A New Light Has Dawned (First Sunday of Advent)
Isaiah 9:1-7
“The people walking in darkness have seen a great light…” vs. 2
Total Darkness
A few years ago Claudia and I began hiking more extensively at Black Diamond mines. She discovered something she wanted to show me and so one day we hiked to Prospect Mine. To my surprise, it was a cave dug years ago for mining sandstone and you could still hike back into it. I was excited to see how far back it goes and to explore a bit and yet at the same time I was a little nervous…okay, maybe scared a little. We had flashlights and so we explored. I was really surprised at how far back it went. There was a point where you could no longer see the entrance. When we made it as far as you could go, because they had put up wrought iron bars we looked around and then Claudia said, “Turn off your flashlight.” I was a little nervous but I did. I could not believe how dark it was. It was total darkness. I put my hand up in front of me and could not see it. Even though I had flashlight on when we came in and I saw there was really nothing else in there I started a mini panic; were there spiders, small rodents, what if my flashlight won’t turn back on, what if some guy, a murderer, is hiding out in there, etc. Of course after a moment I turned the flash light back on and everything was fine and then we made our way back out. It was pretty comforting when the cave entrance came into view again and then emerging from the cave it was like, ahhh, life is good again. But it was a fin experience.
Fast forward a few years and Claudia and I decided to take the youth group on a n outing to the mine. Of course this time I was the expert, the cool guy who had done it and was not afraid. I knew the kids were a little on edge but it was like, “Come on, it’s okay, it’s perfectly safe.” We went in and they we made our way back. They got really nervous when I said, “O.K. everybody, turn your flashlights off.” They did but some of them were really nervous and this was before cell phones were so popular and before the flash light app was available. Some of them were experiencing for the first time that total darkness. Some of them couldn’t wait to turn those flashlights back on. I, of course, had to scare a few them. But I did notice that I was still a bit nervous. I was responsible for these kids and what if something went wrong. It wasn’t long before a few of them said, “Let’s go back.”
You know, darkness stirs up some things in us, nerves, anxiety, our minds wander to bad things happening, etc. But light tends to work in the opposite way. So lets look at what God’s Word says about this subject in Isaiah 9:1-97. If you are able, please stand as we read God’s Word.
Read Passage – Isaiah 9:1-7
Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future he will honor Galilee of the nations, by the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan—2 The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned. 3 You have enlarged the nation and increased their joy; they rejoice before you as people rejoice at the harvest, as warriors rejoice when dividing the plunder. 4 For as in the day of Midian’s defeat, you have shattered the yoke that burdens them, the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor. 5 Every warrior’s boot used in battle and every garment rolled in blood will be destined for burning, will be fuel for the fire. 6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.
Doom and Gloom
Isaiah chapter 9 is really a continuing thought from Isaiah chapter 8. In chapter 8 the nation of Judah is being ruled by King Ahaz who was not one of Judah’s better kings. It says in 2 Kings16 that:
“he did not do what was right in the eyes of the Lord.” 2 Kings 16:2
So Judah was not following God and their king was leading them down a dangerous path. The Nation of Syria and Israel were threatening attacks and destruction and the people were living in fear. Judah was 2 of the tribes of Israel that broke off from the other 10 after the death of Solomon. They were a smaller nation a with a smaller army and fewer resources. In their eyes things were not looking good. So we read in chapter 9 verse 1a:
“Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress.” vs. 1a
This verse tells us their state of mind; doom and gloom. Not god had promised they would not be overtaken by Syria and Israel but they weren’t following God so why would they believe him? They were in constant threat and felt inferior so they lived with this oppression and dark cloud hanging over them.
Prophecies of Renewed Lands
So as we approach Isaiah 9 we have the benefit of hindsight and looking back on God’s plan and what he was doing. One of the things intriguing things that God tells the nation of Judah comes in verse 1b:
“In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future he will honor Galilee of the nations, by the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan.” vs. 1b
Now you might recognize the names of those two tribes, but you probably can’t recall much of anything about them. They are two of the northern most tribes of Israel right up here (show map). What’s intriguing about this is that these two tribes aren’t really mentioned much in the Bible. We see big prophecies or events that take place in these two tribes. They are just 2 of the lesser known tribes. It says in verse one that they were humbled. Interestingly enough, God often uses the lesser known, the smaller, the lowly, the humbled, to accomplish some of his greatest plans. So why is this so important here? The prophet is predicting what is to come and that there is something big in there future. God is going to use them. Now this prophecy is about 500 years before the time of Christ. Let’s jump ahead 500 years. Joseph and Mary leave Bethlehem (part of Judah) and flee to Egypt because Herod is killing all the Israeli boys because he has heard that one of them would be a king. After the death of Herod, when Joseph and Mary return to Israel, they don’t go back to Bethlehem, no, they return and settle in Galilee. Guess which tribes once inhabited the land of Galilee? That’s right – Zebulun and Naphtali. To the Israelites this didn’t make a lot of sense since Zebulun and Naphtali weren’t that significant.
Note: we look for God to do great things in great places but often he uses the lesser known, the less significant to accomplish his plan. Example, the Christ would be born to nobility, not an unwed mother and carpenter, in a big town like Jerusalem, not some manger out of town and away from greatness.
And it gets better. Matthew tells us that early in His ministry, Jesus left His home town of Nazareth…
“…he went and lived in Capernaum, which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali— to fulfill what was said through the prophet Isaiah: “Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the way to the sea, along the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles— the people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.” Matthew 4
If they were to listen closely they would see that God is prophesying hope for them and for what is to come. Now we can feel much like Judah when we see all the things happening around us. We can feel our nation is on the wrong track and headed down the wrong path and it’s only a matter of time before things completely fall apart. But…that is what is so great about this time of year. We remember. We remember what God has done and that he is still working and has a plan and that he is a God of hope.
God’s Three Promises of Hope
Most of the time when you hear people speak about this passage they focus on verse 6. That is such an awesome verse and so important in our understanding of God and his plan. But, if we fail to look at the verse before it we have missed a gem. In the verses before verse 6 God gives three promises of hope to Judah that apply for us as well today.
- A Light
The first promise comes in verse 2b which reads:
“…those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.” vs. 2b
The phrase he uses here is a “light has dawned.” Dawn is that time just before the light comes up. It was dark, the day is beginning and there is the anticipation of the sun coming up. Dawn brings hope because the sunlight is just about to make its appearance.
Ex. You go out and it is dark, it’s hard to see, hard to know what is in front of you, a little unsure of the path. The dawn comes and you can see what is ahead, you can begin to see a new day; it’s hope because the sun is about to come up. And when that sunlight makes its first breakthrough there is joy.
In the dawn we see hope They are just about to discover that God is bringing about change and that he is working but they are so overcome by the darkness theat they fail to see the dawn.
Ill. This is the 1st Sunday of advent in the church calendar. What that means is that this is the first Sunday that we begin to think about Christmas. Thanksgiving is over and that is such a great time but Christmas is coming. This is like the dawn. We are anticipating the celebration of the Messiah.
(Light the 1st Advent candle)
I know a lot of people debate the time of year that Christmas is celebrated but this is a tradition thousands of years old that we choose to celebrate the gift of God’s son that bring light to our world. It’s the beginning of a new day. A celebration of that first light. David put is wonderfully in Psalm 112:4:
“Even in darkness light dawns for the upright, for those who are gracious and compassionate and righteous.” Psalm 112:4
You see, even for us, we may feel we are living in a dark time, things seem gloomy and dark, but Christmas is a time of remembrance that light is and has come. Did you know that each of the candles represents something of God and that the first candle is the candle of hope?
- An Increase of Joy
The second promise that comes in these verses comes in verse 3 and says:
“You have enlarged the nation and increased their joy; they rejoice before you as people rejoice at the harvest, as warriors rejoice when dividing the plunder.” vs. 3
The key phrases in this verse help us understand what God is communicating to us about joy. Notice that he sues the illustrations of the harvest and of dividing up the plunder after war. He is indicating that this is a new time. There are flows to life; times where we work, fight, toil, plant, water, etc. Another time is when all the work is done and there is time to reap and gather and enjoy the fruit of the labor. These people would get this because many of them were farmers and those that weren’t, many of them were warriors. The farmers had times of long days, tilling the soil, planting, watering, weeding, and cultivating. The warriors had times of prep and fighting and going to war and time away from their country and families. This is a new time.
Ill. Enjoying the first produce of the harvest. (When I picked pomegranates last week)
Enjoying the time of splitting up the plunder from war and the new things gained.
There is joy that comes in these times. It’s an abundance and a time of rejoicing. Sometimes it is hard to wait for but if we are persistent and continue on, the harvest comes. Paul uses the same illustration in Gal. 6:9:
“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” Gal. 6:9
In time, we do reap a harvest and that is a joyful time.
- Liberty
And the third promise comes in verses 4-5; liberty:
“For as in the day of Midian’s defeat, you have shattered the yoke that burdens them, the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor. Every warrior’s boot used in battle and every garment rolled in blood will be destined for burning, will be fuel for the fire.” vss. 4-5
Midian was a oppressor of the Israelites. You might recall when we studied Gideon that he, with God’s leading and help, defeated the Midianites and that was a great victory for God and his people. They were oppressing and treating the Israelites badly and only God could save them. God did and he broke that yoke. The yoke is that big piece of wood that went on the shoulders of oxen and tied them together so they could till the ground. When a human has that kind of thing on it is oppressing and cumbersome restricting. God lifted it and took it away. The analogy here that comes in verse 5 is that the boots and garments of oppression are now used as kindling for the fire that symbolizes freedom and victory.
For us, we have a similar oppression, it is sin. It’s those things that separate us from God and cause us not to have a whole relationship with him. He provided the victory over sin in Jesus Christ and now we are called to live in freedom. Paul, again, uses the same analogy in Galatians 5:
“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.: Gal. 5:1
God has set us free through his son Jesus Christ and we are no longer living under a burden or oppression. Christ set us free and we are called not to go back to that old way of life that is restrictive, cumbersome and oppressive.
Light of Life
It’s in light of those promises that we come to that amazing verse 6:
“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders.” vs. 6a
These wonderful words prophecy the coming of Jesus Christ who is the Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Jesus came to brign light and freedom to us that we no longer live in fear, gloom, and darkness. He said in John 8:12:
“When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12
Because of his work and his light, we never have to walk in darkness again. In fact, in Matthew 5 Jesus says : You are the light of the world.” What he is saying tht we have inherited his light, not because of anything we have done but all because of what he has done and we are called to let our light, Jesus in us, shine so that the world will see God and glorify him. Today we celebrate the 1st week of advent and that the light of the world has come and that in Jesus we have the light of life. A new light has dawned again this year as we move into the Christmas season.
