Darkness rises, and light to meet it

Darkness rises

Isaiah 7-8 read like a piece of dystopian political fiction.

Last week, we considered Isaiah’s warning shot to King Ahaz of Judah in 7:1. We saw the Syro-Ephraimite alliance come against Judah and attempt to destroy them, but they were turned back.

Then, by the mouth of Isaiah in 7:3-9, God tells Ahaz that he need not fear this foolish alliance, because the alliance would be destroyed in a matter of years. Then in 7:10-12, God offers a sign to Ahaz to help his unbelief, and Ahaz out of a pious spiritual arrogance declines the sign.

Yahweh gives him one anyway in 7:13-16, but instead of a sign of help, it is a sign of judgment, as Isaiah declares that a son will be born to prove to Ahaz that, while he may not believe it, Yahweh is present, Yahweh is sovereign, and Yahweh is ruling over gods and governments, armies and alliances, kings and conquerors.

Isaiah then pronounces a grave sentence on the Syro-Ephraimite alliance in 7:17-25, promising these pagan nations that God with us is not a word of comfort but a word of judgment. By the birth of this child, God will demonstrate that he alone is on the throne and he alone fills the temple with glory, and he will not share his glory with another.

Decimation and ruin will come to Israel and Aram.

Then in 8:1-4, the promised child is born, and his name, Maher-shalal-hash-baz, is given in fulfillment of the sign Yahweh promised to send: a sign of destruction for Israel and of dread for Aram.

Israel and Aram rejected Yahweh, engaged in an unholy alliance, and now judgment is upon them, and it comes in form of the rushing flood of the army of Assyria, bringing destruction not only to Israel and Aram but even to Judah.

Isaiah 8:7-8 proclaim a dark and foreboding truth: Assyria is coming, and the Northern Kingdom and her pagan ally will be swept away. God whistles for His pestilence, his swarm of flies and bees, and they rise up at His beck and call, the means by which He pours out His wrath on nations that have turned their back on Him.

Darkness is rising, and it is in the midst of the rising darkness that we pick up the narrative this morning:

Isaiah 8:9–22 NASB95

“Be broken, O peoples, and be shattered; And give ear, all remote places of the earth. Gird yourselves, yet be shattered; Gird yourselves, yet be shattered. “Devise a plan, but it will be thwarted; State a proposal, but it will not stand, For God is with us.” For thus the Lord spoke to me with mighty power and instructed me not to walk in the way of this people, saying, “You are not to say, ‘It is a conspiracy!’ In regard to all that this people call a conspiracy, And you are not to fear what they fear or be in dread of it. “It is the Lord of hosts whom you should regard as holy. And He shall be your fear, And He shall be your dread. “Then He shall become a sanctuary; But to both the houses of Israel, a stone to strike and a rock to stumble over, And a snare and a trap for the inhabitants of Jerusalem. “Many will stumble over them, Then they will fall and be broken; They will even be snared and caught.” Bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples. And I will wait for the Lord who is hiding His face from the house of Jacob; I will even look eagerly for Him. Behold, I and the children whom the Lord has given me are for signs and wonders in Israel from the Lord of hosts, who dwells on Mount Zion. When they say to you, “Consult the mediums and the spiritists who whisper and mutter,” should not a people consult their God? Should they consult the dead on behalf of the living? To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because they have no dawn. They will pass through the land hard-pressed and famished, and it will turn out that when they are hungry, they will be enraged and curse their king and their God as they face upward. Then they will look to the earth, and behold, distress and darkness, the gloom of anguish; and they will be driven away into darkness.

These verses can really only be described as ominous, foreboding, and terrifying.

Isaiah is proving to Israel, to Aram, and to Judah that the sign of Immanuel is a sign of judgment, that God’s presence in His wrath against sin is not a comforting reality but a terrifying one.

The Wrath of Immanuel

So Isaiah cries out to Aram, Ephraim, and Judah, the calling phrase of prophets and whistleblowers since the dawn of time: hear ye, hear ye!

But Isaiah’s message for these four peoples is not one of hope, but of despair: be shattered! The image this word invokes is one of a person collapsing to the ground in fear, quaking and trembling. Even this word translated here be shattered, in the Hebrew hot-tu, even sounds like the crack of thunder or a whip as it would be been originally pronounced by Isaiah. Judgment is upon the peoples in triplicate.

Isaiah taunts them now, calling them to put on their armor. Gird yourselves for war, but it will do no good, for you will collapse in fear and in trembling!

Again he taunts them, provoking them to devise a plan, literally plan a plan. But what will happen? It will be thwarted, destroyed, broken into pieces.

And a third taunt comes from the lips of Isaiah, state a proposal, literally speak a speech, but it will not stand, it will not remain, it will not bear fruit.

The thrust of Isaiah’s pronouncement here is this: your petty alliances, your political betrayal, your insatiable bloodlust, and your arrogance, will disintegrate. They will turn to dust and cease to exist. The image Isaiah paints here is mass destruction. Total military and economic collapse. You have played god, and the final buzzer just sounded. You’ve played a stupid game, and won a stupid prize.

The profound irony of the situation comes at the end of verse 10. Israel, Aram, and Judah feared Assyria more than they feared Yahweh, and Yahweh is about to show them that they made a grave mistake, while still showing them that Assyria was mighty and greatly to be feared. The irony lies in the fact that Assyria is only a terrifying presence inasmuch as they are a tool of Yahweh to be used for His purposes. Assyria is nothing more than a bee, a little fly, buzzing to attention as Yahweh whistles for him like a dog in 7:18.

Isaiah saves the zinger for last: you will collapse and be shattered, your plans will be thwarted and your word will fail, because God is with Isaiah, his wife, and his sons. The son, Maher-shahal-hash-baz, has been given, being himself the living sign that God is there, among the faithful remnant, and He will not tolerate treason, and He will not tolerate violation of His Word.

The deep-seated irony of Maher-shahal-hash-baz’s existence as the sign of Immanuel is this: Immanuel is normally a word of great comfort, but for these four godless nations, it is a word of great wrath.

God is present, but He is not present in mercy or in peace or in comfort. He is present in judgment, wrath, and destruction against the evils committed by these nations. And so the cry rings out: “Hot-tu! Be shattered!”

The Holiness of Yahweh Sabaoth

However, in a remarkable narrative turn, we see God declare a chiastic reversal of this pronouncement of judgment in vss 9-10 to a glimmer of grace in vss 11-14.

Look at how Isaiah and his family are contrasted against the wicked nations:

They participate in treasonous conspiracies in vs 10, that’s the definition of that word there in the Hebrew, qaser, a traitorous alliance, and Isaiah is commanded not to speak of or even participate in such alliances. Do not speak of the conspiracies spoken of by these people. Separate yourself, Isaiah. Be holy for I am holy.

Yahweh’s contrast for Isaiah is this: walk away from the conspiracy, walk away from the alliances, and instead swear allegiance to God most high.

Notice the grammar here. God is speaking to Isaiah on an individual level. He is not addressing a group. He is addressing Isaiah and Isaiah alone, commanding him to remove himself from the conspiracies and the evil alliances of Aram, Israel, and Judah. Isaiah now stands alone, as all true prophets eventually do, as the world around him collapses at the outpouring of the wrath of Immanuel.

But now Yahweh does something interesting in this monologue with Isaiah. He does not say “Do not fear! Everything will be okay!” No, he says quite the opposite. You had better fear, but the object of that fear had better be correct. Why fear a fly when the one true and living God is present in his wrath? The same God who years before cause the foundations of the temple to quake and the courtyards to fill with smoke now commands Isaiah to hearken back to that experience. Recall the fear, Isaiah! Recall the dread! You would be a fool to align yourself with these pagan people. Assyria is nothing. Assyria will pass into the night, and just a few generations later will be overtaken by Babylon, which will be overtaken by Greece, which will be overtaken by Rome, in a matter of just a few hundred years. God’s Word to Isaiah is this: the nations rage, kingdoms rise, and fall, but there is only one King, the Lord God Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, Yahweh Sabaoth, the Lord of Hosts.

Isaiah then appears to be given respite at the beginning of verse 14. God will become a sanctuary! But contextually that is not the case. In the same way that Isaiah does not use Immanuel as a word of comfort but a word of judgment, he now refers to Yahweh as a sanctuary, not as a word of comfort but as a word of judgment. This word miqdas in the Hebrew conjures images of the temple as seen by Isaiah in his vision of Yahweh in chapter 6. This is the place where the fear and dread and holiness of God are on most prominent display, and also where God was truly with the nation of Israel in His abiding presence in the holy of holies. God is with his people as a sanctuary of judgment and a house of wrath.

So God paints a picture for Isaiah and for Israel and Judah. The same stones of the temple that should bring comfort, knowing that God dwells among his people, are now the stones that strike you, cause you to stumble, and be caught up in the trap of judgment and wrath. The brokenness, the shattering, the thwarting, the falling of verses 9 and 10 are brought about the stones that represent Yahweh’s presence among the people. Look at the child! Behold Maher-shalal-hash-baz and know that Yahweh is indeed with His people, but He is not with them in mercy or in kindness but in wrath.

The imagery reflects Isaiah’s vision in chapter 6. He sees Yahweh Sabaoth, the Lord of hosts, and pronounces a curse on himself, and collapses in sheer terror. He cannot fathom the holiness of God, and so he does the only thing he is capable of: fall to ground in fear and in dread. Isaiah trembles before Yahweh as the foundations of the temple trembled.

When Isaiah came face to face with Yahweh Sabaoth, he was ruined, literally destroyed, and so also the holiness of God brings about the destruction of Aram, Israel, and Judah.

The Silence of Yahweh Sabaoth

Verse 16 brings us to another narrative turn for Isaiah. He has spoken a word of judgment. Yahweh is present, He is holy, He is to be feared, and His wrath will be poured out. Now Isaiah waits.

He binds up and seals the law, likely indicating that he has made a written copy and stored in a safe place with the phrase bind up the testimony, and indicating that he has taught to his students, or disciples, perhaps referring to his two children mentioned earlier in the narrative, that same law, essentially ensuring parity. If one is lost, the other likely survives.

And now Isaiah waits. Yahweh is silent, and so is his mouthpiece. Isaiah has said what must be said, has made record of it, reminds the people that Yahweh has given the people ample warning, both through the words of Isaiah and the symbols he and his family have become.

Yet this wicked people will not be satisfied. Still they seek after a divine word by consulting mediums and spiritists, literally demonic entities. trying to hear something from a higher power.

In verse 20 Isaiah gives an important practical command: to the law and to the testimony! Go there first, and test these spirits against what God has revealed. It’s almost a taunt. Check your facts, says Isaiah. Does your word match my word? If not, he says, you have no dawn. There is no true wisdom in what you say. Your words are devoid of the light of truth.

And if you speak in darkness, you will also walk in darkness, and if you walk in darkness, you will find yourself angry as you look up, and despaired as you look down. Isaiah’s point in all this? God has spoken, you have disregarded the word, and your life has been shattered, shattered, shattered.

The chapter ends the way it began: with the utter collapse of Israel and Judah, because of their ignorance of God’s Word. Isaiah stands alone, having sealed and bound up the Word of God, surrounded by destruction, surrounded by darkness, surrounded by distress, and dismay.

Isaiah’s 8th chapter leaves us in a dark place. Israel and Judah have abandoned God and His Word. Assyria is knocking at the doorstep, and will soon overtake them like a flood. Gloom and anguish are before them.

Darkness rises.

Light to meet it

A glorious dawn

But now we arrive at chapter 9. Isaiah’s favorite motif, his favorite narrative device is demonstrating salvation through judgment. Isaiah takes you to the pits before he takes you to the heights. Darkness rises, and light to meet it In Isaiah 9:1-7:

Isaiah 9:1–7 NASB95

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. The people who walk in darkness Will see a great light; Those who live in a dark land, The light will shine on them. You shall multiply the nation, You shall increase their gladness; They will be glad in Your presence As with the gladness of harvest, As men rejoice when they divide the spoil. For You shall break the yoke of their burden and the staff on their shoulders, The rod of their oppressor, as at the battle of Midian. For every boot of the booted warrior in the battle tumult, And cloak rolled in blood, will be for burning, fuel for the fire. For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, On the throne of David and over his kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness From then on and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will accomplish this.

9:1, the gloom and the anguish facing Israel and Assyria will be swallowed up in glory, as the glory of the dawn.

But this is not a conventional glory. This is an unexpected glory. The light shining in the darkness has come forth from an unusual place, from Galilee of the Gentiles. By way of geographical note, Galilee was the closest region of Israel to Assyria, and was likely the first to fall when Assyria would eventually invade. Geographically, the ultimate darkness and judgment that came upon Israel during Isaiah’s time came from Galilee. Now, God promises that the ultimate glory and blessing that will come upon Israel after Isaiah’s time will also come from Galilee.

A glorious reversal

And this reality prefigures the rest of what Yahweh does in chapter 9 to reverse the curses of chapter 8. Look at this:

Darkness enveloped the two kingdoms in chapter 8. They are now surrounded by a great shining light. Darkness for light.

Isaiah stood alone, surrounded by death in chapter 8. In chapter 9, the nation is multiplied and grows exponentially. Isolation for community.

Gloom was the presiding emotion in chapter 8. In chapter 9, joy and gladness reign. Gloom for gladness.

In chapter 8, the peoples were shattered at the advent of Immanuel, trembling in the presence of God. Now in chapter 9, the peoples rejoice and exult in the presence of God. Destruction in God’s presence for joy in God’s presence.

In chapter 8, the nation was desolate, having had their fields of harvest turned to briars. Now, the harvest is plentiful in chapter 9.

In chapter 8, Israel and Judah were the spoil of Assyria. Now, in chapter 9, they divide the spoil.

In chapter 8, Israel and Judah were weighed down by the burden of gloom and political uncertainty. In chapter 9, that yoke is broken.

In chapter 8, Assyria leveled oppression against Israel and Judah. In chapter 9, the oppressor is broken and removed.

In chapter 8, the people were girding themselves for war, girding themselves in 8:2. In chapter 9, they remove the armor and destroy it.

Contextually at this point, Isaiah is setting his hearers and readers up for a classic foregone conclusion. He just finished a lengthy statement on the Word of God and on the people’s relationship to that Word. The implication of chapter 8 is that the outpouring of judgment on Israel and Judah is a direct result of their failure to know, trust, and obey God’s Word. So naturally, given the clear picture given in chapter 9 of the reversal of the darkness of chapter 8, it would seem logical that, in the same way that the darkness was effected by the Word of God, so also would the reversal be effected by the Word of God.

A glorious Son

But Isaiah throws us a curveball in 9:6: the reversal does not take place at the initiation of a newfound love for God’s Word. The reversal comes at the hands of a Jewish child. A son is to be born to the nation of Israel. And this is not an ordinary son. This is a Son whose head will bear the weight of a crown. A Son who will be a wonderful counselor, the Pele-Yoesh, the source of divine wisdom. He will be the Gibbor-El, the mighty God, or the source of divine power. He will be the eternal Father, the Adabba, or the source of divine adoption. He will be the prince of peace, the Sar-Rabbah, the source of divine blessing.

And his government, his reign, will be unending, both geographically and chronologically, in other words, he will reign over all things, for all time. And his reign will be from the throne of David, effectively establishing the Son of Israel in Isaiah 9 as one and the same with the Son of David of 2 Samuel 7. His kingdom will be set up eternally as one of righteousness and justice.

And all this will be accomplished by the zeal, the fervor, the insatiable obsession of Yahweh Sabaoth with His own glory. God will do it, and he will do it to glorify himself. To glorify himself in the face of the world, in the face of Israel, and of Judah, and of Assyria.

Darkness rose upon the land in chapter 8 because of the judgment of Yahweh Sabaoth, and now in chapter 9 light rises to meet it because of the zeal of Yahweh Sabaoth.

This is the gospel of Isaiah. A fresh shoot growing out of the trampled vineyard. A servant led like a lamb to the slaughter, then exalted as a king. A bright light shining with glory into darkness. Salvation rising out of the ashes of judgment.

Christological Implications

As we bask in the glory of this text, a question arises. A question that certainly arose for the disciples of Isaiah in his day, as well as all who have read these chapters since.

Who is this son, this child of Israel, who ushers in the glory of God?

Many in Isaiah’s day thought it was Hezekiah, Ahaz’ son. In fact, many scholars even today claim that Isaiah himself intended for this text to speak of Hezekiah, and be ultimately fulfilled in him.

However, that does serious disservice to Isaiah. Clearly Isaiah did not believe that this child of Israel, this son to be born, was to be of “ordinary generation.” There is a uniqueness to this child.

Isaiah knew this for two reasons:

He declares that the promised child would be born of a virgin. Now while there was indeed a son born in fulfillment of that prophecy, Maher-shalal-hash-baz could not be the true and better sign of Immanuel, because his mother was not a virgin. Isaiah takes great care to make sure that his readers know that Maher-shalal-hash-baz was born of ordinary generation. Isaiah, by taking that care, demonstrates that he understands that the true and better Immanuel is someone who is different entirely. He will not be born of ordinary generation but of extraordinary generation. The question becomes then: what is the nature of this extraoardinary generation. Isaiah tells us in 9:6-7.

He declares that the promised child will have a divine nature. Every word that Isaiah uses to describe the son of Israel in 9:6-7 is a word that the Hebrew language uses to describe Yahweh. Pele, wonderful in your English translation, is the same word used a dozen times in the Old Testament to describe the supernatural works of God. It is a favorite word of the psalmist Asaph, who speaks frequently of wondrous works of God. The phrase Gibbor-El, mighty God in your English, is used throughout both the Old and New Testament to describe, obviously, Yahweh. Not men. Ad-Abba, everlasting Father, again clearly referring to the divinity of this child, and finally Prince of Peace, literally ruling son of peace. This son will carry in him the fullness of deity.

Isaiah knows who he is looking for, and all who truly understood Isaiah knew who they were looking for. It was not Hezekiah, it was someone greater than Hezekiah.

A withered, decrepit old priest named Simeon looked for the same one Isaiah looked for. This man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And one day, some 700 years after Isaiah declares that this Son would be born, he walks into the temple to pray. And there he sees them: a young family, father, mother, and child, at the temple so that the baby boy might be circumcised in keeping with the law of Moses. And by the revelation of the Spirit of God, Simeon realizes: Isaiah’s hope of glory, the promised Son of Israel, has come. 800 years on, the word of Yahweh to Isaiah has been fulfilled. It is only appropriate then that the very words of Isaiah would be on Simeon’s tongue as he takes this baby boy, a mere eight days old, and not only witnesses obedience to the Law and the Prophets, but indeed the true and better fulfillment of it, for Simeon holds in his hand the Christ-child, Yeshua bar Joseph, born of a virgin, Son of God and Son of Man, the light of revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of Yahweh’s people Israel.

And then this little boy grew up, and He grew in wisdom, and stature, and favor with God and with men. And He did everything Isaiah said he would do.

Where did Isaiah declare that the glory of Yahweh would come from? Galilee.

Matthew 4:11–13 NASB95

Then the devil left Him; and behold, angels came and began to minister to Him. Now when Jesus heard that John had been taken into custody, He withdrew into Galilee; and leaving Nazareth, He came and settled in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali.

As Christ begins His ministry, by doing so in Galilee, He is declaring that what Isaiah spoke has been fulfilled. Light has come. And this reality was not lost on the disciple whom Jesus loved, when he recorded Christ as saying:

John 8:12 NASB95

Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.”

Do you hear the echoes of Isaiah in the words of Christ? He is the light of both the Jews and Gentiles, and if you follow Him, no longer will you walk in darkness.

Isaiah further declares that the Yahweh will multiply the nation. What does Christ promise?

Matthew 16:18 NASB95

“I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.

And what happens? In the years following Christ’s earthly ministry, the book of Acts records 4 instances of the church increasing, 3 instances of believers being added to their number, until we reach the end of all things and heaven is filled with hosts upon hosts, myriads upon myriads of the redeemed, forming a holy, eternal nation. Let heaven bear witness: Christ has multiplied the nation.

But Isaiah goes on: not only does the Son of Israel multiply the nation, he multiplies the nation’s joy. Has Christ fulfilled this? Look no further than the 22 times in the gospels that Jesus promises joy to his disciples. Look no further than the 8 times in the book of Acts that rejoicing accompanies the salvation of the gospel almost 1 to 1. Look no further than the 33 times in Paul’s letters that he sings and shouts of the joy that comes in knowing Christ, basking in the light of His glory.

And by way of sidenote here in Isaiah 9:3, the joy that Christ increases in our hearts, He increases in triplicate. Isaiah quite literally says the Son of Israel will increase gladness so Israel might be glad with gladness. Glory-gladness is given to us in superabundance. The reaction of Zechariah, Simeon, the disciples, and the early church to the dawn of glory in Jesus Christ is singular: joy. For this reason the Westminster Divine codified forever the chief end of man: glorify God and enjoy him forever. Our Christ-given purpose is to rejoice in our redeemer, to be glad in God, to smile at the thought of our Savior.

But Isaiah is not done, and neither is the Son of Israel. He will break the yoke of their burden and He will free them from their oppressor.

In case you haven’t figured it out by now, yes, Jesus did this too. From his own mouth:

Matthew 11:28–30 NASB95

“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, 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.”

and from the mouth of the apostle Paul:

Galatians 5:1 NASB95

It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.

The dawn of the glory of the Son of Israel is the dawn of freedom! Freedom from the yoke that weighed down our soul, freedom from the rod of our oppressors, the world, the flesh, and the devil. As we sing so often, He broke our bonds of sin and shame. When Christ died, according to Romans 8:6, He did away with our body of sin so that we might be free from it.

And Isaiah’s final declaration of the reign of the Son of Israel is this: He will swallow up war forever. He will make peace. From the first declaration of Christ’s birth “Peace on earth and among men,” to Christ’s tender address to his disciples: Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you. Do not let your heart be trouble, nor let it be fearful,” to unprecedented peace among the early church in Judea, Galilee, and Samaria in Acts 9, to Paul’s definitive proclamation of the outcome of our justification: We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, to his exhortation to the Romans to be at peace with all men, to that final day when the Lord, in fulfillment of Psalm 2 and Psalm 110, will usher in full and final peace when He subdues all his enemies under His feet.

The dawn of the glory of the Son of Israel is the dawn of peace.

Conclusion

Darkness rises, and light to meet it. That was the message of the gospel of Isaiah. And that remains the message of the gospel to this very day. Even in the darkness of God’s judgment on our world, the light of the gospel of Christ shines brighter still. Glory has dawned, and He has come to us from Galilee, and He has brought us joy and freedom and peace.

Do you know that joy and freedom and peace this morning? Our world is remarkably similar to world of Isaiah. Foolish leaders? Check. Unholy alliances between the people of God and pagan nations? Check. The threat of a world power invading and leaving no survivors? Check. But Isaiah’s word to Israel and Judah is also a word for us: do not fear what they fear. Do not dread what they dread. CNN and Fox News and Twitter and TikTok will tell you that you need to fear Russia. You need to fear Putin. You need to fear nukes. Isaiah’s word for us this morning is this: Russia is a gnat, Putin is a fly, and nukes are buzzing bees. Yahweh Sabaoth whistles and they come running like a dog, he whistles again, and they run cowering to their holes. They are nothing. Yahweh Sabaoth, the Lord of hosts, He is everything. He shall be our fear. He shall be our dread. And the presence of God is indeed dreadful. Isaiah knew this. We are just like Assyria, and Israel, and Judah, and Russia, and Putin, and Biden, and Newsom, and all the rest. We quake in terror before the majesty of God, majesty that shakes the temple and fills it with smoke.

But out of that terror the Son of Israel appears in a glorious dawn, offering joy and freedom and peace. He is our wisdom, he is our might, he is our peace, and he is our father. He draws us as children to their father’s chest, and because of that, we can draw near to a holy and awesome God, and no longer quake before Him, being shattered as the peoples were in Isaiah’s day. We can stand before Him in full confidence, trusting in the work of the Son of Israel, Jesus Christ, on our behalf. Trusting that He lived the life we couldn’t, that He died the death we should’ve, and He secured it all, at the most glorious dawn in history, when He rose again from the dead.

Do you know him this morning? Do you have joy and freedom and peace in Christ? There is nothing you must do, indeed nothing you can do, except bow before Him, confess your sin, and whether in a loud cry or a silent whisper, say: “My Savior and my God,”

Joy and freedom and peace will flood your soul, and if you’re in Christ this morning, you know this to be true.

And when that joy and freedom and peace flood your soul like the light of dawn, you can sing these words with confidence: