“The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on
those living in the land of the shadow of death, a light has dawned. (Isaiah
9:2, BSB)
At the beginning of Isaiah 9, Isaiah
prophesied about the northwestern tribes of Israel—Zebulun and Naphtali. These
tribes were two of Israel's three northwestern tribes. Isaiah’s prophecy was
not exclusively for the Israelites. For whom was and is this prophecy intended?
What was the prophecy? What did it mean? As we gradually go through Isaiah’s prophecy
in verses one through seven, we will learn what the prophecy meant and means
for Israelites and Gentiles then and now.
In Isaiah 9:1, Isaiah specifically mentioned
Zebulun and Naphtali. Isaiah 8 was prophesied to the northern kingdom, too. By
mentioning Zebulun and Naphtali specifically, Isaiah meant the prophecy was for
every person living in the northern kingdom of Israel then. Why include all the
people? Since the Zebulun and Naphtali tribal lands were the borderlands of Israel,
people from other nations traveled through and/or made their homes there. The foreigners
who came into these lands became intermixed with the Jews in marriage, thought,
religion, and culture. Recognizing this, when Isaiah prophesied to Zebulun and
Naphtali, he prophesied to the Jews and Gentiles in Israel. When Assyria
overthrew the northern kingdom, the Assyrian king captured people, regardless
of their nationality. The apostle Matthew used this prophecy in Matthew 4:13-17
to tell the gospel of Jesus Christ. Those verses reiterated that the prophecy
of Isaiah was and is for Jews and Gentiles.
Because Isaiah 9:2 speaks of people,
we had to understand to whom Isaiah spoke and wrote to consider what Isaiah’s
prophecy meant in Isaiah 9:2. Likewise, to understand well the whole prophecy,
we must understand its parts. Verse two introduces the metaphor of dark and
light God gave to Isaiah to prophesy. Verse two says, “The people walking in
darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of
death, a light has dawned.” What did Isaiah mean by the metaphor of light and
dark? What message did God want the people from Israel to know?
God’s metaphor of light and dark runs
throughout the Bible. Generally, light refers to God and darkness refers to
evil. Just as darkness keeps people from seeing reality (its good and evil
parts), so spiritual darkness in this passage kept the people in Israel from
seeing, hearing, and worshipping God. Darkness continued to confuse the people
of Israel, so they did wrong instead of right.
Light represents Yahweh God. He reveals
all things (good and evil). Darkness does not. Darkness enshrouded the people
of Israel and tricked them into believing lies. Those lies led to the Assyrian
enemies capturing the people of Israel. The people for decades had not sought
the light and wandered wearily through the darkness of warring empires, raiding
bandits, and enemies from their families and tribes. Decades and centuries of
guiding themselves into the dark mists led God to discipline them by using
their feared enemies.
The people living within Israel did
not walk only in darkness. They lived in “the land of the shadow of death.”
Assyria, in their battles against Israel for three years, caused thousands of people
to die and captured thousands. To ensure obedience to the Assyrian king, the
king ordered the blinding or killing of some of their leaders and the castrating
of others. This king enslaved the people of Israel. He put rings in their noses
by which to lead them. The educated and/or talented, the king used for his
benefit. He had them learn the Assyrian language and acquire their knowledge.
The Assyrian king did not allow the captives to worship Yahweh God during the
first years of their captivity.
These happenings more fully
encompassed the “shadow of death” about which Isaiah prophesied. The people of
Israel forcefully died in their will because they had no choices. The Assyrians
broke the wills and spirits of the people they captured. Israel’s people lived in
Assyria, the “land of the shadow of death.” They lacked hope. God, through
Isaiah, wanted the people to experience the depths of darkness that would
enshroud them as His disciplining them. Yet, He wanted to give them hope. The
light, about which Isaiah prophesied, would shatter the darkness. God shatters
the darkness. His light would shatter the darkness Assyria put over the people
of Israel as Isaiah prophesied.
God would not leave them in Assyria.
He did not disinherit the people of Israel. God is faithful to Himself (His
promises) and to His people. Their captors would not overpower and enslave them
forever; God would not allow it. He does not call people His own and then leave
them as captives. God promised, then gave them the Promised Land—a place to
call home and to have freedom. The land was theirs forever. Understanding that
God is faithful, even when He must discipline, helped hearers then and readers since
have hope and keep their faith in God. They would/will not dwell in “the shadow
of death” forever.
The people of Israel would know
personally what David meant when he sang, “I will dwell in the house of the
Lord forever” (Psalm 23:6). Living in Israel and worshipping God in His temple gives
freedom from “the shadow of death.” It comes because of the person’s seeking, finding,
revering, and obeying God. God would raise His light upon the people. He would give
them freedom in areas of their lives that the Assyrian king overpowered and
removed. On the day the Israelites received freedom from captivity, the light
of God would have dawned anew in their hearts, minds, and spirits. Living in
the land of Israel would bring them refreshment in their beings. Israel's
refreshment would be living in the land of God and dwelling in His house
forever. Still, they would yearn for a deeper relationship with God because
they would not be as close to Him as they desired. Sin created a chasm between
God and them.
Understanding that Isaiah spoke this
prophecy of chapter nine to all people in Israel—Jew and Gentile—the Bible student
can surmise why Matthew used this prophecy to share the gospel. Matthew taught about
Jesus’ birth, ministry, death, and resurrection—the gospel of Jesus Christ. For
the Israelites taken into captivity, the dawned light was their release from
Assyrian captivity. Jesus is the Light that banishes darkness. Living in Israel
and worshipping God did not provide pardon for sins and a personal relationship
with God. Their freedom from captivity just gave them again a seeking, finding,
and revering Him. What more did the Israelites need to be closer to God? God
alluded to it in the prophecy of Isaiah 9:1-7.
A nation had been groping for any
light and hope onto which to hold. God sent Isaiah to give them hope with His
prophecy to all the people from Israel. These people received a hint of hope.
This hope was not merely about return the people to the Promised Land.
God intended more, an ultimate Hope—the
Light—whose kingdom and power never end. He intended to fulfill His promises
completely. Jesus, Light of the world (John 8:12), became human to live among
them. He lived sinlessly, taught powerfully, healed mightily, showed great
wisdom, and died at the hands of scared people.
Yet, Jesus did not remain dead. No manmade
vault or conceived idea can box the Light of the world. Jesus conquered death when
He rose from it three days after His death. His light never ends. Jesus is the
Son of God, the true Light of all lights and the true Hope of all people. He
ushered forth from the northern tribes’ lands, and, from there, God fulfilled
His prophecies. Jesus’ Light is unquenchable. No darkness changes or contains
Him. Instead, Jesus commands and contains the darkness.
Like the prophecy of Isaiah occurred,
and the people returned to the Promised Land, Jesus came to earth as Victor. The
restoration of the relationship of God to human that began in Genesis 1 had its
penultimate ending with Jesus’ death and resurrection. Jesus provided the
sacrifice for people to be restored to a right relationship with God. The
ultimate ending will occur upon Jesus’ return to earth to bind Satan and take the
God’s children to be with Him in glory. The dawn of the Light came to earth at
Jesus’ birth and forever eclipses darkness and evil. Jesus’ provision of salvation—a
restoring of people to a right relationship with God—is the “what more” the
Israelites and Gentiles needed for the close relationship with God they
desired.
God includes people around the world
as those to whom He calls to receive light—permanent freedom from the darkness.
He alluded to it in Isaiah 9. Matthew told about it in Matthew 4. Instead of
striving hard and never escaping the darkness that imprisons each person, seek
the Light of lights and the King of kings. This light is the Savior whose power
is greater than any person, life, death, angel of demon (Romans 8:38-39). Satan,
the father of darkness, did not trick Jesus or ensnare and enshroud Him. Jesus’
power is greater than all other powers. His Light is eternal and never dims.
Why seek the darkness in the mist? Seek the Light that dawned about two
millennia ago, which darkness never can dim.
(Note: Jesus’ ministry time of
proclaiming Himself as the fulfillment of the prophecies began when Herod
imprisoned John. Because the time had come for God’s Light, Jesus went to
Capernaum in Naphtali. From Naphtali, Jesus began teaching and preaching in
Galilee of the Gentiles. Mary and Joseph raised Him in Nazareth of Zebulun. These
two tribes are the ones Isaiah spoke of in his prophecy when he meant every
person living in Israel.)
