The Government Of The Promised Son, Part 1 (Isaiah 9:6-7)

There are verses in the Bible that bring joy and peace to the troubled soul. There are verses which give us the assurance that the promises of God are true and faithful. There are those verses which give us the affirmation that God has given us mercy and salvation we do not deserve, yet in HIs love He has provided a Savior to whom we can place our full faith and trust, knowing that He will never leave us nor forsake us even in our darkest times. There are verses that describe the new heavens and earth where the curse of sin and suffering will be eliminated and the tears which we have shed in our lives will be wiped away by the hand of a benevolent and loving LORD. He has given us the promise of making "all things new", and for those who follow the Lord Jesus Christ, the grand assurance that the promises and prophecies in the Bible are true and everlasting. Isaiah gives us numerous verses that present the person and purpose of God's Promised Messiah who will take upon Himself the sins of the world, in order that we can enter into the presence of God with redeemed hearts and changed lives. One of the first prophecies Isaiah records is of the Promised Son of God who will come at the appointed time to achieve God's promise of grace, mercy, and peace to all who come to Him in faith. This coming king is described in Isaiah 9:6-7, which reads as follows:

"For unto us a Child is born; and unto us a Son is given. The government shall be upon His shoulder, and His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end. Upon the throne of David and over His Kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward, even forever. The seal of the LORD of Hosts will perform this." (NKJV)

These verses describe the mission of none other than the Lord Jesus Christ and are the praiseworthy summary of the LORD'S redemptive work. The first section of verse 6 refer to His First Advent. His birth did not occur in an earthly palace, the child of an earthly monarch. His birth was not heralded by either the Roman emperor Augustus Caesar not by the Roman appointed "king of Judea", Herod "the Great". His birth was not noticed as special in the eyes of the world. The news of His birth was announced not to rulers and magistrates, but to the lowest members of society, a group of shepherds with no standing among the "elites" of the world (Luke 2:8-18) but were chosen as the first messengers of the Savior's birth to the people who according to Luke's records, merely "wondered".

Those who initially heard this "good news" ended up doing nothing to spread the Word to the spiritually hungry people of Israel. Even today, the Scriptures are accurate in describing the attitude of people when they hear the Gospel message. Some will hear and reject it, while some will truly listen and embrace it, and in turn, receive the "peace that passes all understanding" (Philippians 4:7; Colossians 3:15).

The rest of verses 6 and 7 describe the LORD'S eternal, absolute rule. He will not be elected to office and will have no need of a Congress or Parliament to advise Him. Politics will be a thing of the past. King Jesus is given the titles that describe both His character and personality as the King of creation (Genesis 1:1; John 1:1-4; Colossians 1:16-18). He is our wonderful counselor who bore our sorrows and burdens. He is the Mighty God, creator and sustainer of life and all that there is in the universe. No one is His equal. He is the absolute Sovereign concerning the affairs of creation. He is all-powerful, all wise, all loving, and brings all things under His eternal control. He is the Prince of Peace, bring an end to war. There will be no more conflict between nations and people. There will be no more hatred, division, no more despotism, no evil, no more devil, and no more strife that has torn this world apart all through the course of history. His government will be one founded on eternal love and pure justice, emitting from the throne of Christ's ancestor, King David. His zeal for the things of God will be made manifest forever, and those of us who are in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17) will rule and reign with Him.

We will have incorruptible bodies that will never see death or pain. We will be free from the oppression that we have had to endure on this earth. There will be a new heaven and earth (Revelation, Chapters 21 and 22) for us to enjoy and best of all, we will be with the LORD forever, loving and praising Him, enjoying eternal fellowship with our loved ones. That is what it means to be ruled by the Great King whom Isaiah saw in His prophetic encounters with God. The reality of a glorious eternal kingdom ruled by the Messiah just after Chapter 10, which describes the deliverance of Israel from the Assyrians. A fallible human monarch can only do so much for his people, and most of the kings in those days relied more upon their own intellect and strategies than they did on the LORD. The kings of both Israel and Judah sow this to be true. Friends, the King is coming and no political system, no works of tyrants and madmen, no vote, no weapons of war, and certainly no atheistic "wishful thinking" will stop Him from accomplishing HIs mission of making all things new and bringing all things under His rule once and for all. Jesus Christ is the all-powerful, all wise, and all merciful King of Kings who offers you salvation and eternal life. Isn't this what you truly desire? Tuen away from the junk of this fallen sinful world and come to Jesus today and receive the mercy of the king before it is too late.

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