1 Immanuel Our Hope in Darkness December 18, 2016 Isaiah 8:11-9:7 Matt Rawlings For the LORD spoke thus to me with his strong hand upon me, and warned me not to walk in the way of this people, saying: 12 "Do not call conspiracy all that this people calls conspiracy, and do not fear what they fear, nor be in dread. 13 But the LORD of hosts, him you shall regard as holy. Let him be your fear, and let him be your dread. 14 And he will become a sanctuary and a stone of offense and a rock of stumbling to both houses of Israel, a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 15 And many shall stumble on it. They shall fall and be broken; they shall be snared and taken." 16 Bind up the testimony; seal the teaching among my disciples. 17 I will wait for the LORD, who is hiding his face from the house of Jacob, and I will hope in him. 18 Behold, I and the children whom the LORD has given me are signs and portents in Israel from the LORD of hosts, who dwells on Mount Zion. 19 And when they say to you, "Inquire of the mediums and the necromancers who chirp and mutter," should not a people inquire of their God? Should they inquire of the dead on behalf of the living? 20 To the teaching and to the testimony! If they will not speak according to this word, it is because they have no dawn. 21 They will pass through the land, greatly distressed and hungry. And when they are hungry, they will be enraged and will speak contemptuously against their king and their God, and turn their faces upward. 22 And they will look to the earth, but behold, distress and darkness, the gloom of anguish. And they will be thrust into thick darkness. ESV Isaiah 9:1 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. 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. [Pray] In his books The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, J.R.R. Tolkien wrote about a short little sword named sting. The remarkable thing about sting was that it gave off a faint blue glow. In fact, it glowed most brightly when orcs and goblins were closest. Several times in the books, both the characters Bilbo and then Frodo used sting to guide them out of a dark cave and light the way. When evil was closest at hand, when things seemed the absolute worst was when the light of the sword was a source of hope Light is like that isn t it? It dispels darkness, light shows the way, light gives hope when fears surround us. If you ve ever been camping in the dark woods and heard a loud noise outside your tent, you reach for your flashlight and it is in those moments that you are gladdest for it. 1
2 That, and when you have to get up and go to the bathroom in the middle of the night in an especially dark campground in the woods. The picture that Isaiah paints for us in this chapter is one of extremes. We see two contrasts that God is making through the prophet Isaiah. The first is of darkness and hopelessness. And the second is a picture of great Light and hope. In chapter 8:11-22, we see thick darkness and hopelessness 1. Apart from God, we have only dark hopelessness It is a picture of dark hopelessness. So often, at Christmas-time, we read verses 6 and 7 of chapter 9, that start with For to us a child is born, to us a son is given. But when we read them without the context, without the contrast of the darkness against the light, it is harder to see the great hope we really have in them. Isaiah begins his prophecy with chapter 8:11 though and he opens up with God s hand heavy on him: For the LORD spoke thus to me with his strong hand upon me, and warned me not to walk in the way of this people, saying The direct sense and weight of God s word was heavy on him. God warned the prophet not to walk out his life in the same way that the people did: "Do not call conspiracy all that this people calls conspiracy, and do not fear what they fear, nor be in dread. So, we see at least one major reason why the people walked in darkness and it was because they feared what was feeble and weak, in comparison to God. A. We walk in darkness by fearing what is weak compared to God The people were fearful and because of their fear, they were dreaming up all kinds of conspiracy theories. This isn t too different from today is it? Today, there are all kinds of wild theories, to suit any and every kind of fear. Conspiracy theories that say that one race is conspiring against another. Theories that the government is conspiring to take away liberties or spy on people. Theories of a one-world government or other. Theories that a single ethnicity is conspiring behind the scenes to undermine and rule the whole world. In all of the conspiracy theories, there may even be a little bit of truth. Regardless of whether there is any truth or not, God was warning Isaiah to not give into labeling conspiracy. God also was adamant that His people not be led by fear and dread what might come. Instead of being marked by fear and motivated by dread But the LORD of hosts, him you shall regard as holy. Let him be your fear, and let him be your dread. God s people are to live more aware that God is above all other so-called gods. God is not like any other He is holy He is greater than all others. God is sovereignly ruling and reigning over all things, all nations and all people, so it is God that we should trust and fear. It is God that we should dread offending. The lives of God s people should be markedly different and stand out for their lack of fear in regards to all the troubles and things around them, whether real or not. Instead, it should be most evident that God s people live in deep reverence for God. 14 And he will become a sanctuary and a stone of offense and a rock of stumbling to both houses of Israel, a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. God Himself will become a holy place to the people of Israel. To some, this is a chance to repent and believe and then draw near to God through His appointed way. While to others, 2
3 God s holy presence trips people up and they are snared: And many shall stumble on it. They shall fall and be broken; they shall be snared and taken." It is like a rock put across a path to stop people from going into danger, that the traveler ignores and stumbles to their death. The same God in his unchanging nature is both sanctuary and snare; it depends on how people respond to his holiness J. Alec Motyer, Isaiah Some will respond to the sanctuary of God and take refuge in Him, through the way He has provided. Others will fall and be broken by ignoring the holy God and so, bring judgment on themselves. 16 Bind up the testimony; seal the teaching among my disciples. Isaiah is to write down the testimony of God. He is to bind it, in the sense of wrapping it up and guarding it from being altered or tampered with. He is also to seal it as a completed teaching directly from God the King of all and then make sure that he taught it to all the disciples or followers of God. 17 I will wait for the LORD, who is hiding his face from the house of Jacob, and I will hope in him. Even though God was not evident to the people of Israel, Isaiah declared that he would wait for the Lord and hope in Him, sight-unseen. 18 Behold, I and the children whom the LORD has given me are signs and portents in Israel from the LORD of hosts, who dwells on Mount Zion. Isaiah himself and his children are signs and warnings to Israel. When Ahaz the king of Judah was fearful of the kingdoms of Syria and Ephraim coming to destroy Jerusalem, Ahaz was tempted to make a treaty with Assyria and Isaiah had a child and named him Shear-jashub, which means a remnant will return. Meaning, if you make a treaty with Assyria, then only a remnant of Judah will return Assyria will make you their slaves and only leave a remnant to return. And later, Isaiah s second son was named Maher-shalal-hashbaz, which means quick to the plunder, swift to the spoil. Because Isaiah prophesied that within two years, the kingdoms of Syria and Ephraim would be destroyed and the plunder and the spoils would be carried off by the Assyrians. Isaiah would trust in the Lord and even his children, which God gave him were signs that the Lord was over all He dwells in His holy city Mt. Zion. Isaiah could and would trust in God. In contrast, we see a second reason why the people walked in dark hopelessness because they trusted in what was false and futile, as D.A. Carson puts it. B. We walk in darkness by trusting what is false and futile compared to God 19 And when they say to you, "Inquire of the mediums and the necromancers who chirp and mutter," should not a people inquire of their God? Should they inquire of the dead on behalf of the living? God is a living God and His people are a people of the living God. So, why should people who are living, inquire of the dead and those who claim to talk to the spirits of the dead? Because God is a living God and His people are living, they should inquire only of the living God Himself. 20 To the teaching and to the testimony! If they will not speak according to this word, it is because they have no dawn. Instead of looking to the false and futile necromancers and mediums, God s people are to look to the true teaching, the law and testimony of God. The 3
4 people already have all the truth that they need in God s own Word. If people don t speak according to God s Word, then they are unenlightened and can t see the light they are stuck in hopelessness with no dawn of truth. 21 They will pass through the land, greatly distressed and hungry. And when they are hungry, they will be enraged and will speak contemptuously against their king and their God, and turn their faces upward. Without the light of God s revelation, people will be greatly distressed and hungry. They don t receive the good of the earth from the God of the earth, because they have rejected Him. Those who do not live by God s truth live in utter hopelessness. When they are hungry, they will be filled with rage and speak angrily and resentfully against God. 22 And they will look to the earth, but behold, distress and darkness, the gloom of anguish. And they will be thrust into thick darkness. For those who do not trust in God and fear Him, all around them, they will see distress and darkness and they will experience the gloom of anguish. Because of their unbelief, they will be thrust into thick darkness. In darkness, they consulted the mediums and those who dealt with the dead with darkness itself and so, they are thrust into darkness. Darkness is all around and darkness is the future without the light of God. But, then things take a dramatic turn in this prophecy of Isaiah. In chapter 9, God sends hope, like a bright spotlight shooting through the darkness like the crisp, clear dawn of spring, shining brightly after a long winter. So, we see that 2. Through Immanuel, we have great light and hope 9:1 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. The land of Naphtali and Zebulun are the lands in the north-east of Israel. As border territories, they were over-run with foreign gods and idol worship. Contempt was brought on them for their idolatry and in the year 733, the Assyrians take the people there captive. But now, Isaiah looks into the future, through the eyes of faith, and sees as fact, what will happen after him, as something that has already been done. God has taken action to reverse the plight of the land of Zebulun and Naphtali. Instead of being a place of contempt, now the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee will be a place of light for the nations. Where darkness had fallen, now light would shine. The lands that have been cursed would now experience divine blessing and transformation. And that is what we see is God s promise in verses 2-5 A. God promises the light of life 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. The people have experienced days of deep darkness. Assyria overtook their land, they forcibly relocated the Israelites there and their lands became Assyrian provinces. The people have nothing and are living out their lives in a dark, hopeless existence, but in Isaiah s vision, they have seen a great light. Where God s face had been hidden from them, now the light of God s favor is revealed. The language used here is like that of the beginning of creation, when darkness covered the earth 4
5 and the Creator, God said, let there be light. This is a picture of God shining through the darkness and transforming the darkness of the people into light, dispelling the deepest darkness and despair. As the people see the light, it is like experiencing the dawn after a long dark night. 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. Although only a remnant of God s people was left, God multiplied the nation. For those who were most low of all people, God has increased their joy. In response to seeing the light and experiencing the joy of God through His light, they rejoice like those who have received a bountiful harvest after a famine. They are glad like people who joyfully divide the spoils from a great victory over their enemy. They rejoice in God, in the bountiful harvest and victory that He gives them. 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. In the exodus, God broke the yoke of burden that the people bore and set them free, in the same way, Isaiah sees that God has broken the yoke of slavery and removed the burden of sin from His people. The picture given here is of a staff and rod, that beat the shoulders and oppressed his people like a cruel slave master beats and oppresses his slaves. And Isaiah declares that God has broken these, like Gideon delivered the land before from their yoke of slavery. Now there will be no more burdens, no more beatings, no more cruel taskmaster ruling over them. Instead, the yoke of is burden and the staff for his shoulder are different. Jesus uses the exact same language as Isaiah of himself in Matthew 11. Matthew 11:28-30 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." His yoke is not oppressive. Instead, the yoke of Jesus, when you come under Him as His servant, brings freedom instead of oppression. His burden is not heavy and hard either. When you come under Jesus and submit to Him, He gives a burden of the message of forgiveness, instead of carrying the weight of sin. It is an irony that when we are weak, we are strong in Him. When we are His slave, we are free to love and obey Him. This King destroys every oppression. 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. God will remove the very cause of their defeat and their bloodied garments and burn them, signifying that the battle is over. He signifies the ultimate victory. This King destroys all oppression and all injustice and all war and all savagery. All of the things to do with war, He will remove and burn up. God promises to transform and He gives us Himself as the means of transformation. B. Immanuel - God with us, is the source of transformation and hope The fighting is done and God completes the victorious mop up and the people enter into the benefits of His victory. And God tells us the means in verses 6 and 7, 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. The great light that has shined on the land of Galilee is the long-await Christ-childd. Matthew quotes Isaiah 9 Matthew 4:12-17, Now when he heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew into Galilee. 13 And leaving Nazareth he went and lived in Capernaum by the sea, 5
6 in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, 14 so that what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: 15 "The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles- 16 the people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light, and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death, on them a light has dawned." 17 From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." With the coming of Jesus, darkness and fear was dispelled. In the very coming of this child that is born, all that He will do is secured. This was no ordinary child. When His shoulders bear the weight of government and rule, the shoulders of His people are unburdened. This child that was to be born would bear the names reserved for God Himself He is God with us Immanuel. This Immanuel, this child, who is God with us, shall be called wonderful counselor. He is the supernatural counselor who gives supernatural counsel. This child is called wonderful counselor. At least 10 different times, Isaiah mocks the wisdom of men. Where all other human counsel fails, the counsel of this One does not fail. Where elsewhere God laughs at the counsel of men that does not last and is not true this is the wonderful counselor whose Word lasts and is true. Where the counsel of man failed, this child will be the wonderful counselor. The name of the child would be Mighty God like God because He is God. His name shall be called Everlasting Father the One to be born would be none other than the eternal God. The Father provides for His children through His own child s birth. As a Father, He looks after the cares and concerns of His children. He cares for the helpless and this child cares eternally for the children. He brings total security in His eternal reign. He is the Prince of peace. He brings final and total victory over the enemies of His people. He brings the peace of well-being. He brings the peace of freedom from fear and anxiety. He is the Prince of peace, who brings harmony to relationships. He is the Prince of peace the one who embodies peace and administers peace to His people. 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. His government His rule and reign, will continue to increase and there will be no end to the increase of His reign. The spread of His peace will continue to increase endlessly. His kingdom will increase until He rules over everything there will be no limits to His kingdom. This chosen one will sit on the long-awaited, prophesied throne of King David and uphold the everlasting kingdom that God promised to David, with the utmost justice and righteousness. Those who trust in the rule and reign of this chosen King will have no need to fear, because this King will keep His kingdom forever with justice. The closing line says that the zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this. Meaning that God would set this child in place and bring this about. Yet it was some 700 years later when the Light of life had finally dawned. We often can t see the big picture. God s people had to wait for 700 years for the fulfillments trusting in God, through the long span of God s great plan even when they couldn t see it and couldn t see their part. The prophecy is not yet done. Not all things have been consummated fully yet. We have hope but we still see things that oppose. Peace has come but not yet completely. Christ has come 6
7 Immanuel, God with us is what we celebrate. He has brought us joy and peace and gladness and hope. Yet for us we still see some darkness around. We hope in Christ to come again. As D.A. Carson says, So we too, like Isaiah are to trust God and take him at his word and not to fear what our culture fears. Not to find refuge or false security in what our culture does - in whispered voices of the cult and not put our trust in these complex conspiracy theories. But to remember that God is in control and Jesus is coming back. This doesn t invite passivity but genuine god-centeredness, genuine trust in God, genuine fearlessness before the changing historical tides. So as we look back and contemplate on the history of those generation who were to look forward to Christ and trust in the God who would send him, we must not look back with smugness and say ok, now he has arrived. Now we are called in our turn to await his appearance again. So advent has been a time to remind us about how people awaited his first coming and it is a call for Christians to await his second coming. So now we sing again, O come O, come Immanuel. It will all happen. The never-ending zeal the jealous love of God for His people that never fails will bring this all about He will do this. 2016 Redeeming Grace Church. This transcribed message has been lightly edited and formatted for the Website. No attempt has been made, however, to alter the basic extemporaneous delivery style, or to produce a grammatically accurate, publication-ready manuscript conforming to an established style template. 7