Salvation of Immanuel - Isa 9:1-7 | WBBC 19/05/2024
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Isaiah 9 is a passage that is usually associated with Christmas (esp. 9:6-7)
It’s actually climax of messages that begin in Isaiah 8
In this section there are 4 messages and 2 moments of reflection
First 3 messages calling Israel to repentance & encouraging Isaiah & remnant
1st reflection is Isaiah meditating on what these mean and what to do about them
Isaiah 9 turns the message from gloom and darkness to light and hope
READ Isaiah 8:1-9:7.
In Hebrew Bible Isaiah 9:1 is 8:23
Isaiah 9:1 is the second reflection
Isaiah 9:2-7 is the fourth message of the series
Reason this passage is so often connected with Christmas is because it speaks of the coming of Immanuel
It speaks about who He is, nature, and the salvation and hope that He will bring
We leave Isaiah 8 in darkness and gloom
Isaiah 8:22 “Then they will look to the earth, and see trouble and darkness, gloom of anguish; and they will be driven into darkness.”
Coming to Isaiah 9 we see the darkness and gloom isn’t final
Isaiah 9:1 “Nevertheless the gloom will not be upon her who is distressed...”
Light is Given
Light is Given
Isaiah 9:1-5.
Light of Hope (Isa. 9:1-2)
Light of Hope (Isa. 9:1-2)
People in Darkness
People in Darkness
Dark Circumstances
Dark Circumstances
Drastic change comes - “fear of gloom” changes to “no more gloom”
Israel (not just Judah) are people in gloom and distress
Though Isaiah speaks mostly to Judah & Jerusalem his message isn’t just for them
Zebulun & Naphtali are very northern tribes near Sea of Galilee
Isa. 9:3 - “the nation” speaks of one nation not a divided nation
Message of hope isn’t just for Judah
Fulfilment of this hope is seen in the reunification of Israel & Judah under a future Davidic King
Some think the northern tribes were lost forever after Assyria
Isaiah tells us God hasn’t lost them & He will keep His promise to them
Talked about the political & world circumstances that have them in distress
Oppressed by Assyria, under threat from Israel & Syria, wicked & weak King Ahaz
Zebulun & Naphtali called Galilee of Gentiles because they are the northern edge of Israel - where Israel meets the world
Important travel routes ran that way which made them susceptible to plunder
They were the way to conquer Jerusalem
Galilee would become a melting pot of people after Assyria
Dark Hearts
Dark Hearts
Isaiah has made us very aware the reason for distress isn’t political
Almost every message he’s given has been they are being judged because of their wickedness
Reason for their distress and turmoil is spiritual - rebelled against God
Worship was empty performance (Isa. 1)
Following after idolarty & witchcraft (Isa. 8:19-22)
Ahaz even sacrificed his own children to Molech ( 2 Chron. 28:3)
Pekah & Israel were as deeply wicked
So, we’ve become well aware, the issue is the same for our world today
Problems, distress, gloom in this world are not ultimately political
Politics won’t fix our problems either
Our trouble and gloom are fundamentally spiritual - rebellion against God
We may think we’re more sophisticated & educated but we’re sacrificing to the same idols they were - we just give them different names
Like Judah was looking alliances and schemes for help so we look to governments, plans and schemes of our own to deal with a problem far more sinister
This isn’t a message of doom though - doom & gloom is the context it’s given in
It’s to a people in darkness and pain Isaiah speaks these words:
Isaiah 9:2 “2 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.”
We are essentially no different than those in Isaiah’s day
What do we all desperately long for? Hope!
Isaiah is pointing us to Hope!
Have Seen a Great Light
Have Seen a Great Light
Hope is Rising
Hope is Rising
Isaiah tells us that the gloom isn’t final - judgment doesn’t have to be the end of the story
Why will there be “no gloom for her who is in distress”?
Because a light has shined
Rather, the gloom of this distress is a means to salvation
I love the confidence Isaiah speaks with
He is speaking of future events but in a past tense
Rescue is already on it’s way
Their rescue isn’t in alliances with Assyria or clever plan
The Light/hope/rescue wasn’t produced by themselves
The Light appears to them - it came upon them
Your hope, rescue from gloom isn’t going to be found within you
It must come from outside of you, something greater than you, greater than the darkness that consumes you
In the darkness of this world & in the darkness of your own sin there is hope, there is light
Light is Shining
Light is Shining
Not just talking about a feeling, wish or desire but a reality
That hope, light to rescue from darkness is Jesus, Immanuel
Lk. 1:76-79
Isaiah speaks specifically of gloom in regions of Galilee
How do we know this isn’t just words, empty hope?
What would make us believe God will turn their gloom to joy?
12 Now when Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, He departed to Galilee. 13 And leaving Nazareth, He came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the regions of Zebulun and Naphtali, 14 that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: 15 “The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, By the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles: 16 The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, And upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death Light has dawned.”
Matthew draws our attention to the fact that Jesus began His ministry in Galilee
Jesus is the answer
The promise was being fulfilled - light was shining
Just as Jesus is their light in darkness so He is for us today
12 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.”
His light still shines
6 For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
Like He shone through the darkness for Israel His light shines through the darkness of this world
Through the darkness of your own sinful heart
Jesus, opens our eyes to see who God really is, to show us God’s power to deliver, to fill with joy and hope
Joy of Freedom (Isa. 9:3-6)
Joy of Freedom (Isa. 9:3-6)
He Fills with Joy
He Fills with Joy
Gloom, sadness & darkness of the people is turned to great joy
This isn’t a temporal joy or joy based on circumstances
This is the type of joy that comes from God
“You have…increased its joy”
It’s the joy Ezra speaks about in Neh. 8:10.
Joy that begins with repentance and then makes you strong
Joy that overflows an individual
He Frees from Oppression
He Frees from Oppression
This joy is the result of being freed from oppression (Isa. 9:5) and battle being won (Isa. 9:6)
That is, what oppresses us and wars against our soul is broken, defeated & ruined
We stand in joyful victory
How can this happen? How can you be free? Have hope & Light? It seems impossible
For us it is impossible
That’s why God reminds them of Gideon
To defeat Midian took a miracle, an act of God on their behalf
To defeat sin that oppresses us and wages war in our heart takes a miracle, an act of God
What is that miracle? Who can defeat our enemies and bring joy of freedom?
Isaiah 9:6 - the promised Child, the coming King
18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; 19 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.” 20 Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him. 21 And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”
I don’t know what your circumstances are but I know Jesus is the miracle you need
You need to see the reason that you walk in darkness
You need to see the reason we live in a world in darkness and gloom
Reason is we have rejected God and His ways
Way out of darkness and gloom is to believe Jesus as Saviour from that rebellion
Conclusion
Conclusion
Believer, Jesus delivered you from gloom and darkness
He has given you light and hope and joy
Don’t fall back into the ways of darkness
Ephesians 5:8 “8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light”
I also want you all to know today that no matter who you are or how dark your life seems to be there is hope and light in Jesus
He came to conquor the sin and death that holds us in darkness so that we could have lives of joy and freedom
To have that joy we must stop living in rebellion to God and start following Him
That begins by admitting Your in rebellion against God and asking His forgiveness
In His forgiveness is life and hope