Isaiah 9:1-7 Click here for Bible Verses
Hi GAMErs!
Today’s passage is Isaiah 9:1-7.
As usual, I highly recommend that you read the whole passage on your own a few times first. Then take a look at my sharing below. Let’s go!
Isaiah 9:1-7 (NIV)
1 Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future he will honor Galilee of the Gentiles, by the way of the sea, along the Jordan—
2 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.
3 You have enlarged the nation and increased their joy; they rejoice before you as people rejoice at the harvest, as men rejoice when dividing the plunder.
4 For as in the day of Midian’s defeat, you have shattered the yoke that burdens them, the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor.
5 Every warrior’s boot used in battle and every garment rolled in blood will be destined for burning, will be fuel for the fire.
6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7 Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this.
On verses 1-7: So far in every chapter of Isaiah, Isaiah has prophesied about how the southern kingdom of Judah and the northern kingdom of Israel would be attacked and humbled. But here Isaiah speaks to a later day when, “nevertheless” (v1), the land of Israel would be honoured. Names like Zebulun, Naphtali, and Galilee of the Gentiles (v1) are all references to the northern part of Israel.
The reason the people would go from being humbled to being honoured (v1), from darkness to light (v2), from weeping to rejoicing (v3), from carrying a heavy burden to having that burden lifted (v4), from wearing garments used in war to discarding them (v5) is all because a child would be born, and not just any child, but the child. This child would be called “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (v6). Clearly this was not Hezekiah as some skeptics suggest. Nowhere in the Bible is Hezekiah called any of these names. This was no ordinary son of David, but the Son of David. Isaiah is talking about the Messiah, this promised Saviour King that God would send to His people. This Messiah would not be an ordinary human being, but would be divine. His kingdom will never end (v7).
What can we learn from this?
– In the kingdom of God, humility comes before honour (Proverbs 15:33; 18:12). That is the story of every exemplary character in the Bible– whether it’s Abraham, Joseph, Moses, David, Ruth, Naomi, John the Baptist, Peter, or of course Jesus. That is the story of every child of God today. God breaks us so that He can build us up again. He lets us be wounded so that He can heal us. He humbles us so that in the end we can honour Him and be honoured.
– The Messiah that Isaiah was foretelling would not just be human but divine. Jesus is that extraordinary child that would be born, who is Mighty God, Wonderful Counselour, Everlasting Father and Prince of Peace. Because of Jesus, our humility turns into honour, our darkness into light, our weeping into joy, our burden into freedom, our fighting into peace.
– The fact that this Messiah would be born in Israel in the “Galilee of the Gentiles” (v1), i.e. a place that was filled with non-Jewish people, indirectly suggests that this Messiah would give hope not only to Jews but to Gentiles as well. Once again we see that God’s kingdom consists of people of many nations, many cultures, and many languages.
Jesus, I praise You for being the fulfillment of Isaiah 9:1-7. I worship You as my mighty God, my wonderful counselour, my everlasting Father and my Prince of Peace, the one who turns my darkness into light. In Jesus’ name, AMEN!
