This week, Pastor Byron continued our series on the Advent. One of the key passages during Advent Season is Isaiah 9. I will list the verses and talk a little about some of them. I will use a different color font for my comments.
Isaiah 9:1-7
Nonetheless, those who were in distress won’t be exhausted. At an earlier time, God cursed the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but later he glorified the way of the sea, the far side of the Jordan, and the Galilee of the nations.
2 The people walking in darkness have seen a great light.
On those living in a pitch-dark land, light has dawned.
There is more than one way to understand this passage. Here I’d like to point out that the Gospel of John says Jesus is the Light of the World. Where the light is, the darkness must flee. The best understanding to this is without Jesus, we are all in darkness: darkness of true understanding and darkness of spirit. However, with Jesus, we are made to see because the light of Jesus reveals things for what they are.
3 You have made the nation great;
you have increased its joy.
They rejoiced before you as with joy at the harvest,
as those who divide plunder rejoice.
4 As on the day of Midian, you’ve shattered the yoke that burdened them,
the staff on their shoulders,
and the rod of their oppressor.
For the nation of Israel, they had known centuries of yoke and oppression from pagan empires. By the time of Jesus’ birth, Israel had been bounced back and forth between the Ptolemy and Seleucid Empires like a tennis ball. Then Rome dominated the scene. Here, Isaiah is offering a promise of true freedom. No longer would they be oppressed by foreign kings. For those of us in the New Covenant, this expands to mean we are no longer oppressed by our our own self-worship, the devil, or corrupt societies. as John says elsewhere, “He who the Son sets free is free indeed.”
5 Because every boot of the thundering warriors,
and every garment rolled in blood
will be burned, fuel for the fire.
6 A child is born to us, a son is given to us,
and authority will be on his shoulders.
He will be named
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.
This list of titles points to the awesome divinity of Jesus as he comes in human form, then ascends back to his position at the Father’s side. Authority on his shoulders is fulfilled when Jesus declares to his disciples (during the Great Commission) “All authority has been given to me in heaven and earth.”
Wonderful Counselor refers to Jesus being both our source of wisdom and knowledge and our greatest defender in the courts of heaven. 1 John says that when we slip up and sin, we have an advocate with the Father in Jesus. In all things, Jesus is for us and wants us to be with Him.
Mighty God later becomes a declaration of Jesus’ divine status. This is what helps lead to the doctrine of the Trinity. Jesus is God. Even when Jesus talks with the religious leaders of his day, we see him making references to his divinity. In the Gospels he is referred to as the Son of God and Son of Man, both are loaded terms in 1st century Judaism. In the Gospel of John, Jesus is quoted saying things like, “Before Abraham, I am.” A brief foray into Hebrew shows us that when Moses asked God who was sending him to pharaoh, God replied, “Yahweh” (sometimes written Jehovah). Yahweh in Hebrew literally means “I am.” From Moses on, Yahweh becomes the name of the God of Israel. So when Jesus comes on the scene in the 1st century speaking Aramaic (a derivative language of Hebrew) and referred to himself as “I am,” it was an outright claim to divinity.
7 There will be vast authority and endless peace
for David’s throne and for his kingdom,
establishing and sustaining it
with justice and righteousness
now and forever.
Here we get a reference to David’s throne and his kingdom that will be sustained with justice and righteousness forever.
When we look at all the covenants in the Old Testament, we see them getting progressively narrower and narrower in who they inlcude.
Noahic Covenant includes all of creation (world will not be destroyed by rain again)
Abrahamic Covenant applies to all the descendants of Abraham. God promised to make Abraham’s offspring as numerous as the stars. We can note that both Ishmael and Isaac went on to sire entire people groups. This covenant excludes non-Abrahamic peoples and the rest of creation
Mosaic Covenant applies specifically to Israelites to the exclusion of all peoples (including Ishmaelites).
Davidic Covenant applies specifically to the line of King David to the exclusion of even the rest of Israel.
For David’s kingdom to be established forever, the line of David had to continue either 1. ad infinitum or 2. through an immortal descendant of David. With Jesus, we get the immortal descendant of David. Once Jesus is resurrected from the dead, He is given the right to rule over Israel as well as the cosmos. He is an immortal, all-powerful king of existence.
So these are a few comments on the Isaiah 9 passage and its relation to Jesus’ birth and its significance. I hope you continue to follow our Advent series and have a wonderful Christmas Season.