Amazing Peace: A Promise of Prosperity
Isaiah 9.1-7
As we lend our attention to the advent season I am cautiously optimistic about what this season brings in the light of a difficult year in our nations history. As we examine the past twelve months we find ourselves needing a season of prosperity, needing a season of joy, needing a season of peace. Maya Angelou at the lighting of the national Christmas tree shared her latest creation “Amazing Peace” A Christmas Poem. Over the next few weeks as our attention continues to hone in on Christmas we will use her gifted tribute to celebrate our Christ.
Thunder rumbles in the mountain passes
And lightning rattles the eaves of our houses.
Floodwaters await in our avenues.
Snow falls upon snow, falls upon snow to avalanche
Our unprotected villages.
The sky slips low and gray and threatening.
We question ourselves. What have we done to affront nature?
We interrogate and worry God.
Are you there? Are you there, really?
Does the covenant you made with us still hold?
The opening few stanzas of the poem truly lifts an interesting interrogative that at one time seemed ludicrous but in the light of the mark that 2005 has left on our world, on our nation and for many of us, our lives we are forced to admit even if not expressed verbally seem to be apropos. An ominous cloud hangs low over this America of ours as we move toward the Yule Tide season. Our military service persons are at war, although the war is officially over. Our neighbors along the gulf coast are still displaced and attempting to puzzle their lives back together after the destruction of one hurricane upon another. Earthquakes, mudslides and other natural disasters have plagued the world over. If this is not enough, many of us that have gathered here to worship come with heavy hearts and burdened spirits because of what we have had to deal with in our personal lives. There has been and there continue to be what can be described as a floodwaters of tears, an avalanche of sorrow, and the thunderous roar of trouble the pervades almost every arena of our lives. I hate to think of someone who does not have a relationship with the lord in the climate that we presently abide. How awful it is to be outside of the ark of safety when the floodgates have been opened. If there ever was a time that the people needed Jesus it is now. If you have ever considered sharing Christ with someone I would have you know, now in a time of civil unrest, nature’s upheaval, political persecution on the world’s stage, this is that time. People need Jesus, they don’t need another self help book, they don’t need an emerging political figure, they don’t need a stronger military they need the Lord. For the weary saint, for the worn warrior, for the battled and beleaguered believer, who in the light of desperation spins the interrogatives of the poem, What have we done to affront nature? God, are you there, are you there really? Does the covenant you made with us still hold?
Thesis Three things are here promised, and they all point ultimately at the grace of the gospel, which the saints then were to comfort themselves with the hopes of in every cloudy and dark day, as we now are to comfort ourselves in time of trouble with the hopes of Christ’s second coming, though that be now, as his first coming then was, a thing at a great distance. The mercy likewise which God has in store for his church in the latter days may be a support to those that are mourning with her for her present calamities. We have here the promise,
1. Of a glorious light, But there will be no gloom for those who were in anguish. In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he will make glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations. 2 F28 The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness— on them light has shined.
The prophetic message is given in the past tense as to imply that which the prophet is referring has already happened. Yet the events of the text is prophetic from the perspective of the prophet or it is something yet to come. From the perspective of the modern age this is something that has happened not something that will happen. What is amazing is that in the light of where they were and where we are the prophetic message is heavenly good news to weary souls. It was impending good news to the audience in which Isaiah proclaims his message and it is a reminder to those of us that read it from the leaflets of antiquity. Is it that history has repeated itself, a sage proverb is that if we don’t remember our past we are bound to repeat that past. A second is similar if we don’t learn from our mistakes we are bound to repeat them. This very well may accurately depict the state that our world is presently in or least there are strange parallels between the beleaguered community in which the prophet addresses his message and where we are today. Maya Angelou’s poem ask does the covenant still hold. How difficult in the midst of gloom and despair to keep ones focus on the promise of prosperity. Yet the text tells of a great light. Notice the progression of the light, those who saw the great light is described as those who walked in darkness and those who live in a deep darkness on them the light has shined. This is prophetic promise to those in Isaiah’s day and glorious fulfillment in the coming of the Christ, and glorious reflection for those of us here today. Yet for those who are in darkness because of the despair of the present age who ask is the covenant still valid the answer is an overwhelming yes. Those that are experiencing the darkness that life sometimes emit have the promise on them the light has shined. In our darkest moments in the midst of trials the glorious light of salvation shines and shines brightly. No sin so great as to separate from God, no hardship so painful that God refuses to show mercy, no trial so tumultuous that God is not greater. Despite the struggles the light shines in darkness.
2. Of a glorious increase, and a universal joy arising from it, (v. 3) You have multiplied the nation, you have increased its joy; they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest, as people exult when dividing plunder.’’
Not only does the covenant promise light in darkness but it promises increase. Isn’t this the true sign of prosperity, increase. That God will give increase. I am expecting increase from the lord as a sign of prosperity. As we move from preparation into prosperity the sign of prosperity is increase. I want God to increase my territory, I want God to increae my life, I want God to increase my wealth. And the promise that is made is that of increase. Listen the prophet talks about exponential growth God doesn’t simplyadd to the nation but the text says that Go multipled the nation. That is exponential growth that is growth that can only be attributed to the hand of God. Now the expectation has risen in that I am expecting prosperity. Listen to the promise of the covenant the increase is in joy. That’s right God promise to increase our joy. Joy is not temporal it is permanent it is not based on situations but in realization. What realizations you might ask, in the realization that this is God given joy. It is not based on the raise from work, not from gifts placed under a tree, not from people that can be for you one moment and against you the next the covenant promise is the joy that comes from God. God is going to increase my joy and when God does nobody can take it away. It is the realization that trials may come, troubles may rise, storms may blow but I still will have the joy that comes from the Lord. When I go to bed at night God is going to give me rest, because I have joy. The psalmist says that the joy of the Lord is my strength. The joy that comes from God will strengthen me in the time of my trouble. I want to make it tangible for you, I want you to have something to hold on to. Not just theoretical but practical application in life’s confusing times. When God increases your joy God will give you peace in times of trouble, When God increases your joy God will give you laughter in the midst of your crying. When God increases your joy God will give you hope in times of despair. The songwriter coined it when he said I got a felling everything is going to be all right, that is joy. Listen it doesn’t matter what you are going through the promise is an increase in your joy. All hell is breaking loose in your life, God promises joy. Trouble seemingly on every hand yet God promises joy. You know what God’s joy is, God’s joy is favor. God promises to give you favor and it may not make sense why you got it but you got it anyhow. That is what the covenant promises multiplying the nation increasing the joy. The prophet makes comparison to that of harvest time. In other words it is reaping time and when its reaping time that means that all of your hard work has shown profit, all of your efforts have now produced a product and you can find joy in what you have done because it has produced. Some of you have been toiling and laboring sowing and weeding in your life for so long wandering when will your time come what the Lord is saying I am going to put you supernaturally into a reaping season, into a harvest season because all that you have toiled over is getting ready to produce. Your job is going to produce, your prayers are going to produce, your labor of love is going to produce and when it produces it is going to bring joy, overflowing joy, everlasting joy. The joy that the lord promises the world did not give it and the world cannot take it away.
3. Of a glorious liberty and enlargement (v. 4, 5): "4 For the yoke of their burden, and the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor, you have broken as on the day of Midian For all the boots of the tramping warriors and all the garments rolled in blood shall be burned as fuel for the fire.
Not only does the covenant promises a light shown in darkness and increased joy but it also promises divine liberty. Isaiah sees the impending engagement and recognizes the impact that it will have so much so that he describes as a yoke of burden, a bar across their shoulders applied by rod of the oppressor. Despite the gloomy reality the covenant promises deliverance out of the mess. Isaiah declares that God have broken the yoke, have broken the bar and have broken the rod of the oppressor. For them that is something to look forward to us for us it is something to walk in as a present reality. Whatever calamity that you might be facing God’s promise is of deliverance the three fold description yoke of burden, bar across the shoulder, rod of the oppressor shows true bondage and implies the helplessness of the engaged. One can foresee themselves overcoming one but to bound, gagged and beaten paints a picture of being at the mercy of the enemy. For liberation to occur means that it would take an act of someone greater than the oppressor. If I am bound by one I can see myself overcoming it through my intestinal fortitude and personal will to live but when I am bound by all three in order for liberation to come I must be set free by a force greater than the oppressor. If I was greater than the oppressor then I would have never been in the situation in the first place but because the oppressor is more powerful than I am subjugated to the will of the oppressor. God provides divine deliverance and breaks the yoke, breaks the bar, breaks the rod. To break means to destroy the very tools that the enemy is using against me. I don’t care what the enemy has used to bind you what God offers in covenant is the promise of complete deliverance. If you are bound by sin God promises to break the hold of sin, if you are bound by strife God promises to break the hold, if you are bound by financial misfortune God promises to break the hold. What we must acknowledge is that we cannot handle it on our on but with God all things are possible. You cannot give the addiction without God, you cannot walk away from the life style with God, you cannot overcome the obstacle without God. You cannot struggle to free yourself from the sin that clings so closely without God but with God all things are now possible. That is what we declare as divine liberation. Jesus says he whom the son sets free is free indeed. Not a temporary relief but set free indeed. Not a probationary period waiting for your next mess up to bind you all over again but free indeed. Not a momentary release but free indeed. Does the covenant still apply yes it applies and the promise is still true.
But who, where, is he that shall undertake and accomplish these great things for the church? The prophet tells us (v. 6, 7) For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders; and he is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 His authority shall grow continually, and there shall be endless peace for the throne of David and his kingdom. He will establish and uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time onward and forevermore. and now speaks of, in the prophetic style, as a thing already done: the A child has been born
A son given to us
Authority rest upon his shoulder
Wonderful counselor
Mighty God
Everlasting Father
Prince of Peace
His authority shall grow continually
Endless peace
Why because of the zeal of God. .
