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Nevertheless the dimness shall not be such as was in her vexation, when at the first he lightly afflicted the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, and afterward did more grievously afflict her by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, in Galilee of the nations. The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined. Thou hast multiplied the nation, and not increased the joy: they joy before thee according to the joy in harvest, and as men rejoice when they divide the spoil. For thou hast broken the yoke of his burden, and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, as in the day of Midian. For every battle of the warrior is with confused noise, and garments rolled in blood; but this shall be with burning and fuel of fire. For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.
To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them. And they shall pass through it, hardly bestead and hungry: and it shall come to pass, that when they shall be hungry, they shall fret themselves, and curse their king and their God, and look upward. And they shall look unto the earth; and behold trouble and darkness, dimness of anguish; and they shall be driven to darkness.
Passage Analysis:
Isaiah 9:1-7 context is “Birth of the Prince of Peace” (HCSB), “New Light: The Birth of a King” (LEB), “Birth and Reign of the Prince of Peace” (NASB95), “The Government of the Promised Son” (NKJV), “Hope in the Messiah” (NLT), “The Righteous Reign of the Coming King” (NRSV).
Counsellor- adviser, political adviser, ideal ruler predicted, one who gives good counsel or good wisdom
Passage Form:
I. People that are in darkness and despair.
A. Chapters 7 & 8 deals with the coming Assyrian Invasion.
Israel was guilty of being unfaithful to God.
Israel was also guilty of not trusting God. They placed their faith in their in the confederacy that they established with Syria.
Because of their unfaithfulness and because they no longer relied on the LORD, judgement was coming. God warned them, prophet after prophet but they refused to listen. God always sends a warning before destruction.
B. The Lord gave a strong warning not to think like everyone else does.
i. Don’t call everything a conspiracy, like they do, and don’t live in dread of what frightens them. I can’t help but to think this sounds exactly like what we are dealing with today here in the United States.
ii. Make the Lord of Hosts holy in your life. Honor Him, make Him the head of your life. He is the one we should fear, He is the one that should make you tremble. Not what someone else can do, not what someone is trying to put in your mind. Not fear of socialism, not fear of China or Russia, not fear of Trump or Biden, not fear of people trying to cause another Civil War. We need to fear God.
iii. Isaiah says in verse 14 “He (God) will be a sanctuary, He will keep you safe. God is our sanctuary, He is our refuge and our strength, in times of trouble he is our shelter. We run to everyone else.....we need to learn how to run to the LORD.
C. Isaiah prophecies that Israel and Judah was going to fall.
i. Isaiah says (He) (The LORD) and in a sense this is a messianic prophecy, would be a sanctuary for those who trust in Him but a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence to both the houses of Israel. Why? Because presently they rejected God and in the future when the Messiah would arrive they would reject Jesus.
ii. This rejection of God, this rejection of Jesus Christ would cause many to stumble, and fall, and be broken, and be snared , and be taken.
a. If we reject God if we reject his word, if we reject His will it can and will cause us to 1. stumble 2. fall 3. be broken 4. be snared 5. be taken. They stumbled and could not walk upright before God, they fell into sin, sin caused them to be broken, their spirits were broken, their psyche was broken, their life was broken, they were snared by the Assyrians but today when we reject God’s word and will, when we reject Him we are snared by the devil, and when you are snared the enemy will have possession of you. If you are not living for God then you are living for the Devil.
iii. Isaiah declares in verse 17 “And I will wait upon the LORD, that hideth his face from the house of Jacob, and I will look for him.”
a. In the midst of all this bad stuff going on, in the midst of the impending darkness that was getting ready to surround Israel and Judah, Isaiah had just received bad news and he needed to articulate, he needed to declare and decree that “I will wait upon the LORD”! I will trust in the LORD, I will look unto the LORD, this is a lesson in and of its self today, with all the bad stuff surround us, with all the bad news we been receiving we need to decree and declare like the prophet Isaiah “I will wait upon the LORD!”
b. The Israelites, the Jews had gotten so desperate that they started inquiring to everybody else but God. They even started consorting with those who had familiar spirits, and wizards that peep and mutter the scriptures says. Some of us have been guilty of the same thing, you’ve gone to people in your life that are just like witches. They try to control your life, they try and manipulate you, and dominate you. They tell you things that don’t line up with God’s word, they give you bad advice. Isaiah said “should not a people seek unto their God”. When things go wrong in your life, when you are having a bad day, it is good to call on friends (when you have good ones), it is good to call on family, but the first person you ought to call is Jesus!
D. The people who don’t look to God are in darkness.
i. Isaiah says in verse 20 that we have got to look to God’s instructions and teachings and that those who reject, those who contradict and go against his teachings are completely in darkness! This is what was getting ready to happen to the Israelites, this was what was getting ready to happen to the Jews, and for any person that does not have God’s word in them, any person that rejects God’s instruction and teaching is subject to be in or to go into darkness!
ii. Isaiah says in verse 21, they will go from one place to another (instability), they would be weary, and hungry (they will have appetites that will never be filled.)
iii. Isaiah says they will rage and curse their king (those who have rule and authority over them) they’ll curse their parents, they will curse the supervisor, they’ll curse the police, they’ll curse government, they’ll even curse God.
iv. They will look to heaven and verse 22 says “ and down at the earth (going up and down) but wherever they look there will be trouble and anguish and dark despair, they will be thrown into the darkness. Sometimes when trouble hits you, you look everywhere for relief but you can’t find any. Sometimes when trouble hits you, you feel like you are in a pit of despair, you feel like darkness is all around you, you feel like you are trapped in a dark closet, kicking and screaming to come out of it.
v. Israel’s and Judah’s sins landed them here and sometimes in life we can do things too that will land us in rough spots. Other times, you may not have to sin to find yourself in dark times.
II. Darkness will not last forever.
A. However Isaiah even though he saw dark times ahead, even though the people of God were going to go through dark times, I believe Isaiah tilted his head back and said “Nevertheless”. We are all in hard times right now, this has been a difficult year and it is going to get even worse the next couple of weeks in the pandemic.....but I need you hold your head up and shout “Nevertheless”!
B. “The dimness shall not be such as was in her vexation.” What does that mean preacher? Well it is simple, Isaiah was simply saying “that the time of darkness and despair will not go on forever”. After the darkness achieves what God allows it to achieve it has to come to an end. It is not your destiny to stay in it.....it is your destiny to come out of it! Testify to someone and tell them neighbor.....God says “It is not your destiny to stay in it, it is your destiny to come out of it”........God is going to bring you out of it, God is going to loose you from it, God is going to save you out of it. We are coming out of it......this has been a rough year but God is going to bring us out of it. This has been a trying pandemic but God is going to bring us out of it. You may have had some health problems, but I’m believing God that He’s going to bring you out of it. Family problems, God is going to bring you out of it. Spiritual struggles.....God is going to bring you out of it! Darkness or sin......God is going to bring you out of it!
III. Light will shine into darkness
A. The land of Zebulun and Naphtali: they were Israelite territories. These were two of the regions in northern Israel that were going to be humbled, they were going to be brought low. There would be a time of darkness, matter of fact in Chapter 7 verse 8 Isaiah prophesied that within 65 years Israel would be crushed and completely destroyed.
i. That was a hard pill to swallow but they (the Israelites) put themselves in this predicament.
ii. But here is the good news....no matter how far you sink, no matter how much you are crushed or even destroyed, God can bring you back, God can get the glory out of your darkness!
iii. God said in the future.....that dark place was going to filled with the glory of God. Do we serve the same God today....I just come this morning to strengthen you faith a little bit. We serve the same God, Jesus the same yesterday, today, and forevermore. If God did it once, He’s able to do it again!
B. The people who walk in darkness have (will) seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death. We are literally living in the land of the shadow of death......but don’t you fear, don’t be discouraged, don’t be dismayed because the LIGHT is shining! “Upon them” Isaiah said “hath the light shined”.
IV. God will enlarge and deliver
A. God had to strip them down, they went through some hard times, but when it would over and done with God said I’m going to multiply you.....that sounds just like God. After Job suffered, after he lost everything he had God multiplied him. When God brings you out look for him to mulitply you! Isaiah also said “and not increased the joy” in other-words what this is saying is that God is going to increase your joy, He’s going to give you a reason to say thank you Jesus. When God brings you out you will rejoice. But listen, every believer ought to know that you don’t have to wait until God brings you out to praise Him, you ought to praise Him right now. You ought to give God a preemptive praise, you ought to praise God on credit, you ought to give God a IOU praise.
B. We should we praise the LORD?
i. For the Lord says in verse 4 “I’m going to break the yoke of their slavery and lift the heavy burden from their shoulders”.....hear the word of the LORD and believe the word of the LORD......God is going to break the yoke of their slavery, He’s going to break the thing that has you bound, he’s going to break the thing that is holding you back, He’s going to break the thing that’s been hindering and coming against you, He is going to lift off of you the burden that has you weighed down. Turn to your neighbor and tell your neighbor “Neigbor.....I believe The LORD is going to do it!!!”
ii. LORD says I’m going to break the oppressors rod, not only was he talking about the Assyrians, but I believe that the LORD was talking about rod of Satan too. That thing, that principality, whatever it is that is trying to rule over you God says “I’m going to break the oppressor’s rod.”
V. God’s plan for salvation and deliverance.
i. How is God going to do all of us? How is God going to bring us out of darkness? How is God going to restore us? How is God going to enlarge us, break yokes off of us that has us bound? The Lord begin to give Brother Isaiah his plan. God has a plan for you, God told Isaiah this is the plan “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name......and his name......that strong name, that powerful name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace!
ii. He’s going to do it through Jesus Christ!
If you call on that Wonderful name (Jesus) He will bring you out! Jesus is the light that shines in darkness, Jesus is the one that enlarges us, Jesus is the reason why we can rejoice, Jesus is the one that can deliver, Jesus is the one that can lift your burdens, Jesus is the one that has and will defeat the devil, Jesus is the one that can save you, Jesus is the one that can heal you, Jesus is the one the will fight for you, Jesus the Wonderful Counselor, Jesus the Mighty God, Jesus the Everlasting Father, Jesus the Prince of Peace.....He is wonderful, He is wonderful, He is wonderful!
The last sentence of this text (verse 7) says “The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this”.....He’s going to do it......He’s going to do it.....He’s going to do it! Matter of fact He’s already done it! It came to pass, when Jesus was born into the world....and guess what....Jesus is going to bring us out of darkness.....He’s going to deliver us.....He can, He will, and He’s going to deliver you! Put your hope in Jesus Christ! The previous chapter dealt with “A Call to Trust the LORD” and saints that is what we have to do....we have to put our trust in Jesus Christ. They were trusting in everyone else but the LORD, and we ought not be like the Israelites....we need to put our whole hearted trust in God.
The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.
Thou hast increased the nation, O LORD, thou hast increased the nation: thou art glorified: thou hadst removed it far unto all the ends of the earth.
For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.
Therefore night shall be unto you, that ye shall not have a vision; and it shall be dark unto you, that ye shall not divine; and the sun shall go down over the prophets, and the day shall be dark over them.
And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.
Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom: I am understanding; I have strength.
“The land of Zebulun and Naphtali will be humbled”......(expound upon these two lands). These lands were dark lands because of the Israelites disobedience. It was a land that would in the near future seem as if there would be no hope.
First off darkness symbolized sin. It was the result of disobedience. Secondly, darkness represented misery and despair. Isaiah said both groups, those who are walking in darkness (sin brings misery and despair), however sometimes in life, even as believers, even when we are walking upright, when we are trying to live right according to the word of God we find ourselves in darkness, despair, and misery. I think as we consider 2020 as a whole this has been a dark time for all of us. Some people are in such misery that they feel like they can’t make it through this year. There are others who in the midst of this dark time do not know whether they will live to see an end to this pandemic. Then, there are others that are in some messed up situations, they are in some struggles. Perhaps, you are an individual that is bound by sin and disobedience or maybe you are in a hopeless situation.
Judgement hadn’t hit the Israelites yet according to Isaiah chapters 8&9 but it was coming. When all was said and done, it would seems as if it was all over for the people of God. It would seem as if nothing good was going to come out of the land or nothing good was going to come out of their situation....but that’s where they were wrong. Isaiah prophecies that “The people who walk in darkness will see a great light”. You might may be in darkness right now, you may be in a messed up situation, you may be in misery right now, you may be in uncertainty right now, but hear the word of the LORD....the LORD is going to shine into darkness!
The LORD told Isaiah to tell the people, I’m not just going to stop short at shining into darkness.....I’m going to enlarge you, and when I enlarge you, you are going to rejoice!
How is God going to do it? What is the LORD’s secret?
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.