Hope in The Advent

Isaiah 9:1 ESV

1 But there will be no gloom for her who was in anguish. In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he has made glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations.

Isaiah 9:2–7 ESV

2 The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone. 3 You have multiplied the nation; you have increased its joy; they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest, as they are glad when they divide the spoil. 4 For the yoke of his burden, and the staff for his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, you have broken as on the day of Midian. 5 For every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult and every garment rolled in blood will be burned as fuel for the fire. 6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.

1. Why is there hope in the Advent?

Our passage gives us two concepts: Hope (9:1-7) & Despair (9:8-21).

There is Hope in the future King Who would create peace.

When you are going through a great level of turmoil as the people of God, a prophecy of the Messiah Who would be a delivery of the longed for peace is a great sense of hope.

2. What is the significance of light when everything around seems dark?

Isaiah 9:1 ESV

1 But there will be no gloom for her who was in anguish. In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he has made glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations.

Galilee as a region had been impacted by the darkness of the paganism from those outside of the region.

Light pierces the dark both physically and spiritually.

Remember John’s recording about Jesus and what Jesus said the the folks of this region:

John 8:12 ESV

12 Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

Luke 1:79 ESV

79 to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.”

So Jesus came to bring light as He is the light.

You see this region was affect by outside influence and the intermarriage with those of the lands.

This map shows a portion of how the northern Galilee region would have been affected by the outside Assyrian forces and how that even after the return of the captives those influences from areas like Damascus.

The light of Christ is a guide to the way of peace.

3. Why does joy bring hope?

Isaiah 9:3 ESV

3 You have multiplied the nation; you have increased its joy; they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest, as they are glad when they divide the spoil.

Growth, increase, and harvest are key words of Isaiah 9:3.

Growth — increase in the number of people.

Increase — joy itself as the light brings relief from their burden.

Harvest — a time of celebration in an agrarian society.

There is a predicted outcome of increase and renewal.

The Feast of Weeks— Celebrate the Lord’s provision in harvest.

Deuteronomy 16:9–12 ESV

9 “You shall count seven weeks. Begin to count the seven weeks from the time the sickle is first put to the standing grain. 10 Then you shall keep the Feast of Weeks to the Lord your God with the tribute of a freewill offering from your hand, which you shall give as the Lord your God blesses you. 11 And you shall rejoice before the Lord your God, you and your son and your daughter, your male servant and your female servant, the Levite who is within your towns, the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow who are among you, at the place that the Lord your God will choose, to make his name dwell there. 12 You shall remember that you were a slave in Egypt; and you shall be careful to observe these statutes.

4. How do we get hope from the “broken as on the day of Midian”?

Isaiah 9:4–5 ESV

4 For the yoke of his burden, and the staff for his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, you have broken as on the day of Midian. 5 For every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult and every garment rolled in blood will be burned as fuel for the fire.

Judges 7:19–25 ESV

19 So Gideon and the hundred men who were with him came to the outskirts of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, when they had just set the watch. And they blew the trumpets and smashed the jars that were in their hands. 20 Then the three companies blew the trumpets and broke the jars. They held in their left hands the torches, and in their right hands the trumpets to blow. And they cried out, “A sword for the Lord and for Gideon!” 21 Every man stood in his place around the camp, and all the army ran. They cried out and fled. 22 When they blew the 300 trumpets, the Lord set every man’s sword against his comrade and against all the army. And the army fled as far as Beth-shittah toward Zererah, as far as the border of Abel-meholah, by Tabbath. 23 And the men of Israel were called out from Naphtali and from Asher and from all Manasseh, and they pursued after Midian. 24 Gideon sent messengers throughout all the hill country of Ephraim, saying, “Come down against the Midianites and capture the waters against them, as far as Beth-barah, and also the Jordan.” So all the men of Ephraim were called out, and they captured the waters as far as Beth-barah, and also the Jordan. 25 And they captured the two princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb. They killed Oreb at the rock of Oreb, and Zeeb they killed at the winepress of Zeeb. Then they pursued Midian, and they brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon across the Jordan.

The Lord brings victory and the ultimate hope comes not in the victory here and now, but the victory to come.

Isaiah speaks of both the first and second coming.

Jesus said it this way:

John 10:10 ESV

10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

The realization from vs. 5 is the utter defeat of the enemy.

5. Look at vss. 6-7 and determine who is being spoken of and what about these verses bring hope.

Isaiah 9:6–7 ESV

6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.