For to Us a Child Is Born

Isaiah 8:9–9:7

Every four years we go to the ballot boxes being told that this is the most important election of our time. The last guy didn’t do ABC, the next guy will solve it with XYZ. Or perhaps the next guy will ruin what the current guy has accomplished in ABC, if we elect him and allow him to carry out XYZ.

Some of you have political memories going back farther than I, but at least since 1992 I remember hearing Rush Limbaugh on my grandparents TV explain this.

Now these comments may be correct, it’s hard to know what is the most important decision of your life. You usually don’t really find that out until well after the fact.

But these big national decisions are not the only biggest and most important choices we make. Fear of things outside our control often drive us to make rash decisions.

Remember last week we saw Ahaz facing the coming threat of the Syro-Ephraimite war, and he refused to hear the word of the Lord concerning him and his nation. Judah was to be a theocracy, that is ruled by God, but was turning into a man led monarchy. The people forgot and rejected the one they belonged to.

Well our text today is truly surprising. Grace is always surprising, I think. Because grace is undeserved, and it is always surprising to see God in his graciousness, even though we know that’s exactly how he acts.

Ahaz had rejected God, but God had not rejected his people. His people would be punished, and severely, but God was preserving for himself a remnant. God always has a faithful people. There are Christians in every church that are Christians in name only, but in a true church God always has his people. People who trust him even when there is nothing to grasp onto but the reality that God is a gracious God.

We see God act graciously toward this remnant in our text, for his glory, and for his name. The last verse of our passage says that the zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this. It is God’s passion for his own glory that accomplishes this. Our God is a consuming fire that consumes his enemies and brightens the eyes of his people. Are you with him today?

(9-10)

Essentially the message here is, come get us. Do your worst. Go grab the biggest weapon you have an come take us, you won’t succeed.

Why is that? Because Immanuel. God is with us. I’ve watched so many of you in this church walk through some of the most horrible situations in life. There is no explanation for how you have overcome these things except the confidence we have that God is with us.

This is how God’s remnant thinks. This doesn’t mean, believer, that we don’t fear circumstances in life. There are hard things that i’m afraid of that I might have to go through some day. But where is your confidence? God is with his people, which means everything you face is carefully thought through and precisely designed for his glory and your good.

(11-22)

Notice Isaiah is impressed with the presence of God. “A strong hand.” Have you ever felt the power of something before and had a new deep respect for it? Isaiah is deeply moved by this word from the Lord. This people have found themselves in this new fearful situation with this war, and look at all the directions they are turning.

They are seeing conspiracy everywhere. If our friends to the north can join with an old enemy against us, what could my next door neighbor do? What is Isaiah talking about, telling us not to worry about this obvious enemy? Is he working with them?

Fear and uncertainty drive people to this type of thinking. And a weak government who is planning to conspire with other enemies doesn’t help the situation.

Believers, let me just caution you, we have nothing but conspiracies out there today don’t we? I’m not saying somethings true and something is false, but consider why you are being driven to believe certain things. Consider if God with you is directing your life or if fear of man has taken over.

See Isaiah exhorts them, don’t let these things be your fear and dread, but remember that it is fear of the Lord that is the beginning of wisdom.

And so he describes the effect that God will have on people depending on their view of him. He is a rock, and he will be a rock that is your sanctuary if you fear him. Or if you fear other things he will be a rock of stumbling.

Jesus told the people in Matthew 21:44 that he is this same rock, and that the one who falls on this stone will be crushed to pieces. Believer are you walking in his precepts or by the counsel of your own wisdom? Wisdom or foolishness?

And this is God’s response to Ahaz’s rejection, he is going to hide his face from him. Oh believer isn’t that your aim in life? To see and savor the face of Christ? If I accomplish anything in my life I want people to say “he helped me see Jesus.” Look at this, he’s hiding his face. I can’t think of anything worse.

Isaiah and his children, these children with names like “a remnant shall return.” Isaiah’s name meaning “The Lord Saves” they stand as evidence against this wicked people. They have God and his prophet in front of them but they run to mediums and necromancers. How backwards are we? I’m not saying you run to necromancers, but don’t you run to worldly wisdom sometimes? Don’t you seek out counsel from a dead and dying world with the pure word of God and his wise counselors around you?

I’m reading a book by a puritan named Thomas Boston. He’s writing about the importance of the word. And in 60 pages so far he’s cited 8:20 at least 30 times. To the teaching and to the testimony! Run to the word. Believer it has everything you need. Life and Godliness. The face of Christ.

So Isaiah tells them they will be in deep gloom, thick darkness. And 8 ends in this solemn place. We’re at the bottom. Perhaps you are here this morning. Perhaps this is where you’ve found yourself. You’ve not listened to the voice of God, you’ve abandoned his precepts. There’s hope for you. More hope than you can imagine. Look at chapter 9.

(9:1-7)

See the remnant in Isaiah is never a special people chosen because they wore the right clothes and jumped through the correct hoops, they’re the ones who rejected their own wisdom and trusted God. You can be this remnant today if you place your hope in him.

There will be no gloom for her who was in anguish. Can’t you just feel the power of these words flowing through your veins? I could jump off the stage right now. How many of you have been in anguish because of this world? Full of gloom, blind in darkness? No more anguish for you. Why? Because starting in Galilee a light to the nations will come (has come). Galilee was the most trampled place. They were basically the road the enemies would take to enter Judah. And this is where God sends this child to be born in the fullness of time.

He has multiplied the nation, he has increased its joy. Abrahamic covenant fulfilled. Nations (gentiles) become a part of God’s people, and they rejoice. They sing this song in Rev 7:9ff because of this great accomplishment.

They rejoice for 3 reasons. See “for” in 4, 5, 6? These are the reasons that this people in deep gloom and anguish rejoice now. The yoke, rod, burden, is broken. Notice who did it? Not you. Him. God accomplishes this.

War is done, its over. Peace. All the instruments of war are destroyed.

How, why, who did it? For to us a child is born.

A child vs an enemy like Assyria? Babylon? Egypt? Rome? Sin? Death? A child… a son. The Son.

No longer shall government rest on the shoulders of sinful people, but on his shoulders.

Isaiah—God Saves Sinners Triumph

Look at Jesus. As the Wonderful Counselor, he has the best ideas and strategies. Let’s follow him. As the Mighty God, he defeats his enemies easily. Let’s hide behind him. As the Everlasting Father, he loves us endlessly. Let’s enjoy him. As the Prince of Peace, he reconciles us while we are still his enemies. Let’s welcome his dominion.

There’s never an end to his government, never an end to his peace. He sits on the throne of David forever, he rules perfectly, justly, righteously forevermore. He is Jesus, crucified, risen, reigning, and come savior. He’s not returning to set a few things straight, adjust some inflation issues, bring down gas prices… He’s going to set all things straight.

This kingdom expands forever. His peace expands forever. There will never come a time for all eternity where we will say, he’s reached the end of what he is capable of, it can’t get better than this. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.