Islington Baptist Church
December 23, 2001
Isaiah 9:1-7
Scriptures: Judges 7-8, Isaiah 8, Judges 13
Series: Jesus in the book of Isaiah
700 years before Jesus came, Isaiah was writing and preaching in detail about Jesus, his person, and the ministry that he was going to have. The book of Isaiah is filled with direct references and allusions to Jesus Christ.
For nearly 2 months now we have, each Sunday morning, considered a different passage from the book of Isaiah that concerns Jesus. Next Sunday will mark the end of our series— and I trust you have taken time in the last 2 months to read the book of Isaiah. In mid January, when I return to you, we are going to begin a series together on the 10 commandments.
Today we are going to be studying Isaiah 9:1-7. Without a doubt this passage concerns Jesus Christ. In particular this passage concerns his advent, his coming as King and the effects of his coming and rule. (read text)
I. God is a God of great reversals and turnarounds! God specializes in stunning, dramatic, amazing reversals. v.1-5
As a sports fan I have witnessed a number of stunning reversals on the field of play. I remember several years ago when the Blue Jays were in the world series and playing against the Philadelphia Phillies. There was one game in particular in which Philadelphia had what seemed to be a commanding lead. In disgust I went to bed, only to be awakened by Sue and her parents cheering the improbable comeback and victory the Blue Jays enjoyed.
That is small potatoes and in fact does not even rank on the scale compared to what God does in this world and in the lives of people and nations. God specializes in stunning, dramatic amazing reversals and turnarounds.
Just think of how God has worked in the Bible in this department. Raising unknowns up to places of prominence. Bringing down those who were puffed up and filled with thoughts of invincibility. Think of people like Job and the sudden turns in his life. Think of the many instances of God delivering his people in the face of overwhelming odds. Today’s text in v.4 highlights the case of Midian where Gideon with only 300 men were involved in victory over more than 120,000 Midianites soldiers.
Think of your own life too. Before coming to Christ what path were on? In which direction was your life headed? What attitudes and behaviors characterized your life? What happened? Jesus entered in and your life took a 180 turn………..
Also: where you at right now… there can be a God engineered turnaround.
To back this point up: check out verse 1
In verse 1 of our text NIV version it says “Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future he will honor Galilee of the Gentiles, by the way of the sea, along the Jordan”
A great and dramatic reversal, engineered by God, is being prophesied here and spoken of.
Chapters 7-8 are full of words of Judgment against Israel. They had sinned against God and in spite of his many calls to repentance they persisted and sinned all the more. Because of this the judgment of God was being poured out. The Assryians were at the door. They were going to be the agents of God’s fierce wrath upon his people. Death, slavery, suffering, distress, anguish, grief, shame, darkness, loss, oppression, war. These all were going to be their lot.
Yet note the tone of 9:1ff. A great reversal is announced.
Instead of darkness - light
Instead of shame - honor.
Instead of death – life.
Instead of loss (dwindling numbers) –multiplication.
Instead of anguish and grief –joy and exultation.
Instead of war—peace and not just temporary peace—eternal peace.
Instead of slavery – freedom
Instead of defeat -victory
II. The great reversals and wonders of 9:1-5 are made possible and effected by the advent and birth of a special and singularly unique child described for us in v.6-7
1. Who is the child in question (whose advent explains the turnaround of v.1-5)?
Baby Jesus-born in humble circumstances of the virgin Mary.
His being called a child emphasizes his humanity, his humble beginnings.
2. What shall he do?
He will Rule “the government shall be upon his shoulder”.
Further, he will rule as a king upon the throne of David and eternally so.
-Jesus was born a king, claimed to be such, worshipped as such, identified as such even in his death,
-the eternal king anticipated in God’s promise to David
-His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom. His dominion is an eternal dominion. His kingdom endures from generation to generation
-an ever increasing kingdom of perfect justice
Question: Have you yet bowed the knee before him (see Philippians 2)
3. What qualities will he have that will ensure an effective and perfect rule?
His titles indicate to us his perfect qualifications for ruling. Each of these titles indicate to us who Jesus is by nature and what he was and is all about.
Wonderful Counselor (term related to instruction and guidance)
It seems fitting to put these 2 terms together since the other 3 titles each come paired.
As you and I know, up until Christ, Solomon was the wisest of all the kings. The Spirit of God instructed him, endowed him with knowledge, and gave him great insight. Christ far surpasses Solomon in wisdom, knowledge, and understanding. They are unparalleled. He never sought out any man to get their advice or counsel. He gave it and he taught with great authority.—the scriptures tell us that the people were amazed at his teachings
The term for wonderful here means “Amazing, beyond understanding” (note Judges 13:18)
When it came to ruling, kings would often seek out wise and godly counsel from men around them and from the prophets. Jesus in his ruling has no need of the counsel of men. He is the one we are to turn to for counsel. You can go to him with your cares.
Mighty God
When it comes to ruling it sure helps to have strength to rule. As you and I consider the scriptures and Jesus there is no shortage of verses that indicate that Jesus acted in power. Cast out demons, healed the sick, raised the dead, calmed the winds and the waves.
Such a term speaks to Jesus’ divine nature. He is no ordinary king. He is the divine king and his kingdom is an eternal one.
Everlasting Father
This is not a claim that Jesus is the Father. Rather it indicates that he will act in a symbolic way as a father to his people: protecting, sustaining, empowering, equiping. (Note Genesis 45:8 which speaks of Joseph being made of father to Pharaoh or Isaiah 22:21 which speaks of Eliakim being a father to the house of Judah)
Many kings claimed to be a “father” to their people. Yet their fatherhood was strictly a temporal one. Jesus’ being a father to and protector of his people is eternal in nature. As ruler he is as a Father to his people. This eternal nature indicates to us something of his deity.
Prince of Peace
-came to reconcile man and God. Peace with God (Romans 5, Eph. 2:11ff)
-effect is to bring peace to our relationships as we follow his way. We to live at peace with all men. Blessed are the peacemakers
-a day is anticipated when their will be no more war
-a beautiful picture of this peace given to us in Isaiah 11:6-9 (Edenic picture, picture of Heaven)
In John 14:26 Jesus says “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you”
As ruler with the government on his shoulder his rule will be characterized by perfect peace.
Do you have peace in your life?……..
III. In light of the child of v.6-7 being Jesus how ought we to read and understand v.1-5?
With Jesus and his work in mind!
While national Israel is indeed in mind in these verse. Verses which did and were meant to give the Israelite people hope in light of the Assyrians who afflicted them. However, for the most part v.1-5 must be read with Jesus and his work in mind.
CASE IN POINT: In Matthew 4:13-16, v.1-2 are directly quoted from and viewed as being fulfilled in the person of Jesus. “Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum, which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali- to fulfill what was said through the prophet Isaiah “Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the way to the sea, along the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles- the people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.”
a. As we all know, it was in Galilee that Jesus set up shop and did the bulk of his ministry.
This honor had nothing to do with the Galileans being better than anyone else either.
Galilee of the Gentiles – a place being looked down upon for Galilee was densely populated by Gentiles and acted as a virtual highway between Africa and Europe for the rest of the world.
b. The great light of v.2 is Jesus.
Jesus is the light of the world. As the light he reveals to us God’s glorious and perfect standards- standards which the Bible says all men have fallen short of. As the light he reveals to us our sinfulness and our need of him and the forgiveness he offers
c. The people living in darkness described our condition as non Christians and describes the condition of all those outside of Christ.
-speaks of spiritual blindness and being in sin
-speaks of the revelatory work of Christ
In John 3:19 it says “This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil”
d. The joy of v.3 speaks to the joy that is ours because of Christ’s liberating work in our lives
As it says in v.4 “You have broken the yoke of his burden”
At one point we who are Christians were held as captives to sin and under the control of Satan. Jesus came to set the captives free and indeed we have been freed from Satan’s clutches and sin and the fear of death.
e. The joy of v.3 also speaks to the fact that we belong to a huge community of people brought together in Jesus Christ
In Genesis 12:2 God said to Abram “I will make you into a great nation”. As Christians the Bible reckons us to the children of Abraham. We have been brought into the family of God and made part of the promise that God gave to Abraham. It ought to bring us joy when we think of the millions of brothers and sisters that we have in Christ Jesus and increasingly so—for the harvest is great and each day more and more are added to the kingdom.
It is no small community that we belong to.
f. v.5 refers to the eternal peacefulness that will characterize the kingdom of Christ. (as we have already discussed)
CONCLUSION
1. God is a God of great reversals! God specializes in stunning, dramatic, amazing reversals as v.1-5 indicate
Just think about your life, if you are a Christian, and the impact Jesus has had and is having. If not a Christian……….
2. The coming of Jesus, born of the virgin Mary, and his work explains for how the great reversals in our lives as Christians have been made possible.
3. This text provides for us a beautiful portrait of Jesus and his work
In this text he is portrayed as:
-God
-as the light of the world
-a liberator
-king and establisher and builder of a great kingdom.
-establisher of justice
-full of wisdom and ready to dispense such unto us
-full of power
-bringing and establisher of peace
-bringing of joy
