Gift of Hope

There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace on the throne of David and over David’s kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness from then on and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of armies will accomplish this. (Isaiah 9:7)

Isaiah must have been excited when he reached the end of the prophecy. The Messiah, for whom all the Jews waited and anticipated, would come. Dispirited, the people of Israel may have felt after Assyria battered their country for many years. Yet Isaiah gave a fresh word from God about His promise to them of the Messiah, the anointed One.

Dispirited Israel reminds me of a child who hoped for a school break. Halloween came and went, while candy remained. Thanksgiving came and went with nothing too exciting happening. Will Christmas ever arrive, the child may have wondered? The wait was endless, it seemed. But, upon awaking early one morning, the child looks out his window and sees something new, something that bolstered his hope and anticipation once again. Snow! Surely Christmas is today!

With Isaiah’s words from God, he helped bolster the spirits of the people of Israel, who felt woefully battered. With hope renewed, they remembered God is faithful to them, to Himself, and to His promises. Isaiah’s prophecy led them to seek God anew. Once released from captivity, will the people of Israel hold on to this hope from God? History recounts this tale.

As a review, what hope did Isaiah’s prophecy in verses one to six give the people? Isaiah told them—Jews and Gentiles—they “will see a great light” though they live in darkness and captivity (vs. 2). Isaiah meant God would send the light that would shine on them. (Remember, this hope has both a now and not yet part to it.) God would also multiply their nation, increasing the joy. This would generate joyful praise and worship of God because of His blessings, mirroring their celebrations after harvests or wartime victories. The feasting festivals caused by God’s joy would include people around them, so joy would spread from person to another (vs. 3). Isaiah said God would free the people of Israel from captivity, so they would not live under a foreign government, slavedrivers, and masters (vs. 4). Their government would be what God intended for them. The peace God would give would come from no more wars (vs. 5). He would burn the armor, armaments, and clothing of war like kindling.

God's actions and provisions in verses one through five would have caused great rejoicing, knowing God did not leave them at the mercy of their adversaries. Isaiah built to a crescendo in this prophecy. He desired to lead the people to return to God, trusting only God could achieve this. God is the ultimate covenant maker and keeper. Verses six and seven emphasize what God would do because of who He is.

God’s covenant in verses one through five laid the foundation for verses six and seven. What Isaiah 9:1-5 alluded to in metaphor, Isaiah expanded upon with verse six. With verse six, Isaiah said how God would give them these things. God informed them about the birth of a Child and the giving of a Son. 6). God's promise was not merely a child; He offered a unique Personage, directly from Himself. Old Testament understanding of God was that He was among them in His tabernacle and by fire and cloud. God was around them. Through this Child and Son, God would provide for the people. He would be with them—Emmanuel. This Child and Son, fully human and fully divine, would be born from a woman and conceived by the Spirit. He would be from the Jewish lineage. He would be God with them (Isaiah 41:10).

This prophesied Child and Son would carry the governing responsibilities and burden on His shoulders, so His people’s burden would be lighter. The Son’s burden upon His people as their God, Messiah, and King would be light. His government would not be tyrannical (vs. 6). God declared that this Child and Son would need no advisors as He would possess all knowledge. This Child and Son would be omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent, and eternal, encompassing all timelines at once. In this Child and Son’s government and kingdom, peace would reign. Peace would occur because no war, fear, suffering, sickness, doubts, and selfishness would exist. God’s people would recognize and worship Yahweh God completely.

The people may not have grasped entirely what God intended when Isaiah prophesied. Isaiah explained and emphasized the prophecy further with verse seven. He emphasized two things: who caused the actions, and the magnitude of the actions.

With Isaiah 9:7, Isaiah built upon verse six and highlighted what he said in verses two through five. Isaiah showed, yet again, the Child and Son fulfilled prophecies. First, remember about whom God foretold; He foretold about the light He would send. This light would possess tangible qualities. It would be a person—fully divine and fully human. We understand that because of verse six—a Child and Son will be born. Isaiah confirmed the metaphor of light and dark as being related to the personage sent from God—the Messiah. Since this Personage came from God and is God, but resided in human form on earth, He kept divine power. This Child and Son would have the power to fulfill all God had prophesied, giving them hope, peace, joy, and freedom. The Light is not intangible and lacking power; but He is real and comes with ultimate and almighty power (omnipotent). Since the Child and Son are divine, the people could grasp that His government and peace would increase. Nothing can stop God or His Son, the Messiah.

God foretold more about this Light—Child and Son. He said His reign would follow David's, as a Judean descendant. Remember, God had promised David’s reign and kingdom would not end in 2 Samuel 7:8-16, especially verse sixteen. God told David, “Your house and your kingdom shall endure before Me forever; your throne shall be established forever.” The Messiah—the Light, Child, and Son—would rule on David’s throne and establish it forever. This emphasizes God's unending rule, extending beyond the Assyrian captivity. God will never leave them, and nothing and no one could remove Him. God, the One who created all things and Whom nothing could defeat, founded David’s throne and kingdom. This kingdom has the Son—Messiah—as the chief cornerstone (Psalm 118:22, Isaiah 28:16, Acts 4:10-12, Ephesians 2:20-22, 1 Peter 2:7). This statement shows God’s divine authority in His covenant with David, which He established and would fulfill. God continued giving His people hope even though they would go into captivity.

God told the people about His kingdom in verse seven(b). He said He would rule with justice and righteousness. This justice and righteousness are a reiteration of verse six, where God said, His name will “be called Wonderful Counselor and Mighty God.” Righteous is who God is. This means the Son is always good. He will rule with justice. His might is more than physical power, it includes morality. Because God is righteous, His actions for His people to battle against darkness come from moral courage. As the Son is a personage of the triune Godhead, He acts with righteousness; He has moral courage. Nothing could tempt the Son to act contrary to what is good for His wise and knowledgeable purposes. Jesus stood against Satan’s schemes while in the desert for 40 days (Matthew 4:1-11). He proved Himself willing and able to be moral and purposeful. The Messiah chose to follow through with triune God’s plan to save all people even though it would cause Him excruciating pain. This Child and Son would rule on David’s throne with righteousness and justice.

The Davidic covenant God made with David in 2 Samuel 7:8-13 states the prophesied One from David’s line would reign in his kingdom forever (vs. 13). The Israelite's promised Son of God, their Messiah, would not rule only during his 33 years on Earth. Because He is fully divine and fully human, His human form died, but Himself as a person of the triune Godhead did not. Isaiah's prophecy declared this Child and Son would reign eternally, starting with the Messiah's kingship at His second coming. God existed before creation and time and will last forever beyond time’s ending.

Though time passes between the Son’s earthly life and when God fulfills His prophecy, Isaiah said it would occur because of God’s zeal to keep and protect His people. God’s zeal is His fervor and devotion, His passion to protect His people. God’s armies will keep them protected by His might and wisdom. Nothing and no being will take His people from Him. God’s children are His forever. Jesus taught this in John 3:16 and 10:27-30. John taught it in 1 John 5:13. Time to God is immaterial. What He says, He will do. God promised light, joy, peace, and multiplication of the people of Israel—all Jews and Gentiles. He is greater than time, which He created, and any enemies or schemes against His people and/or Himself.

God’s majesty and magnitude, the ultimacy of who He is, would ensure the fulfillment of this prophecy. Captured people can rely upon God and that He will fulfill His prophecies, some of which Isaiah told the people of God. In Isaiah 9:1-6, Isaiah prophesied so the people whom Assyria battered and captured would realize God is not definable by their own circumstances. He exists forever and His promises and reign will last forever. He did not want them to lose hope. God wanted the people of Israel to understand He would not discipline them forever for their unfaithfulness to Him. He would bring them back to the land He promised to them.

God wanted the people of Israel to realize that despite their sins of self-centered living and neglecting to seek and worship Him as their sole God, He would remain faithful to them. This promise of the Child and Son—the Messiah—extends beyond Hebrews and includes everyone. Jesus said this in John 3:16. “God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son so that whoever believes in Him will not perish (be separated forever from Him) but have eternal life.” This promise was for the people in the past, present, and future, including us.

The prophecy's fulfillment is yet to come. It still plays out beyond our lives. Throughout our lives, we can hold on to hope, knowing that Jesus is on the throne. His reign never ends. The Messiah will return for His people and rescue them from sin and death. He will take them to His kingdom to live with Him forever.

Our circumstances, no matter how difficult and painful, do not define God and His power, wisdom, or fulfillment of His prophecies. Nothing defines God’s ability, purposes, or longevity; He is undefinable, uncontainable, and unshakable. He will defeat your circumstances and will be true to you, His promises, and Himself. God is good all the time and, all the time, God is good. We can have hope, joy, and peace despite of our circumstances.

Seek God and all these things—hope, joy, peace—He will give to you. It will ease your anxiety, and you will find rest (peace) in Jesus and His promises. Jesus taught in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 6:33. “Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”

“The people who walk in darkness will see a great light. Those who live in a dark land, the light will shine on them.” (Isaiah 9:2)

One this day after Christmas, people often feel disappointed because Christmas day has passed. The luster has left the hope of the holiday and the regular-ness of life returns. Isaiah 9:7 reminds us that God is with us every day. Yes, the day of celebrating Christmas is in the past. That does not mean the anticipation God gives should end. It does not mean less exists to celebrate and anticipate. While the thrill of opening presents has passed, the reason for Christmas, celebrating God’s giving of the Messiah, continues to be present.

Jesus the Messiah has not returned to earth for His second coming. We can still hold on to hope and peace, embracing freedom and the Light, and participate in multiplying His nation of believers, encompassing both Jews and Gentiles. We can still participate in that multiplication and becoming part of His nation. So much more is worthy of our anticipation, and the receiving of His hope, joy, peace, and freedom.

Be one of the children who runs to the window, sees snow, and says, "Today, it must be Christmas!" Keep anticipating Jesus’ return. Keep receiving His joy and peace. Keep growing closer to Jesus. Keep hope alive by sharing about this good news of the gospel of Jesus so others can hear, understand, and believe in Him, too. By that, you help multiply the nation and you obey Jesus’ command to go to the nations, disciple, baptize, and teach people to follow Him (Matthew 28:19-20).  Jesus will return. Are you anticipating His return?

Do you need hope?

Are you tired of being afraid, struggling, and having no peace?

Seek the Light Who shines forever.

He gives eternal hope, joy, and peace now and forever.

“Seek first God’s kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” (Matthew 6:33, NASB)

 

Gift of Peace

 

For the boot of the marching warrior in the roar of battle, and cloak rolled in blood, will be for burning, fuel for the fire. (Isaiah 9:5, NASB)

Anyone who is a parent, has been a parent, and/or has worked with children knows peace and quiet are rare. If children are quiet, that silence comes for one of three reasons; either the child is asleep, is sick, or is getting into trouble. Isaiah’s prophecy told of the peace the people of Israel would have. It will occur not because of what they do, but because God gives it. God causes peace. The peace about which Isaiah prophesied does not occur by individuals. God’s peace is greater and overcomes whatever humanity, angels, demons, or principalities can create. What God causes, these other beings cannot take away unless God allows it. In the next paragraphs, we will recall what Isaiah said in Isaiah 9:1-4. After that, we will study verse five on its own, aiming to understand verse five in context with the first four verses.

For whom did Isaiah prophesy? In verses one and two, the student realizes Isaiah spoke to the people of Israel. Because the Zebulun and Naphtali lands had residents consisting of Israelites, Canaanites, and other nations, Isaiah prophesied to both Jews and Gentiles. Isaiah 9:1-7 is for every person on earth. Why was it necessary to speak a prophecy of peace to the people of Israel then?

Israel did not have peace for almost two decades. The Assyrian army would battle Israel, then take the people of Israel captive in 722 BC. What did God want these people of Israel to recall for the time of their captivity? He wanted them to understand that their captivity would not occur forever; they would receive freedom. In the moment of their freedom, it would be as a great light, a lift of the burdens from their shoulders (v. 2a).

God gave hope and promised light would come out of the darkness. This light for the people meant release from captivity. God would cause their release. Nothing within a person can bring the light of freedom unless God tells the person to do something and then gives him or her the ability to do it, like He did with Moses. Israel received hope from God with this prophecy. The hope God gave the people of Israel was a beacon of light that threatened to shroud their hearts, minds, and spirits. God’s promises are for the present time and the future. His hope makes it so. God included every person in this prophecy, as told to them through Isaiah. Their dark days of slavery would end. God would cause it to happen. He gives the light and hope.

God, through Isaiah, continued telling what He would do for the people of Israel. He added, in Isaiah 9:3, that He would multiply the nation. This multiplication would include the number of people who would live in Israel by a literal increase in population, which included both Jews and Gentiles. It would include all people, through the millennia, who came to God through belief in Him and His Son, Jesus. God would call them His children.

Since God’s promises included all people of all time, His multiplying Israel’s nation would multiply the number of God’s people, which did not include only Jews. This multiplication by God included the geo-political landscape of earth. The people of the promise—Jews and Gentiles—would expand the geographical borders of the promised land to everywhere in the world believers lived. The parts of the world in which believers lived expanded God’s land of promise to be as vast as His created world and heavenly kingdom. God will “multiply the nation” (3a).

With this promise of God, composed of several parts, a natural reaction would occur because of what God would do. God would fill the people of Israel with joy (v. 3b). With the gifts of joy, light, and multiplication of the nation God gives to His people, their bubbling over of gratitude and amazement flowed from them. When joy bubbles up through a person, a natural reaction occurs—that person bursts forth in rejoicing. Rejoicing can happen by singing, dancing, praising God, sharing God’s blessings with other people, and worshipping God.

Isaiah gave an analogy to help these future captives understand the depths of joy they would have during their captivity and afterwards. He said they would rejoice like when the harvest came in (v. 3b). Isaiah added another analogy. He said the people would rejoice like when they divide the plunders of war among themselves (v. 3c). The people would react to God’s actions of shining a light on them, giving them joy, and multiplying the nation. They would rejoice with other captives and praise God.

God promised more than light, joy, and multiplication. It joined with Isaiah’s prophecies in Isaiah 42:7 & 61:1-2 and Jesus’ statement about Himself in Luke 4:18. Through Isaiah 9:4, God told the people of Israel that He would give them freedom. He said He would break the yoke, staff, and rod with which their oppressor enslaved the people (v. 4). Isaiah used an analogy for their release that would resonate with the people. Their freedom would feel like when God routed their longtime enemy, Midian. While Gideon and three-hundred soldiers watched, God confused and routed the Midianites in 1184 BC.

The people of the joint kingdom of Israel regularly recalled this story of God’s hand delivering them from the Midianites. Because the Midianite defeat was familiar to the Israelites, Isaiah knew comparing it to God’s defeat of the Assyrians would give the people of Israel great encouragement, comfort, and joy. God would redeem the people of Israel from the soldiers, government, and slave drivers called Assyria.

In verse five, Isaiah continued using the battle analogy, which he began in verse three(c). He helped the people recall battles by using their senses. Isaiah described the battle sounds and implements of a soldier. He said, “For the boot of the marching warrior in the roar (and clanging) of battle, and cloak rolled in blood, will be for burning, fuel for the fire” (NASB). These words brought to memory the sight, sound, and smell of battle. The putrid odor of blood on cloaks and bodies. The clanging metal of armor shielding soldiers’ bodies. The heavy tromping of boots marching into battle. The blasting of bugles by generals’ orders. The panic and fearful escaping of nature from the area. People would recall of these sensory memories of battle. By recalling sensory details, Isaiah's prophecy reminded the people of the sights, sounds, and smells of battles fought by armies such as those of Midian and Egypt. They helped the people remember how God preceded them and defeated their enemies.

Without God’s light, hope, and peace, those memories of battle would haunt the people of Israel forever. Yet, with God, anything can happen. God gives light, hope, and peace. He causes the changes to set people free. Paul wrote in Romans 8:37 that God’s children are more than conquerors. They are more than slaves or conquered people. God causes freedom by His actions. He said this through Isaiah. God said every marching boot and blood-soaked cloak would burn as fuel for the fire. The people would be free. God would provide their freedom and conquer the enemies of the people of Israel. He will always provide freedom for His people who seek Him (2 Chronicles 7:14). With that freedom comes peace. Before freedom, God gives light, hope, and peace.

This freedom God gives would cause rejoicing by the people. Just as they danced at a harvest with joy and divided the plunder of war among themselves with excitement and joy, the people of Israel would dance with joy at God defeating the country that overpowered and enslaved them. The Israelites recalled their harvest celebrations and victory celebrations. In their minds, they heard their celebrations, recalled the taste of food in their mouths, and sensed the celebration in their being.

They could hang onto God’s promise with hope and relive from memory how God, in the past, gave them victory. The memories of God’s intervention are spiritual markers for people. People can recall spiritual markers throughout life. A person can recall and rejoice at what God did in his or her life. God’s joy is for all time. Rejoicing is humanity’s outflow of God’s gracious gifts. It leads to people loving God with their whole being as God taught people to do in the Old and New Testaments (Deuteronomy 6:5 and Matthew 22:37).

God's actions, His gifts of joy, peace, hope, and future freedom would cause the people of Israel to react. That reaction would cause them to love the Lord their God with all their heart, spirit, mind, and strength. This morale booster, by Isaiah’s prophecy, telling what God would do, would strengthen and encourage the captives. The prophecy enabled them to endure captivity with hope, live with the memories of what God did in the past, and buoy themselves with thoughts of what He will do in the future. God would arm the captives with hope, so they were ready to endure. Paul wrote about the great power of God, which God wanted the people of Israel to remember. He continued his teaching and testimony by writing in Romans 8:37-39:

In all these things, we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:37-39, NASB)

The Isaiah 9:1-7 prophecy transcends a single moment; it lasts forever. God is always the Conqueror. He is always faithful to His promises and His people. The Israelites’ freedom from captivity in 523 BC did not signal the end of the prophecy. This prophecy from God is for all people, as Isaiah 9:1 recorded. God’s word lasts forever because He is eternal.

Because people will exist until Jesus’ second coming to Earth, this prophecy of release from captivity has not fully occurred. Jesus has not yet consummated it. God made available through Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection the ultimate release from captivity to sin and death. Jesus gives this freedom—this redemption from slavery to sin and death—when a person confesses belief in Him as their Savior.

Jesus ended all battles and wars for people who believe in Him. No captivity can separate God from anyone who believes in Jesus. God declares freedom for His children, and nothing can defeat Him. The freedom Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection provided makes possible the defeat of sin, its judgment, and death from the moment anyone believes in Him. God will consummate the salvation of believers upon Jesus’ return to earth. At that time, Jesus will claim His disciples and take them to His kingdom to live with Him forever. No force can keep His disciples captive.

This freedom God gives also provides joy from Him so people can rejoice. Knowing this freedom gives peace to the hearts, spirits, and minds of people who seek God and who come to a relationship with Him through belief in Jesus the Christ. Because God is for us, giving us joy, hope, freedom, and peace; therefore, “who can be against us” (Romans 8:32)?

How do we realize at this point God intended that? We will understand more when we finish studying the entire prophecy with verses six and seven. We recognize, too, by Jesus’ teaching and Paul’s letters, that this prophecy intended eternal redemption and reconciliation with God (Luke 4:18-20, Matthew 5:17-18, Luke 24:25-27, Colossians 1:19-20). This will be the topic of the next Bible study.

For now, consider your relationship with sin and with the Redeemer who releases believers from sin’s captivity. Are you still captive to sin and its resultant judgment of eternal death? That outcome is not what God desires for you. He loves you and wants to have an eternal relationship with you in heaven.

Today, you have a choice. Which outcome will you pursue: eternal captivity or freedom from being captive to sin and death, which gives you a right relationship with God? It always remains your choice. Choose God, Jesus, redemption, joy, hope, peace, and eternal life.

Jesus came to give us peace through redemption and reconciliation with God.

Chaos no longer reigns over His disciples. Let God give His peace to you.

For unto us a Child will be born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder.

And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6, NKJV)

Gift of Freedom

 

                                                                    (photo by Otto Gonzalez)

“For the yoke of his burden, and the staff for his shoulder, and the rod of their oppressor, You have broken as on the day of Midian.” (Isaiah 9:4, ESV)

In Isaiah 9:1-7, Isaiah prophesied to Israel, the northern kingdom, about their captivity. God sought to bolster their hope, give them joy, and remind them of His promises to them as His children. Though God allowed the Assyrians to capture the people of Israel, He meant for it to last only for a time, not for an eternity. As His mode of disciplining the people of Israel, God allowed Assyria to capture Israel. Like most captives, the government (kings, governors, and ministers) and captors, would subjugate them according to their whims and by their laws. God would allow this captivity by Assyria, but He would not allow Assyria to oppress the people of Israel permanently. He promised Abraham His heirs would own their own land and be a nation.

With Isaiah 9:1, God spoke to every person within Israel, not just the Jews. Abraham trusted God’s promises long before the Mosaic covenant, and God credited his faith as righteousness. That means God credit a person as righteous if he or she believed in God before the Messiah’s arrival on earth. That person in a right relationship with God became an heir to the promise He gave Abraham. With the disciplining by God of the people of Israel, which God allowed by Assyria, each captive would experience oppressive servitude. Isaiah 9:2-3 reveals what God would do for the people of Israel — both Jews and Gentiles—and how they would respond. God said, through Isaiah, that He would give them light, joy, and an increase in their nation. For people living in captivity, this hope of God leading them from the shadow of death by His light, giving them joy, and enlarging their nation, would cause them to rejoice in their hearts, minds, and spirits. With their internal rejoicing, their bodies would join with singing, dancing, praising, praying, and celebrating God. God would give them His joy, His light, and His redemption.

In Isaiah 9:4, God continued telling the people of Israel what He would do for them. He did this so they would not lose heart and completely turn away from Him. God did not want their captivity to be permanent, but a temporary disciplining. God remains true to His people, Himself, and His promises. Isaiah told the people they would become but would not stay slaves. That sentence tells the intent of verse four. The next sections of this study will expand on God’s message in verse four.

God said He would break “the yoke of his (the people’s) burden.” For the people of Israel, this meant the slavery and subjection the people would endure in Assyria would not last forever. God gave the people hope by telling them this. Assyria would treat Israel harshly. History bore witness to this terrifying and formidable army. The Assyrian army laid siege to Samaria for three years before they overthrew it. They waged war within the northern kingdom from 740 BC. The Assyrians overthrew Samaria, the capital of Israel, in 722 BC. The Assyrian army possessed tenacity, manpower, and extensive military training. When captured, Assyria put rings in the noses of each person they overtook. This government subjugated its captives. God told the people of Israel He would break the yoke of the burden Assyria put on them. He would free them from their oppressors. The people of Israel would go home, live as they wanted, and worship God alone, not the Assyrian gods.

Compare what Jesus said about God’s yoke with the yoke of the Assyrian oppressors. In Matthew 11:28-30, Jesus said,

Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light (ESV).

Jesus described the yoke God’s people would have with Him. He said His yoke would be gentle and easy. Contrast that with Assyria, whose army and government people feared most at that time. The people of Israel, by force, would become slaves to Assyria. They would not choose to enslave themselves. Note the difference between slavery and servants. Slavery is a coerced servitude, an oppression. People chose to serve someone. Throughout the Bible, the people of God have called themselves—Jew and Gentile—servants of God. Nehemiah, in Nehemiah 1:10, wrote about the Jews being God’s servants and His people whom God redeemed. Paul wrote about being God’s servants in 2 Corinthians 6:4. He said, “In everything we commend ourselves as servants of God,” even in affliction, hardships, and distress. Ezra called the Israelites servants of God in Ezra 5:11. The psalmist in Psalm 105:6 referred to Abraham as being God’s servant. In each of these Bible passages and many others, the people choose to be servants of God because of who God is and what He did for them. Just as the psalmist wrote in Psalm 100:2, the people of Israel reacted to God and His love, promises, and care for them by gladly serving Him. Because God promised to break Israel’s yoke of oppression, they would endure and rejoice. The people of Israel would have hope. They would see God’s light in the deep darkness of Assyrian slavery.

God continued to bolster the minds, hearts, and spirits of the people of Israel in Isaiah 9:4. He said He would break “the staff from his shoulder.” In the Hebrew vocabulary, a staff, bar, and or scepter come from the original Hebrew word. It represented the government’s authority over the people. The staff of the Assyrian King, Shalmaneser V, sought to oppress the people and acquire their lands for his empire. He sought dominance over the nations surrounding him. That King’s heart and mind cared not with helping the people he overthrew, but with his power and dominance. Contrast this with what David wrote in Psalm 23:4. He said God’s rod comforted him. David feared his enemy, king Saul, but he showed no fear of God. He trusted God loved him and would protect him. God promised David would be king. He told Samuel to anoint him as king (1 Samuel 16:1-13). God vowed that, through David’s line, a king would reign forever (2 Samuel 7:16). His staff would be light, unlike Assyria’s staff. God would lead and guide David, not push and oppress him. David chose to be God’s servant (2 Samuel 7:18-29). The people of Israel faced a lack of options; Shalmaneser cast them into slavery after his army overthrew them. They did not choose willing to be servants. The people of Israel became slaves.

Isaiah continued prophesying in verse four by saying God would break the rod of the oppressor of the people of Israel. This rod is like what shepherds fight with against bears and lions to keep their flocks safe. David, a shepherd, told King Saul about fighting lions and bears to “deliver” the sheep from their predators’ mouths (1 Samuel 17:34-36, ESV). The rod in Isaiah 9:4 was a weapon God would use to free His people. Assyria used this rod to subjugate the people of Israel. They would use it to beat the captives into submission. The captives from Israel would not willingly and joyfully assent to being slaves. The Assyrians created submissiveness by the force wielded through the rod. God’s rod, according to David is Psalm 23:4, would bring comfort, not fear. It would bring peace.

God promised the people of Israel He would break the rod of fear the Assyrians oppressively wielded over them like “on the day of Midian.” This promise recalled the day Israel prepared to battle the Midianites. Isaiah used this battle to help the people of God’s promise recall how God’s might, wielded for them, showed His light, and gave them joy, hope, peace, and comfort. The story of God’s defeat of the Midianites is in Judges 7:15-25.

First, though, why did God tell the Israelites to battle the Midianites? In Judges 6, the people of Israel sinned against Him and His commands (2 Kings 17:6-23). God allowed the Midianites to win a battle against Israel. The Midianites punished Israel more than God wanted by capturing their crops and continuing to pester them. When Israel saw they had sinned against God, and His disciplining of them included sending Midian against them, they cried out to the Lord.

Judges 7:15-25, God’s response to His people calling to Him included sending Gideon, the prophet, to deliver them. He commanded Gideon to cleanse Israel of the pagan influences. One act God commanded included destroying the altars of Baal in Israel. The people were unhappy about him destroying the altars, but God’s hand kept them from harming Gideon. Gideon wanted confirmation from God about His promise to save Israel. He laid a fleece on the ground twice. Because the Israelites doubted God’s promise to save them, He reduced the number of men for Gideon’s army to three hundred. Gideon spied on the Midianite encampment and heard a Midianite soldier’s dream about Israel defeating Midian. Emboldened, Gideon and his army obeyed God’s command because of that dream. The Midianites ran in fear when the three hundred Israelites trumpeted their horns and shattered their clay pots.

The Israelites retold this victory story through the generations. People of Israel readily recalled this story. Because the battle with Midian was well known, when Isaiah prophesied in Isaiah 9:4 that God would break the rod of the Assyrians like He broke the rod of the Midianites, they had hope. The Israelites knew God would defeat the Assyrians. The Babylonians defeated the Assyrians. The Persians defeated the Babylonians in 539 BC. Cyrus the Great, the Persian king, freed the Israelites to return to Judah. Those Jews began rebuilding the Temple. God broke the rod of oppression. The people of Israel would remember God and His promises to them from Isaiah. Because they recalled the defeat of Midian at God’s hand, they would have hoped, would have rejoiced, and been at peace, acknowledging and praising Him as the source of all good things.

Because of God’s promises, the people of Israel would have hope for the end of captivity. These people would have hope that God would free them from their oppressors. Hearing, knowing, and trusting God’s promises would shed God’s light on their hearts, minds, and spirits. Like His promises to Abraham and Moses caused joy and peace, the people of Israel would receive God’s joy and peace, then recall and know God loves them.

God promised light, joy, and an enlargement of the numbers of the people of Israel. These people include all people today. We each can be part of those promises because of God’s promises to Abraham, through Isaiah, from Jesus in John 3:16-17, and from others throughout the Bible. God did not promise a light and intend to keep the interpretation vague. He did not intend it to be just a metaphor. His promise became real. The Light, Jesus, became flesh and dwelled among us (John 1:14). Jesus taught and proved He is the Light of all humanity in John 8:12. He said, “Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

Yes, God gave the people of Israel light in their hearts, minds, and spirits to bolster their hope. He also alluded to His Son, Jesus, who would come into this world and be the actual Light for all people. Approximately 740 years after the captivity of these people of Israel, this Light, Jesus, was born in Bethlehem. Jesus came to proclaim good news to the poor, release to the captives, sight to the blind, and freedom to the oppressed (Luke 4:18). Isaiah prophesied this in Isaiah 61:1-2. Like the captives in Assyria, God gave hope, joy, peace, and light. It stilled their anxious hearts and helped them turn to God.

Today, for people everywhere, Jesus’ words proclaim the same thing. The hope, joy, peace, and light God alluded to in Isaiah 9 came true for the Israelites, is true now, and Jesus will fulfill it entirely upon His second coming to Earth. Isaiah said, “The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this” (Isaiah 9:7d, ESV). He told the truth; it happened.

Jesus is the Light of the world. David celebrated God’s yoke, rod, and staff in Psalm 23. Jesus tells us His yoke is easy, and His burden is light. God continues to offer His promise that will give hope, peace, and joy. He makes our yokes light. God gave the Light, Jesus, for eternal freedom from our oppressor, Satan. Jesus calls out even now for us to receive release from captivity, sight from blindness and darkness, the bounty of provision, and the redemption from our sin-captive souls.

Isaiah proclaimed this Light of God, “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of peace” (Isaiah 9:6b, ESV). David ended Psalm 23 by saying, “Surely (God’s) goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever” (Psalm 23:6, ESV).

Who is God to you? Who is the Redeemer of your captivity? Who or what do you rely upon to give you perfect peace, full joy, and eternal freedom from captivity? Join saints of the past, including Abraham, Moses, Isaiah, David, Micah, the angels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Paul, and millions of others who believed in Jesus, and whom God declared righteous. Believe in Jesus.

We celebrate Jesus, whom Isaiah and other prophets foretold. God includes all people in His promise of Light. Will you rejoice with other believers, praise God, and celebrate His goodness? Join all believers and the angels in proclaiming what Luke recorded in Luke 2:14.

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom He is pleased! (ESV).

Gift of Joy

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.

 

 

The Dawn of the Light

 

“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.)

WAKE UP

 

Wake up, you people.

Wake up to the voice of God.

Hear the awesome roar of His voice,

And know He is almighty.

 

Wake up, you people.

Wake up and know the voice of God.

Hear His amazing proclamation,

And consider His lovingkindness.

 

Wake up, you people.

Wake up and heed the voice of God.

Hear and know He is the Lord,

And obey His righteous commands.

 

Wake up, you people.

Wake up and praise your God almighty.

Declare He is Lord over all,

And shine His light for all people.

 

Wake up, you people.

Raise your hands in praise to the Lord,

Maker of heaven and earth,

And Redeemer of all who believe.

Declare His unfailing love.

Proclaim His bountiful blessings.

Shout to the heavens of the magnificence of God;

And tell people of His sacrificial love for them.

 

The Lord is mighty and worthy of praise.

Lift your hands and sing,

Great is the Lord and worthy of praise.

He reigns from everlasting to everlasting.

Praise the Lord!

 

(In response to Isaiah 51:1, 4, & 7)

Fear or Trust

 

The LORD Almighty is the One you are to regard as holy. He is the One you are to fear; He is the One you are to dread. Hosea 8:13 (NIV)

Let me be perfectly transparent; deciding to return to South Africa (SA), where we have lived and worked, has been a very hard decision. I would like to say it was not and that my walk with Jesus has grown me so I always decide at once to do God’s will. But, let me tell you, I am human. Like you, I have senior-aged parents, adult children, grandchildren, and friends in America whom I miss terribly and whom I cannot help, especially my mom, stepmom, and stepfather. Life is easier here in America. I generally can find anything my mind can ever think of wanting. (That does not mean I need it!) I am now vaccinated against COVID-19 here. I would not be in SA. The variants in South Africa are more virulent so I do not trust that I am safe from them. Let me say it again; this has been a very prayerful season in America. Each time we go on stateside assignment, we are prayerful. This one was, for me, a wrestling with God to figure out His will exactly and to bring myself in alignment with Him.

God and I have been having deep and long conversations about returning to South Africa (our home) since I arrived here in October for my third child’s wedding. This conversation became more desperate by the end of March when I had not heard from Him definitively if we can stay in America or must go back to SA. Since becoming a Christian, when I professed saving faith in Jesus when I was fourteen years old, I listened to my ministers teaching that unless you hear from God to change what you are doing, keep doing what He last told you. As I asked God if He wants us to go back to SA, I heard nothing from Him in my first months in America. I understood that meant, “Yes.” God wants me to return there. But being human and hoping for a new direction, I asked and kept on asking. I asked prayer-sisters to pray as I battled with God about this. Understand this, God did not battle with me; I battled with Him. My battle was seeking to understand for sure if I must return to SA. It was a battle of my will against God’s, though I already understood what He wanted me to do.

Sunday, I told God, I recognized you want me to return to SA, but please, as I read Isaiah 8-11, show me explicitly. (I hate to admit that because that shows I am still weak. We all are. Hopefully, we are growing to be more like Jesus each day.) God honored my request and showed me His answer explicitly in His word. He taught me as He taught the Israelites, through His prophet, Isaiah. How I wish I were not comparable to the Israelites. Really, we all are like them. Our spiritual graphs go up and down like theirs did. Remember this, I never doubted God wanted us back in South Africa. I wished He wanted us in America. That point is where God met me.

The first thing we must know about Isaiah 8:1-18 is these are the words God spoke to Isaiah telling him what He will do to the Israelites and why. Isaiah’s written words were his response to God’s foretelling His disciplining the Israelites. Isaiah is like each Christian. God calls us to be His messengers and tell the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We each must remember He is Almighty. God is the only one who is Holy. Holy means He has never sinned. Can any of us say this? He is the standard for our lives.

In Isaiah 8:12, God told Isaiah not to fear or dread anything or anyone except Him. This fear is the reverence and awe of God and the fear for my life. Basically, God said, “Do not be afraid of what they may do to you but know I will discipline you, like them, if you do not obey Me.” Since God is holy, we need to fear, revere, and live in awe of Him. Because He is holy, no one is like Him. Paul wrote about this sinful state. He said, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” in Romans 3:23 (NIV). We do not need to fear anything or anyone else because God is Almighty. He destroys false Gods and reigns preeminent over all created things. As God’s messengers, those He calls to tell other people about Jesus, we do not have to fear other people or created things. Because God is holy, we should obey Him in fear and awe.

What does Isaiah 8:12 have to do with my situation? Well, God pointed out to me what caused me to ask for clear confirmation of His will for me to return to SA-fear. Fear was my excuse. I checked my heart and mind and determined of what I feared or dreaded (Is. 8:13c). I noted two things: having to leave family and friends and facing the third wave of Covid-19 in South Africa, where most recent cases are the Delta variant. Mentally, I did not want to face that crisis again. (I said I am human, remember.) Physically, I did not want to get the virus. I know doctors there with Covid-19 patients and they were afraid. Of course, other doctors are not afraid. God used Isaiah 8:13 to help me understand what caused my need for confirmation instead of just trusting Him. He reminded me He is holy and Almighty, and I do not need to fear or dread anything. I should fear only God with awe.

God told me one other thing in this speech to Isaiah. He said I should revere and be in awe of Him by being gratefully obedient to His will for my life. That means I need to “cheerfully” prioritize His will over my family and friends. Remember that verse in 2 Corinthians 9:7 where Paul wrote, “Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” (NIV) Being a “cheerful giver” comes from our trusting God. We should give our tithes, our offerings to God, whether of our money, time, family, friends, and life, cheerfully, not reluctantly. We should give Him all we are and have each day because His love never fails. We can trust Him. God’s calling of us to be about His business never stops. He calls each of His children to tell the gospel to all people. God wants each person to know this, just like He did the Israelites. Our telling the gospel is one way to tithe of our time and self. If we truly love the Lord, we will want to give back to Him that which He has given to us for His purposes, our lives in obedience to Him. Does that mean there will not be tears when you say goodbye to friends and family or when you must bury your parents at whose side you could not sit when they died? No, there are tears. God gave us tears to help release the emotions of sorrow and joy. (Aren’t tears wonderfully refreshing?) With this part of the passage in Isaiah 8, I needed to decide if I would dread returning to the people of SA or if I would cheerfully go because they are the people whom God loves and to whom He sends me to witness and minister. Instead of dreading or fearing my return to SA, I can be like Isaiah was when he said in verse seventeen, “I will wait for the LORD. I will put my trust in Him.” We can completely trust God. If you are honest, He has never failed you. And He will not fail you. He loves you and loves the people whom He puts in your path daily.

When we completely trust God and not fear or dread what might come, we can experience the hope God gives each of His children. He gave us this hope when we professed Jesus as the Messiah, God’s Son. Yet, many of us allow fear and dread to overshadow that hope. Nothing ever can overshadow God or anything from Him, even hope. Nothing can hide the Truth and Light. What is this hope? Isaiah tells the Israelites this hope from God in Isaiah 9:2, “The people walking in darkness have seen a great Light; on those living in the land of deep darkness, a Light has dawned.” (NIV) This hope is for the near future and the distant future. The Israelites had seen a great Light. They saw the fire lighting their way in the darkness when they left Egypt. And they would see this same light again. God was telling them to have hope because He would lead them back to the Promised Land after they became captives to Assyria and Babylon. God is faithful and will keep His promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. For the Israelites, the distant future held the hope of the Messiah, who One would come from a virgin and would be “God with us,” Immanuel. This hope God gave to the Israelites through Isaiah’s prophecy is a hope we Christians can hold on to even today. When we completely trust God and allow His hope to shine a Light for us and lead us, we do not dread or fear. We align our hearts with God to be cheerfully obedient, so the entire world will know about Jesus.

What have I relearned from God’s loving compassion and forbearance with me during this stateside assignment time? I can allow dread and fear to keep me from walking in the peace God gives through the hope He gave to me when I became a Christian. I can allow my excuses to keep me from serving God and have no peace about it. Lack of hope affects the heart, mind, soul, and strength and keeps me from loving God with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength. God spoke of this through Moses in Deuteronomy 6:4-5 and Jesus spoke of it in Matthew 22:37, too. Jesus added one other commandment. It sums up the last six of the Ten Commandments. He called it the second greatest commandment when He said, “And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.” I cannot do either of the two greatest commandments if I allow the fear and dread, which comes from Satan, to keep me from trusting and loving the Lord with my whole being. And do not get me wrong; I love God to the depths of my being. My commitment to Him 44 years ago when I became a believer in Jesus and 21.5 years ago when I first left America to go to South Africa show the depth of my love for Him. I have made this same decision every time I returned there after our stateside assignment times. Does my heart want to stay in America? Yes! But my heart longs even more to follow God. He continues to lead me to South Africa.

Ask that same question to yourself? Do you love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength? If you do, then you will have no problem saying yes to the next question. Do you love your neighbor as you love yourself? Do you love them enough that you will do whatever God asks of you, go where he tells you to go, and live with and minister to the people He loves and has called you to serve? See, that is the rub. We must love God enough that no matter what He asks of us, we will not dread, fear, or offer excuses for not “being able” to go. I am still learning, but I can say God is my everything and my family falls in line right behind Him in my consideration. It does not mean I love my family less. I love them enough to show God means everything to me. It shows them just what everything means and becomes an example to them of love for God.

In the Chronological Life Application Study Bible (page 792), a commentator wrote this statement. “Although God may not always spare us from troubles, He will lead us safely through them if we follow Him wholeheartedly.” That is my God and I trust Him completely.

Will you trust the Lord today with your life, the lives of your loved ones, and your future? 

With God, there is no more fear or dread. 

For unto us a Son was born and given whose name is Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. And there will be no end to the greatness of His government and peace. With justice and righteousness, He will reign on David’s throne forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty accomplished this. (Isaiah 9:6-7, my interpretation)

God is still in control.

We have security in Him for our rapidly changing world.

Will you trust God?

Devoted Love

 

“Shower, O heavens, from above, and let the clouds rain down righteousness; let the earth open, that salvation and righteousness may bear fruit; let the earth cause them both to sprout; I, the LORD, have created it!” (Isaiah 45:8 [ESV]) 

    Almost everyone has stood dominoes in a row on their ends on a flat surface or has seen this done. When any domino falls over, others fall as a reaction of the first fall. People call this phenomenon the domino effect. An action causes a reaction. Our lives are like that. At times, we choose not to follow what God told us. After disobeying, we find the result is not bad, so it becomes easier to go against God’s will more. Before we realize it, we walk so far away from Him that we cannot hear His voice and we find ourselves in trouble. What God said through Isaiah speaks about this. 

    Isaiah 45:8 records several commands from heaven. In it, He commands the heavens to shower from above, tells the clouds to rain down righteousness, tells the earth to open so salvation and righteousness may bear fruit, and tells the earth to cause them to spout. The last section of this verse declares who commanded these actions, the LORD God. 

    Notice the Creator commands different parts of creation to act. From the highest part of creation, the heavens, God commands showers, continual flows of righteousness and salvation, to fall. Descending to the next level, He commands the clouds to rain down righteousness. Finally, God commands creation at humanity’s level to bear fruit and cause it to spout. What does God mean by each of these commands? 

    The first command declares that righteousness and salvation come from the heavens. In biblical understanding, the heavens denote the place God lives. The “showers” spoken of by God are flowing waters. Throughout the Bible, the writers mention a river flowing from the fountain, from God’s mercy seat. He is the source of true salvation, righteousness, grace, and mercy for all people. This means God’s showers from the heavens continually flow from Him with mercy and grace to give salvation and righteousness. 

    The second command God gives is for the clouds to rain down righteousness. Again, only God gives righteousness and salvation. Righteousness is God making a person right, cleansed from sin and made holy. Righteousness is part of God’s character. He is righteous; He never sins. God is holy. A person’s being made righteous by God occurs when he or she professes faith in Jesus as the Son of God and confesses his/her sins for salvation. The salvation by God of a person gives righteousness from God to that person. God alone provides salvation and makes believers righteous. Until a person professes faith in Jesus, the flowing river of God’s grace and mercy does not affect him or her. God does not have to give righteousness and salvation, but He chose to provide for it when He created all creation. He knew people would sin because He gave them freewill to decide what they will do in each situation. This means, before God made a verbal covenant with humanity in the Old Testament, an implied covenant by God to people existed. He planned to provide salvation from sins, guilt from sins, and the judgment of eternal death away from Him for each person. 

    With God’s third command, He orders the earth to open so salvation and righteousness will bear fruit. God addresses the last level of creation, earth. When “earth” appears in this verse, He means people. Once a person professes faith in Jesus, God gives salvation. Salvation is His restoration of each believer to sinlessness in His eyes, a cleansed, righteous relationship with God by Jesus’ death. “For it is by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,” Paul said in Ephesians 2:8 [ESV]. Once a person receives God’s grace (undeserved forgiveness at the expense of holy God) through faith, a relationship with God occurs. This relationship, like any relationship, requires communing with Him in devoted love. Staying in communion with God requires a person to be open to God and grow to know Him better. This explains the analogy God commands that “the earth opening to salvation and righteousness.” A believer devotedly loving God shown by drawing near to Him each day causes growth in his or her relationship with God. 

    The last command God gives through Isaiah is for the earth to cause salvation and righteousness to sprout. God’s fourth command expresses the causal effect of command three for command four. This means open to God and His gifts and you will have a relationship with and spiritual growth from Him. Without a growing relationship with God, spiritual growth, fruit, will not occur. Sanctification becomes stagnant. In this instance, the domino remains standing, but not strengthened in its foundation for stabilization. Spiritual growth may seem the obvious effect from salvation. Yet, some believers reach the end of the honeymoon phase and their find life trouble-free. They begin not relying on God every day and not communing with Him. This causes the stagnation of a believer’s spiritual growth. When times are troublesome, almost every believer seeks God. He or she desires Him and seeks Him through prayer and Bible study. God spoke to this human tendency of not communing with God daily in the fourth command of this verse. He told His children to let their salvation and righteousness “sprout”. Let it grow by devotedly loving God. Devoted love for Him results in believers setting aside time to be with Him each day through prayer, Bible reading and studying, fellowshiping with other believers, and private and congregational worship. Communing with God nurtures and matures the believer to be more like Christ, who is wholly righteous. The result of this maturation of the believer is the bearing of fruit that come from salvation and righteousness. This fruit then leads to obedience to God requiring action and/or thought. Each person will only understand what thought or action God desires by relating to Him through a continual relationship with Him. 

    Stay connected to the Vine. Being connected to the Vina is devotedly loving and communing with God. Once a grape leaves the vine, it withers and dies. Remaining connected to the vine allows the grape to receive nourishment and grow. John said this in John 15:1-2 when wrote, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit, He takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit [ESV].” Only God’s righteousness causes growth. Attempts by people to manufacture righteousness fail. God is the author of salvation and causes its growth when a person professes faith in Jesus and stays in a continual relationship with Him. 

    The believer becomes more like Christ and becomes more sanctified when he or she stays in a devoted relationship with God. This shows salvation is for now and for eternity. A growing relationship with God produces a greater faith and sanctification. The growth of righteousness shows by fruits of the Spirit growing in the believer. Paul listed some fruits of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23–love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. God will perfect the believer’s sanctification when he or she dies on earth and arrives in heaven. Salvation is for now, tomorrow, and eternity. God did not intend for it solely to be for eternity. God, through Isaiah, commands the “earth” (people) to “open” (command three) and commune with Him. This means God desires for each believer’s salvation and righteousness to grow (command four). 

    Isaiah 45:22 reiterates verse eight with another command. God commands in this verse, “Turn to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other.” A person cannot save him or herself. Sinfulness cannot beget purity like a mule cannot beget a horse. Do not look elsewhere for salvation and a possible way to be righteous. Turn toward God and look to Him. Keep on looking at Him and don’t look elsewhere. When a person takes his or her eyes off God, the dominoes begin falling. Later, after many dominoes have fallen, that person who looked away will recall his or her life while clinging to the Vine. He or she will realize how and when he or she disconnected from God. When we are at that point, we must pray, repent, and return to God. He will restore righteousness to each person who calls on Him. In 1 John 1:9, John wrote, “If we confess our sins, He (God) is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

    Being saved by God is a continuous action. God saves a believer at a point in time. That person, like all believers, is being saved from death, temptation, sin, and guilt each day. One day God will complete in heaven that believer’s sanctification, purification that leads to holiness. Repenting, which leads to confession, means doing a 180 degree turn to look at God. The believer turns and keeps turning toward God and He continues to sanctify him or her each day as he or she repents and confesses his or her sins. Each day, the believer must look and keep on looking at God. Commune and keep on communing with God. Jesus spoke in His Sermon on the Mount about God wanting a relationship with each person by telling people to seek, knock, and ask in Matthew 7:7-8. He said, 

“Ask (and keep on asking), and it will be given to you. Seek (and keep on seeking), and you will find. Knock (and keep on knocking), and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.” [ESV]

     Cling to the Vine. Take in the righteousness God rains down on you. Let the salvation God gives burrow into the ground of your heart, mind, and spirit so that righteousness and the fruits of the Spirit grow. A believer can allow sprouting and growing by staying connected to God, the giver of the fruit. 

    The Lord created everything that exists, including you. He gives righteousness and salvation to you when you believe in Jesus Christ and confess your sins. You only need to cling to the Vine by devotedly loving and obeying God (Jeremiah 2:2). Don’t let the dominoes in life cause a domino effect in your life. Don’t let things in your life lead you away from God. Stay connected to God. Grow in sanctification and righteousness.