Isaiah 9:1-7 – The ultimate triumph of grace

So far, we have seen that Ahaz, by choosing not to trust God, had plunged Judah in chaos and darkness. The suffering of Judah was not at the hands of the alliance of the kings, Pekah and Rezin. Her suffering came from Assyria and Egypt, especially the former. Under the crushing hand of Assyria, Judah would be left in despair for a while. Then a great light over the land would dawn. What happened to Ahaz tells us that the choice we make in life matters, especially when it comes to trusting God. Whether we will continue to walk in darkness or in God’s marvelous light would be determined by the decision we make. Making the right choice in life is critical.

In the past, whenever Israel was under attack, lands occupied by the tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali, near the Sea of Galilee, would be the first to be trampled upon by the invading forces. But in this prophecy, the tide would reverse. They would be the first to see the coming of the great light. In seven verses from Isaiah 9:1-7, the prophet foretold of an upcoming day of a breakthrough. There is an eclipse of Christ’s first and second coming in these verses.

 

A glorious light was predicted to be breaking forth on the land starting from the north, in the region of Galilee. This is attested to by the early ministry of Jesus. His ministry began from the north of Galilee. That is the reason why He has often been referred to as a Galilean. In Jesus’ coming the judgment upon God’s people would be broken. He was the Child that would be born. He would be given marvelous titles and the ultimate authority. And He shall rule over David’s kingdom, not only in justice but also in righteousness.

 

When Christ first broke into the scene, He brought a message to dispel gloom and darkness. Ultimately, He will show that grace has triumphed over darkness. Those walking under the shadow of thick darkness would be blinking under the glorious new light of God’s blinding grace. The second person pronoun “You,” in verse 3, is referring to God. He would be the One who would usher in the great light. The people that He would gather would gain in momentum until His nation would enlarge. They would experience great joy like a harvester who had a huge bonus harvest, gladly dividing the spoils.         

 

In verses 4-7, we see the effectiveness of the Messiah’s ministry. He would break bondages and bring a decisive end to all conflicts we had to endure. None can do it as effectively as He. For on His shoulder God’s ultimate authority rests. We are told that His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of peace. Jesus came the first time to redeem us and He will come again to claim the throne forever. And there shall be no end to His Kingdom and no bound to His power. He will come back again not to deal with man’s problem but to establish the ultimate correction to our systemic evil. Verse 7 refers to the ultimate rule of Christ where perfect justice and righteousness will be the call of the day. This is guaranteed. What a glorious God! What a glorious hope!