The Government Believer's Long For

Begin with this. You can’t flit around the emotional pull you have, Josh. You need to read this intro to keep yourself on track. The Government Believers Long For is one of that resonates with the descriptions of the Ruler - Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. The take-away of this message can revolve around the SATISFACTION and the GUARANTEE of an EVERLASTING Kingdom

Election time is coming. Does that comfort you? I can tell you that the last two primary elections for the presidency have been… well… tense for my family. How about yours?

I think we could all agree that political issues frequently result in familial turmoil. My perspective on social involvement is different from your perspective because my dad was a factory worker… your dad was a factory owner. One person feels the weight of employee benefits… the other feels the burden of being taxed and watching their paycheck dwindle to a fraction of what it “should be.”

It’s likely that in those few sentences emotions were already kindled by physiological responses to political stimuli. Is there anything that all Christendom agreeably longs for in government?

In Isaiah 9, a prophecy was shared that one day a King would come to power that would unite Israel AND expand the nation! (Isaiah 9:3) Joy, Peace, Wonderful, Wise Counsel, from an Everlasting Father and a King whose kingdom would never end was the promise. It was a promise that would impact the entire world.

Not only that, it was a promise that would satisfy God’s people.

Let that line sink in, would you. Can you even imagine political satisfaction on behalf of all believers!? I mean, truly. It’s unthinkable at this point in history.

But God gave Isaiah a vision for the future. And, in the future, the God of the impossible guarantees that a day will come when all believers will be satisfied with a Kingdom and it’s King… and a government that will rest upon His shoulders.

In the midst of our weekly rigmarole, as we wait for likely another tense season of political elections and quickly move toward the next phase of candidates running to govern of our country, will you take a moment to recast your gaze, to refocus your and my attention on the promised child whom God will return in power to reign forever and ever? Christ has come! And he will come again! Come, Lord Jesus!

Is there a government believers long for?!

My sermon title begs this question! I’ve entered into this seeming wasteland of social ideals and philosophies that, every two years and every four years brings believers and unbelievers alike in contention with one another. I’ve made the lofty assumption that such a thing exists!

Perhaps one of the reasons it’s difficult to think politically about our faith is because we don’t have a political presence in the Biblical text that fits our American political context. Democracy isn’t the primary governing system of the Old or New Testaments. Monarchy(ies) are the primary pictures. The only real democratic presence is, of course, Rome. But, even at that, Caesar was lord! It was a republic… but one that cost many people their lives because it was broken and corrupted.

Politics and religion also brings to mind the images of the Puritans and their FLIGHT from England in an effort to remove the influence of the monarchy on their practices. Now, I’m not an historian… VERY FAR from it. But, the nuts and bolts of the Puritan’s desire to leave England was to express religious freedom APART from the king’s influence.

Religion and Politics… are they NOT supposed to be CLEARLY DIVIDED?!

I’m not going to give you a message today about how you should support Republican candidates; endorse Democratic candidates; and discover Libertarians or other third parties or to see if they’re a better fit for our Christian paradigm. The goal today is to give you a vision! Because that’s what Isaiah did here! It’s not a new one! It’s one clearly coming from the Scriptures! It’s not fresh… other than the fact that this passage is rarely taught outside of Christmas and rarely explained but frequently quoted.

I’m going to give you my best efforts to help you see that the prophecy of Isaiah 9:1-7 brought about hope, satisfaction, and it promised peace! And from the moment it was given, it sparked an intense longing for the JOY OF THE KINGDOM! A GOVERNMENT of ENDURING NATURE… RIGHTEOUS AND JUST OVERSIGHT… FOREVERMORE.

At this point, introduce Sehnsucht. Tie it to the longing you just mentioned.

Blue Flower; C.S. Lewis experience with Sehnsucht; my experience.

Now, introduce the text. YOU MUST GIVE A BRIEF - BRIEF - statement summarizing Isaiah 8:16-22

Isaiah 8:16–22 ESV

16 Bind up the testimony; seal the teaching among my disciples. 17 I will wait for the Lord, who is hiding his face from the house of Jacob, and I will hope in him. 18 Behold, I and the children whom the Lord has given me are signs and portents in Israel from the Lord of hosts, who dwells on Mount Zion. 19 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? 20 To the teaching and to the testimony! If they will not speak according to this word, it is because they have no dawn. 21 They will pass through the land, greatly distressed and hungry. And when they are hungry, they will be enraged and will speak contemptuously against their king and their God, and turn their faces upward. 22 And they will look to the earth, but behold, distress and darkness, the gloom of anguish. And they will be thrust into thick darkness.

Now, you’re off to the races. Go ahead and read 9:1 and describe what’s pictured in the text. The explanation of the passage is quite brief. Follow your manuscript.

Isaiah 9:1 ESV

1 But there will be no gloom for her who was in anguish. In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he has made glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations.

The darkness referred to in this text is in connection with recent, horrific Assyrian invasion. In fact the word used to describe the gloom of Naphtali and Zebulun is the same word to describe the situation of utter despair experienced in 8:22. But now, the prophecy says such gloom is taken away! The situation Isaiah is prophesying into is a helpless situation. Chapter 8 ended with the Israelites in devastation. A remnant would survive the attacks of the Assyrians; but the land was left in gloom , hunger, devastation and darkness -It was the fruit of having been a people turned from their God - having mocked their God and sought the counsel of the dead - now, they receive the fruit of their false worship.

BUT… There is a much needed and powerful turn in the text! And, this turn is two-fold! It pictures an immediate change… and poetically predicts and everlasting change! Zebulun, Naphtali - Galilee of the Gentiles - will be made a glorious way beyond the Sea of Galilee. Those inhabitants, gentiles, would benefit from this glorious change.

Now, read the next section - Isaiah 9:2-3

Isaiah 9:2–3 ESV

2 The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone. 3 You have multiplied the nation; you have increased its joy; they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest, as they are glad when they divide the spoil.

This is the reversal of the text - from the darkness of Israel’s condition spoken of in chapter 8… to the “prophetic perfect” tense and the hope prophesied in these 6 passages.

Now, Isaiah has given the people two things: Immediate hope. And a sense of longing for what is utterly satisfying in the midst of their disobedience. There are those who have said it could be Isaiah’s intent to prophesy about Hezekiah or Josiah - two “child kings” of Israel. However, the prophecy intrinsically gives evidence that would not match with the lives of Hezekiah or Josiah. While they are noted among the few “good kings” of Israel, neither “multiplied the nation” as Isaiah spoke of this king here in chapter 9:2.

Go ahead and read Isaiah 9:4-5

Isaiah 9:4–5 ESV

4 For the yoke of his burden, and the staff for his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, you have broken as on the day of Midian. 5 For every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult and every garment rolled in blood will be burned as fuel for the fire.

Quickly go to the imagery Isaiah draws upon when God delivered Israel from Midian in Judges 6-7 -

It appears that every level of society will be affected by this prophecy. The prophesied ruler would break the yoke of his burden, the staff from his shoulder and the rod f his oppressor - they are each destroyed. Just as God took Gideon and 300 men to defeat a vast army of Midianites in Judges 6-7… so ONE RULER would come to power who would destroy evil and remove the need for any battle raiment! He will use the things of war to fuel the fire of their own burning! No more will they be needed.

And finally… there is a description of this powerful, leader!

He’s a child!

He’s a son!

AND HE RUNS THE GOVERNMENT!

Isaiah 9:6–7 ESV

6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.

Now… let me say this. The descriptions we read in Isaiah 9:6 are unimaginable in this period of History. It’s the most divided time period for the church and the Jewish people.

Perhaps elaborate very momentarily upon the division of the church today in the political arena. Anything from the anti-government follower to the total activist!

But there is nothing to fear in this child’s coming! The characteristics of His reign are irrefutably and wholly desirable! So His name bears the truth of his character!

Wonderful Counselor,

Mighty God

Everlasting Father

Prince of Peace

And his government INCREASES! He’s a benevolent KING! Sitting in the line of King David and upholding

How can this be?! The zeal.. the ardour of the LORD will accomplish it!

The revelation to the apostle John speaks as well of the day with the King of Kings and Lord of Lord’s reigns in eternity.

Revelation 22:3–5 ESV

3 No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. 4 They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. 5 And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.

And so we have the prophet Isaiah’s vision of the coming King whose reign and government will never end… written in the future perfect tense - not yet here; but already complete. And the Revelation of John - unveiling the face of Jesus as our ruler upon the throne of God, receiving worship from his people as he reigns forevermore…

Do you sense that insatiable longing?

Jesus is THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN AND, WILL, SATISFY THE CRAVING FOR LIFE UNDER THE RULE OF A RIGHTEOUS, JUST, PRINCE OF PEACE, WHOSE WISDOM AND COUNSEL ARE ALWAYS FULLY APPROVED AND INARGUABLE.