The King We Need (Part 2)
Notes
Transcript
Review:
Last week we looked at the passage in Isaiah that we are all familiar with this Christmas time. We focused on the beginning verses that were promises foretold by the prophet Isaiah about the great hope of Israel- the Messiah. This messiah was promised to come and bring blessing to his people and his kingdom. These blessings are offered freely to all who would follow the King, but they can only be experienced by those who belong to the Kingdom of God by faith.
We looked at those blessings in detail last week. A quick review will remind us of them.
1 But there will be no more gloom for her who was in anguish; in earlier times He treated the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali with contempt, but later on He shall make it glorious, by the way of the sea, on the other side of Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles. 2 The people who walk in darkness Will see a great light; Those who live in a dark land, The light will shine on them. 3 You shall multiply the nation, You shall increase their gladness; They will be glad in Your presence As with the gladness of harvest, As men rejoice when they divide the spoil. 4 For You shall break the yoke of their burden and the staff on their shoulders, The rod of their oppressor, as at the battle of Midian. 5 For every boot of the booted warrior in the battle tumult, And cloak rolled in blood, will be for burning, fuel for the fire.
A. Restoration
B. Illumination
C. Jubilation
D. Liberation
As the church, we know that Jesus Christ is the promised Messiah and the one who has been exalted as the promised Messiah. This was the goal of the gospel writer Matthew when we quoted this Isaiah passage in Matthew 4 as Jesus began his earthly ministry in Galilee. As a matter of fact, go back and refresh yourself in all the OT quotations that Matthew has throughout his letter, showing us that Jesus was the promised King who would come to fulfill the blessings foretold in Isaiah and the other prophets who foretold his coming.
Today, we are going to dive into the well known prophecy of Isaiah about the coming King. In this study, we will look at the description and dominion of the King Jesus, the promised Messiah.
1. Description of the King
1. Description of the King
First, we are given this iconic fourfold description about the coming Messiah who was promised for the restoration of Israel. In this fourfold description we will see this royal list of qualities cannot be fulfilled by just any earthly ruler. Instead, they must come to fruition in the one who is both God and man.
Notice that Isaiah states that these qualities of the King are descriptors of the king and not actual names that will on the mouth of his subjects. This is important as we will see for the title “everlasting Father.” This has caused some confusion to some who read that this coming King is called both Son and Father in v 6. How can this child that is prophesied be both?
To answer that chiefly, we understand that Son is the title given in verse 6. “a Son is given” points to who the Messiah will be in relationship to the Father. What we will see in regards to the phrase “everlasting Father” is not an actual title, but a description of the King in relationship to those in His kingdom. We will get to that shortly. But to begin, let’s look at the first quality:
A. Wonderful Counselor:
The very first description of the King is that he is “ called Wonderful.” It does Jesus disservice if we read this as simply an adjective to describe his counseling ability. To some, you are adequate counselors of wisdom, but Jesus is a wonderful counselor. That limits the meaning of this passage, if we take that interpretation.
Instead, we should read it as this King is a Wonder! This word has divine implication because it is setting apart this King to be worshipped as supernatural and divine, above all men. We should then instead, look to this promised King as that which draws our undivided amazement and awe because He is set apart from all mankind and creation itself. He is the Wonder of all wonders.
No doubt that Jesus was and is a wonder of all wonders. He astonished his followers who lived closely beside him, his enemies who could not stop him, and even those neutral to Jesus, like the Romans who would even confess,
“this truly was the Son of God.”(Mt 27:54)
No greater act and wonder occured than his own resurrection from the dead, a miracle to which not only astounded his enemies, but led to an attempted coverup by them in an attempt to squash the Lord’s fame and following.
In addition to being a Wonder, Isaiah affixes the idea that this divine King would be when no other king possesses, pure wisdom. Typically, we see throughout history, rulers like Pharaoh surround themselves with wise sages who give guidance to the affairs of the nations that they rule. These earthly kings do not possess pure unadulterated wisdom and yet the King promised in Isaiah, will be full of wisdom and truth.
14 And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.
Jesus was the truth to which the Law of God was pointing, a gospel of grace that provides a way of escape from the unrighteousness of man and its need to be reconciled to God.
B. Mighty God:
The second phrase is in close connection to the first and together they reflect back on Isaiah’s earlier prophecy that the Messiah would be “Immanuel: God with us” Here Isaiah uses the Hebrew EL GIBBOR which literally translates the Warrior or Heroic God. This phrase takes us back to the promise of liberation that we read in v 3-5,
4 For You shall break the yoke of their burden and the staff on their shoulders, The rod of their oppressor, as at the battle of Midian. 5 For every boot of the booted warrior in the battle tumult, And cloak rolled in blood, will be for burning, fuel for the fire.
This victory can only be accomplished by a dominating King, one who rules with spiritual victory over the greatest enemy to mankind: sin and death. how could he defeat sin and death, only by the almighty power of God. Therefore, our king Jesus is a God king who comes as a Warrior and Hero by annihilating that plaguing oppression called sin that we cannot defeat in our own strength. He gains victory by his own death and resurrection and the comes out victorious.
“And as He stands in victory
Sin's curse has lost its grip on me
For I am His and He is mine
Bought with the precious blood of Christ”
In Christ Alone- Gettys
3. An Eternal Father
As I mentioned prior, it seems confusing to some if we think of this as a title. Both Son and Father? This thinking could lead to a blasphemy of the distinct persons of the Trinity. Instead, what Isaiah means here is to convey the qualities of the King, one who loves as an eternal Father. Throughout Scripture, God is revealed as a loving Father to his children.
5 A father of the fatherless and a judge for the widows, Is God in His holy habitation.
The Messiah will love as a Father loves his children, not as a tyrant but in a familial loving relationship. This of course, sets the Messiah apart from the world’s unbiblical view of God. They view him as some distant supernatural, impersonal being who has no authority over their lives. To them, he is a force more than a Father.
But we know that as God who loves like a Father, even the Lord is one who loves with a compassion and authority over those whom he rules over.
12 For whom the Lord loves He reproves, Even as a father corrects the son in whom he delights.
D. Prince of Peace
While this final title has been applied to Jesus, this phrase is once again a descriptor of his accomplishments as king. He brings about peace where there is hostility and war. Jesus is the way by which people can be restored back to God. He provides that in his death on the cross and his victorious resurrection. His work of redemption is the path of peace that was prophesied by the prophets like Zechariah, Hosea and Malachi.
But the peace he brings is more than one which grants victory in war for true peace is experienced in goodness from God. We are at peace in our relationship with God and as we receive his blessings. Salvation comes to us in Christ and all its blessings we enjoy in a state of eternal peace. These blessings never end because our relationship with the king is never ending.
Church we should be comforted by reflecting on this divine child who came to bring about hope, to bring about victory, to bring about wisdom and truth. This Messiah is the one to whom we swear our allegiance and the one to whom we put our hope upon in this New Year. As we approach 2024, we face challenges that make our anxiety level rise and our stomach churn. But we face those challenges knowing that Jesus Christ is our King. He meets these challenges with us and we guides us along through them, even in dark valleys. His coming into the word, dying upon the cross and rising from the dead is the very proof that we can hope in Him in our greatest struggles.
The second idea that Isaiah focus on in this passage is that of the dominion and rule that this King will administer:
2. Dominion of the King
2. Dominion of the King
A. Total rule:
We can also see from these passages that the King will rule totally in all ways. In v 6, we read this child will bear the “government” upon his shoulders. What this means is not the earthly political systems of localized rule. Instead, government here means authority and rule. The rule over all will be upon his shoulders. He will bear the weight of that rule as King over all.
This phrase also connects back to verse 4 which implies that the current earthly rule was burdensome, so much that the staff and yoke was heavy upon them. But with the coming of the true King, he relieves the burden upon our shoulders from tyrannical and oppressive earthly kings and he brings about hope for change. We must realize that the Christ child came and “all authority on heaven and earth” that has been given to him by the Father. (Matthew 28:18)
This means that his rule and dominion is never ending and without border. He rules over all and we are called to worship and praise him.
Zechariah 9:9–10 (NASB95)
9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout in triumph, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; He is just and endowed with salvation, Humble, and mounted on a donkey, Even on a colt, the foal of a donkey. 10 I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim And the horse from Jerusalem; And the bow of war will be cut off. And He will speak peace to the nations; And His dominion will be from sea to sea, And from the River to the ends of the earth.
Since there is no end to his dominion, there is no one in existence, no matter how defiant of him, that He does not rule over. Which means, regardless of their interpretation of their freedom, He is their Sovereign. He has not lost control over his enemies and he will bring swift justice to their rebellion. We should be encouraged by his reign over all.
Isaiah 9:7 (NASB95)
7 There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace
44 “In the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which will never be destroyed, and that kingdom will not be left for another people; it will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, but it will itself endure forever.
We serve the King over all and we celebrate his total reign and rule. Nothing is outside his control. Nothing limits him from exerting total power and authority. Even in a world where evil appears to win, we must remain diligent in our belief that our God reigns.
B. Promised rule
Isaiah 9:7 (NASB95)
7 There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, On the throne of David and over his kingdom
Why is it so important that the Messiah comes from the lineage of David? For the Jews, it is important because of all their kings in all of Jewish history, David and his kingdom was the all-star team of success and prosperity. King David was not a perfect King, but he ruled well as a king who served the God of Israel and the nation as a whole enjoyed great prosperity under his leadership.
If we go back to 2 Samuel 7:16
16 “Your house and your kingdom shall endure before Me forever; your throne shall be established forever.” ’ ”
This was the foundation of the David covenant that David’s descendants would rule forever. The very act of Jesus coming from the lineage of David as the gospel writers make clear brings us hope that the Lord in his sovereignty was carrying out his plan and bringing his faithful promises to fulfillment. David’s throne realized in Jesus means that God is always faithful to his promises!
Deut 7:9 was one of the first verses we memorized this calendar year. it reads:
9 “Know therefore that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God, who keeps His covenant and His lovingkindness to a thousandth generation with those who love Him and keep His commandments;
Let us rejoice in the faithfulness of God and all his promises. Promises of blessing and promises of judgment will come to all people in all time because the Lord is King over all. He does not forget his promises nor does He default on them.
One particular promise I want you to be encouraged with this year goes back to Jesus words to his disciples
Matthew 28:20 (NASB95)
20… I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
10 ‘Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’
Cling to this hope in the New Year that you are not alone. As you face joys and trials, whatever they may be, do not be afraid but no that the promise that the Lord will be with you will not pass you by. He will keep his promise. He will be with you always.
C. Righteous rule
This leads us to the final description of the Lord’s dominion. It is a rule and reign of the Lord that is marked by justice and righteousness. We can say with all certainty that the rule and reign of the Lord Jesus is done with all righteous acts and principles in all that He brings back.
We see through the pages of world history the acts of moral corruption in leadership. Kings and their courts have traitors and back room deals. Betrayal and disloyalty seems to always define leaders of nations, cities, and towns in some way. As a matter of fact, it is hard not to be suspect of moral failure in leaders because not only do we see evidence, but we know the nature of sinfulness in all mankind.
But true holiness and perfections can be found in the Lord Jesus. Not only did he exemplify perfection in his earthly ministry, obeying the law in every respect, but these promises of his kingdom are that he will rule with perfect justice and righteousness. There will be no oppression of the weak. There will be no greed fueling kingly decisions. He will rule and reign perfectly because his nature is holy in every respect. To be unjust goes against his own perfections.
This is breath of fresh air even now, because as God’s people, we know that the Lord is ruling now in that goodness and justice. He brought about true justice and righteousness through the work of redemption. Wrath was satisfied and righteousness is applied to all who trust in Jesus alone for salvation. As the church, a people so transformed by Christ, then we manifest that spiritual change by living righteously and justly in this world, opposing evil in every way. We stand in opposition to evil and unrighteousness because Christ lives in us by His Spirit.
In addition, when we face evil and trials personally, we also are comforted knowing that God is bringing about good things in the midst of evil. We can trust that those evil moments bring about heavenly results for our transformation and sanctification in Christ. Again, we focus on his rule and we find comfort that is good for us and perfect in accordance with his holy perfections.