"The Promised Messiah (the light dawns) " by Rod Bayley, 23 December 2007, Isaiah 9:1-7

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From the early hours of July 31 1997, hundreds of thousands of people
watched on television as emergency workers toiled to clear the
destruction caused, when two alpine lodges in Thredbo were overcome by
a landslide, killing 18 people. The rescue and miraculous survival of
Stuart Diver after 65 hours buried in freezing rubble and debris,
captured the attention of our nation. When he heard voices of rescue
workers after 53 hours he thought he was dreaming - then he realised
they were real. He had been trapped in a cavity barely wide enough
for his body - the tiny space had gradually filled with icy water
which had nearly drowned him. He was the sole survivor of the
tragedy, with one of the people killed being his wife Sally. The
couple had just gone to sleep when the lodge above crashed onto their
chalet driven by tons of dirt and trees swept downhill by the
landslide. Diver had struggled to keep their heads above the icy
waters but Sally was pinned on the mattress beside him. He had hung
on desperately, he doesn’t know for how long, but there had been
another sudden rush of mud and water and she was swept out of his
grasp and drowned. Miraculously, after more than two days in darkness
under the rubble, he saw the light of day as rescuers finally removed
the debris above him and pulled him out into the dim light of a
winter’s day. The shadow of death had lifted and the light had
dawned.

Well, in the passage we are considering today, there is a light that
is dawning, and it too offers hope, salvation from the darkness of
judgment. Notice again the words recorded by the prophet Isaiah in
verses 1 and 2 of chapter 9:
“Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in
distress. In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of
Naphtali, but in the future he will honour Galilee of the Gentiles, by
the way of the sea, along the Jordan - 2The people walking in darkness
have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of
death a light has dawned.”
The contrast between light and darkness in verse 2 is described
vividly, and the term darkness is defined by the parallel phrase
‘living in the land of the shadow of death.’ But what is being
referred to here - what is this ‘darkness’ or ‘shadow of death’ that
is being spoken of? Verse 1 helps us here, as the prophet speaks of
gloom and distress and the humbling of the northern area of Galilee
which was the home of Zebulun and Naphtali, two of Israel’s twelve
tribes. The first word of verse 1, ‘nevertheless’, alerts us to the
fact that the ‘gloom’ and ‘distress’ spoken of refers back to the
previous discussion in chapter eight in particular, but also the
earlier chapters. In these chapters it is made clear that the ‘shadow
of death’ that hangs over the nation is God’s judgment - He is going
to act in judgment against his people by bringing the armies of
Assyria against the northern tribes of Israel (721BC) and against the
southern kingdom of Judah some twenty years after that (701BC). The
section we are looking at in chapter 9 is actually the finale of hope
offered beyond the darkness of judgment that would overwhelm the
nation - they would be humbled through the Lord’s instrument of
judgment, Assyria. Zebulun and Naphtali which are in the north and
east of the northern kingdom of Israel were the first areas over-run
by the Assyrians, and felt the brunt of their initial attacks. They
were the first to bear God’s judgment, but they would also be the
source of future life - the area of Galilee would be honoured in a
time to come.

Well, we have grasped something of the darkness which overwhelmed
God’s people Israel, but what of the light? What is this ‘great
light’ at the end of the tunnel, this light which will dawn? Before
the writer lets us in on this mystery of what or who the light is, he
firstly wants to tell us the effect that the light will have in verses
3 to 5. He states:
“You have enlarged the nation and increased their joy; they rejoice
before you as people rejoice at the harvest, as men rejoice when
dividing the plunder. 4For as in the day of Midian’s defeat, you have
shattered the yoke that burdens them, the bar across their shoulders,
the rod of their oppressor. 5Every warrior’s boot used in battle and
every garment rolled in blood will be destined for burning, will be
fuel for the fire.”
With his gaze fixed on the future, Isaiah sees by faith a glorious
reversal of the devastation about to be inflicted. In verse 3 there
is rejoicing by the nation - the joy is likened to that of harvest
time, and that of a military victory when the plunder is divided.
With regard to harvest celebrations, I think we struggle to appreciate
the joy of such a time in the ancient world, when in today’s
technological age with machines and pesticides and new disease
resistant strains of crops, we simply expect an abundant result. But
the spectre of drought which has been hanging over our nation for the
last decade is perhaps helping us recapture that sense of
thankfulness. Farm incomes have dropped to their lowest level since
the government started its farm surveys almost three decades ago.

Having also raised a military comparison to capture the level of joy,
as he spoke about rejoicing in the dividing of plunder, Isaiah further
develops this in verse 4. Here he harks back to the day of Midian’s
defeat at the hands of Gideon and his three hundred men, as recorded
in Judges 6 and 7. The Lord’s famous victory through Gideon, released
his people from oppression, from the control of the Midianites. This
victory and removal of oppression of course brought a great outburst
of joy - there was jubilation. But the effect of the dawning light is
not only ‘joy’ for God’s people, but also the arrival of ‘peace’ -
verse 5 depicts an end to war and the dawning of peace over the land.
And so this ‘great light’ has a twofold effect - its dawning brings
both joy and peace. It’s interesting how our Christmas cards are
often plastered with the words ‘joy’ and ‘peace’, but these two words
can be traced back to at least Isaiah 9, 700 years before the birth of
Christ.

That brings us again to the question of what this light is, a light
which when it dawns in the future will bring joy and peace? The
prophet is ready to address this point now as he comes to verses 6 and
7 - look at them again with me:
“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government
will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor,
Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7Of the increase of
his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on
David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it
with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The
zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.”
We discover here that the promised ‘light’ is a person, a promised boy
who will be born. But who is he? Due to the original context in the
eighth century BC, some have suggested that it is the crown prince
Hezekiah who was in view - he was to be one of the better kings in the
south, who would rule over Judah. However, there are two problems
with such a suggestion. Firstly, Hezekiah was born (in 737BC) three
years before the events recorded in chapter seven, whereas the birth
of the ideal ruler in our passage is seen as a future event. There is
also a second problem which relates to any future human kings - it is
the exalted, divine titles given to this son in verse 6, and the
eternal reign of this future king in verse 7. At the very most, the
kings in the line of David were regarded as ‘adopted sons’ of God, and
would certainly not have titles attributed to them such as ‘Mighty
God.’ The language of verse 6 can only be applied to One who is God
incarnate, God in human flesh, God taking on human form. And so this
section must point to the coming of the Messiah, the great Son of God
- He is the true light, Jesus Christ.

If we were in any doubt about this prediction over 700 years before
Jesus was born, this link is clearly made for us by the New Testament
gospel writers, who saw the fulfilment of these promises in the birth
of Jesus. For example, Luke makes it clear that he is aware of both
the exalted titles and the promised eternal reign of this Son of David
in Luke 1, when he records the angel Gabriel’s words to Mary in verses
30 to 33:
“But the angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found
favour with God. 31You will be with child and give birth to a son, and
you are to give him the name Jesus. 32He will be great and will be
called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the
throne of his father David, 33and he will reign over the house of
Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.”
The stupendous claims which the angel makes for this unborn baby would
have staggered Jewish readers, because they would have recognised the
fulfilment of the prophecy in Isaiah 9, and a number of others also.
This son of David is a colossal figure - he would be the greatest
ruler that not only Israel had seen, but the world had ever seen. The
universal authority of Jesus is a chief theme here. The birth of this
child Jesus is also how Isaiah 9:1 is fulfilled, because although
Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, he would grow up in the north at
Nazareth, a town in Galilee. And so the promise of a future when God
would “honour Galilee of the Gentiles” is fulfilled. The dawn would
break in the very region that was the first to experience God’s
judgment. This is why the gospels draw our attention to the fact that
it was in these northern parts of the country that Jesus first
proclaimed the gospel.

At the end of chapter 1 and the start of chapter 2, Luke demonstrates
that not only are verses 6 and 7 of Isaiah 9 fulfilled in the birth of
this divine, son of David; but the effect of this child fits with the
promises of verses 3 to 5 of Isaiah 9. Remember that we saw earlier
that the effect of this dawning light was ‘joy’ and ‘peace.’ Firstly,
in Luke 1:76-79 in Zechariah’s song of praise, he speaks of the role
of his son John the Baptist in relation to Jesus the light. In verses
78 and 79 he quotes part of Isaiah 9:1-2 when he says: “by which the
rising of the sun will come to us from heaven, 79to shine on those
living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into
the path of peace.” Here Jesus the light pierces the darkness and
guides us into peace.

Secondly, in Luke 2 verse 10, the angel announces the birth of the
Christ to the shepherds by stating: “I bring you good news of great
joy that will be for all the people.” And then as a great heavenly
host appears and sings praises to God in verse 14 they sing: “Glory to
God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favour
rests.” The theme of a coming peace was also highlighted in verses 6
and 7 of Isaiah 9 where Jesus was described as the ‘Prince of peace’,
and where it was stated that ‘Of the increase of his government and
peace there will be no end.’ ‘Joy’ and ‘peace’ are present in the
fulfilment of the promise - these are the effects of the coming of
Jesus.

But how do we enter into Christ’s eternal kingdom and receive this joy
and peace that is being spoken of? I think the meaning of joy is
fairly universal - but the word peace is used in different ways, and
is less clear. What is this ‘path of peace’ which our feet can be
guided into by Jesus? Is the bible referring to an end of war, of
violence against other human beings? We could certainly do with it in
a world ravaged by wars and terrorism and uncertainty - after
September 11, the Bali bombings, war in Afghanistan and Iraq, the
ongoing struggle between Israel and Palestine, etc, our society longs
for peace. Perhaps Zechariah and the angels were suggesting at least
peace at this time of the year - that armed conflict should be
suspended over Christmas?

On the first Christmas Day in World War I in 1914, British and German
troops actually put down their guns and celebrated peacefully together
in no-man’s land between the trenches. The war briefly came to a
halt. In some places festivities began when German troops lit candles
on Christmas trees on their parapets so the British sentries a few
hundred metres away could see them. Elsewhere the British acted
first, starting bonfires and letting off rockets. Private Oswald
Tilley of the London Rifle Brigade wrote to his parents saying: “Just
you think that while you were eating your turkey, etc, I was out
talking and shaking hands with the very men I had been trying to kill
a few hours before! It was astounding.” Both armies had received
lots of comforts from home and felt generous and well-disposed toward
their enemies in the first winter of the war, before the vast battles
of attrition began in 1915. The generals were shocked - High command
diaries and statements express anxiety that it could sap the troops’
will to fight. The soldiers exchanged carols and even gifts. This
day has been called “the most famous truce in military history.” Is
that the peace that was promised at the first Christmas? Well, no -
it wasn’t referring to war.

If it’s not that, then what peace are we talking about? Is it freedom
from worry, because we live in a stressful society, in an age of
anxiety? A wife called the doctor one morning saying, “Doctor, come
quick! It’s my husband!” “What’s the matter?” he calmly replied.
“Well, he got up this morning and took his vitamin pill. Then he took
his appetite suppressant, his anti-depressant, and his tranquilizer.
He also took an antihistamine and some Benzedrine. Then he lit a
cigarette, and there was this explosion!” Do we need peace simply
because of our stressful lives? Is that the peace that the bible is
talking about?

No - the peace the bible talks about is far greater, far more exciting
than such common ideas of peace that our society has. It refers to
the fact, that two thousand years ago, Jesus left the comforts of His
home in heaven for the struggles of life on earth. He was born in a
manger, and experienced life as we do - he identified with us and
lived among us. But more than that, that He would later die for those
He came to live among, and so He brought us peace with God. You might
ask: ‘But how does this baby, who grew into the man Jesus, bring me
peace with God by dying on a Cross?’ ‘Why am I at odds with God
anyway - how have I become an enemy of God so that I need Jesus to
broker a peace for me?’

Well, the bible clearly tells us that we are all enemies of God
because of our rebellion against Him, our desire to run our lives our
own way and ignore God. The bible calls this sin. We can either be
very hostile to God and want nothing to do with Him, or we can simply
ignore God and care nothing for His love for us and His right to
direct our lives as our Creator - but either way, we are still
rebelling or sinning against the One who created life on earth, who
made us to be in relationship with Him. More than that, we cannot
save ourselves from our rejection by doing good deeds - we cannot
rescue ourselves from our plight.

Returning to our opening story, Stuart Diver was an illustration of
such helplessness - of our inability to save ourselves. In his case
trapped under debris, effectively buried under some rubble. He was
unable to save himself. He was completely dependent on outside
intervention - he needed someone to come down and rescue him. The
bible tells us that it is the same with us and God - we desperately
needed a Saviour, someone who would rescue us from our sin and its
consequences of death and ultimately separation from God.

This is where the birth of Jesus comes in - why this baby that was
born 2,000 years ago can bring us peace. You see, Jesus was not only
‘The child born in a manger’, but ‘The man born to be Saviour’ by
dying in our place. In God’s great love for us, He desired to restore
that broken relationship by sending Jesus down to earth to die in our
place, to take the punishment that we deserve for our sins. Jesus’
death on the Cross deals with our sin and brings us peace with God by
paying for our debt of sin before God. Our sin is given to Him,
though He lived a perfect life, and He takes the rap for us, our
punishment from God. He dies as our substitute, on our behalf, so
that we might go free.

All we need to do is ask for God’s forgiveness for our rebellion, and
trust Jesus’ actions on our behalf, which paid the price for our
rebellion. If we do that, we can be friends again with God, at peace
with God. More than that, we have the promise of heaven to come after
we die, of eternal life with God in his kingdom, enjoying his favour
forever - it’s offered to all people. This is why the angel said to
the shepherds at the first Christmas, “I bring you good news of great
joy that will be for all the people” (Lk 2:10). This peace which is
brought through the life of Jesus is eternal - it’s not simply freedom
from war, or freedom from our day to day stresses - this is peace with
God forever, and it is offered to you and me.