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.
Isaiah 9:1-7
Christmas is about the zeal of the Lord of hosts accomplishing his eternally determined ends for his creation. “Unto us a son is given” is a line popularized by Handel in his famous musical work, Messiah. Our common vision of Christmas involves snow, Christmas carols, a tree with presents under it, and a fire in the fireplace with the family drinking hot chocolate with a small nativity scene under or alongside that tree. It generates a warm fuzzy feeling like a Currier and Ives painting.
This form of celebration produces positive emotions and warmth of heart. These emotions and celebration elements are good and help make up the positive emotional stuff of life. However, it falls radically short of the reality of what Christmas is all about. It is really about light in darkness, liberation from oppression, the end of the rebellion, the establishment of the final government, and the enjoyment of the fruits of that everlasting, ever-increasing government.
Zebulun and Naphtali were the first tribes to go into captivity under Assyria as the northern tribes were being judged and effectively brought to an end. They walked in darkness. Isaiah introduces the gospel by referring to Galilee of the nations or gentiles. Suddenly, non-Jews are recipients of the glorious way of the Lord. Looking at a map, you will see that Galilee appears superimposed over most of Zebulun and southern Naphtali. It was in the region of Galilee that Jesus, the Son of verse 6, spent most of his ministry. Thus, the light has shown among those who walked in darkness.
This entire message from Isaiah is written in the past tense as if it had already happened. Isaiah was prophesying this message approximately seven hundred years before it took place. Isaiah’s assurance is, “The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do it.” The Lord of hosts is the Lord of the armies of heaven, all the angelic powers that exist. It is his zeal that will do it.
Who is this Lord of hosts, this Son who is given?
He is the Wonderful Counselor. What exactly is a “wonderful” counselor? This word translated in English as wonderful refers to supernatural. According to J. Alec Motyer, there are two possibilities for translating this phrase, ‘a supernatural counselor’ or ‘one giving supernatural counsel.’ It is the kind of counsel that produces wonder; it is supernatural. This is the Son who was given. When we need counsel beyond our resources, go to the Son who is given.
He is the Mighty God. In Hebrew, it is el gibbor. El means God. Gibbor means mighty. Gibborim is the plural used to describe “mighty men,” David’s warriors. They were David’s Special Ops team. The Son who is given is, first of all, God and second, described as the mighty one. He vanquishes all of his foes.
He is the Everlasting Father. This Son, who is the supernatural counselor and warrior God, is also a Father. As a Father, we understand the kind of care he has for his children. We are to understand our relationship with him as being familial. He is the father of all who come to him in faith. The uniqueness of his fatherhood is that it is everlasting. There is no end to the fatherhood of God. Those who respond to the gospel in faith become part of an eternal family and will eternally enjoy their family.
He is the Prince of Peace. When Israel asked for a king, they were looking for stability that would give them constant safety and peace, not the up-and-down peace of the days of the judges. This longing for peace and security is universal; we all want it. Any observer of human h history knows that we have always been frustrated in our desire for this peace and safety. In the United States, a land that has largely known peace and security on her shores, the assurance of that peace and safety is being threatened. The foundations of her existence have been essentially destroyed from the fabric of her society. She cannot stand for long with a faulty foundation. Without a re-establishment of her foundation, she will fall. But, he, who is the Prince of Peace, is also the Everlasting Father. The government of his kingdom falls on his shoulders, not ours. It is too heavy for us. But his government or administration will increase forever; there will be no end. His is a kingdom that will not fall like Assyria, Babylon, Persia, Greece, Rome, and all the other prideful emperors who aspired to ascend to global power.
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.
His government or administration exists now. It will only increase along with its peace. There will be no end to it. It is upheld with justice and righteousness forevermore. Again, Isaiah speaks of this as a done deal, something that is past tense and will be ongoing forever. What is the basis of this confidence? This is probably the most powerful basis of assurance we can have. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this. When the Lord or captain of the hosts of heaven determines to do something, nothing can stand in the way. It is a done deal.
Christmas is really about the Kingdom of God and the introduction of the King of Kings, who reigns forever and ever. All who oppose him will fall. All who love him will find him to be their Everlasting Father, their Prince of Peace, their supernatural counselor. Christmas is evidence of the zeal of the Lord of hosts, who is performing all he promised.
Christmas is about the zeal of the Lord of hosts.
