The Kingdom of God/ The Kingdom of Hope

Isaiah 9:1–7 NKJV

Nevertheless the gloom will not be upon her who is distressed, As when at first He lightly esteemed The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, And afterward more heavily oppressed her, By the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, In Galilee of the Gentiles. The people who walked in darkness Have seen a great light; Those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, Upon them a light has shined. You have multiplied the nation And increased its joy; They rejoice before You According to the joy of harvest, As men rejoice when they divide the spoil. For You have broken the yoke of his burden And the staff of his shoulder, The rod of his oppressor, As in the day of Midian. For every warrior’s sandal from the noisy battle, And garments rolled in blood, Will be used for burning and fuel of fire. For unto us a Child is 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. Of the increase of His government and peace There will be no end, Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, To order it and establish it with judgment and justice From that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.

Isaiah is here delivering his final prophecy about Judah. Up to this point he has dealt with waiting and hoping.

Isaiah 8:17 NKJV

And I will wait on the Lord, Who hides His face from the house of Jacob; And I will hope in Him.

He is writing to the remnant, but changes from just waiting to delivering details of the hope.

I. Zebulun and Naphtali

They were possibly used to represent the Northern Kingdom. Nevertheless, they were the first two tribes to fall to Assyria in 733 B.C.

Isaiah 8:22 NKJV

Then they will look to the earth, and see trouble and darkness, gloom of anguish; and they will be driven into darkness.

They were a land distressed because of the anguish of loss.

It is interesting that they are referred to as Galilee of the Gentiles.

The Eastern side of the Sea of Galilee was known as a Gentile area during the days of Jesus.

It was here that Jesus cast demons out of a man in a cemetery in Gadarenes.

Here, the first area to fall to Assyria is also the first place to receive the Messiah.

Even in our distress God has not forsaken us.

II. The shadow of death

In scripture there is a usual picture of darkness as being the place of God’s judgement.

Isaiah 9:2 NKJV

The people who walked in darkness Have seen a great light; Those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, Upon them a light has shined.

A. Jesus

Matthew 27:45 NKJV

Now from the sixth hour until the ninth hour there was darkness over all the land.

B. Egypt

Exodus 10:21 NKJV

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, darkness which may even be felt.”

Salmut- noun meaning darkness

The poetic form used here is Salmawet= Death-shadow

Although it can refer to death it typically lends the idea of calamities.

This shadow is a hiding of God’s face from men. Thus, tht is why Jesus is the light.

John 8:12 NKJV

Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”

John 12:35 NKJV

Then Jesus said to them, “A little while longer the light is with you. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you; he who walks in darkness does not know where he is going.

Here Isaiah is saying that those who have waited through suffering will see the deliverance of God.

Psalm 23:4 NKJV

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

This is the same idea given is Ps 23.

When we endure suffering we will see the deliverance of God.

Here that deliverance pointed the finality of deliverance, the man Christ Jesus.

As God’s children we should never walk in darkness.

III. The deliverance of God

Isaiah 9:3–5 NKJV

You have multiplied the nation And increased its joy; They rejoice before You According to the joy of harvest, As men rejoice when they divide the spoil. For You have broken the yoke of his burden And the staff of his shoulder, The rod of his oppressor, As in the day of Midian. For every warrior’s sandal from the noisy battle, And garments rolled in blood, Will be used for burning and fuel of fire.

A. The Yoke-Suffering Endured

Here the visual cue is of a yoke. This is the same as was spoken of in the bondage in Israel.

Leviticus 26:13 NKJV

I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that you should not be their slaves; I have broken the bands of your yoke and made you walk upright.

This is also the redemptive plan of God with humanity. He seeks to break the yoke of sin that has enslaved men since the garden fall.

B. The Rod-Suffering Inflicted

IV. A New King

Isaiah 9:6 NKJV

For unto us a Child is 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.

A. A Promised King

Genesis 3:15 NKJV

And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel.”

Revelation 13:8 NKJV

All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

B. A Glorified King

Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

V. A New Kingdom

Isaiah 9:7 NKJV

Of the increase of His government and peace There will be no end, Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, To order it and establish it with judgment and justice From that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.

A. A peaceful kingdom

B. A just kingdom

C. An everlasting kingdom