp the significance of sin’s oppression & effect on our lives.
To recognize that the only solution for sin’s oppression is from God!
THE END OF SIN’s OPPRESSION—Isaiah 9:6-7
The prophet Isaiah reveals God’s plan for alleviating the oppression of sin among mankind.
God has a plan for ending the oppression of sin.
BUT--What is God’s plan for ending that oppression?
—OR—
How will God bring an end to that oppression?
8 cumulative works, bringing an end to the oppression of sin.
‘OPPRESSION’—“Prolonged cruel or unjust treatment or control.”; “The state of being subject to unjust treatment or control.”
1—The promise to end sin’s oppression comes thru...
A PERFECT CONTEXT(8:19--9:5)
Explanation:(8:19--9:5)Human limitation potentially drives you to repentance
8:19—TRUST RIDICULOUS ANSWERS:
“And when they say to you, “Seek those who are mediums & wizards, who whisper & mutter,” should not a people seek their God? Should they seek the dead on behalf of the living?”
It is surely nonsensical to seek those who are “dead” in order to determine the welfare “of the living.” Such action directly opposes YHWH, who’s very name stems from the Hebrew verb “to be,” & is translated as “I am”—Ever-present, self-existent, & eternal.
8:20—DIRECTION To The LIGHT Is AVAILABLE:
“To the law & to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.”
In seeking truth God’s people should go “to the “testimony” He has left them—to His law—NOT the law of men, NOR the faulty & wordy interpretations of God’s law.
Those whose speech does not originate from, & in alignment with, God’s revealed word, ironically & in reality reveal that there is, “no light in them”(of God or truth) Their light is darkness.
•Luke 11:35—Jesus said,—“Therefore take heed that the light which is in you is not darkness.”
8:21-22—CONFINEMENT Within HUMAN INABILITY:
“They will pass through it hard pressed & hungry; & it shall happen, when they are hungry, that they will be enraged & curse their king & their God, & look upward. Then they will look to the earth, & see trouble & darkness, gloom of anguish; & they will be driven into darkness.”
*Confined to the limitations of human ability, because they are separated from Christ.
•How ironic that men will “look upward,” looking for rescue, yet will refuse the very God who openly reveals His utter majestic awesomeness, combined with a constant offer of tangible hope!
9:1—“GLOOM”/dimness(ultimate frustration) REMOVED
“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.”
At this writing, Israel is “distressed/vexation/anguish” by their spiritual & physical/political situation thru their Assyrian oppressors.
•Any land influenced by illegitimate cultures/religions is in spiritual & physical anguish, no matter how ‘temporarily’ ‘happy’ they may be.
9:2—“DARKNESS” REMOVED
“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.”
•Ps. 23:4—“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.”
•To “walk in darkness” is to live your life unaware of spiritual dangers &/or the available godly pleasures in your path. Unable to comprehend reality. If the God of the Bible does not cement your reality then you live in a false reality!
•God’s “light” of full-awareness “has shined” because it is God’s desire to make it so for the sake of those who will choose to be His people!
•We have one daughter has never professed Christ. Our discussions generally end with her being reminded of her ‘narrow-mindedness.’
9:3—JOY/GLADNESS GIVEN
“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.”
•“Harvest”—Crops are in, Bills are paid—Abundance!
•“The Spoil”—Possessions obtained thru conquered enemies.
?So why do we get-the-blues/depressed at Christmas?—
We are reminded of our personal past year’s frailties & failings & of the world’s frailties & failings. Its a time of giving & of joy, in celebration of Jesus’ birth.
9:4—YOKES BROKEN—
“For Thou shalt break the yoke of their burden & the staff on their shoulders, The rod of their oppressor, as at the battle of Midian.”
A “yoke” is something that ‘binds’ two beast of burden/domestic working animals together, so that their individual strengths are leveled.
Being forcibly yoked to an oppressor, limits your freedom to the will of the other!
*?Who/What are you yoked with? What/Who directs you?
•Relationships/Social Media—Can keep you from fully serving God.
•Pursuit of Money—Can keep you from fully serving God.
•Work—Can keep you from fully serving God.
•General busy-ness—Can keep you from fully serving God.
9:5—An END To WAR—Oppression/Peace
“For every boot of the booted warrior in the battle tumult, And cloak rolled in blood, will be for burning, fuel for the fire.”
•Anyone bound TO Christ, is likewise loosed FROM Satan!
Argumentation:
Rom. 2:4—“Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, & longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?
Rev. 3:20—“Behold, I stand at the door & knock. If anyone hears My voice & opens the door, I will come in to him & dine with him, & he with Me.”
Illustration:
Nighttime—Comfortable in bed—But you wake from a sound sleep needing a sip of water—Groggily head toward the kitchen for a sip of water in pitch-black darkness—You trip on the dog, The corner of the desk catches your hip causing you to wince, You hit your head on the partially open door. All those events force you to pick up a flashlight so that you can find your way.
•A life that forces you to look for God’s light—A PERFECT CONTEXT
*You must first be lost, in order to be saved!*
The sin in Your life continually offers a PERFECT CONTEXT for driving you to repentance!
Application:
?Have YOU received God’s Promise to end sin’s oppression, by receiving A PERFECT CONTEXT for Repentance in Jesus Christ?
?Is God’s Promise to end sin’s oppression, fulfilled in YOU?
2—The promise to end sin’s oppression comes thru...
A PERFECT GIFT(:6a-b)
Explanation:(:6a-b)
:6—“For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; ....”
“For”—answers the rationale behind God’s prophetic promise regarding the removal of the former “gloom”(9:1) & “darkness”(9:2) within which His intended people lived.
“Us” includes those of Israel who would turn to God in Christ.
*It also includes anyone whose (spiritual)‘yokes will be broken’(9:4) by this promised “Son”—Cf.--the “Child’s” titles that follow.
This miraculous God-ordained birth yields a “Son”, the Son of God.
The “Son” is “given.”
•He is a ‘gift’ granted to mankind(“us”) by God. The Son is specifically “given” for the sake of His people Israel who are living in well-earned oppression by their enemies. Likewise for anyone oppressed of spirit, the promised “Son” is the answer!
A male(“Son”) “child” will be(“is”) “born” thru whom the oppression(8:11-22) will end in some way. We gain a larger picture of the Mystery of Christ.
He is not conceived as any other person on earth(by the Holy Spirit, thru a virgin), yet He will be “born” as any other person on earth(Lk. 1:30-35).
This confirms the human nature of the promised Messiah. The One thru whom the yoke of oppression is broken(:3-4).
Argumentation:
Jn. 1:10-11—“He was in the world, & the world was made through Him, & the world did not know Him. He came to His own[Israel], & His own did not receive Him.”
Lk 2:8-11—“Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, & the glory of the Lord shone around them, & they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”
Rom. 6:22-23—“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.”
Eph. 2:8—“For by grace you have been saved through faith, & that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,”
Jn. 4:7-10—“A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give Me a drink.” For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food. Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, “How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans. Jesus answered & said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, & who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, & He would have given you living water.”
2Cor. 9:15—“Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!”
Illustration:
•A PERFECT GIFT is one that meets a real need!
•Suppose are in need of a kidney because you’ve been injured. If you do not receive a kidney within 2 weeks, you will not survive. A person previously unknown to you & not kin to you, learns of your situation & offers their compatible kidney to you.
Their gift to you seems to be A PERFECT GIFT....BUT it is only a temporal gift!
*God’s GIFT to us is PERFECT because it melds together, all of time & eternity!
Application:
?Have YOU received God’s Promise to end sin’s oppression, by receiving His PERFECT GIFT?...His Son, Christ Jesus, your Savior!?!
?Is God’s Promise to end sin’s oppression, fulfilled in YOU?
3—The promise to end sin’s oppression comes thru...
A PERFECT GOVERNANCE(:6c, 7a-e)
Explanation:(:6c, 7:a-e)
:6—“For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder....”
That “the government will be upon His shoulder” emphasizes the “Son’s” super-natural ability to “shoulder” the ultimate authority of God’s Kingdom(Mat. 28:18-20), so that ‘after all has been said & done’, God will be all-in-all!(1Cor. 15:28)
•Mat. 28:18-20—“And Jesus came & spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven & on earth. Go therefore & make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father & of the Son & of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; & lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.”
•Jn. 14:6—Jesus said,—“No one comes to the Father except through “Me.”
: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....”
This child is also the Sovereign King, because His “government” will continually “increase” or prosper, or be favored above any other, by it’s subjects.
•As “His government” perpetually “increases”, it will be characterized by God’s perfections of “peace”. Thus “there will no end” to it! It will “increase” “from” the “time” of it’s inception until “even forever.”
•The “increase” & the “peace” “of His government” will be “ordered” “&” “established” “with” God’s perfect “judgment & justice”.
?What is your response to a miscarriage of “justice” where someone has been wrongly incarcerated for the majority of their life?
This Child’s “government”/dominion will overshadow every humanly flawed governmental ‘solution’, & it will reach into every corner of every person’s life!
The reign of this Child will be upon an established “throne”(rule/reign) already begun in Israel, thru “David.” So the promised Child will be from the tribe of Judah, & that “kingdom” “of David” 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’s” “throne” will again be set up & sustained, upholding the ‘practical liberties’ of God’s righteousness.
•When the angel Gabriel revealed God’s plan for her, Mary asked, “How can this be...”(Lk. 1:34).....
•Simply because I can’t envision how all the details play out in God’s solution, does NOT mean that His solution will not or cannot be accomplished!
•It just means that neither you nor me are the masters of that fulfillment!...God is!
Argumentation:
Overall, the world does not submit to God’s Governance, & it never has!
Jer. 23:2-6—“Therefore thus says the LORD God of Israel against the shepherds who feed My people: “You have scattered My flock, driven them away, & not attended to them. Behold, I will attend to you for the evil of your doings,” says the LORD. But I will gather the remnant of My flock out of all countries where I have driven them, & bring them back to their folds; & they shall be fruitful & increase. I will set up shepherds over them who will feed them; & they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, nor shall they be lacking,” says the LORD. Behold, the days are coming,” says the LORD, “That I will raise to David a Branch of righteousness; A King shall reign & prosper, And execute judgment & righteousness in the earth. In His days Judah will be saved, And Israel will dwell safely; Now this is His name by which He will be called: THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.”
Rev. 17:12-14—“The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have received no kingdom as yet, but they receive authority for one hour as kings with the beast. These are of one mind, & they will give their power & authority to the beast. These will make war with the Lamb, & the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords & King of kings; & those who are with Him are called, chosen, & faithful.”
Rev. 19:11-16—“Now I saw heaven opened, & behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful & True, & in righteousness He judges & makes war. His eyes were like a flame of fire, & on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, & His name is called The Word of God. And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white & clean, followed Him on white horses. Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness & wrath of Almighty God. And He has on His robe & on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.
Jn. 18:36-37—Jesus to Pilate—“Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here.” Pilate therefore said to Him, “Are You a king then?” Jesus answered, “You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, & for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.””
Illustration:
American Government is no-where near godly, however having been founded on Christian principles, it still draws a never-ending stream of people who desire to immigrate here!—DISENCHANTED people, Who do not know true justice, but desire it; Who do not know peace, but desperately want to live peacefully; Who crave an unprejudiced fairness of treatment, which they have only dreamt of.
They seek a more perfect governance, allowing allow them to reach their purposes in life & experience happiness in life. Those immigrants know the horrors of living under the thumb of corrupt, self-serving, governing bodies & officials. But so do we! God’s PERFECT GOVERNANCE will bring an end to(eradicate) sin’s oppression!
Application:
?Have YOU received God’s Promise to end sin’s oppression, by receiving His PERFECT GOVERNANCE in Jesus Christ?
?Is God’s Promise to end sin’s oppression, fulfilled in YOU?
4—The promise to end sin’s oppression comes thru...
A PERFECT COUNSEL(:6e-1)
Explanation:(:6e-1)
:6—“...And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
The word, “Wonderful” presents this “Counselor” with the distinction of being firmly within the realm of the miraculous & the supernatural!
•Anyone can give “counsel.” But perfectly “Wonderfully” WISE “counsel” comes from the Lord.
*A major aspect of the “wonder” of the promised “Wonderful Counselor”, is that even now, the HOLY SPIRIT permanently indwells every true believer, to direct them in God’s path!
•Jn. 16:5-7—“But now I[Jesus] go away to Him who sent Me, & none of you asks Me, ‘Where are You going?’ “But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.”
This “Child” given of God to His people, will provide God’s perfect “counsel” for them.
*God’s “Wonderful Counselor” provides perfect “counsel” for His people, including:
•Overall life guidance—Personal, private & public.
•Laying out your purpose.
•Moment-by-moment direction--Keeps me from: Pressing ‘ahead of God’s will; OR--Hesitating so God opportunities bypass me.
•Discernment of truth from lies.
•Living by reality as opposed to living by illusion.
His “counsel” is always readily available,...BUT, it is NOT always found.
•Jer. 29:13—“And you will seek Me & find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.”
Deut. 4:29—“you will seek the LORD your God, & you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart & with all your soul.”
*And where the “Wonderful Counselor” is, so His “Wonderful” perfect “counsel” can be heard, known, & followed!
Argumentation:
Jn. 14:25-27—“These things I have spoken to you while being present with you. “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, & bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. 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.”
Ps. 16:7-8—“I will bless the LORD who has given me counsel; My heart also instructs me in the night seasons. I have set the LORD always before me; Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved.”
Ps. 143:8, 10—“Cause me to hear Your lovingkindness in the morning, For in You do I trust; Cause me to know the way in which I should walk, For I lift up my soul to You.”.....“Teach me to do Your will, For You are my God; Your Spirit is good. Lead me in the land of uprightness.”
Prov. 3:5-6—“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.”
Illustration:
Some preachers had gotten together for lunch one day, when one old preacher shared an experience of his. He related to the others, he said “I was leaving my last church & they graciously gave me a ‘farewell reception.’ But I noticed one woman there was off to herself, out-right weeping with sadness.
The other preachers were in awe.
The old preacher continued, “I was so touched by her pain at my leaving, that tears started to well-up my own eyes.”
“So I sat beside her & tried to comfort her as best I could.
The other preachers leaned in to hear the seasoned preacher’s words of consolation.
The old preacher continued, “I said to her, ‘Please don’t be so sad, I’m sure the next pastor will be better than me.’”
The weeping woman replied, ‘That's what they said last time Reverend, but they just keep gettin’ worse.’”/A PERFECT COUNSEL
Application:
?Have YOU received God’s Promise to end sin’s oppression, by receiving His PERFECT COUNSEL in Jesus Christ?
?Is God’s Promise to end sin’s oppression, fulfilled in YOU?
CONCLUSION:
Visualization:
The author & TV anchors whose discussions reveal an indifferent ignorance of the reality of sin’s prevalence, depth, danger, & destructiveness.
Action:
The promise to end sin’s oppression comes thru...
1. A PERFECT CONTEXT(8:19--9:5)
2. A PERFECT GIFT(:6a-b)
3. A PERFECT GOVERNANCE(:6c, 7a-e)
4. A PERFECT COUNSEL(:6e-1)
All these things of God’s provision, have a cumulative force of ridding us of the oppressive burden of sin in our lives!...
THAT is the PROMISE that we celebrate at CHRISTMAS!
Pt#s 1-4 presented 12/04/2022am to:
Union Grove Baptist Church -&- Salem Baptist Church[PSC]
2434 Old Lawyers Rd.
Marshville, NC 28103
