Isaiah 1.5

Isaiah 9

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Nan, prayer for Bob

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Isaiah 8 ends with a desperate picture. Isa 8:21-22

Isaiah 8:21–22 ESV

21 They will pass through the land, greatly distressed and hungry. And when they are hungry, they will be enraged and will speak contemptuously against their king and their God, and turn their faces upward. 22 And they will look to the earth, but behold, distress and darkness, the gloom of anguish. And they will be thrust into thick darkness.

The situation does not improve by the time we get to chapter 9, however this passage represents a significant shift in the wellbeing of Judah, now there is a moment where the darkness we have been steeped in for so long will dissipate. Let’s read these very familiar words of Isaiah 9:1-8

Isaiah 9:1–8 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. 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. 8 The Lord has sent a word against Jacob, and it will fall on Israel;

A light is coming! Though you walk in darkness now, there will come a day when the people who have muddled through, struggled and wandered in the dark, when a great light will dawn on them!

All the threats of the other nations, the danger and then fulfillment of exile. The generations living apart form their land or their God. Generations of pain, of unrighteousness both within the community and outside the community. It will all come to and end with the light’s dawn.

It is near impossible to express the depth of joy that we see on display in this passage because of this coming child. Look at v. 3. You have multiplied the nation; you have increased its joy; they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest.

It’s nice to read that God increased their joy. But to merely say: they were joyful, misunderstands and underestimates the white hot joy that the people would feel when this light dawns. The image is that of harvest. Again, this is a challenge thing for us to wrap our minds around because we don’t depend on a good harvest to feed our families. The joy at the harvest is the joy that the crops are finally secure from the threats of weather and abundance and provision indeed are guaranteed for another season. You can rest easy after a whole season of the pressing anxiety of a lost crop.

The verse continues: as they are glad when they divide the spoil: this is the language of warfare, of having defeated enemies and conquest! Of dividing the spoils after hard fought victory, victory that may have come at great cost.

Look, we ought to just say it now: what is this light that is dawning? Who is this child that is born? It’s Jesus, the perfect messiah that will redeem and make all things right. And we’ll get to that, but don’t miss the depth of joy here.

This summation is meant to evoke the greatest kinds of joys a person can know, the joy that causes you to breathe deeply, to rest without anxiety. I will tell you, I wish I could say I have experienced this kind of joy all the time as I rest in Christ. But the moment in my life that comes to mind is a day in September of 2020. My wife had been living in Ghana for 3 years as we were waiting for our son’s immigration visa so he could come with us to the US. I had travelled back and forth 12 times. We were stuck in darkness, for three years, unknown, stumbling around, totally dependent on God and yet still in despair.

And one afternoon in that September, I had just arrived for a visit after nearly 7 months apart because of COVID. We had no idea. We were just waiting and though it was such a joy to be together, the mounting anxiety of having to leave again was coming slowly.

And out of the blue, an email from our immigration officer: “your form was approved for your son’s visa…I hope you and your family have a safe trip home.”

The immediate, all-encompassing relief. It’s impossible to describe.

Now, what God is speaking through Isaiah to his people is this: though there is greatness darkness now, though you face impossible circumstances, though your leaders have turned away from me, though wickedness surrounds you, though death persists, I promise, a light is coming and it will bring a joy that is impossible to describe.

In the former days, there is darkness and gloom, but a day is coming when the light will be so glorious the darkness will only be a faint memory.

Look at v. 4: the yoke and burden the people face of oppression will be broken. Every tool and memory of war and destruction will be burned away. Why? How can God promise this? How can Isaiah stand so confident in the truth that one day all the bad, all the death, all the pain will be gone such that there will be only great joy?

Because for to us a child is born. The government will be on his shoulder. His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of his 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 righteousness from this time forth and forevermore.

It’s astounding. Isaiah sees a messiah in the line of David. Not only a fulfillment of the promise that the line of David will persist forever, but that there is coming one who will reign perfectly and with unending peace.

I want to reiterate this here: Isaiah’s prophecy is drawn on a covenant God made with David, that the line of David, his royal line would continue on. Now, the line of David has continued on but it has turned out kings like Ahaz who have turned away from God and instead turned to the safety and security of other nations and other gods.

No, what Isaiah sees is a fulfillment of the line of David, a future King who will reign perfectly. What are the major themes of this reign? Peace, justice, wisdom, righteousness. These things will extend over, it seems, all creation and all people and all things!

Now, we know this is fulfilled in Christ, this passage is quoted in Matthew 4:13-17

Matthew 4:13–17 ESV

13 And leaving Nazareth he went and lived in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, 14 so that what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: 15 “The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles— 16 the people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light, and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death, on them a light has dawned.” 17 From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

Jesus is later understood as the fulfillment of this child that was born. In the former days there was darkness and gloom, but some remnant persisted through all the trials, through the exile, through being brought back to Jerusalem, through oppression and so on. And they persisted and now a light has dawned for them.

But there is a problem. Anyone see it?

If I look at this world, I still see a lot of darkness. We’re not free totally from the oppression of death in this world. We grieve, we have loss, we mourn. We’re not free from the struggle with sin, we still falter and fail.

What we see in Isaiah 9 is a prophecy that is fulfilled in Jesus at his birth but also a prophecy that anticipates Jesus’ second coming at which time he will bring all things under his reign and rule. And when that day comes we will have what is described in Revelation 21:3-4

Revelation 21:3–4 ESV

3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

That sounds like the kind of exceedingly great joy that is described in Isaiah 9. This is our story, it’s where all this is headed.

But that’s not where Isaiah ends, that’s not even how chapter 9 ends. Because as we turn to verse 8 there seems to be a whiplash in attitude and theme. But though we have this great moment offering hope for the remnant of Judah, now we get this judgement against Israel, that is, the Northern Kingdom.

Look at Isa 9:8-12

Isaiah 9:8–12 ESV

8 The Lord has sent a word against Jacob, and it will fall on Israel; 9 and all the people will know, Ephraim and the inhabitants of Samaria, who say in pride and in arrogance of heart: 10 “The bricks have fallen, but we will build with dressed stones; the sycamores have been cut down, but we will put cedars in their place.” 11 But the Lord raises the adversaries of Rezin against him, and stirs up his enemies. 12 The Syrians on the east and the Philistines on the west devour Israel with open mouth. For all this his anger has not turned away, and his hand is stretched out still.

God is, as we’ve heard over and over again, raising up foreign nations. Right now it is the Northern Kingdom and its disobedience that is in view. And I don’t want to spend a ton of time on here except to show two things. First, in chapter 9-10 we get this repeated phrase. 4 times we get this: “For all this his hanger has not turned away, and his hand is stretched out still.” That’s v. 12, v. 17, v. 21, 10:4.

It’s of note because it’s a phrase that comes from Israel’s history with God in Exodus 6:6 “6 Say therefore to the people of Israel, ‘I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from slavery to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great acts of judgment.”

There is outstretched arm was a sign of rescue, salvation, and redemption. But now, because of generations of their disobedience, it’s become a sign of God’s wrath against them. God raising up foreign nations doesn’t come from nothing: this is a clear cause and effect. A refusal to live as YHWH commands leads to destruction and exile at the hands of foreign nations.

But then look this small section Isaiah 10:5 “5 Woe to Assyria, the rod of my anger; the staff in their hands is my fury!”

We know Assyria has been referred to as a rod or tool of the Lord before. They’ve been given slack on their leash, God has allowed them to grow in power and to wreak havoc on other nations, including Israel. But then look at Isaiah 10:12 “12 When the Lord has finished all his work on Mount Zion and on Jerusalem, he will punish the speech of the arrogant heart of the king of Assyria and the boastful look in his eyes.”

God will only allow an unrighteous, wicked nation like Assyria go so far. It would be outside of his divine sense of justice to allow these forces to go unchecked in the world. And I want to pause on this briefly to say: what does this have to do with us? It’s easy to read these chapters and get lost in the back and forth of the geo-political situation that has nothing to do with us today.

First: Just as we ought to remember the joy of Christ’s first appearing and the light that is to come in His second appearing, whenever we face trials, difficulty, sorrow, enemies, whatever it may be: we know that all the unrighteous things of this world will not last. God’s justice will be brought to bear on all of creation. When we mourn the loss of loved ones and we are pressed down by grief, we know that though death’s leash seems so long and it has such free reign over this world, God will pull it back in His time and put an end to death forevermore. This is true for whatever we face, the temporary challenges and the ones that plague us our whole lives.

One day all things will be set right.

Look at Isaiah 10:17 “17 The light of Israel will become a fire, and his Holy One a flame, and it will burn and devour his thorns and briers in one day.”

God is the light of Israel, He will burn and devour and destroy the wicked and set all things to right.

And then again, we shift at v. 20: Isaiah 10:20 “20 In that day the remnant of Israel and the survivors of the house of Jacob will no more lean on him who struck them, but will lean on the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, in truth.”

Isaiah 10:24–25 “24 Therefore thus says the Lord God of hosts: “O my people, who dwell in Zion, be not afraid of the Assyrians when they strike with the rod and lift up their staff against you as the Egyptians did. 25 For in a very little while my fury will come to an end, and my anger will be directed to their destruction.”

Back to the positive, there will be a remnant! There will be those that endure and God will keep them for a time of restoration. The other side of that promise is that the enemy will be crushed! That the Assyrian army will be pulled back and that they will meet their end at the hand of God. V. 34 gives us the image that they will be cut down like a trees in a forest, nothing left. Imagine a forest in which a wildfire has run through it, it’s barren and empty.

And the imagery of this barren and desolated enemy is confirmed, the promise is re-affirmed so to speak in chapter 11. Here the promise of chapter 9 and the child born, is referenced again and this messianic figure comes into sharper focus.

Isaiah 11:1–9 “1 There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. 2 And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. 3 And his delight shall be in the fear of the Lord. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide disputes by what his ears hear, 4 but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked. 5 Righteousness shall be the belt of his waist, and faithfulness the belt of his loins. 6 The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together; and a little child shall lead them. 7 The cow and the bear shall graze; their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. 8 The nursing child shall play over the hole of the cobra, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder’s den. 9 They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.”

The root of Jesse. Who is Jesse? That’s King David’s Father. So again, the line of David, the Davidic line continues in this shoot of Jesse. And what will this future David bring? The Spirit of the Lord will be upon Him! He will be full of wisdom and understanding, wise counsel, knowledge and fear of the Lord, perfect obedience to the Lord. His delight shall be in the way of the Lord. That’s Psalm 1 language. He will judge the wicked, he shall bring about God’s justice on the earth. And then the future vision is that the wolf and the lamb will dwell together, the calf and the lion, and who leads them all? Little children. There is no war, no hurt, no destruction in this future. And where is this?

It is the holy mountain of the Lord, where all know Him. The knowledge of the Lord will be as waters covering the seas (v. 9). It’s a picture of a future Davidic messiah who will, as we’ve seen as a major theme in Isaiah, peace and justice! All wrongs will be righted!

And not only that, because this vision is not only for Judah, but look at v. 10: Isaiah 11:10–11 “10 In that day the root of Jesse, who shall stand as a signal for the peoples—of him shall the nations inquire, and his resting place shall be glorious. 11 In that day the Lord will extend his hand yet a second time to recover the remnant that remains of his people, from Assyria, from Egypt, from Pathros, from Cush, from Elam, from Shinar, from Hamath, and from the coastlands of the sea.”

His knowledge will extend to the nations and the remnant of faithful will be brought together on His holy mountain.

Praise be to God for this vision. This is our future, this will be fulfilled in Christ. What’s amazing to me is that in just a few short verses, God speaks a word through the prophet that connects us to so much of the story of scripture as it has already come. Yes, this directly takes us to the Davidic covenant and the promise of that line. But it also takes us to Abraham and His covenant with God, that God chose this family line to be a blessing to all nations. Though the promise is related to David’s line, it extends to all people; us today!

And the language of the “shoot of Jesus” is seed imagery, it should take us all the way back to Genesis 3 and the garden when, after Adam and Eve had sinned, God brought curse because of sin but also gave hope, mentioning a seed of this woman who would one day crush the head of the serpent.

This messiah of Isaiah 9 and 11 is the snake crusher who will set all things right.

The twin themes of judgement and hope are intertwined all the more this week in the chapters we covered. To close though I want to read chapter 12 as a sort of final blessing and prayer for us.

Isaiah 12 “1 You will say in that day: “I will give thanks to you, O Lord, for though you were angry with me, your anger turned away, that you might comfort me. 2 “Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the Lord God is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation.” 3 With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. 4 And you will say in that day: “Give thanks to the Lord, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the peoples, proclaim that his name is exalted. 5 “Sing praises to the Lord, for he has done gloriously; let this be made known in all the earth. 6 Shout, and sing for joy, O inhabitant of Zion, for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.””