The Promise of Light

Introduction:

I can see it now...

The dark middle eastern night. The bleating of sheep nearby - the snoring of a shepherd who had put in a hard day’s work and had set still a bit too long. The fire flickering casting shadows on the hills surrounding the shepherds on that Bethlehem night so many years ago.

When in the midst of the uneventful and ordinary night - a bright light appears, a being in shining white declares in a heavenly and booming voice, “Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. “ (). As the shepherds pinch themselves to make sure they’re awake and then scrambled into town to see the child, I want us to stop and think about these tidings. What did they contain? what do they say? What do they mean?

These tidings were the fulfillment of some promises. - Our next few Sunday morning times together I would like to talk about these promises.

I can see it now...

The Promise of light.

The Promise of Joy

The Promise of A Son

The dark middle eastern night.

The first of these promises found in our passage. The promise of light.

The bleating of sheep nearby -

the snoring of a shepherd who had put in a hard day’s work and had set still a bit too long.

The fire flickering casting shadows on the hills surrounding the shepherds on that Bethlehem night so many years ago.

The Promise of Light ()

When in the middle of the uneventful and ordinary night - a bright light appears, a being in shining white declares in a heavenly and booming voice, “Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. “ ().

As the shepherds pinch themselves to make sure they’re awake and then scrambled into town to see the child, I want us to stop and think about these tidings.

What did they contain?

what do they say?

What do they mean?

These tidings were the fulfillment of some promises. - Our next few Sunday morning times together I would like to talk about these promises.

The Promise of light.

The Promise of Joy.

The Promise of A Son.

The first of these promises found in our passage. The promise of light.

The Promise of Light (Isaiah 8:19-9:2)

The Darkness -

The songwriter Philip Bliss penned the words, “The whole world was lost in the darkness of sin.” This is a pretty close idea of what the Prophet Isaiah is telling us about in our passage.

The Darkness -

The Darkness is real

I want us to get an idea of the darkness - the real darkness that permeated the time of this writing.

In we find King Ahaz - who in belligerence and pride chose his won way - he refuses the challenge to trust God and receive the sign of His promise.

His refusal to trust God drove him to trust Assyria instead of the Lord.

because of this misplaced trust, God says through Isaiah that Judgement was coming. God was going to use Assyria to bring judgment.

- They don’t speak God’s Word because there is no light in them

- Behold - trouble and darkness

that sounds bad but he doesn’t stop there it gets worse

The songwriter Philip Bliss penned the words, “The whole world was lost in the darkness of sin.” This is a pretty close idea of what the Prophet Isaiah is telling us about in our passage.

The Darkness Deepens

dimness of anguish - and then— “they shall be driven to darkness.”

If we refuse to obey God’s revelation we like Ahaz and his people will end up in darkness.

The Darkness is real

declares, “If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!”

I want us to get an idea of the darkness - the real darkness that permeated the time of this writing.

But I also want to tell you today - if you are sitting here this morning in darkness - in great darkness - if you are driven to darkness - This is not where God wants us.

In we find King Ahaz - who in belligerence and pride chose his own way - he refuses the challenge to trust God and receive the sign of His promise. His refusal to trust God drove him to trust Assyria instead of the Lord.

I love what Dr. John Oswalt says, “God’s intended last word is never judgment. His intended last word is hope!”

because of this misplaced trust, God says through Isaiah that Judgement was coming. God was going to use Assyria to bring judgment.

- They don’t speak God’s Word because there is no light in them - Behold - trouble and darkness that sounds bad but he doesn’t stop there it gets worse

The Darkness Deepens

That is what happens here in the midst of judgment and darkness - the prophet stops for a moment and flips the light switch on.

He brings hope!!!

dimness of anguish - and then— “they shall be driven to darkness.”

If we refuse to obey God’s revelation we like Ahaz and his people will end up in darkness.

The Darkness Destroyed

I love how he starts chapter 9 - Nevertheless - It’s dark - it’s gloomy - it's bad but…

declares, “If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!”

...The KJV uses “Nevertheless” it’s not going to be as bad as it was -

I like how the NASB translates this verse - to me it brings the obscure meaning of the passage to light:

“ But there will be no more gloom for her who was in anguish; in earlier times He treated the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali with contempt, but later on He shall make it glorious, by the way of the sea, on the other side of Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles.”

I want us to pause for a moment and spend some time dealing with these places listed in

The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali - these were two of the northernmost tribes - they were in the way of the Assyrian’s as they were making their attack on the Northern Kingdom. In they were the first two tribes to be carried away by Tiglath-pileser in 733 BC.

Now there is a slight translation issue in the next clause where the prophets writes, -

“And afterward did more grievously afflict...”

This can be translated as the KJV and the NKJV translators have it - a negative and greater oppression.

However, this same word can also be translated as positive - to make greater and more glorious. as the ESV, NASB, NIV have it.

where the Gospel writer quotes this passage - leaves the clause out completely -

Contextually, however - the positive - “in the latter times, he has made glorious” fits better because of the next verse -

- The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light..”

are in the “prophetic perfect” sense future events but described as if they had already happened.

But I also want to tell you today - if you are sitting here this morning in darkness - in great darkness - if you are driven to darkness - This is not where God wants us.

This is also quoted in where Jesus the light of the world - walks out of the wilderness temptation and walks into Galilee where the majority of his time was spent.

He ran to the darkness -not because he loved the dark - but because HIS LIGHT WAS GREATER

I love what Dr. John Oswalt says, “God’s intended last word is never judgment. His intended last word is hope!”

… “They that dwell in the land of the shadow of death” an extremely dark place - on them hath the light shined.

The Light of God is greater than the darkness of men and devils.

 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

The darkness cannot overcome the light - there’s not enough darkness to put out the light one songwriter penned.

That is what happens here -- under the heat of judgment and in great darkness - the prophet stops for a moment and flips the light switch on. He brings hope!!!

The Darkness Destroyed

One of the “Great tidings of joy” was the promise has come to pass - those in great darkness now have the light - give it about 30 years and those shepherds were they still alive could have overheard this baby as he stood and declared - “I AM THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD”! He that followeth me shall not walk in darkness but shall have the light of life ().

I love how he starts chapter 9 - Nevertheless - It’s dark - it’s gloomy - it's bad but…

The world's longest night took place in a.d. 1752. This was the time of the changeover from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar. People went to bed on September 2 and when they woke up it was September 14. That was truly a long night, but far longer was the night of sin in which we all lived until Jesus Christ "brought life and immortality to light through the gospel" (). Robert C. Shannon, 1000 Windows: A Speaker's Sourcebook of Illustrations, (Cincinnati, Ohio: Standard Publishing, 1997), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, Under: "D".

...The KJV uses “Nevertheless” it’s not going to be as bad as it was -

I like how the NASB translates this verse - to me it brings the obscure meaning of the passage to light:

“ But there will be no more gloom for her who was in anguish; in earlier times He treated the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali with contempt, but later on He shall make it glorious, by the way of the sea, on the other side of Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles.”

I want us to pause for a moment and spend some time dealing with these places listed in The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali - these were two of the northernmost tribes - they were in the way of the Assyrian’s as they were making their attack on the Northern Kingdom. In , they were the first two tribes to be carried away by Tiglath-pileser in 733 BC.

Now there is a slight translation issue in the next clause where the prophets writes, - “And afterward did more grievously afflict...” This can be translated as the KJV and the NKJV translators have it - a negative and greater oppression.

However, this same word can also be translated as positive - to make greater and more glorious. as the ESV, NASB, NIV have it.

where the Gospel writer quotes this passage - leaves the clause out completely - Contextually, however - the positive - “in the latter times, he has made glorious” fits better because of the next verse -

- The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light..”

are in the “prophetic perfect” sense future events but described as if they had already happened. This is also quoted in where Jesus the light of the world - walks out of the wilderness temptation and walks into Galilee where the majority of his time was spent. He ran to the darkness -not because he loved the dark - but because HIS LIGHT WAS GREATER

… “They that dwell in the land of the shadow of death” an extremely dark place - on them hath the light shined. The Light of God is greater than the darkness of men and devils. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. The darkness cannot overcome the light - there’s not enough darkness to put out the light one songwriter penned. One of the “Great tidings of joy” was the promise has come to pass - those in great darkness now have the light - give it about 30 years and those shepherds were they still alive could have overheard this baby as he stood as a full grown man and declared - “I AM THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD”! He that followeth me shall not walk in darkness but shall have the light of life ().

The world's longest night took place in a.d. 1752. This was the time of the changeover from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar. People went to bed on September 2 and when they woke up it was September 14. That was truly a long night, but far longer was the night of sin in which we all lived until Jesus Christ "brought life and immortality to light through the gospel" (). Robert C. Shannon, 1000 Windows: A Speaker's Sourcebook of Illustrations, (Cincinnati, Ohio: Standard Publishing, 1997), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, Under "D".

Are you in darkness today? I know the Light that can drive that darkness away!

Are you in darkness today? I know the Light that can drive that darkness away!