Isaiah 9:1-7

CHAPTER NINE
C. PEACE BY IMMANUEL
1.

HIS PERSONALITY

TEXT: Isaiah 9:1-7

1 But there shall be no gloom to her that 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 hath he made it glorious, by the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations.
2

The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.

3

Thou hast multiplied the nation, thou hast increased their joy: they joy before thee according to the joy in harvest, as men rejoice when they divide the spoil.

4

For the yoke of his burden, and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, thou hast broken as in the day of Midian.

5

For all the armor of the armed man in the tumult, and the garments rolled in blood, shall be for burning, for fuel of fire.

6

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

7

Of the increase of his government and of peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to establish it, and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from henceforth even forever. The zeal of Jehovah of hosts will perform this.

QUERIES

a.

When is Galilee to be made glorious?

b.

Who is the oppressor that is broken?

c.

Who is the child that is born?

PARAPHRASE

But that time of darkness and despair will not be forever upon God's covenant people. In fact, while the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali is being held in contempt by God because of the paganism of its people, in the day the Messiah comes He will make that territory glorious by His work therethat is the territory that will then be Gentile territory, Galilee and beyond the Jordan. These who walk in the darkness of ignorance and sin will see a Great Light. This Light will illuminate the way for those who live in the realms of deep darkness. You, Jehovah, will multiply your covenant people, you will increase their joy; your multiplying people will be filled with joy like that of reapers when the harvest time has come, and like that of men dividing up the treasures they have captured. When The Light comes God will break the bondage of oppression upon His people by a great miraculous Divine act of victory over their enemy. At that time God shall utterly destroy the weapons of those who oppress His people and give His people complete peace. For unto God's people a child will be born; God will give His people a Son. And the government of God will be administered by this Son. These will be the royal titles indicating His nature and character: Wonderful, Counsellor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. His government will be one of continued growth and peace and it will never end. He will occupy the throne of His progenitor David and will rule in perfect justice and righteousness His kingdom forever. God's zeal to vindicate His faithfulness and His zeal for His people will accomplish all this.

COMMENTS

Isaiah 9:1-3 THE LIGHT DISPELLING DARKNESS: We must preface all comments on this section (Isaiah 9:1-7) by confirming that the entire section is messianic. It is plainly declared to be so by Jesus Christ Himself (Cf. Matthew 4:13-17). The ultimate fulfillment of this section, then, is in the first advent of the Messiah. To those who by faith accept the sign of the almah'S son and the sign of Isaiah's sons, gloom and despair will be dispelled. The Great Light will come at some future time and turn God's contempt into God's glory upon God's people. This future glory of God will have its beginnings in Galilee, the region so abhorred by most of the people of Palestine. Of course, those people to whom Isaiah addresses these remarks, people of Isaiah's own day, would not themselves live to see the reality of this prediction. However, by faith they might appropriate it to themselves at that momenteven as we may appropriate now some of the blessings of the future predicted in the New Testament.

Jesus Christ, The Light of the World, began His public ministry in Galilee. He was reared there in the village of Nazareth He called most of His apostles from that territory. And, He gained His greatest acceptance and following from Galilee. This northern frontier of the Promised Land was the first to abdicate to paganizing inroads in the days of the Divided Kingdomit was the first to be overrun by the invading forces of Assyria and Babylonbut it was the area God chose to bless and glorify with the presence of His Beloved Son! The method of Divine grace is amazing.

The coming of the Messiah-Light brought atonement for Divine contempt. His coming also brought fulfillment of the promise made to Abraham that from his seed would all the nations of the earth be blessed. His coming brought about the multiplication of the covenant nation through the institution of the kingdom and the calling of the Gentiles into covenant kingdom-ship. The two figures of speech in Isaiah 9:3 are favorite prophetic vehicles to express the way in which this future, new, kingdom of God will extend itself among the Gentiles. The preaching of the gospel and conversion of the Gentiles is spoken of, prophetically, as a harvest and as a conquest wherein the Gentiles become the booty of God's war against His enemies (Cf. Obadiah 1:17-21; Isa. ch. 60-66, etc.).

Isaiah 9:4-5 THE LORD DELIVERING FROM OPPRESSION: These. verses offer another favorite prophetic figure of speech. Oppression, whether physical or spiritual, is usually illustrated in the Old Testament by physical figures. Here we believe the oppression in its ultimate sense is the spiritual oppression of sin, its guilt and its estranging consequences. Of course, the immediate consequences of the sin of Israel and Judah were their captivities by foreign powers. However, even these captivities symbolized the greater oppression, the bondage to sin and Satan, to which God's people had surrendered. Now God delivered His people from both the oppression of Babylonian captivity and from the oppression of sin. The deliverance from captivity became a type and prophecy of the mighty and miraculous deliverance from Satan and sin. Just as it was apparent that it was God delivering the people from the Midianites in the days of Gideon, so it would be apparent that it was God delivering from captivity and God delivering from Satan and sin. And when God delivers, the oppressor may as well burn his weapons for they will be of no use against God's people any more.

Isaiah 9:6-7 THE LAD-DIVINE DISPENSING PEACE: The word child occurs first in the sentence in Hebrew, indicating all the emphasis is put there. The Son of David, Son of God Most High, actually coming to us as a child. The humanity of the Messiah is pointed out here. Young believes there are only four names for the Child, the first of which should be translated, Wonderful Counsellor. Actually the Hebrew word is wonder not wonderful. The Child will not be merely wonderful, but He Himself will be a Wonder. To sit upon the throne of David as the Messianic King requires wisdom such as no mere man possesses. In this King there will be hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (Colossians 2:3). He will be the Word of God, the Logos (John 1:14; John 1:18). He will be the Wisdom of God (1 Corinthians 1:24). (Cf. also Isaiah 11:2). This King will have no need of being surrounded with human counsellors and advisors. He is pele yoetz, a Wonder of a Counsellor.

This Child is also called el gibbor, Mighty God. Literally God-Hero. One who overcomes, a victor, would be appropriate synonyms.

The third appellation is abi ad, Father-Eternal. The word Father pictorializes a quality of the Messiah toward His people. Eternal modifies Father, thus, Eternallya Father to His people!

The fourth name is sar shalom, Prince of Peace. Since the peace to be established is eternal, it is clear that this peace is something more than a temporary cessation of hostilities (which millennialists claim will be enforced during the so-called thousand year literal reign of Christ in Jerusalem.) among nations. The cessation of warfare in itself does not bring about a desired condition of existence. There must also be removed the cause of war, namely, human sin. When this cause of war is removed, then there can be true peace. For human sin to be removed, however, there must be a state of peace between God and man. Not only must man be at peace with God, but what is more important, God must be at peace with man. The enmity which had existed between God and man must be removed. It was human sin which had kept God at enmity with man. When that sin has been removed, then there can be everlasting peace (Cf. Romans 5:1; Ephesians 2:11-22). The Prince of Peace was foreshadowed by Melchizedek, King of Salem (peace) and in Solomon, peaceful one. See also our comments on Isaiah 2:4.

The nature of the reign of this Child will be in justice and righteousness. The two indispensable ingredients making for peace are justice and righteousness. There are two qualities so blatantly abused in the days of the prophets by the rulers and the people of Israel and Judah. Christ came and satisfied the justice of God teaching men to be just and imputed to men the righteousness of God teaching men to be righteous. And His kingdom has continued to reach out to all men everywhere, increasing in quantity and quality. Spiritual growth and development into the image of God is the very essence of the kingdom of God.
What will ever accomplish all this? The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do it. But zeal for what? There is one recurring phrase of great interest in the prophetic literature, God says, For my own sake, or For the sake of my name, I will do it. What could bring more blessedness or victory or safety or abundance to God's people than the vindication of the wisdom, power and faithfulness of God Himself? If God is zealous for His own honor, then His people will surely find honor in that!

QUIZ

1.

What is the ultimate fulfillment of this section of prophecy?

2.

What is significant about the territory of Galilee in this prophecy?

3.

What is the darkness referred to in Isaiah 9:2?

4.

How was the nation multiplied ?

5.

What figures of speech are used to depict deliverance from oppression?

6.

Give the meaning of the four names for the Child-Son,

7.

What is the peace to be brought by this Child-ruler? Where is it fulfilled in the N.T.?