Prince of Peace

It is the fourth Sunday of Advent, and also happens to be Christmas Eve today. In our series this month we have been working through the titles which the prophet Isaiah gives to the Messiah in Isaiah 9:6.

Isaiah 9:6 (NIV)

Isaiah 9:6 NIV

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.

Today we are on the last of those titles, considering what it means for Isaiah to name the Messiah as our prince of peace. I talk often about what the Hebrew idea of peace is all about. It comes from the Hebrew word shalom. We can dig into that a little deeper by looking elsewhere in Isaiah for today’s passage.

Isaiah 52:1–10 (NIV)

Isaiah 52:1–10 NIV

1 Awake, awake, Zion, clothe yourself with strength! Put on your garments of splendor, Jerusalem, the holy city. The uncircumcised and defiled will not enter you again. 2 Shake off your dust; rise up, sit enthroned, Jerusalem. Free yourself from the chains on your neck, Daughter Zion, now a captive. 3 For this is what the Lord says: “You were sold for nothing, and without money you will be redeemed.” 4 For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: “At first my people went down to Egypt to live; lately, Assyria has oppressed them. 5 “And now what do I have here?” declares the Lord. “For my people have been taken away for nothing, and those who rule them mock,” declares the Lord. “And all day long my name is constantly blasphemed. 6 Therefore my people will know my name; therefore in that day they will know that it is I who foretold it. Yes, it is I.” 7 How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, “Your God reigns!” 8 Listen! Your watchmen lift up their voices; together they shout for joy. When the Lord returns to Zion, they will see it with their own eyes. 9 Burst into songs of joy together, you ruins of Jerusalem, for the Lord has comforted his people, he has redeemed Jerusalem. 10 The Lord will lay bare his holy arm in the sight of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth will see the salvation of our God.

repeated commands | 51:17 “Awake, Awake” — 52:1 “Awake, Awake” — 52:11 “Depart, Depart”

There is a bunch to unpack in this passage that tells us something about the Messiah who comes as the savior of God’s people. Let me start by nodding towards the larger context for a moment. I have talked in previous weeks about the overall structure and layout of the book of Isaiah. I won’t repeat that today. Rather, let me point out a feature highlighted in the repeated call of this passage. It begins with a call to wake up. You see in verse 1 it is a call that is repeated. If you have a Bible open to see the surrounding verses, you will find the exact same call back in Isaiah 51:17. Then if you look just beyond the passage we read today, you see another repeated command at the beginning of Isaiah 52:11 where it says “depart, depart.” The words for “awake” and “depart” sound nearly identical in Hebrew; there is only one letter different between them.

The point I am making is that these ten verses from Isaiah 52 that we are reading today fit in as the middle section of three segments which are all marked by an introduction of a repeated calling command (“awake” and “depart”). These three segments taken together paint a bit of a narrative picture for us that it is important to see. We need to imagine ourselves into the story in order to see this picture.

The people living during Isaiah’s time in the area of Jerusalem would have already witnessed the complete destruction of the northern kingdom of Israel at the hands of the Assyrian Empire. That siege began in the year 722 BC. Jerusalem and southern kingdom of Judah remains for the moment. The Babylonians do not destroy Jerusalem until the year 586 BC. This has not yet happened during the time when Isaiah lives in Judah. But as we have seen, Isaiah’s prophecy tells of the coming destruction of Jerusalem and the captivity of God’s people.

news would have reached the people in the city of Jerusalem would have been by messengers who travel back and forth from the conflict zones

Isaiah uses this passage to form a bit of a double vision. At the moment of Isaiah’s writing, the people in Jerusalem occasionally hear news coming in of a vast and powerful new empire rising up from very far away—the Babylonians. They hear news of the conflicts and battles coming closer and closer to their own borders. This is before the time of internet or newspapers or television news programs. The way this news would have reached the people in the city of Jerusalem would have been by messengers who travel back and forth from the conflict zones. As news of the battles comes closer and closer, the guards who are stationed upon the watchtowers of the city would eagerly anticipate the sight of messengers coming over the mountain ridge of the horizon with an update on the raging battles taking place off in the distance.

people long to hear a report of good news, that the enemies beyond their sight are defeated, that the people are saved, that Israel is redeemed

Isaiah makes a reference in this passage with connection to Israel’s distant past when the people of God were slaves in Egypt. The double meaning of this scene is not only meant to highlight the way in which the people of Judah watch and wait in Jerusalem with nervous anticipation for news about the advancing threat of the Babylonian armies. It uses that same image to point ahead into the future. In that future scene the people of God will be held captive in a faraway place—thus the comparison to Egyptian slavery. And in this future time the people will eagerly anticipate hearing word of redemption. In both instances the people long to hear a report of good news, that the enemies beyond their sight are defeated, that the people are saved, that Israel is redeemed. Those who lived in Jerusalem during the time of Isaiah would ultimately not hear that message—Isaiah makes clear from God that Babylon is coming and that Babylon will win. But Isaiah is also pointing down the road to a time when the people hear long awaited news that God’s salvation is coming to them.

no hope of the people being able to ever escape or find freedom by themselves on their own — then comes news that salvation is coming

This is why Isaiah can move in verse 11 to depict a time when God’s people will be given instruction to depart from the faraway places of their exile and leave with safety and confidence because they are redeemed and protected by their savior. That’s the scene to imagine taking place in this passage today. It is a people living in captivity. In this place of captivity, there is no hope of the people being able to ever escape or find freedom by themselves on their own. But then comes news. It is amazing news, incredible news! A savior is on the way. The city watchmen first notice the messengers running over the crest of the distant horizon. The message comes over the distant mountains. Your savior is drawing near; your salvation is close at hand.

good news/tidings = gospel salvation = Heb. yeshua (Joshua) - Grk. iesous (Jesus)

The Hebrew word used in Isaiah to mean good news and good tidings is the same word which in the Greek New Testament means gospel. In this passage Isaiah is declaring the gospel. He is proclaiming God’s salvation. The Hebrew word for salvation is yeshua—we would pronounce it Joshua. It is a name that means salvation. Do you know what the Greek New Testament equivalent is for yeshua? It is iesous—pronounced Jesus. Look again at the message which is being proclaimed in Isaiah.

Isaiah 52:7 NIV

7 How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, “Your God reigns!”

verse 7 — Isaiah is proclaiming the gospel! Isaiah is announcing Jesus!

Isaiah is proclaiming the gospel! Isaiah is announcing Jesus! When God’s people are powerless to do anything to save themselves, God himself will step in and redeem them. This is the announcement Isaiah is proclaiming. He proclaims gospel. He proclaims Jesus. And he proclaims peace (shalom).

Heb. shalom “peace” = thriving, flourishing, wellbeing

I talk often here about that word shalom. I think it ranks in the top five as one of the most important recurring themes woven throughout the Bible. Yes, our English Bibles translate shalom as peace. But it is so much more than simply the absence of conflict. Shalom is also the active advancement of flourishing and thriving. Shalom is what is what you picture whenever absolutely everything seems right in the world around you. Picture a perfect sunset at the beach; the temperature is a perfect 75 degrees with no humidity; no wind except maybe a light refreshing breeze; no mosquitoes or bugs; no worries; no stress; no rush or hurry; just a moment when you look around and surround yourself in a moment in which everything in the world feels just right, exactly as everything should be. That’s shalom.

salvation that Messiah brings is the restoration of shalom

Another word I might use to describe shalom is wellbeing. The word pretty much defines itself. It is the condition of being well. God’s Messiah comes to redeem his people. Isaiah tells us that part of what redemption looks like is a restoration of shalom. It is a reinstatement of the conditions within which God’s world may do well—may thrive and flourish as God created it to be. Thriving, flourishing, wellbeing; that’s shalom.

9:6 — Prince of Peace | prince = royal official, representative of the king

Messiah is a representative of shalom

And this is the title which the prophet Isaiah gives to the Messiah. He is the prince of peace. By the way, the Hebrew word for prince simply means a royal official, or a representative of the king. The Messiah is a representative of shalom. Isaiah declared this message hundreds of years before the Messiah appeared. Angles declared the exact same message on the very day that Christ was born.

Luke 2:9–14 (NIV)

Luke 2:9–14 NIV

9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

Luke 2 announcement of gospel shalom

When we wake up on Christmas Day, that’s what we wake up to. We don’t just wake up to presents and parties and fancy meals. We wake up to God’s salvation. We wake up to God’s shalom. We awaken on Christmas to a new light, a new hope, a renewed and restored shalom. Jesus is the light of the world. And we light the Advent Christ candle as the culmination of all these other candles—the light of hope, the light of joy, the light of love, the light of peace. It is the light of Christ which enters into the world and is shared with each one of us.