Advent Sermon 1993

The Light to Life the Gloom

Isaiah 9:1–7 “Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future he will honor Galilee of the Gentiles, by the way of the sea, along the Jordan— The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned. You have enlarged the nation and increased their joy; they rejoice before you as people rejoice at the harvest, as men rejoice when dividing the plunder. For as in the day of Midian’s defeat, you have shattered the yoke that burdens them, the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor. Every warrior’s boot used in battle and every garment rolled in blood will be destined for burning, will be fuel for the fire. For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.”

Isaiah 8 ends with a prediction of the coming desolation upon Israel. 'Distress..darkness and fearful gloom' shall be the lot of those who rebel against God and put their trust in men or superstition. Chapter 9 opens with the promise of better days to come.

These words of Isaiah brought a glimmer of hope to difficult and gloomy days (v1).

They looked forward to a day when those in 'darkness' would see 'a great light'(v2).

Upper Galilee, the first to be destroyed by the army of Tiglath-pileser of Assyria who had destroyed the armies of Syria and Ephraim in 734-32 B.C. would be the first to have their desolation turned to joy - 'The first part of Israel to succumb would be the first to see the glory"(Kidner).

I want you to notice that all the activity is on God's side:

(i). 'He humbled' BUT 'He will honour'(v1).

(ii). The people are in 'darkness' because of their rebellion against God BUT they shall see 'a great light' only because of the grace and mercy of God (v2).

(iii). God desolated the nation BUT He shall 'enlarge' it (v3).

(iv). God by His judgment brought great 'distress' upon the nation BUT He shall 'increase' its 'joy'(v3).

(v). Just as God acted in the Exodus to deliver from bondage and through Gideon's handful of men to shatter Midian(particularly for the sake of Asher, Naphtali and Zebulun - Judg 6v35) the oppressor of Israel so He will act again to shatter all Israel's oppressors and to lift the burden of their slavery (v4,5 c/f Dt 13v6).

(vi). And all shall come about because of the gift of a 'child'(v6 see 7v14).

Victory is certain because God 'Almighty' has purposed it (v7).

I. The Place where the 'gloom' begins to lift (v1,2).

The deliverance shall begin in 'Galilee of the Gentiles' covering the tribal regions, 'the land of Zebulun' (bordering Naphtali, midway between the sea of Galilee and the Mediterranean - Josh 19v10-16,32,39) and 'the land of Naphtali' (Adjoining the western shore of the Sea of Galilee, extending northwards).

The coming of Jesus and His preaching of deliverance is the 'great light' promise spectacularly fulfilled in the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ -

Jesus who came preaching 'repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is near' (c/f Mtt 4v12-17) is the light that shines in the darkness.

Jesus said: "I am the light of the world. He who follows me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life"(Jn 8v12).

Zechariah the father of the John the Baptist greeted his child as the forerunner of the Messiah who would be like: 'the rising sun...from Heaven to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death'(Lk 1v78,79).

And Simeon greeted His coming with the words: "Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation which you have prepared in the sight of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel"(Lk 2v29-32).

Clearly then the 'darkness' envisaged is that of spiritual blindness. Men who do not know God are in 'darkness': "The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ who is the image of God"(2 Cor 4v4).

Christ comes with His gospel to invade our darkness and to bring in light: "Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead and Christ will shine on you"(Eph 4v14).

II. The Effect of the lifting of the gloom(v1-7).

(i). The people once 'humbled' will be honoured(v1).

(ii). The people once living in 'darkness' will henceforth live in 'light'(v2).

(iii). The people once in great 'distress' shall know great 'joy' and prosperity(v3).

(v). The people once under the yoke of the oppressor will be emancipated(v4).

(vi). The people who once knew 'fightings and fears' shall live in a never-ending Kingdom of peace, justice and righteousness(6,7).

Light is good. It makes 'everything visible'(Eph 4v14).

It brings heat and life. It causes growth and reveals beauty.

In the spiritual realm, once the darkness is removed men become 'light in the Lord'(Eph 4v8).

The effects or as Paul puts it 'the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth' in short anything 'which pleases the Lord'(Eph 4v9,10).

When a person makes up his mind to please the Lord his life takes on a new dimension of joy and peace. Problems will not lessen but by the Lord's enablement they shall be lightened: "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light"(Mtt 11v28-30).

Oh the joy and blessing of belonging to Christ and living under His 'government'.

Joy, light, prosperity, peace, justice, righteousness that will never end! It is beyond compare:

"Love of Christ so freely given,

Grace of God beyond degree,

Mercy higher than the heaven,

Deeper than the deepest sea!

All that thrills my soul is Jesus;

He is more than life to me;

And the fairest of ten thousand

In my blessed Lord I see"

(Thoro Harris).

III. The Instrumental-Cause of the lifting of the gloom(v6,7).

1. Who would do all this?

Surprisingly (at least for Isaiah's original readers), this great deliverer who would bring light and liberty is a 'child', not a mature hero.

This child, occupying a unique position of great dignity, will be the means by which 'the Lord of hosts' will perform this great deliverance.

He is 'a son', expressing His maleness.

He is to be 'born' as from human parentage BUT he is to be 'given' as a gift from God.

Hence we have in this child with four names the fulfilment of Isaiah 7v14. This child is the Immanuel-child, born of a virgin, given as the Lord's 'sign' to Judah!

2. How is He able to do all this?

Because of His unique character. Isaiah gives Him four names because it is impossible to cover the unique dignity of this deliverer by a single name. Four because each convey some aspect of the multitudenous blessings which He brings - “For to us a child is born, to us a Son is given; and the government will be on His shoulders, and His name will be called Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace" (Isaiah 9v6).

Jesus is...

(i). 'Wonderful Counsellor':

The word 'wonderful' is often used to convey the idea of 'supernatural'(c/f Jdg 13v18 'Why do you ask my name, seeing it is wonderful').

'The Lord Almighty...wonderful in counsel and magnificent in wisdom' (Is 28v29).

He makes a wonderful plan and takes action. A great work is to be done by Him, the most wonderful ever attempted. It is precisely and wonderfully planned.

(ii). 'Mighty God'.

The 'child' to be 'born' is called 'God' (c/f Isa 10:21). He is 'Immanuel'(God 'el' with us).

Jesus is the God-man(c/f Jn 1v1,14). He has the power to carry out all that His wonderful plan requires and to accomplish all that His wonderful plan intended! Literally He is 'God-hero', the 'strong One'.

'He has nothing less than the full omnipotence of God at His command' (Leupold).

'The decisions of a king make or break a kingdom and a kingdom designed to be everlasting demands a wisdom like that of everlasting God"(Motyer).

LINKING THESE TWO TOGETHER - In Jesus you have it - 'Wonderful Counsellor'. Everything is planned and because He is 'mighty God' His plan cannot fail(c/f Is 53 with Lk 1:68-79).

(iii). 'Everlasting Father'.

The paradox here is that the 'child' to be born and the 'son' to be 'given' is from 'everlasting': "But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times"(Mic 5:2).

Jesus is from 'everlasting' and is to 'everlasting'. He has no beginning and no end: "I am the Alpha and the Omega...who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty"(Rev 1v8).

Another paradox is that this'child' is also an 'Everlasting Father'. “Those who are the recipients of His blessing will find in Him an intimate companion, a "loving, paternal concern...for those who have been committed to His charge"(Leupold): "As a Father pities His children, so the LORD pities those who fear Him"(Ps 103:13).

(iv). 'Prince of Peace'.

Christ came to the world on a peace mission: "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom His favour rests"(Lk 2v14).

He came to make "peace through the blood of His cross"(Col 1v20). "Therefore having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ"(Rom 5v1).

Illustration: Mark Twain wrote a classic work called 'The Prince and the Pauper' where he tells a story about Tom Canty, born in a poor home in London and Prince Edward born in a palace. These boys looked alike and when Tom was older he went to the palace to see the King and managed to get admission to the palace where he met Prince Edward.

To find out how the other half lived they agreed to exchange clothes. Unfortunately for the prince, the guards mistook him for Tom and he is thrown out of the palace. He is mocked and beaten and has to live as a fugitive on the earth while Tom is treated in princely style and finds himself heir to the throne. Soon Tom is called to the King's presence and protests: 'I am but a poor boy from the poorest part of the city. My name is Tom Canty. Your son is somewhere else in this fair city!". The King in turn looks at Tom and says 'My dear son..'!

The lesson: Jesus, the 'Prince of peace' came into this world and exchanged His royal 'clothes' for that of a 'paupers'(man).

John reminds us that "the Word became flesh and dwelt among us"(Jn 1:14).

God's Son came "in the likeness of sinful flesh"(Rom 8:4); "being found in appearence as a man, He humbled Himself"(Phil 2:8).

'For our sakes He became poor that we through His poverty might become rich. The Prince became a pauper so that pauper's might become princes: "For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God in Him"(2 Cor 5v21).

He took our filthy sinful rags and exchanged them for His spotless garment. He left heaven and came to earth so that when we leave earth we might go to Heaven!

Those who look to and trust in the crucified Christ have 'peace with God'. They become part of God's family and are under the rule of the resurrected Christ as 'Prince'! The people whom He rules are men of 'peace'. The era that He introduces is an era of peace:

3. What will be the reward of His doing all this?

(i). He is invested with authority. He shall have the golden chains of governmental office 'upon His shoulders'(Isa 9:6; Ps 2).

(ii). He will be famous throughout all the world. His dominion will know no bounds(v7 c/f Isa 11:9).

(iii). Through Him justice and righteousness shall be implemented and preserved throughout time and into eternity(Isa 2:1-5).

"Blest are all that touch Thy sceptre;

Blest are all that own Thy reign,

Freed from sin that worst of tyrants,

Rescued from its galling chain:

Saints and angels, all who know Thee

Bless Thy name"

(John Ryland).

Notes:

1. Why 'Galilee of the Gentiles'? It would appear that Isaiah wishes to draw attention to the ethnic mixture of its populace. Solomon ceded this area to Hiram (1 Ki 9v11) because of the failure of Naphtali and Zebulun to oust the original Canaanites from that area and this helps us to understand something of the unsatisfactory character of the region in the mind of pious Jews. Certainly the phrase suits Isaiah's purpose of sharing the universal implications of Messiah's mission.