Dwell in the Word: Isaiah 9:1-7

Think on these questions as you dwell in Isaiah 9:1-7:

1. The passage from Isaiah 9:6-7 contains well-known prophetic words about the Messiah, such as "For to us a child is born" and the titles given to Him. How does understanding these prophetic promises deepen your appreciation of Jesus Christ and His role in your life today?

2. The passage emphasizes that the government will be upon the Messiah's shoulder, and there will be no end to the increase of His government and peace. In what ways does Jesus Christ, as the Prince of Peace, bring peace and justice to the lives of believers and to the world as a whole? How can Christians actively participate in bringing God's peace to their communities?

3. The passage concludes by emphasizing that the zeal of the Lord of Hosts will accomplish this eternal promise. What significance does it hold for believers to recognize that God is the one who accomplishes salvation and victory over sin, death, and evil on their behalf? How does this understanding impact your relationship with God and your response to His grace?

Transcript:

As we come to Isaiah 9 here, we see more words from Isaiah that we truly know. They're baked in us from Advent readings, perhaps, Christmas readings, obviously, and definitely from Handel’s, Messiah. These are the words of the prophetic promise of the Messiah that we probably know best. For to us a child is born, 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. These are the things that are promised, and this one who's going to be around when things are restored. Now, remember, we've been looking at these prophetic words that are bringing judgment upon Judah. And we know that there was a promise, we saw this earlier, and there was a promise that a king was going to be born, and this king was going to be around when the kingdom was brought back from its punishment, from its exile, et cetera. And we talked about the idea of an already, but not yet fulfillment that there was this fulfillment of a child that was going to be born, but ultimately, we're pointing to the child that was going to be born.

The child is the one, Jesus Christ, the one who was promised all the way from the beginning, the one who would crush the head of the serpent. And so we see this prophetic word, and they were looking for something immediate. But ultimately, even if they were given this and they got their nation back, they were able to kick out those people who were coming in and were used by God to punish them. Even if they are sent out, there is still a problem. Even if this child that is given, this promised one, is able to set up the kingdom there in Judah and things get better, there is still that problem of sin. There's still that ultimate problem, death. There are greater enemies than these nations that are going to come in and overthrow their government. Far greater problems. Sin is a bigger deal. Death is the real enemy, right? We're looking beyond this because this is what applies to us. They were looking for a quick resolution or soon resolution. But what they really needed was the greater resolution, greater promise to be fulfilled in Christ. We see here the government upon his shoulder, he's going to bear the weight himself.

His name shall be called wonderful counselor, mighty God, everlasting Father, Prince of peace. This is who Christ is. This is what we hope for. This is what these people truly needed. And we see that an increase of his government and peace, there's no end. And on the throne of David and over his kingdom to establish and uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. This is an eternal thing. The ultimate fulfillment of this is eternal. And we understand this. Christ has come. He has overcome sin, death, hell, and the devil. And he has ascended, and he is our ascended King, the one from the line of David whose kingdom will have no end. But what I want us to see, as we look at the last verse here, is this last sentence in the last verse. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this. People of Judah, the people of Israel, no one is going to do this on their own. This is going to be established by God for His people. That is big messages. That's the message for them and the message for you and I today.

God is the one who saves people. He brings us to Himself. He does the work, we receive the benefits, and we respond in gratitude. How many times have you heard me say that? We respond in gratitude for what God does to rescue this people for himself. So may we remember that the zeal of the Lord of Host has done this for us. They were looking for getting their kingdom back to kick out those people who had come in to invade them. They were looking for that. They were hoping for that. That was an earthly enemy. But we understand that the zeal of the Lord of Host has done something for us. He has defeated our ultimate enemy. He has defeated our ultimate enemy, sin, death, hell, and the devil, once and for all, that we might receive benefit of his grace, and have the assurance of eternal life from this time, and forevermore.