A Great Light - Isaiah 8:19-9:7
INTRODUCTION:
As I promised last week we will be in the book of Isaiah again, I want to begin look at a prophecy that might be considered the most classic prophecy regarding the coming of Jesus Christ. Again, like last week I would like to look at the background surrounding this prophecy and examine Isaiah’s view of the birth of the Messiah. As I considered just focusing on two verses this morning I began by studying the context surrounding these verses and I thought that it was important to include some of this context in this message.
Often in Old Testament prophecies concerning the advent of Jesus Christ we must distinguish between the first advent and the second. The Old Testament prophets did not view two advents, but one and specifically in this passage we will see both advents are in view and mixed together and we will have to sort them out as we go through the verses.
I believe that we find within this passage an interesting parallel to our own day, I will share more about that as we get into our passage. Let’s pray and then jump into the Scriptures.
--PRAY--
SCRIPTURE:
Turn in your Bibles this morning to Isaiah 8:19 and we will be reading from there to Isaiah 9:7. Please stand, if you are able, in honor of the reading of the Word of God and follow along as I read.
Isaiah 8:19-9:7,
“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. 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.” (Isaiah 8:19–9:7, NASB95)[1]
A WORLD IN THE DARK (Isaiah 8:19-22)
Isaiah describes for us the condition of the nation of Judah during his lifetime. If you remember from last week Ahaz, the son of Jotham, the grandson of Uzziah was the king of Judah at this time. Remember he did not want to trust in the Word of God, but in political alliances that he was seeking to make with the king of Assyria. The author of 2 Chronicles says this about Ahaz in chapter 28 beginning in verse 1, “Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem; and he did not do right in the sight of the Lord as David his father had done. But he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel; he also made molten images for the Baals. Moreover, he burned incense in the valley of Ben-hinnom and burned his sons in fire, according to the abominations of the nations whom the Lord had driven out before the sons of Israel. He sacrificed and burned incense on the high places, on the hills and under every green tree.” (2 Chronicles 28:1–4, NASB95)[2] This chapter goes on to tell us about Ahaz seeking an alliance with Assyria and it says that instead the king of Assyria came against him and afflicted him instead of strengthening him. In the end of this chapter we are told that Ahaz closed the doors of the temple and made altars to idols in every corner in Jerusalem and in every city of Judah Ahaz made high places to burn incense to other gods. Along with this idolatry came all the magic and necromancy that went with it. That is why Isaiah begins in Isaiah 8:19 talking about the people of Judah saying to you, “Consult the mediums and the spiritists who whisper and mutter…” (Isaiah 8:19b, NASB95)[3] This is how far the people of Judah had fallen from the true worship of God, they were seeking information about the future by contacting the dead and false gods. This phrase who whisper and mutter speaks of those whom the mediums and spiritists call up, which are demons. The dead cannot be called up, it is demons imitating the dead. Isaiah says that you should answer these people with the question, “should not a people consult their God? Should they consult the dead on behalf of the living?” (Isaiah 8:19c, NASB95)[4] Why seek information of the future about the living from the dead, instead seek information from the living God who knows all things.
People are always interested in the future and are willing to consult with demons even to get that information. It is no different in our world today, the darkness that was in Judah at this time is the same darkness that is in our world today, and the kingdom of darkness is expanding all the time, there is a huge rise in crime, lust, deceit, moral depravity, suicide, war, homosexuality, fear, atheism, demonic oppression and possession and the list could go on. And Isaiah gives the reason that men are in darkness, in verse 20 he declares that they need to consult the law and the testimony, in other words, look to the Bible to the first five books called the Law and to the writings of the prophets. If those you are consulting do not speak according to the Word of God, they have no dawn, in other words, there is no light in them, they are in the dark and speak only darkness. When man will not recognize the truth of the Word of God he is in darkness. This was the condition of Isaiah’s day and it is the condition of our day. Isaiah goes on to tell us what happens to people in this situation in verses 21-22. Isaiah says that these people pass through the land, they are hard-pressed and famished, this is the picture of despair, despair and hopelessness. This is what happens when you refuse to recognize the truth of God’s Word. What does despair lead to? It leads to blame and Isaiah says they curse their leaders and they curse God. Everyone is a victim and the leaders and God are to blame. They look up and curse God, they reject God’s Savior, they reject God’s salvation, they reject God, they curse and go on their way and on the earth there is nothing, but distress and darkness, the gloom of anguish. They are driven away into darkness, they have rejected the light of God’s Word. Does not this sound like our world today? But into this world of darkness, into all of this despair and hopelessness, Isaiah speaks a message of hope, the same message we need to speak into our world today.
A LIGHT IN THE DARKNESS (Isaiah 9:1-5)
Isaiah says in verse 1 of chapter 9, “But there will be no more gloom for her who was in anguish…” (Isaiah 9:1a, NASB95)[5] Isaiah has been telling the people that they are really in a mess, they are in darkness, all is despair, but now he says that a time is coming when the gloom, the despair will be over. A time when the distress of this dark world will end, your gloom is coming to an end because something extraordinary is going to take place, light is going to invade the darkness that you are in. This message of Isaiah is the same message we need to be sharing in our dark world, that light can invade the darkened life and make it whole again, and one day Jesus Christ will return and the world itself will be lit by His glory.
Right after the promise of no more gloom, Isaiah goes on with the prophecy in verse 1 and he makes a historical reference, he writes, “…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.” (Isaiah 9:1b, NASB95)[6] Zebulun and Naphtali were two of the tribes of Israel that had their inheritance in the far north of Israel along the sea of Galilee, when God punished Israel for their idolatry and sin the land of these two tribes were the first and they really got it. This area in now known as upper and lower Galilee, the area around the Sea of Galilee. Isaiah is referring to a very specific spot in Israel for a very specific reason, this is a tremendous prophecy that he is making. This area when conquered by the king of Assyria was then populated with people from other nations that he had conquered, and the people of Israel were carried into exile. The area became known as Galilee of the nations or Galilee of the Gentiles and Isaiah says that God will remove the contempt and make it glorious. He will make Galilee of the Gentiles glorious, another way of saying Zebulun and Naphtali. Why does God choose this area that was dark, that was treated with contempt to intervene and bring the light of salvation. Why did he not choose Jerusalem? First, Galilee had just been through it, they had suffered God’s punishment for their sin, Galilee stood as a great example of God’s wrath and so by contrast would also stand as a great example of God’s mercy. Isaiah prophesies that the people of Galilee that live in darkness, will see a great light, those who live in that dark land, the light will shine upon them. Isaiah is prophesying that the Messiah will come to Galilee. This is amazing, nobody would ever predict that the Messiah would arrive in Galilee. Galilee was the ghetto of Israel. It was inhabited by foreigners, even to this day there is very little settlement by Jewish people in Galilee, it is mostly Arabs that live in this area. This is why it is called Galilee of the Gentiles, the Jewish people have always despised Galilee, but this is the place that Jesus came to and spent more than 30 years of His life in Galilee as Isaiah prophesies here. Jesus is the light that shined on those in the dark, Jesus is the One who made Galilee glorious. He fulfilled this prophecy to the letter, and when He finally arrived in Jerusalem they all said, “Can anything good come out of Galilee?” I thought the Messiah was supposed to come from Bethlehem. Little did they know that He had been born in Bethlehem, fulfilling the prophecy of Micah that He would be born in Bethlehem, then living as the light in Galilee, fulfilling the prophecy of Isaiah. Let me share you with why I believe the light came to Galilee. First, Jesus was in Galilee to show that the salvation promise was not institutional and it was not connected with the temple, Jesus Christ was bringing in a new age, and with His coming a new body would be formed and a new temple would be built that would be made out of flesh. Second, I believe He came first to Galilee to show that this was greater than just a Jewish institution, that Jesus was not only the Messiah of Israel, but that He was the Savior of the world, He came for all men, not just for the Jewish people, and so He came to Galilee of the Gentiles. There He shined forth, the people that walked in darkness have seen a great light, they that live in a dark land, the light will shine on them.
Darkness can never overpower light, darkness is the absence of light. John the apostle in his gospel described Jesus Christ also as light. He wrote in His first chapter beginning in verse one, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it [or the darkness did not overcome it].” (John 1:1–5, NASB95)[7] Light invades and dispels darkness, darkness is simply the absence of light. Jesus entered into a dark world steeped in sin and rebellion and dispelled the darkness so that men might be forgiven of their sins and be reconciled to God. When we are forgiven and reconciled to God we become light, we reflect the light of the true Light, Jesus Christ, to the dark world around us. The apostle Paul wrote it this way in Ephesians 5:6-13, “Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not be partakers with them; for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light (for the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth), trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them; for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret. But all things become visible when they are exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light.” (Ephesians 5:6–13, NASB95)[8] Jesus Christ came as the Light so that you and I could become the children of Light, reflecting the life-giving Light of the Lord Jesus Christ to this dark world.
Our Scripture reading this morning recorded for us the fulfillment of this prophecy of Isaiah. Nathan read for us these words from Matthew 4 beginning in verse 12, “Now when Jesus heard that John [the Baptist] 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. This was to fulfill what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet: ‘The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, By the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles— “The people who were sitting in darkness saw a great Light, And those who were sitting in the land and shadow of death, Upon them a Light dawned.’ From that time Jesus began to preach and say, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.’” (Matthew 4:12–17, NASB95)[9] Matthew confirms for us again that Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of prophecy, there can be no doubt that the child bore by the virgin who was called Immanuel, is also the One who came into Galilee of the Gentiles as the great Light so that we can become children of Light through His death, burial, and resurrection from the dead.
CONCLUSION:
As I began this message this week I wondered if I had bit off more than I could share in one week, but that is okay, we will be in Isaiah one more week and then on the morning of Christmas Eve we will go to the New Testament.
We have a message to announce to those who are wandering in darkness—our message is that the Light of the world has come, that the Savior has been born and He has died for you, His death has paid the price, the penalty required for your sin. He was buried and rose alive from the dead three days later triumphant over sin and death. The Light has come, the Light dispels darkness and the darkness the world walks in, the darkness in the hearts of man can be dispelled by Jesus Christ, the Light of the world. This is the message we need to proclaim at Christmas, it is important that we do not keep Him in the manager as a baby, that is just the beginning of the story, but we must not keep Him on the cross either, we must keep Jesus Christ as He presently is; risen, seated at the right hand of God the Father ready to forgive your sins and give you peace with God. Jesus Christ came as the Light to all mankind, Jew and Gentile, we as children of the Light must be actively sharing this message all people.
Maybe you are here this morning, maybe you attend regularly or maybe you are a visitor, and you are still walking in darkness, dead in your sins and you want the Light to shine in your life. That can happen right here this morning, in the quietness of your own heart you can agree with God that you are a sinner, that you have broken His law and have been trying to go your own way, but you are done stumbling around in the dark, you want the Light to shine in your life and you believe that the Light, Jesus Christ, died for you, that His death and shed blood paid for your sin, He took your punishment on Himself, that after He died for you He was buried and three days later rose alive from the dead. This is the message of Christmas, Jesus Christ is the greatest gift of all and If you believe in what He did for you on the cross and through His resurrection from the dead you are forgiven, you have peace with God, you have become a child of the Light and you have a promised home in heaven. If you have done this for the first time this morning, please let me know, if you would like to talk about this further, I would be happy to talk with you after the service.
[1]New American Standard Bible : 1995 Update. La Habra, CA : The Lockman Foundation, 1995
[2]New American Standard Bible : 1995 Update. La Habra, CA : The Lockman Foundation, 1995
[3]New American Standard Bible : 1995 Update. La Habra, CA : The Lockman Foundation, 1995
[4]New American Standard Bible : 1995 Update. La Habra, CA : The Lockman Foundation, 1995
[5]New American Standard Bible : 1995 Update. La Habra, CA : The Lockman Foundation, 1995
[6]New American Standard Bible : 1995 Update. La Habra, CA : The Lockman Foundation, 1995
[7]New American Standard Bible : 1995 Update. La Habra, CA : The Lockman Foundation, 1995
[8]New American Standard Bible : 1995 Update. La Habra, CA : The Lockman Foundation, 1995
[9]New American Standard Bible : 1995 Update. La Habra, CA : The Lockman Foundation, 1995