The Hope

The Hope | Isaiah 9:1-7 | 12.11.2022

Main Idea: Christmas brings hope because it takes bad news and turns it into the best news ever.

I. Hope has Bad News in its Backdrop (v1-5)

“1 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 shined. 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.”

• The period Isaiah wrote in was one of their darkest. 
  • Ahaz was king. He worshiped false gods & practiced child sacrifice (his own son even).
  • He locked the temple doors in an attempt to eliminate worship to the true God. 
  • There was also civil war between Judah & Israel, the Assyrian captivity was en route, & the Jewish people had mostly rejected God.
  • This led to what is revealed in 8:21-22. They were enraged with God & blamed him for their plight & then looked to the earth for hope, but “behold distress and darkness, the gloom of anguish.” 

• In v1 we are told the “gloom” would end but the bad news was still in the backdrop. 
  • “Zebulun” (misery) & “Naphtali” (struggler) were the first 2 tribes to lose their land & freedom. 
    • Their sin brought God’s wrath & judgment (“brought into contempt”). 
    • The Assyrians came in, hooked their mouths & chained them together; while impaling others.
    • Because of the Assyrian captivity & later, the Babylonian captivity, this region became inhabited by foreigners which would turn it into “Galilee of the nations”.  

What does it take to encounter hope? 

• • Encountering hope first requires hopelessness: “The people who walked in darkness”. 
    • The darkness here is referring to sin: Israel’s rejection of God. 
    • Spiritual darkness is the epitome of hopelessness because it only ever leads to death (“land of deep darkness”). 
      • But there is a contrast to darkness: Light (“On them has light shined”). 
        • Light is a designation given to Jesus (i.e. Jn 1:7; 3:19 ; 9:5).

• God’s hope always leads to “joy” (v3). 
  • Like a farmer at harvest time & a soldier who gets to divide the spoil (v3b), this is the joy God wanted His people to experience again. 
  • The joy referred to here is one that can only be found in a hope that transcends time & circumstances.
    • Difficult is the disciplined journey of finding joy when nothing in your life’s circumstances point to it, but everything about what God did to save you, does. 
    • “I will take joy in the God of my salvation.” Hab 3:18.  

• The burden & oppression of the Assyrian captivity would one day be “broken” (relieved), like in their defeat of Midian recorded in Judges 7 (v4). 
  • The sound of the Assyrian army’s feet and the bloody clothes they would wear to intimidate their foes would be history. 
  • The relief Isaiah points to is one that wouldn’t come for another 700 years. 
  • It was relief that could be experienced at that moment, because it was a promise of good news.

II. Hope Always Gives the Promise of Good News (v6-7)

“6 For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will 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.”

• The hope ultimately would come in the form of a “child”. 
  • The designation of “child” represents Christ’s humanity. 
  • The designation of “son” represents Christ’s deity. 
  • “The Son of God became a man to enable men to become sons of God.” C.S. Lewis. 

• There would be so many implications.

1. “The government will be upon His shoulders”: The nations are His possession (Ps 2:7-8). 
2. His name will be called “Wonderful Counselor” because Christ wonderfully possesses all wisdom. 
3. He is the “Mighty God”:  He has all the power over the world. 
4. He is an “Everlasting Father”: He is a child of time but the Father of timelessness because He created all things (John 1:3). He is the Father of eternity because He precedes time. He is from old & everlasting (Micah 5:2). He is the source of everlasting life (Jn 3:16). 
5. He is the “Prince of Peace”: He sits on the throne of what we all desperately desire in life: peace. 

• Finally, unlike every other government in the history of the world, Christ’s government will never weaken (v7).
  • This is a direct fulfillment of 2 Samuel 7:12-16.
    • Christ would establish his rightful throne as the human seed, the heir of David. 
    • Christ would reign in righteousness and justice, forever:  “The Lord will do this.”

Reflect: How does the good news that Jesus came to save sinners meet the bad news you’ve had this year?