You will multiply the nation, You will increase
their joy:
They will rejoice in Your presence as with
the joy of harvest,
As people rejoice
when they divide the spoils. --Isaiah 9:3, NASB
Remember, in the first lesson of this series, Isaiah spoke
to the northern kingdom of Israel about their soon upcoming captivity at the
hands of the Assyrians. This captivity included both Jew and Gentile residents
of Israel. This meant the prophecy for the near and distant futures was for Jews
and Gentiles, not merely the Jews. In chapter eight, Isaiah used the analogy of
dark and light. He used it again in Isaiah 9:2. The light referred to the
release of the captives—Jew and Gentile—from Assyria in the future. This
prophecy referred to the Messiah, who would come to rescue and redeem everyone
held in captivity in the distant future. More, yet, comes from the Isaiah 9:1-7
prophecy.
Through his words in
Isaiah 9:3, Isaiah tells the people of the northern kingdom of Israel and
people in the future, God would do more than give them joy by His light shining
in the darkness (vs. 2). God does not just offer joy to weary hearts, minds, spirits,
and might. He gives everything a person needs for their whole being—heart,
soul, mind, and strength. God recognizes the whole being of each human, His
creation. He recognized it when He commanded the Israelites in Deuteronomy 6:5
to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and might. Jesus reiterated
this command and called it the greatest commandment when He taught it in Mark 12:29-30.
He said in reply to the scribe, “Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is one Lord;
and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your
soul, and will all your mind, and with all your strength.”
For God to expect a person to love Him with the totality of
his or her being, He provides what is necessary for each of those parts of a person.
God’s light would shine in the darkness; so, keep hoping and trusting in Him.
God’s light is not there to tease people; it gives hope for the near future to
escape whatever persecution, torment, calamity, or difficulty a person encounters.
His light also gives hope for the distant future, the future hope of which
Isaiah would tell. With the rest of Isaiah’s prophecy in Isaiah 9:1-7, God
revealed what—Who—that future hope of hopes is. That hope was, is, and will
always be the Messiah, of whom God told and revealed, and whom believers now eagerly
await His second coming.
Consider, in this week and the next four weeks, with verses
three through seven, how God’s light was joy and more. Remember, in Isaiah 9:1,
Isaiah said the prophecy from God came for both Jews and Gentiles who lived
there. In the second verse, Isaiah declared this prophecy is meant for “the
people who walk in darkness.” Notice, he did not say the prophecy is only for the
Jews who walk in darkness. God intended the prophecy for Jews and Gentiles—each
person.
Isaiah said the prophecies of God were for Jews and Gentiles
in verse one, then the occurrences of verses two and three would happen. Since
we studied verse two last time, this study is on verse three. God said He would
“multiply the nation.” This multiplication would occur through population and
geography. Population is the numerical counting of heads. The population of
Israel’s northern kingdom would increase by the returning of the captives to
their homes. That would be the near future hope about which verse three prophesied.
The distant future hope included a population increase of people who believe in
the Messiah. The number of God’s children would increase because more people
receive salvation through belief in the Messiah. Jesus’ righteousness given to
believers increased the population of the heirs of God’s promise to Abraham’s (Genesis
15:2-6 and Hebrews 11:8-10). The Messiah came for all people, not just the Jews.
Consider now the geographical part of this prophecy. To
increase the geography of a nation, the borders must expand. God’s multiplying
the nation of Israel gave the Jews the near future hope of expanding their national
borders, like when King Solomon reigned. The Jews regarded Solomon as the
greatest king of all Israel. During Solomon’s reign, the kingdom encompassed
more land than at any other time. The geography of the nation would increase in
the distant future when people worldwide believed in the Messiah. The
multiplying boundary spoke not of a literal physical national border expansion
only, but of a growth in the number of people around the world who worshipped
God because of belief in the Messiah. These two aspects—population and
geography—with their near and distant future hopes, encompassed the
multiplication God would bring to the nation.
God multiplied the nation, and He increased the people’s joy
in this prophecy through Isaiah. By God’s shining His pure light on the people
of the nations, He would “increase their joy” (vs. 3b). Verse two relayed the change
agent. Though verse three sounds like the result/reaction of the change agent
(God’s actions), only parts “c” through “e” are the results/reaction. Parts 3a
and 3b continue to show God’s work, His gifts. His actions are the change agents.
The increase of the nation and of joy of verse three are change agents. Why?
The answer is because God is the One who gives the light in the darkness (vs.
2) and Who increases the nation and the joy of the people (vs. 3a & b). These
gifts from God of pure joy, light, and the multiplication of the nation (God’s
actions) would cause the people to respond/react with an outbreak of rejoicing.
How would people show their reaction to the light, multiplication, and joy God
gave them? Today, people explode with joy by dancing, singing, testifying about
what God gave to them, praising God, and thanking God. In the Bible, King David
did the same in 2 Samuel 6:14 while the priests carried the Ark of the Covenant
to the Temple. Rejoicing leads to a festive celebration of worship and praise
for God among people. These gifts from God and the resultant rejoicing would
cause people to love God with their whole heart, mind, soul, and strength, just
as God commanded in Deuteronomy 6 and Jesus taught in Mark 12.
God does not give a message merely to increase hope. His
hope is based on Himself—His faithfulness to humanity, the people He created.
God does not give hope, then take it away. He does not tease people. The basis
of the hope God gives comes from Himself, which He fully fills into each person
with His hope. With this prophecy of near and distant future hope, God fulfilled
the prophecy with the life of Jesus, the Messiah.
Some people believed in God before Jesus came to earth. God
credited their faith as righteousness before the Messiah’s arrival: Abraham,
David, Noah, and others listed in Hebrews 11. They received the distant future
hope by faith because of God declaring them right. When they died or God took
them to His heavens without an earthly death, like Enoch and Elijah, they experienced
the distant future hope. Their joy in God stemmed from His nature, not from
having seen the Messiah. Likewise, Isaiah’s prophecy caused many of the captive
people in Assyria to rejoice in God with the pure joy God gave to them. They
rejoiced because of the hope of Him fulfilling His promises. God promised multiplication
and pure joy (vs. 3). He promised light in the darkness (vs. 2). God gives these
to any person today who believes in the Messiah.
Believers in Jesus can rejoice at their salvation given by Jesus,
the Messiah. This evidences the “now” part of salvation. The “not yet” part of
salvation, for which people rejoice with hope, is the future return of the
Messiah to earth, His second coming. Jesus’ future return and taking believers
to His kingdom for eternity is about what they can rejoice about now and about
what they can continue to rejoice throughout eternity.
At that time, in God’s kingdom, every person who believed in
God before the Messiah’s advent on earth and those who believed in the Messiah,
since His advent, will rejoice eternally in His presence. In Isaiah 9:3d &
e, Isaiah gave two human examples of great joy to which the hearers and readers
could relate. In 3d, Isaiah said their rejoicing would be like when they
finished bringing in the harvest. They rejoiced at their bounty with
celebration, often as a party among the tribe members and as a thank offering
to God. Having harvested, they had enough in storage for them to rest and to provide
for their needs. They thanked God and each other. At those times, the people would
wholeheartedly love the Lord God with all they were and owned. They quickly rose
to help and love others when they were in high spirits and received a bounty. Like
this reaction to an exceptional harvest, the people would rejoice now and
forever to God’s promise of Light in the darkness, and His gifts of multiplication
and joy.
Isaiah 9:3e, Isaiah said the people would rejoice like when
they celebrate the defeat of their enemy and counted and divided the spoils of the
war. Because their victory resulted in wealth, the people would rejoice. They
would celebrate and give thanks to God for helping them defeat their enemy. The
celebrants would give a tithe to God and help other people, resulting from
their bounty. They would often love God and people more readily when they
received something unexpected, a windfall of wealth. As with a surprise bounty from
the spoils of war caused rejoicing and praise to God, the people would
celebrate God’s promises Light in the darkness, and His gifts of joy and
multiplication from that time throughout eternity.
Isaiah spoke, in
Isaiah 9:3, to the people of the northern kingdom. He prophesied God would
multiply the nation and increase their joy. Because God caused these, when
people realized these things came from God, they would rejoice by acting out
the joy God put into them. That rejoicing would cause them to celebrate and
worship. Celebrating and worshiping God would show their love to Him and to
people. Like with the harvest, God provided food for their bodies and joy for
their spirit. Additionally, God provided for all physical needs with the unexpected
wealth from the spoils of war. In acknowledging God with celebration and
worship, God cared for their hearts, minds, spirits, and bodies. With their
hearts, minds, and spirits attuned to God, loving God with their whole being
became possible. Love for God often leads to love for others. Loving other
people is the second greatest commandment Jesus taught in Matthew 22:39 when He
said, “The second (commandment) is like it (the Greatest Commandment), ‘You
shall love your neighbor as yourself.’”
The whole of the Bible shows the scarlet thread of God. From
when God created the world and humanity sinned, God sought a renewed relationship
with the people He created. He planned for it when He gave humans the ability
to reason and make their own decisions. God knew they would disobey Him, so He created
the perfect plan to cleanse them of their sins. With the cleansing Jesus
provided by dying on the cross, His sacrifice makes it possible for whoever trusts
in Him to be declared righteous by God. When God makes a person righteous by
his or her belief in Jesus, that person can be in a right relationship with God
and live forever with Him now and in His kingdom.
From creation through Jesus’ triumphant second coming, God seeks
a relationship with each person. Isaiah’s prophecy in chapter nine highlights
God’s plan. God’s plan is for every person. He is the Light and will shine on
them. He will multiply their nation and give them joy. Those who believe in the
Messiah will have an unfettered relationship with God, which results in love
for other people.
Isaiah said more in this prophecy. He began by including all
people—Jews and Gentiles. Isaiah spoke of the Light and hope they could have in
the darkness. He explained God would take them home and fill them with joy
because of who He is, His faithfulness to Himself, and His faithfulness to them.
Because of God’s love, promises, hope, and joy, people would love Him with
their whole beings, resulting in rejoicing. These would result in God’s
children loving others like they love themselves, too.
How would God break into the darkness? How would He release
the people from captivity to the Assyrians and whatever would have kept them from
Him? What would He do and what price would He pay for an eternal relationship
with His created people? Isaiah has more to teach us, just as He instructed the
people of Israel.
Anticipate.
Be filled with joy.
Celebrate with rejoicing as the coming days to Christmas roll closer.
