A Tale of Two Sons

A Tale of two Sons Isaiah 9:6-7 The Son of Destruction • Predicted Name: Maher-Shalal-Hashbaz – “the spoil speeds; the prey hastens” (8:1-3) • Predicted Destruction: Damascus, just 150 miles away, will be destroyed and looted (8:4) • Reign of Terror: see 8:21-22; staccato-like description lit., “distress and darkness, gloom pressure, being banished into extreme blackness.” The son of glory • God will deliver Jerusalem in both a way both unexpected and unprecedented (9:1-4). • This deliverance will picture an even greater salvation through a distant son (9:6ff). • Titles of Great Renown (Isaiah 9:6) 1. Wonderful Counselor: see Genesis 18:14; Exodus 3:20 2. Mighty God: Transcendent Heroism (see Prov. 30:30) 3. Everlasting Father: “Author of Forever” 4. Prince of Peace: Blessing, Prosperity, Certainty, Health The son of glory • Reign of Magnificent Consequence (Isaiah 9:7) 1. Eternal Reign: repeated idea both explicit and implicit 2. Assertive Reign: “Establish” means to determine, direct, or make firm. “Uphold” is a very strong verb of action – in other contexts to prepare a large meal for a big party; to prepare large timbers for a horizontal setting. 3. Prophetic Reign: the “David” rings out like canon shot on a still morning – see 2 Samuel 7:13; Psalm 89:4. The Son of David • Jesus was born in the city of David – See Luke 2:11 • Jesus was born to a daughter of David – See Luke 3:31 • Jesus was born to a son of David – See Matthew 1:116 Here is why Jewish leaders, from Herod to the Sanhedrin, felt so immediately threatened by Jesus of Nazareth. He possesses every right of kingship, and they did not. applications • Christmas is about the dawn of a new era, the beginning of a new beginning, wherein the promised King begins to establish his eternal Kingdom. • Jesus’s mission is fundamentally regal – He arrived to reclaim what belongs to Him. • As we enjoy the nostalgia of the Christmas season, let us worship the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the conquering Root of David (Revelation 5:5).