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 Wonder

 

For the Child will be born to us, a Son will be given to us; and the government will rest on His shoulders; and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6, NASB)

That multi-part sentence's wordiness may make it hard for readers to understand its meaning. Possibly, those readers might have memorized it for a pageant, speech, or choir anthem. But has each part of this bulky verse been considered individually and as part of the whole prophecy? To understand what a passage meant to people back then, Bible students should examine the full text and its historical context. Only then can they truly carry its intent into their lives and times.

To understand this passage, we will review what we learned from verses one through five first, then consider verse six. Recall, Isaiah, a prophet, spoke to the northern kingdom (called Israel after the split) of the Promised Land after the split of Israel. Isaiah prophesied to them what God told him to say. He said their adversary would overthrow Israel and would capture them, making them slaves in a foreign land. (Assyria did this in 722BC.) Yet God wanted the people of Israel to have hope. Consider now what Isaiah said in verses one through six.

Isaiah prophesied to the people of Israel, which included Jews and Gentiles from the northern border tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali. From this, as the study titled The Dawn of the Light (Thoughts from Another Home ©: The Dawn of the Light) showed, we understand God’s promise is for all people, Jews and Gentiles. God wants all people to listen to Him and heed what He plans to do and give.

God, through Isaiah, said He would send a great light to the people, to the ones who live in a dark land. He would give them hope. God gave a continual hope, not a stagnant hope.

In verse three, God also stated He would multiply the nation—geography and numbers of His children. (Thoughts from Another Home ©: Gift of Joy) He said He would increase the people’s joy. With these promises, the people captured by Assyria held onto hope because the promises came from the ever-faithful God. He Himself would supply their light, increase their nation, and increase the people’s joy. The people of Israel they were not be alone, they realized. They still had a champion.

When God gives, especially when He gives joy, a natural reaction occurs—rejoicing. Isaiah the people would rejoice, like when they divided the booty from a battle victory and like when they harvested their crops. The joy God put into them would cause praising, worshipping, and feasting. Rejoicing generally includes more than one person; it does not containable in a person. Joy bubbles, then bursts forth from a person as rejoicing. Like when a person laughs, other people cannot help but laugh, too. Likewise, when one person rejoiced, people would join in rejoicing. Rejoicing is a communal reaction to God’s goodness and blessings. The person whom God blesses, as well as the community around that person, benefit from God’s blessings. Meals are shared. Praise bursts forth among them. Dancing and singing occur. Joy is uncontainable.

Isaiah continued prophesying to the people of Israel in verse four by telling what else God would do. Remember, these actions of God prophesied by Isaiah would give hope to the people then and while in captivity. They would help the people realize God had not forgiven them. These actions by God would give joy and cause a communal response of praise, worship, and celebration. Now, God said through Isaiah that He would break the yoke, the rod, and the staff of their oppressor, Assyria. (Thoughts from Another Home ©: Freedom from Oppression) The people’s captivity by another government, the cruelty of slave masters, and the burdens of work and of the heart would not last forever. God would rescue them like He did when He caused the defeat of the Midianites, a regular pest of the Hebrew people.

Continuing to use the battle metaphor, God said through Isaiah He would end wars and battles. They would not need armor and battle clothing. God would make the implements of war fuel for His eternal fire. (Thoughts from Another Home ©: Gift of Peace) He would defeat the Assyrians Himself. The Medes and Babylonians defeated them in 625BC and fulfilled that part of the prophecy.

God gave the people of Israel hope by saying He would give Jews and Gentiles hope, light, joy, and peace and would multiply their people. He did not say this would happen once. God is faithful to His promises. Prior to their captivity, the people heard the prophecy. They remembered it during their captivity. The people recognized the metaphors and understood this prophecy foretold the future defeat of their enemies and that the light contrasted with the persistent darkness (evil) in the world. Aligned with other prophecies, this one spoke of God’s evil defeat of darkness where He rules supreme and peace reigns. The people may have hope before the captivity, during it, and hold on to it forever because God does not change, and their adversary would continue until the prophesied Messiah arrived.

With this hope and the reminder in verses one through five of the Messianic prophecies, Isaiah spoke eternal words of hope that would end all fear. He said, “For a Child will be born to us, a Son will be given to us” (vs. 6a). Other Old Testament writers wrote about the Messiah in Psalm 2, 89:26,110:1, 2 Samuel 7:13-14, Proverbs 30:4, and 1 Chronicles 17:13-14. The Old Testament contains numerous Messiah references, including these few. God gave the people of Israel an eternal that included the past, present, near future, and eternal future.

Isaiah referred to the Messiah when he prophesied of the “Child” and “Son” to be born and given by Yahweh God to every person. God said through Isaiah that this Son—the Messiah—would be the government, the ultimate leader. Leaders of the people of Israel and other types of leaders amongst those they encountered included emperors, kings, governors, soldiers, advisors, priests, town elders, and tribal leaders. Recall these leaders subjugated them, impoverished them, beat them, etc. They harmed the people in heart, mind, body, and spirit. What sort of leader would this “Child” and “Son” be?

Isaiah prophesied “the government will be on His shoulders.” Though fathoming a child carrying the burden of ruling any group is hard, he did not intend a literal interpretation of this sentence. Notice, the “Child” is a “Son.” The young child ages, like all people. Consider God’s divine purpose for this “Son.” He foretold “the government would be on His shoulders.” This meant the “Son” would bear burdens on his shoulders, like people and beasts carry heavy-weighted items. This phrase symbolizes strength and support. It carries the connotation of being a leader and carrying responsibilities. The “Son” would carry burdensome weight, literally and metaphorically.

By using the words “the government,” Isaiah meant the “Son” foretold would rule by God’s divine appointment. For people of the time, particularly Jews, it meant the “Son” would be a king. He would bring justice and peace among the people. The “Son” will lead people. This leader, the Jews thought, meant He would be a warrior leading them to defeat their enemies or a king who would grow their nation into an international symbol of superiority. People saw leadership in Jesus as a twelve-year-old boy who remained at the temple and astonished the educated men with His understanding. They saw it during Jesus’ three-year ministry.

Despite being captives, the people of Israel held onto hope as they believed in God's ongoing control over everything. He would punish their captors for battling God’s people. Israel's people, both Jews and Gentiles, past and present, can hold on to hope for the arrival of the Messiah, who will rule the world with supremacy. This “Son” would be their King ruling in righteousness, bringing justice and peace. Compare that with the current leaders of the Zebulun and Naphtali tribes and of the entire northern and southern kingdoms. Those leaders ruled selfishly. They dominated their people. Those rulers sought their own good first. They did not lead the people to seek and to worship God.

The “Son” in Isaiah 9:6 is the foretold Messiah. As such, this prophecy states the Messiah will reign supreme with righteousness. He will bring peace and justice. The Messiah literally will bear the burden by carrying the cross to Calvary and figuratively by lightening the burden of God’s people. God’s people would carry a lighter burden because peace and righteousness would reign and be how the people lived. Revelation 21:4 records the future time of the Messiah’s reign.

He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning or crying or pain; the first things have passed away. (NASB)

What sort of government would this “Son” bring? How would He rule? The people of Israel may have wondered if He would match King David’s stature. The prophecies foretold the Messiah would sit on the throne of David eternally. Isaiah used four descriptors in this prophecy to tell the people about this “Child” and “Son.” He prophesied in verse six, saying, “And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.” These descriptors spark hope within in a person. They sound grand and powerful. What did God mean by them?

“Wonderful Counselor” speaks of advisors. Counselors are educated men. Today, international, national, military, community, and religious leaders, et al. have advisors. They are cabinet members, parliament, congress, and specialists in areas the leaders are not. From these advisors, leaders gather information to help them make better decisions about what they consider doing, what occurred, and what transpires in the present. Though many possibilities exist about which leaders need to be aware, advisors educated in various facets of life can help him or her make the best decision to reach the intended goal.

The prophesied “Wonderful Counselor” would be extraordinary and a marvel to see and hear. He would understand things beyond human comprehension, things only God knows. This “Counselor” would inspire awe and reverence for God. What He said and did would represent God’s power and presence manifested. Because of this “Wonderful Counselor,” God would deliver His children.

This “Counselor” would show God’s active involvement in the world. He impacts humanity's past, present and future. The “Counselor” and Messiah would transcend all understandings or imaginings. This wise "Wonderful Counselor," possessing complete knowledge and power, needs no guidance to fulfill his plans. Comparing the “Wonderful Counselor” with Israel’s much lauded King Solomon, the Messiah would be absolutely correct and need no advisor. Solomon, renowned as the wisest ruler of all, failed and paled when compared to the Messiah. The Messiah, not Solomon, is the standard toward which human counselors/advisors, and all people, should strive.

God’s “Son,” the Messiah, would be the Wonderful Counselor. He would need no advisor. The Messiah would be marvelous and awesome in deed and word. No one could surpass Him. For this, people would clamor to follow Him and be in His presence and kingdom.

The “Child” and “Son” would be the inerrant, “Counselor” and “Mighty God.” What He intends could and would be done by Him. Nothing could stop Him. Humans described as mighty in Bible times were heroes, like Saul, Gideon, and David. People held them in high regard. The “Child” and “Son” would need no advisor to make the best decision. The Messiah would be courageous and moral, unlike the Israelite heroes, such as Saul, Gideon, and David.

This hero — “Child” and “Son” — would not be only in human form. He would be God, El. El described the true, mighty, and powerful One with the people of the Old Testament. For the Hebrews, El was Yahweh, the eternal One who exists past, present, and future. He is the pre-existent One who was before creation. He created everything from nothing. The “Child” and “Son,” about which Isaiah prophesied in verse six, would be almighty and ever-present (omnipresent). He is mightier than anything or anybody. He is eternal, with nothing before or after Him.

This “Child” and “Son” would be mighty and supreme God with, for, and in them. The Jews called Him the Messiah, the anointed One. He is the chosen One God sent to rectify the relationship rupture between God and humanity because people’s sins. Only God could be the “Wonderful Counselor and Mighty God.” God added to these descriptors of the “Child” and “Son.” He called Him “Everlasting Father.”

The "Everlasting Father," referenced in Isaiah's prophecy of the "Child" and "Son," signifies God's eternal nature. He is the One who made covenants—promises—with the Hebrews. The Hebrews did not keep their side of the Mosaic covenant with God. Yet God faithfully fulfilled His side. He is faithful; God is true to Himself and His promises. What He promises will occur. Because these people greatly relied on God’s promises, hearing this prophecy about the “Child” and “Son,” the Messiah, would give them hope God remembered them and would fulfill His promises.

The last descriptor Isaiah used for this “Child” and “Son” is “Prince of Peace.” A prince is a ruler, though fallible, prone to selfishness and self-aggrandizing, like humanity often does. The “Prince” Isaiah prophesied about would be a ruler, not a tyrant, enslaver, or selfish and fallible leader. He would be a champion for His people, promises, and kingdom. This “Prince” would not be an errant human. This just and righteous leader would bring peace, justice, and righteousness to the world.

The peace this “Prince” would bring would not only keep their borders firm. It would bring more than physical peace. This “Prince’s” peace would be complete and without end. With the total welfare of each person in mind, God’s peace would give heart, mind, spirit, body, and soul peace. No uncertainties challenged its mental assurance. No sin could remove it from the soul and spirit. No trauma could remove it from the heart, mind, and spirit. And when His kingdom comes, nothing could constrain the whole and total peace to the body. What El, “Mighty God” gives, nothing can take from His children or kingdom. The “Prince of Peace,” the Messiah from God the Father, would give complete welfare in all things. None of His children will lack anything and peace will reign because of this “Prince of Peace.”

This “Prince of Peace,” “Everlasting Father,” “Mighty God,” and “Wonderful Counselor” has more significance than what they appear to mean. Consider these adjectives describing the prophesied “Child” and “Son” to come. He is the Light in verse two. This “Son” will multiply the nation with the salvation He gives, which brings complete peace. This “Child” will bring increasing and everlasting joy. This “Son” will unite Jews and Gentiles as children of God. This “Son” is the “Mighty God” who breaks the yoke, staff, and rod of the oppressor. This “Child” will be unlike the aggressor, conqueror, slavedriver, insatiable, and fallible humanity called Assyria. The “Child” will be the omniscient Counselor, omnipotent God and King, eternal and omnipresent Father, and Peace-giving Prince.

God’s prophecy to the people of Israel is not a history lesson. Like the Israelites who were familiar with God and held onto His eternal promises, God’s promises apply to our lives today. The final part of His Messianic covenant written and sealed by Jesus’ death and resurrection has not yet occurred. Jesus is yet to return to earth for the second time to distinguish believers from non-believers. He tarries so no one will die forever separated from Him.

God wants an eternal and right relationship with each person. He loves each of us that much (John 3:16). Because humanity broke the Mosaic covenant sealed between God and them, God created an eternal covenant with humanity that requires just His action to fulfill it. He began fulfilling it by sending His Son, Jesus the Messiah, to be born in human form. Jesus will fulfill (consummate) the covenant at His second coming. People do nothing to receive this covenant except believe Jesus is the Son of God who died for their sins. This Messianic covenant is a one-sided covenant; humanity does not have to fulfill a side because they are incapable, since they are sinful. God gave the covenant and fulfilled and consummates it at Jesus’ second coming. God gives each person the choice to decide if they want to be part of this covenant. Paul wrote about this covenant in Romans 10:9-10.

If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. (NASB)

Don’t be confined by weak wisdom, limited leaders, helpless heroes, and paltry peace.

Jesus is the

Wonderful Counselor,

Mighty God,

Eternal Father, and

Prince of Peace.

Believe in Him and you will have surety, safety, hope, and peace now and forever with Him in His kingdom.

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).

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.)

Watchers through the Window

Joseph awoke from his sleep and did as the angel of the Lord commanded Him and took Mary to be his wife. (Matthew 1:24 [NASB])

 Mary treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart. The shepherds went back, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as had been told. (Luke 2:19-20 [NASB])

 After coming into the house, they saw the Child with Mary His mother; and they fell to the ground and worshiped Him. (Matthew 2:11 [NASB])

“Advent is over,” people say, “so, why an article about advent?” We define advent as “the beginning of an event, the invention of something, or the arrival of a person.” (Cambridge and American dictionaries) Advent is not just a date and title on a calendar. It introduces and reminds us of an important event and its continuance. Advents can include times such as when a person begins a new job, begins married life, and/or becomes a parent. It is the mark of time when a new phase, new person, and new thing enters and causes a heart and thought change within us that leads to actions by us. Most often this advent culminates in us giving our all for that new situation, person or thing. For example, you don’t have a baby then let it raise itself and do nothing to protect, provide, and care for it. You give it all you have and are. You act upon the belief you are all they have and the knowledge they need you, the parent. From that belief, your intentions guide your actions.

The Advent denoted on a calendar each year is the same. It denotes the point in time the Son of God was born in human form on earth to provide salvation from sins and through that salvation, enable a relationship with God to each person who believes in Him. Advent from that perspective is the time when Jesus came to earth to be in our lives. He gave it His all. He gave His life and died for us so we could be saved. The many millions of people who’ve lived since Christ’s birth, death, resurrection, and ascension have heard of His advent and, so, have “seen” His advent. Each of us are these “watchers through the window of time.”

The people who gave and give their all to and for Jesus are like some people in the Christmas story. Jesus’ advent as an infant affected everyone in the story of His birth. King Herod, the shepherds, the wisemen, the Roman soldiers, Mary, and Joseph each reacted to His advent, His birth. Some responded positively to Him and others did not. Let’s consider each character and this significant advent in the lives of everyone who’s ever lived since that time over 2000 years ago.

Mary received the first news of the Christ child’s imminent arrival. The angel spoke to her and told she was highly favored by God. His Spirit would come upon her and she would bear a child who she was to name Jesus. Mary was not anyone special. She lived in Galilee, an area in north Israel that was separated physically from Judea by Samaria. Galilee was an area of amalgamated cultures. The people there were a mixed population since the Assyrian conquest of 8BC. Galilee had Hellenists living in it since Rome, as the conquering nation, took over rule of the territory. Pagan cities and Hellenistic centers existed in Galilee. Because of these things, the Jews looked down upon the people of Galilee; they were not good Jews, according to the Jews of Judah. Into this reality, the angel of the Lord spoke with a virgin, teenage girl and said she would give birth to the “Son of the Most High” (Luke 1:32). Mary believed in the prophecy from Isaiah 7:14, but found it hard to comprehend she could be that virgin. The angel reassured her, and Mary cherished the child growing within her. She reacted to the news of this advent as many would. She wondered, questioned, and cherished this entrance into her life of this news and this child. It affected her heart, mind, and body. If Joseph had allowed the people to act upon the law and stone a woman found pregnant outside of marriage, it would have affected Mary’s body even more. But God had already spoken to Joseph before the people stoned her. He stopped the stoning. Mary’s belief and knowledge, and her intention to be a faithful Jew who obeyed God, led to her action of acceptance of her situation, pregnancy before marriage.

Joseph was a righteous and honorable man. (Matthew 1:19) He was from David’s line and lived in Galilee, too. Joseph’s father taught him carpentry and about Yahweh and His laws. He taught Joseph how to be in right standing with God. Joseph feared taking Mary as his wife since he was righteous. It would make him unrighteous and unclean, in the eyes of the Jews, to be near her because of her pregnancy. This affected Joseph’s heart and mind, so God sent an angel to him in a dream. (Matthew 1:20) The angel reassured him and told him the birth of this child would fulfill the prophecy of God’s prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 7:14). Because Joseph was a righteous and obedient man, he recognized the angel came from the Lord and took Mary to be his wife without having intimate relations with her until the baby was born. (Matthew 1:24-25) He no longer feared being unclean and unrighteous, nor did he fear what people would say about him. Joseph was willing to look unrighteous so he would be obedient to God and fulfill the prophecy. Joseph’s and Mary’s actions coming from their heart and belief that what the angel said was true led them to accept Mary’s pregnancy and then go as husband and wife to Bethlehem for the census as Caesar Augustus required. (Luke 2:1-5) Their hearts and minds believed, and that belief resulted in actions affirming their beliefs.

Consider next the wisemen or magi, as some people translate the Greek word magos. These wisemen came from wealthy, noble families and were well-educated. They knew astronomy and had learned of the prophecies and religions of the people in other nations. These magi were honest, influential, and counselors of rulers. People sought them and regarded them highly. Unlike Mary and Joseph, these wisemen were at the top of the social ladder. People looked up to them. These men had studied Hebrew scripture and knew of the Messianic prophecies of Numbers 24:17 and Micah 5:2. These three men knew “a star would come from Jacob and a scepter would rise from Israel.” The magi knew this new King would come from Bethlehem and this Ruler would not be new, but from before time began, before God created all things. By knowing and studying these prophecies, these three men determined soon the Messiah would come. They looked for the signs and on the night of Jesus’ birth, a light different from any they’d ever seen appeared in the sky. (Matthew 2:1-2) The wisemen knew in their heads about this King. They believed they would find Him because the prophecies said spoke of it. These humble, intelligent, wealthy men took gifts for a King on their journey to see this Christ child. They recognized they were lower that this One to be born and humbled themselves before this One greater than themselves. These wisemen recognized they should worship the Messiah. They offered gifts fit for a king of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. (Matthew 2:11) These magi knew, then believed, then acted upon their belief. They entered the story of Jesus’ advent upon earth. These men, who were at the top of the social ladder, recognized One greater than themselves, humbled themselves, and worshiped Him. They offered Him their best treasures-an offering for a King. They humbled themselves to worship a baby, in the eyes of others, but a King in their eyes.

About time the wisemen began their journey, God’s messengers visited shepherds in their fields. Luke recorded this encounter in Luke 2:8-18. Jews did not highly regard shepherds. One reason for this occurred was because most of the Israelites had progressed to being farmers, instead of shepherds. When their forefathers lived in the Canaan before the famine, the main occupation was shepherding. When they lived in Egypt, because of the famine, they acquired a prejudice against shepherds. This occurred because the Egyptians looked down on their enemy, the Arabs, who were shepherds. The Egyptians were agriculturalists. Since the Hebrews lived in Egypt for 400 years, they adopted this prejudice.  When Joshua led the Israelites into the Promised Land, two-and-a-half of the tribes asked for land on the east side of the Jordan River so they could shepherd their flocks there. (Numbers 32:1) The other tribes of Israel lived on the western side of the Jordan and most were not shepherds. David, the shepherd-King, raised the stature of shepherds as did God, who called shepherds like Amos to be His prophets. (Amos 7:14) Still, the Jewish leaders used shepherds as an example for despised people in the Mishnah, where it called them “incompetent.” Even in Jesus’ day, the rabbis asked how the psalmist and others could call God ‘my Shepherd” in Psalm 23:1 since people despised shepherds. Shepherds were not like the magi or King Herod. They were even lower than Joseph, the carpenter, and Mary’s family. Shepherds were almost the lowest on the social ladder of Israel.  It was to these humbled people God’s angel spoke on the night of the Messiah’s birth. At the time, Bethlehem was not a bustling metropolis. About 1500 people lived in and near there. The area had rough terrain and shepherding was an important job for them to provide income and resources. On that special night, the shepherds watching their flocks saw the star and heard the angel speak.  The angel quickly assured them not to be afraid. God highly favored them since He sent His messengers. The angel told them where the Christ child lie and told them how to know which baby the Messiah was. To make his point, a host of angels began praising God. Seeing one angel could be called a hallucination. Seeing many angels singing praises to God confirmed this message was from God and they were not hallucinating. Fear turned to joy and urgency to see this Messiah. These shepherds were dirty, yet the messengers of God confirmed they were good enough to see and believe the Messiah had arrived. These shepherds believed in a Messiah as promised by God. Their fear turned to joy and urgency, and they acted upon it by hurrying to Bethlehem to see the Messiah for themselves. Though low on the social ladder, they knew of the prophecies of the Messiah. Their heads knew and their hearts hoped. The Christ child came even for people considered to be too low. These shepherds testified to the truth of the prophecies and what the angel told them by going themselves to see the child. They knew God. They testified by their actions of the truth they heard. They believed. They had a heart for God and knew how to hear Him. No one is too low for God to love and touch.

Consider now the King of Judea with whom the magi spoke. Herod the Great became King of Judea (King of the Jews) as a Client-King appointed by the reigning nation of Rome. The Roman Senate gave him the kingship in 40BC until his death. Herod’s mother was Arab, and his father was a Jew of Idumean descent. The Jews of Judea consider Idumean Jews racially impure and did not recognize him as their king or as a Jew. They tolerated him. To make peace with the Jews, Herod married the granddaughter of the ruling Hasmonean, Antigonus. The Hasmoneans had ruled Judea for 103 years. Herod gained a name as the rebuilder of the Jerusalem temple. He also built roads, buildings in Roman style, and a temple to the Roman Emperor. Herod became known for his fear and paranoia, too. Because he feared his family was conspiring to take his reign by killing him, he killed his wife, her mother and grandfather, and three of his sons. This fear that overwhelmed him made him suspicious of the child about whom the magi spoke. After Jesus’ birth, the magi arrived in Jerusalem asking where the child is who was born King of the Jews. Herod heard about their inquiry and worried. He asked the chief priests and scribes about the Messiah’s birthplace. They told him the prophecies said Bethlehem was that place. Herod now knew the place, but he didn’t know the time of the birth. so he asked the magi. He sent them to Bethlehem and asked them to tell him where the Messiah was so he could worship Him, too. (Matthew 2:1-8) Herod was human like each of us. He feared, schemed, worried, and sought information. His heart (emotions) led his head on an investigation to appease his heart. That investigation led to actions, sending the magi to find the child and tell him. Herod, like the wisemen, lived high on the social ladder. He reigned as an appointed King; however, the Jews, whom he was to rule, did not look up to him. They despised him he broke God’s laws and replaced their self-appointed ruler, Antigonus. The Romans appointed Herod ruler of their domain called Judea but looked down upon him as a Jew whose family bought their way into power. Everyone knew of the murders he commanded of his family and extended family. Herod was a man people tolerated but didn’t like. He was a man who feared, schemed, and then acted upon his heart and head impulses. He believed only in himself and his fear showed his lack of belief in his position and power. Herod’s beliefs and knowledge along with his intentions led him to act because of the birth of the Messiah.

For a nation that God intended to lead through His appointed priests and scribes, the religious leaders of that time did not play a large role in the advent of Jesus on earth. Could it be they were unprepared? Was it because they did not believe what they’d hoped for was happening through a virgin from despised Galilee? These leaders enter this story in Matthew 2:4-6. When Herod heard people talking about wisemen arriving in Jerusalem and asking the location of a different King of the Jews, he became paranoid and fearful again. This stoked his fear. Herod gathered the chief priests and scribes of the Jews asking about the prophesied birthplace of the Messiah. Did they know why Herod summoned them and asked about the Messiah? If they did, they were complicit in the killing of  one day to two-year-old male children of Bethlehem and the attempted killing of the Messiah.  Who were these men whom the King of Judea summoned and to whom a messenger of God did not announce the arrival of the Messiah? These leaders of Judah were men who wanted to keep their positions as given by God and maintained by Herod. These men despised the Roman-appointed King but feared for their lives under him. When the King called, they went to him. As God’s appointed priests and leaders of His people, they covenanted with Him to teach and lead the people to obey Him and to love Him with their heart, soul, mind, and strength. As God’s called priests, they had high stature with Him and a big responsibility. Because of that stature, they had a high social standing among the Jews, too. What they said carried authority even with Herod when he sought their counsel. These chief priests and scribes received an excellent education. They were humble at times and at others not humble. Sometimes they considered themselves better than others. They intended to follow God exclusively but failed at times. They meant to love God solely with their lives, but that did not always occur. These religious leaders were men who sinned just like each person sins against God during their lives. Though they had a high social standing, they were earthly, mortal, and sinful. These chief priests and scribes when called by Herod, knowing his fear and his past murders, probably feared not going to him. When Herod asked them about the Messiah’s prophesied birthplace, they told him what the prophet Micah said. The Messiah was to be born in Bethlehem. The religious leaders loved and feared God, but also feared Herod. They believed in what God’s prophets said. Whether or not they knew it when they answered Herod, they acted in good faith by telling Herod about the prophecy. Their actions resulted in the death of many male children and the continued fulfillment of the prophecy about the Christ child. The chief priests’ and scribes’ understanding and belief about the Messiah’s advent of on earth led to their actions.

One other group of people played on this stage during the advent of the Christ child. These people were Herod’s army. The men of this army were trained Roman soldiers. The standards of the army were high and the punishment for failing to follow orders often meant the death of that man. Add to this that these men probably feared Herod’s wrath, they obeyed his orders. The Roman soldiers considered themselves of a higher stature than the people the Roman’s ruled. That is the common opinion of any dominant and conquering nation over another. These soldiers forced their stature and the laws and desires of their rulers on the people, sometimes through physical harm. They obeyed their rulers’ commands even if they felt the commands were wrong. To do otherwise could cause their own imprisonment or death. The soldiers feared losing the stature their position gave them. Like Herod, the Client-King, their intention would have been to keep their job and stay alive. Matthew in Matthew 2:16 tells us the order Herod gave the soldiers when he feared the prophesied infant would usurp him. Matthew said,

Then when Herod saw that he had been tricked by the magi, he became very enraged, and sent and slew all the male children who were in Bethlehem and all its vicinity, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the magi. [NASB]

These soldiers believed following their rulers was paramount for a better life than most people lived. They enjoyed the stature. They acted upon the stature with force sometimes because most often they could get away with it. They acted on their belief in their rulers because it gave them a better life.

Each of these people or groups of people acted upon what they believed and understood. Sometimes, like us, those actions led to harm and hurt of other people and, at other times, it led to glorious revelations and proclamations. Consider again these people after the birth of Jesus.

After Jesus’ birth, Herod’s soldiers would have continued to fear him and to act according to his commands even if they disagreed with them. They would have kept the same stature amongst the Romans and among themselves they had at the start. Yet, no one can say if possibly one or more of these soldiers heard the wisemen talk, heard about the angels of whom the shepherds spoke, or lived long enough to hear about the Messiah’s ministry and come to believe in Him as their Savior. What we can say about these men is they believed and knew what they needed to believe and know to be the Roman soldiers who acted upon the orders their ruler gave them. True belief and knowledge results in actions. A person often tempers these actions by his or her own intentions. They were humans who failed and succeeded in their tasks and beliefs based on their intentions, just like everyone else. In the future, it would be Roman soldiers who whipped Jesus, rolled the dice for His clothing, hung Him on the cross, pierced his side, and gave him wine mixed with gall to drink (Matthew 27:34). Still, a few soldiers believed and followed Jesus. They allowed their belief and knowledge to inform their intentions to act and follow Him.

The chief priests and scribes had a high stature among the Jews. God appointed them to lead His people to know and obey Him. These men believed in God. They knew His Laws, commands, statutes, and precepts. Sometimes they acted in obedience to God and sometimes they didn’t. They, too, are like other humans who’ve ever lived. Still, what they believed and knew at the time, based on their intentions, are upon what they acted. Belief, knowledge, and intentions lead to actions. If the chief priests and scribes knew Herod asked about the Messiah’s birthplace to kill Him, would they have stopped him or encouraged him? It depends on the intentions of the heart. Still action or inaction occurs by one’s intentions. Were these priests or scribes still alive when later priests and scribes had Jesus arrested and crucified? Were they ones who believed He is the Messiah and followed Him? A few did. We read of them in the Bible. They tried to insert reason among the other religious leaders plotting to kill Jesus. These followers, at least some of them, believed in Jesus, knew of Him, and allowed that to color their intentions. They followed Jesus with their lives.

King Herod’s ruled by his intentions. His intentions were for the Roman rulers to see him as an effective Client-King of Judea and for him to keep his position. He would do anything to keep his throne, including murder. What Herod believed and knew, if the prophecy was true, led him to understand he would lose his status and power. Added to this, if he didn’t act like true Roman rulers, he would lose his status and power. These beliefs drove his intentions. He intended to do anything to keep his reign. His knowledge and belief fed his intentions so that he acted against the Christ child and male children two and under in and near Bethlehem. Herod acted out his beliefs, knowledge, and intentions against God. King Herod never got to meet or see Jesus. He never knew Him personally, but he heard about Him and believed He posed a threat. Based on this, Herod intended to kill Jesus. Herod didn’t succeed, but he caused pain to many Jews because of his actions and intentions.

The shepherds are like most people in the world. They were not high in social standing. They had almost the lowest social standing in their nation. Unlike the three groups-the soldiers, religious leaders, and Herod-they believed God fully even without an excellent education. These lowly shepherds, humble and humbled by others, told other people what God said through the angel and what they saw. They testified about God and the Messiah. (Luke 2:20). Do you think they went to the stable, saw the child, then just went back to their sheep in the field? These shepherds told Mary about the angels. This was probably their greatest experience to that point in their lives. They would not have kept quiet. Just as the angel hosts sang praises to God, the shepherds gave praise to God. The songs they sang to their sheep and that the people heard may have been about the Messiah they saw. Their belief and knowledge caused their heart to intend to praise  God, people to hear about the prophecies’ fulfillment, and all to know about the Messiah. Their actions began when they left the fields to go to Bethlehem to tell Mary about the angel’s words, then to tell other people and the sheep about the whole encounter with God from angels, to Mary, Joseph, and the Messiah child. Humble in stature but raised up by God because of their intentions and actions. For thousands of years, people have heralded the shepherds as ones who personally saw the Messiah child.

The wisemen, highly educated, noble, and of a high social standing, humbled themselves to travel months and possibly years to meet the true King of the Jews, the Messiah foretold. Their actions based on intentions, beliefs, and knowledge, like the shepherds, did not end once they saw the child. They recognized God when He gave them a dream. They had the knowledge and faith to understand the dream’s meaning and purpose and they intended to obey God. Matthew records this dream in Matthew 2:12. In the dream God told the wisemen not to return to Herod. This meant Herod would not hear from them where the Messiah was born. As we read later in this chapter, Herod was enraged. Still, the wisemen did not fear Herod. Their belief and knowledge caused their intention to obey God and safeguard the child by their actions. They went home by another route. This other way home could have been longer and more dangerous, but the wisemen would willingly go through hardships to help the child and obey God. Their faith in God encouraged them as they went by a different route. On their way home, they would have had more places and time to tell other people about the Messiah’s birth. More people would hear and have an opportunity to believe, know, and act upon God’s gift of His Son. The testimony of these men to other people would show their own humility in recognition of the Messiah. That act would add proof to Jesus’ identity. The wisemen recognized One greater than them and humbled themselves, unlike King Herod. Though other people considered the wisemen superior, the wisemen considered themselves lower than the One born in a manger.

Mary treasured in her heart what the magi did and what the shepherds said. (Luke 2:19) She and Joseph learned to hear God’s voice for themselves. They had a personal relationship with God. Through hearing His voice, they helped fulfill the prophecy of the Messiah. Mary’s and Joseph’s belief and understanding grew and caused them to act in faith. God transformed them from mere Jews of Galilee.  He transformed them from their natural life to act and be for His purpose to bear and raise the Son of God. They went from worshiping God and thinking of themselves to knowing God more intimately and being part of His great plan to bring salvation to the world. They went from focusing on themselves, each other, and their marriage and future to focusing on the miracle of the Spirit-conceived, human-birthed “Son of the Most High”. They sought God daily as they strove to continue to follow His plan–from conception, birth, and protecting the child (going to Egypt to evade Herod’s decree (Mt 2:13-15)). Joseph continued to listen to God to return to Israel (Mt 2:19-23) and thus fulfill scripture about Jesus being raised in Nazareth. Joseph and Mary taught Jesus about the Hebrew scriptures, took Him to Temple, then protected, supported, and encouraged Him and the people He encountered. They enabled the child to grow into His role as Savior. Mary and Joseph believed in God and the Messiah. They knew His Word, Laws, commandments, statutes, and precepts. They intended in their hearts to love and obey God with all they were. This belief, knowledge, and intention led them to act for and with Him, in obedience to His will. These two whom the Jews of Judah despised God used to fulfill His prophecies to send the Messiah to earth. Though low in social standing, God considered Mary and Joseph great.

Though this advent story of Jesus’ entrance into the world in the form of a human seems already to have happened and be done, it is not over. There is another group of people who are part of this story. These people are the “watchers through the window of time”. Who are these watchers? We each are the “watchers through the window of time”. We live after the time of Jesus’ life as a human on earth and have heard the story of this advent of Christ. We have heard of other “watchers” from the time of His birth. Each of them believed or didn’t believe. They each had intentions after learning of the Christ child’s birth. Some intended to believe in Jesus as the Messiah, and some did not. Their intentions came from their own desires: 1. To keep their status or not; 2. To allow fear to rule them or not; 3. To humble themselves or not; and 4. To worship the newborn King or not.

As the “watchers through the window of time”, we have the benefit of having learned of the life, crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ, through the testimonies and lives of the apostles and the disciples of Jesus through the millennia. We also have the compilation of the Holy Scriptures. We each know about Jesus. We each have beliefs about Him. We each have intentions. Those intentions could be to humble our self to God and worship, love, and obey Him. Our intentions instead could be to be our own man or woman, do what makes us happy, and/or to climb the social ladder. Our knowledge of God informs our beliefs and ourselves and our beliefs can affect our intentions. Our intentions almost always affect our action or inaction, which is an action in itself.

This advent never ends. It doesn’t end after we unwrap the Christmas presents and discard the paper. It’s open-ended like God’s call to each person to come to Him. The advent of Jesus as human occurred because of God’s plan from before the beginning of time to provide a way for all people to be saved from their sins and the penalty due because of those sins. God planned salvation for each person so H we could be cleansed from sin and made righteous and then be in a right relationship with Him, the One who created and loves us.

You are a “watcher in the window of time” because now you have “seen” the Christ child in the manger and have heard of God’s great love by providing the gift to of salvation to you and each person. You must decide if your actions will be based on this knowledge and your belief. Each person gets to decide for him or herself. Each action causes an action. What will your action be? What will you decide?

God’s action comes because of love.

At the advent of this new year, will you act toward that love?

Will you seek Him with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength?

The advent of your life with Jesus can start now

and it never ends.

Lord, if I am truthful, I have seen Your advent through the window of time. I have known or just now learned, and Lord, I do recognize my need for Your gift of salvation. I have been like Herod where I feared someone taking my position at work, home, or in society. I have been like the chief priests and scribes who knew about You but refused to know You. I have been like the soldiers who did whatever I was told just so I could keep my position and not be moved to a lower rung. Lord, I would ask that You make me like the wisemen, or the shepherds or Mary and Joseph, but I realize that is not enough. I don’t want to be like them; I want to be like You. I want to be Your disciple and child, no matter what the consequences. Lord, forgive me for turning my back to You. Forgive me for speaking against You and doing things to discredit You in my world. Lord, please save me from myself and bring me into a right relationship with You. You alone are God. You are Savior. I am not either. Thank you, Lord. Amen.