Isaiah 9:1-7--For to Us a Child Is Born

Isaiah 9:1-7
English Standard Version

For to Us a Child Is Born
9  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.

​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.
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.
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.

---

We may wonder as we approach this passage if this was a celebration of the promised child that was called Immanuel in the last chapter, but as we read on, we will see that this Child of Promise can't be speaking of any normal human child.  This Child is going to be called "Mighty God" and "Everlasting God" and will have eternal kingdom without measure of time or space (see the kingdom of God that is mentioned in Daniel's vision of the statue and the rock that becomes a mountain that fills the whole earth and his vision of the Ancient of Days and the Son of Man in Daniel 7 which Jesus quotes from in His trial to say that He is the one who sits on the throne and the seat of judgment.).  No, this is not the child of the prophetess, there is a better Immanuel that is coming--One who would truly be God with us.

The beginning portion of this poem is spoken of by the gospel writers as to why Jesus had to be said to be of Nazareth and have a great Galilean ministry because a great light was to come upon those who had lived in darkness in these Jewish lands who had given themselves over to the ways of the Gentiles.  Recall what people said of Jesus' hometown, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?"

People think that it was only those in Galilee and the Gentiles who were in darkness, but He brought light to the Jews who were in Jerusalem and Judah, shining His Light on the hypocrisy of those who thought they could see clearly but were blind and trusted in blind guides.

Jesus would "multiply the nation" by grafting "wild branches" from the Gentiles into the True Vine (that's Him) which made the people of God.  We would have exceedingly great joy through Him because as the angels announced, "He will save His people from their sins."  This is an even greater and impossible enemy than the Assyrians, Syrians, or wicked kingdom of Israel made up by the northern ten tribes.  No amount of diplomacy or military strength can defeat that enemy--only the shedding of innocent blood, and none of us were innocent.  He has broken the yoke of our slavery to sin and His yoke is easy and His burden is light.

He will punish and defeat all of the people who are His enemies and the enemies of His people and there will be perfect peace when He reigns.  This leads to the portion of this passage that we are most familiar with, probably as a passage we read around Christmas time, but it is a message for every day and speaks of the coming kingdom when Jesus will come not as a baby, but as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.  I am looking forward to that Second Advent.  Are you? You too can be ready for it and be ready to celebrate His return which is coming soon and will come upon us suddenly like a thief in the night that does not announce his approach.  We will be going along with our lives and many will mock asking if He will ever come back and then, in the blink of an eye, He will come back and save those who belong to Hima and execute His fierce wrath on those who have chosen to be His enemies (there are only two camps--you are either in His family by adoption or you are a child of this world and the devil and will receive the same punishment as everyone else in that camp deserves).

He is the promised Messiah that will be called the Son of David and will be the one to rule from David's throne forever and ever.  He would bring about an end to the succession of kings from the line of David because He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords forevermore.  No one needs to succeed Him because His kingdom is eternal. He will reign not only in perfect peace, but in perfect righteousness, for all of us will be changed to be made in His image so that we will do only what pleases the LORD and we will not need the Law to make us do what is right.  Justice and righteousness will flow from throne.  This is certain to happen as it is the word of the LORD who knows and determines the future.  The zeal of the LORD will accomplish this--no power of hell nor scheme of man could ever thwart this plan and it is foolish to try.  The wise thing to do is to submit yourself to His authority now and make sure that you are a citizen of His kingdom when He comes back to reign.  There is no process for immigration and naturalization once He comes back.  We will need no embassies or State Department because there will be only one government left, and that will be His.  Everyone left standing will be His people, the sheep of His pasture and He will be the King who is the Good Shepherd of His sheep.