Promise of Hope: A Savior is Coming

Why do we have so many lights at Christmas? Do you realize millions of dollars are spent each year just in the US on purchasing and hanging Christmas lights? Over 150 Million sets of Christmas lights are purchased in the US every year. As a kid and even a teenager (and even now, honestly) one of the special treats of the Christmas season on a purely earthly level is driving around with family or friends and looking at Christmas lights. People sometimes literally plan and prepare and purchase supplies throughout the entire year so they can get their Christmas light display just so. And it is enjoyable?

But I ask again, why do we have so many lights at Christmas? Why the bright and glimmering displays? Is it because we humans are like moths, and are attracted to the light? Well, there may be some truth to that. There is a captivating and peaceful aura when beautiful lights are turned on in the darkness. There is something significant in our psyche, something emotional, even, when we see that sharp contrast between light and darkness.

Now, I say all that not to speak on a purely psychological or even physical level. As a minister of the Gospel I don’t think that it is any coincidence that a display of lights in an otherwise dark space brings a sense of hope and peace. And it isn’t any coincidence at all, in my estimation, that the celebration of Advent has taken on such a dependence and close association with the lighting of lights.

We have even in this room, a lit Christmas tree. Next week, the evergreen tree just around the corner from us will be lit up. We have even lit this very morning the first of five Advent candles. It is no coincidence, because the picture of lighting a candle, or a lamp, or a bulb, in the darkness is an accurate image of the very real struggle between light and darkness in an even greater sense. A spiritual, existential sense.

A common saying in today’s vernacular is “The struggle is real.” Usually that is said in a somewhat lighthearted manner when someone makes a small mistake or some little mishap takes place. But In a spiritual sense, the struggle between light and darkness, between righteousness an evil, is very real. Remember the story of the Garden of Eden. Even, then Adam, fell prey to the temptation of the Serpent. They had been given one command, not to eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, and they broke that command. Satan, of course, embodying that serpent, recieved a word of Curse from the Lord when He said this:

Genesis 3:15 ESV

I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”

This is the historical source, the revealed origination of that very struggle that we are talking about. The struggle between righteousness and evil. The struggle between those who are children of God and those who are children of Wrath. The struggle between light and darkness.

Now even in that verse in Genesis, which is sometimes called the “Protoevangelium” or the first revealing of the Good News, we have the promise that the seed of the serpent, the seed of Evil, will eventually be crushed and done away with. But also in that promise, there is the foretelling of struggle. There will be a fight, it will not be immediate victory in a historical sense. It will be victory, but it will be a battle as well.

Fast forward from the garden of Eden to the 700’s BC and we come to God’s people, Israel, right in the middle of that struggle between evil and righteousness, and unfortunately, we find them losing that battle. Now we know what comes in Isaiah 9, that famous scripture (unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, the government will be upon his shoulders.) But that does not come just randomly - there is a reason that such a prophecy of hope was needed. The latter portion of Isaiah 8 tells us of the struggle in darkness. The people had resorted to the work of Mediums and Necromancers for their source of revelation.

Isaiah 8:19 ESV

And when they say to you, “Inquire of the mediums and the necromancers who chirp and mutter,” should not a people inquire of their God? Should they inquire of the dead on behalf of the living?

Isaiah asks the question - “Shouldn’t a people inquire from their God? Should they inquire of the dead on behalf of the living? Go to God’s Instruction and Testimony!”

This is a small image of the evil that Israel had found itself in. Those who were to be a peculiar and upright people, a nation of God’s choosing, had set their eyes rather to the demonic forces of evil for spiritual enlightenment. In looking for light, they ran headlong into darkness.

That is, unfortunately, the case for millions of people in the world. And its not always blatantly demonic and idolatrous things. So many people, searching for that light, searching for some ray of hope and some presence and semblance of peace, run headlong into the darkness of earthly ambitions - placing all of their stock, all of their livelihood, all of their efforts and ambitions into pursuing their dream of happiness. And in looking for the light, we run headlong into the darkness, away from the truth of God, and toward the desires of our own flesh.

A dim outlook is pronounced for these Israelites.

20 - there will be no dawn for them.

21 - wandering, dejected, hungry,

they see that their own efforts had become futile and empty and hopeless, but in stead of turning to God in repentance, they would turn to curse the Lord.

22 - turning back to the earth, their supposed source of hope, they would find only distress, darkness, and the gloom of affliction. Thick Darkness.

There can be nothing more disheartening than chasing after what you think is light, only to fall into deeper darkness. There can be nothing more futile than yearning for hope and light, and finding only distress and anguish.

Yet, there is a promise of hope! There is a great and true light! As we come to chapter 9, the light of hope shines through and we see that there was coming a child who would be born who would turn the situation around. There was coming the Wonderful Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace, whose kingdom and reign would be forever. There was the true light!

The greatest promise of light and hope in the darkness is the Incarnation of the Savior, Jesus Christ.

Two sections, The Effects of the light and the source of the light.

In both we see the Lords Work and The People’s Enjoyment.

1. The Effects of the Light - Vs. 1-3

The Lord’s Work - 1

The hand of the Lord at work brings light where there was darkness, the hand of the Lord at work brings honor where there was shame.

Vs 1 - we have the comparison of before and after. The comparison of “the former times and the latter times”. This verse serves as a bridge between light and darkness. What the consequences of evil were, versus the light that the Lord brings by His power.

Chapter 8 Vs. 22, Gloom was promised, but here gloom is taken away.

Anguish was promised, here anguish is taken away.

Zebulun and Naphtali

These tribes were some of the first to experience defeat by Assyrian invasion. They marked the beginning of dark days for Israel.

Assyria set up three provinces of their own in this area. The three areas that are mentioned here (the way of the sea, the land beyond jordan, and Galilee of the nations) correspond to those three provinces.

In other words, what had been lost in gloom and anguish, what had been taken away in sin and evil, would be restored to glory by the hand of the Lord.

The People’s Enjoyment - 2-3

Vs. 2 - And here is the beautiful contrast between darkness and light.

The people, who would literally walk - live their lives in the darkness of gloom and anguish, have seen a great light.

The light of God’s work was so vivid to the eye of faith, that it was coming was so clear and evident to those who trusted the Lord, that the hope was as good as if it had already happened.

The light of the prophecy of God’s hand at work was so bright that it illuminated that darkness of their present time. It was a future light, but since it was a promise of God, the future light was as warm and bright as if it was coming to pass before their eyes.

Darkness becoming light reminds us of the very creative work of God. The creation of light was miraculous. It was inventive. It was unprecedented. Only God can bring true light, for He is true light.

Vs. 3 - Multiplied people, multiplied joy.

Here Isaiah compares the joy of the people to the joy of harvest, and the joy of victory.

If you farm, or garden, you realize the joy of harvest when all the hard work of preparation and fertilizing and weeding and watering and pruning comes to fruit. No fruit or vegetable is as satisfying and sweet as the one that comes from the fruit of your labor. There is great joy in reaping a harvest.

Dividing the spoil - after a victory. Those who have fought or lived through times of history where great battles have been won, where surrender has been achieved, where an enemy has been defeated, know that the sigh of relief and the joy of victory is almost unprecedented in this life.

The joy or harvest, the joy of victory in a battle - these are joys of earthly sweetness, but they picture the joys of heavenly sweetness as the work of God is accomplished, as light is victorious over the darkness, and as a harvest of righteousness is brought in.

Multiplied the nation

Many see this as a connection to the worldwide spread of the light of hope.

Vs 1 - Galilee of the nations, a great number of non-Israelites were living there still. The joy would spread to them as well.

Vs. 7 - the increase of the kingdom of the prince of peace would see no end. It would not stop at the boarders of Israel.

Joy is spread as the recipients of the light of hope are multiplied. This is the enjoyment of the people that comes from the Lord’s Work. As He spreads hope, there is great joy.

At the onset of Jesus’ ministry, The Gospel of Matthew records for us that he went specifically to Capernaum by the sea. That is the very area which this scripture records would receive the light and glory of God’s Work. Matthew even quotes this scripture and says, this is Jesus fulfilling the prophecy of scriptures.

And This joy was experienced by those who believed at the time of Christ’s Birth, and it was expressed very vividly by Simeon when Jesus was presented at the Temple!

Luke 2:28–32 ESV

he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said, “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.”

We can share in this miraculous joy also, by faith. The same faith that Isaiah had, the same faith that Simeon had - faith in the work of the Lord! I want to remind you that this expression of great joy in Isaiah came long before the prophesy came true. The people could rejoice in the promise if they trusted and believed the Lord. So too, we, dear ones, can experience the hope and joy of the promises of God’s ultimate redemption if we take hold of them by faith.

2. The Source of the Light - Vs. 4-7

The effects of the light were joy, a multiplying of Gods people because of the spread of that light. But what is the light? Is it simply just a metaphor for God’d work, God’s peace, and the hope that He brings? In a simple metaphor, sure! But the actual source, the actual agent of God’s light, is the incarnation of the Son of God Himself.

1 John 1:5 ESV

This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

John 8:12 ESV

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.”

The source of the light is the Incarnation - which means the coming of God in human flesh. That is what is prophesied in this passage, and that is what comes to fruition in the birth of Christ!

The Lord’s Work 4-5

We are told in verses 4-5 that the work of the Lord includes the breaking of oppression. It is a breaking of oppression in a miraculous sense. We know it is miraculous because the illustration is given of the defeat of Midian.

God called a man, Gideon, to fight against the Midianites. Gideon was not a warrior, and he had no army, but God used him nonetheless to defeat the vast and fierce Midianite army. The images in verses 4-5 are the images of victory in battle.

In the immediate context, The Assyrian invasion seemed like an impossible enemy to defeat. Yet the victory would be won.

In a greater sense, the battle against darkness and the gloom of spiritual oppression is an impossible enemy to defeat, but by the light of the coming of the Messiah, that battle is won by the hands of the Lord!

How can people win a war in which they have no strength to fight? How can people experience victory when they have no weapons, no power, no strategy, no army? How can an enemy be defeated when that enemy is seemingly unconquerable? How do people receive a salvation that they have no means to contribute to?

They do so because a King would be born, and for us, a King has been born. Jesus is King! He is King of those in His Kingdom now, and he will rule and reign eternally when He ushers in His full and final kingdom.

The People’s Enjoyment - 6-7

We have then, the prophecy of a birth.

A child is born - this will be a real, human birth.

A son is given - the idea of a son would have brought through the idea of lineage, royalty was passed through the lineage of sons. Sons became Kings.

A son is given. Not coincidentally, this son is born but he is also given. It is not just a mere birth of happenstance, there is a givenness - the idea that this is a planned birth, a miraculous birth.

Government will be upon his shoulders - in this we have the idea that the weight, the burden of ruling and leading would be taken off the people and placed upon this miraculous Son. The rule of leading a nation that is falling into captivity is a heavy burden, and it was a losing battle. But there would come a day when one would be born and take that heavy burden.

Who is this child? Who is this miraculous son that is given by God? Well, his names give the answer!

Wonderful Counselor

This speaks of his qualification to be a ruler!

The vast majority of the times that this word for “wonderful” is used in the scriptures, it refers to the work of the Lord Himself.

It bears the idea of supernatural wisdom, far above human intellect.

Mighty God

This is not just a poetic reference saying that this child will be god-like, this is a reference to actual divinity. This child will be God incarnate. The reference is used again in chapter 10, and there is no doubt that it is referring to God Himself.

This is God foretelling the divine Messiah. John 1:14 tells us of that strange miracle, when the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.

Everlasting Father

This speaks of how this Divine Messiah would relate to his people. He would be everlasting - his rule would not shift or come to an end. And he would be a father to them. Fatherhood in the true sense it is used here has the concepts of care, discipline, and concern.

Prince of Peace

He is a prince, a ruler or administrator, but he would rule in Peace. In this context, peace in stead of anguish and terror. Peace of light instead of darkness. And most specifically, the Peace of God.

Israel had experienced times of peace under various rulers - but here the promise is of a greater ruler, a greater David, one who would be everlasting, and his rule would be that of peace.

Shalom - peace. That is still a greeting that Jewish people give to each other. The very concept speaks of a time of Messiah rule, and what Did Jesus bring?

John 14:27 ESV

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

Verse 7 speaks of both what we already experience because of the birth of the Messiah, Jesus Christ, and also what is to come.

We experience Peace, but there is a day coming when Jesus will literally rule and reign in peace and harmony.

We experience joy, but we are also told that his government and peace would continue to increase! There is worldwide implications to the birth of the Son - peace for all who come under his rule!

Justice and righteousness - God has enacted righteousness and justice in the coming of Christ, and all who come to Him in faith find their righteousness in Him. But there is coming a day, when all evil and all injustice will be done away with. Gone will be tears of sorrow, gone will be the terrors of darkness. Gone will be the effects of the curse of sin. There will only be justice and righteousness forevermore.

I said at the beginning there is no greater tragedy than searching for light, only to wander into greater darkness.

This Christmas season is a different one. Perhaps you won’t be able to see some of the loved ones that you normally do. Perhaps you have lost family or friends. Perhaps you have experienced the pain of separation, or an estranged child, or financial difficulty.

There is a promise of hope! Now, does that mean if you trust in Christ then all of those difficulties will be immediately taken care of? No. But what we find is this - if we are searching for the light of Hope in family, in our spouse, in our children, in our celebrations and traditions, in our job and finances, in our enjoyment and hobbies - if we search for our hope and light in those things, we run the serious risk of wandering into greater darkness.

But if we realize that the light of Hope is Christ, the savior, then we can experience the light of Hope even in those difficulties. Trusting the light of Christ now is trusting in the ultimate eradication of all evil, pain, and heartache - for all those are the curse of sin. But when Christ rules and reigns eternally, and we are gathered eternally as his people, we will eternally revel in the light of hope in perfection. That hope is worth the temporary experience of suffering now.

Jesus is the light of Hope! He alone brings joy and peace. He alone eradicates the anguish of the darkness.

The greatest promise of light and hope in the darkness is the Incarnation of the Savior, Jesus Christ.