Isaiah 9:2-7

Isaiah 9:2-7 (NRSV)
² The people who walked in darkness

have seen a great light;

those who lived in a land of deep darkness—

on them light has shined.

³ You have multiplied the nation,

you have increased its joy;

they rejoice before you

as with joy at the harvest,

as people exult when dividing plunder.

⁴ For the yoke of their burden,

and the bar across their shoulders,

the rod of their oppressor,

you have broken as on the day of Midian.

⁵ For all the boots of the tramping warriors

and all the garments rolled in blood

shall be burned as fuel for the fire.
⁶ For a child has been born for us,

a son given to us;

authority rests upon his shoulders;

and he is named

Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

⁷ His authority shall grow continually,

and there shall be endless peace

for the throne of David and his kingdom.

He will establish and uphold it

with justice and with righteousness

from this time onward and forevermore.

The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this. 

Isaiah 9:2-7 is a further sign for Ahaz. It describes the ideal Davidic king. He describes liberation from some form of adversity. Given the context, the Assyrian conquests of Israelite territory described in the previous verses are a good possibility. It could refer to the pressures from the Syro-Ephraimite war upon Judah. Outside forces threatened the Southern Kingdom of Judah and the God-blessed dynasty of King David. The Deuteronomic Historian condemns Ahaz in II Kings 16:2-4: “He did not do what was right in the sight of the Lord his God, as his ancestor David had done.” We learn from II Kings 16 and Isaiah 7 that (about 734 B.C.) the Northern Kingdom of Israel (Ephraim) had allied itself with Aram and Syria against Judah. Rather than trust in the Lord to counter the threat, Ahaz had tried to ally himself with the dangerous and pagan Assyrian Empire. The use of the past tense in the verses may mean that it predicts future events by saying they are as good as done. Therefore, it is not clear whether the Davidic king whose birth and rule are described in verses 6-7 has already been born or will be born in the future. If the former, it would refer to the son of Ahaz, Hezekiah. If it refers to the future, it will describe an ideal future ruler latter called the Messiah. 

We have a portion of scripture here from the Old Testament that comes from the time of Isaiah and Ahaz. We see part of the story of Ahaz related in II Kings 16 and even Hosea 5-6. Hosea is well aware that the Lord is using Judah to punish the sins of Israel. Isaiah composed this poem at the beginning of a series of disastrous political and military moves that took Judah from one precarious position to another. Ahaz has aligned himself with the Assyrian king by taking precious stones and carvings from the temple and offering them as tribute to the Assyrian king. He removed a portion of the altar in the Temple to make room for an Assyrian image. All of this was the result of worsening relations with the king of the northern tribes, Israel, and with Damascus. He received the help he wanted from Assyria. Yet, Assyria would eventually turn on him and invade. The picture is bleak for Judah. Ahaz will die within the next few years. He will not receive the typical burial with his ancestors, the descendants of David. Yet, in response to the first invasion of Judah in 733 BC, Isaiah composed these words of future hope and deliverance. His words offer new hope with a new Davidic ruler after Ahaz. This passage promises a royal savior. It promises an heir to the throne from David who will bring salvation and greatness to Israel. It received a messianic interpretation within the Christian community. It could refer to the crowning of Hezekiah as co-regent in 729 and as the king in 714. One could see it as an ascension prophecy for Josiah. The extravagant language is characteristic of court style. This is an inspiring promise of hope to a dispirited people.  The successor to Ahaz will be representative of divine rule, even though the Lord is their true king.

Isaiah 9: 2-3 begin with an expression of joy, for ² The people who walked in darkness, for they have lost their way metaphorically, have seen a great light. Darkness never sleeps. It is always open for business. Darkness entices its victims with whispers of illicit pleasure, then springs the trap. Darkness has swallowed up far too many lives and devoured them whole. It is against the darkness of his historical period that Isaiah foresees a great light.  Note that the voice of this poem is in the past tense, as though these events have already taken place.  The prophet can look back and tell the people with confidence what has already occurred.  Against the dismal present that traps the people, the prophet sees that the light that has come. Those who lived in a land of deep darkness—, (tsalmaweth or death-shadow). The word conveys the notion of palpable malevolence that frightens. The word, while not rare, is not common. It occurs 17 times in the Hebrew Bible, in the book of Job (nine times) and Psalms (four times, including its best-known occurrence, 23:4, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,” translated in NRSV as “darkest valley.” One can compare the usage parallel to the Isaiah passage in Psalm 107:10, 14. 

People of every age and culture know this darkness. Our personal darkness comes from depression, disillusionment, or doubt. It originates in discouraging work or a deteriorating relationship. It comes from having nothing to look forward to, no contribution to make, or no one to love. 

 

Yet, on them light, referring to the saving action of God, has shined! 

Consistent with that theme, Matthew 4:14-16 quotes this passage. The point Matthew makes is a good one. As Jesus begins his ministry in the region surrounding Galilee, the territory that once belonged to the tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali, he fulfills the hope contained in this prophecy by Isaiah. 

Jesus also came in dark times for the Jewish people, a time of Roman occupation and internal division. Yet, hope came in the person of Jesus. He would offer light in the form of preaching the nearness of the rule of God. He called some disciples to be with him. As Martin Luther King Jr put it, "We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.” Isaiah continues with his hope for the successor of Ahaz.

As human beings, we will go to great lengths to cure physical blindness. Artificial retinas are an amazing innovation. They focus on degenerated rods and cones. Yet, when it comes to another form of blindness, we will hesitate to seek healing. Blindness of mind and spirit is serious, we need healing, but we avoid the medicine. Our personal darkness comes from depression, or disillusionment, or doubt. It originates in discouraging work or a deteriorating relationship. It comes from having nothing to look forward to, no contribution to make, or no one to love. Suddenly, the people who walk in darkness can see a great light, and those who dwell in a land of darkness — on them the light shines! (Isaiah 9:2). In fact, if you read Isaiah 9:2-7, you will find that the prophet wants us to see the world differently. Do we dare?

Christian preaching and teaching make a bold claim. It claims to point people to the meaning and purpose of their lives. It attempts to help us see reality. In Christian preaching and teaching, Christ is the center of reality. Some of us embrace that claim early in our lives and live it out. It might even appear that they live it out easily, although I doubt that is the case for anyone. Some of us embrace that claim early in our lives but at some point, reject it. Many of us have family and friends who come to mind right now. I was talking with one youth pastor who had his young people write on the wall in the youth room their names. He could point to persons who signed their names ten or fifteen years ago. He could also point to the young people who had embraced the faith in High School, but who had now become atheists. It made him reflect upon what he was doing. The story he could tell is the one we usually hear, namely, that of the movement from believing to atheism. Yet, I want us to ponder for a moment the adult who moves from atheism to faith.

Why does it take so long for the light to dawn for some of us? We may need to have enough life experience to become aware of the darkness before we grasp the need for the light. It is significant that some people who have first come to Christ in full adulthood have done so while struggling with certain darkness in their lives. 

For example, Joy Davidman (d. 1960), an American poet and writer who eventually became the wife of C.S. Lewis, was initially an atheist. After her first marriage broke down, her resistance to God broke down: 

 

"For the first time my pride was forced to admit that I was not, after all, 'the master of my fate'... All my defenses -- all the walls of arrogance and cocksureness and self-love behind which I had hid from God -- went down momentarily -- and God came in."

 

            Let us consider Mortimer J. Adler (d. 2001), an American philosopher, educator, and popular author in making philosophy understandable to the rest of us. He was agnostic for most of his life and even described himself as a "pagan." During an illness, however, he sought solace in prayer and accepted the grace of God. He professed his belief "not just in the God my reason so stoutly affirms ... but the God ... on whose grace and love I now joyfully rely." 

Sally Read, raised in an atheist home, became a poet. She did not give God much thought until mid-life. Literary critics considered her a rising star in the poetry world. She had been a psychiatric nurse. She was pondering some psychiatric patients she interviewed when she started wondering about the soul. She talked with a priest. She came to think of God as the poet of the world and God was using her as an instrument in this world. She then looked at the priest and said he would not convert her. His response was that he could not convert her, but Christ could. A few months later, she prayed one of those, “Jesus, if you are real” prayers. It took nine months, but the light dawned in her life. She had an assurance of the presence of Christ in that moment. Regardless of when the light dawns upon the life of a person, we celebrate.

On the other hand, think of Christopher Hitchens' brother Peter, who is an English journalist and author, and whom people know in the United Kingdom as well as his brother was here in the United States. He, too, was an unbeliever in his youth and early adulthood. In fact, he says that at age 15, he set fire to a Bible his parents had given him. Nevertheless, he explains that later, as he advanced in his career, he lost his faith in politics and his trust in ambition, and he became fearfully aware of the inevitability of his own death. He says, "I was urgently in need of something else on which to build the rest of my life." Somehow, in that mood, he "rediscovered Christmas," which, he says, he had "pretended to dislike for many years," and he attended a carol service. He began to be aware of the light. He was also engaged to be married. Something moved him to choose to have his wedding in a church service instead of a civil ceremony. Of that he says, 

 

"I can certainly recall the way the words of the Church of England's marriage service, at Saint Bride's in London, awakened thoughts in me that I had long suppressed. I was entering into my inheritance, as a Christian Englishman, as a man and as a human being. It was the first properly grown-up thing that I had ever done."

 

Here is the point. Sometimes, the darkness of our own struggles creates a place where we become aware of the light of God. Every congregation has people on whom light has dawned late in life. Their testimony often includes the experience of confusion that comes when stumbling around in darkness. Certainly not everyone who chooses God and embraces Christ does so from a point of need or darkness, but many do. It supports the truth of what Isaiah said so many centuries ago, and Matthew said found fulfillment in Jesus Christ: "The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness -- on them light has shined." 

So, what is the point for those of us who are already walking in the light of God? First, let us be clearabout the Christian mission and message. Second, atheists remind us to keep Christ intricately connected to real life. Third, atheists also teach us to offer thoughtful answers to life's tough questions. Fourth, atheists also push us to take the Bible seriously and invite people to follow Jesus. 

Sometimes, we can be the ones through whom people who feel the weight of darkness almost want to believe in something. Here is a true story. A crosstown bus in New York City was caught during rush hour. Traffic was barely moving. The bus was filled with cold, tired people who were deeply irritated — with one another; with the rainy, sleety weather; with the world itself. Two men barked at each other about a shove that might or might not have been intentional. A pregnant woman got on, and nobody offered her a seat. Rage was in the air; no mercy would be found here. But as the bus approached Seventh Avenue, the driver got on the intercom. “Folks,” he said, “I know you’ve had a rough day and you’re frustrated. I can’t do anything about the weather or traffic, but here’s what I can do. As each one of you gets off the bus, I will reach out my hand to you. As you walk by, drop your troubles into the palm of my hand, okay? Don't take your problems home to your families tonight — just leave ’em with me. My route goes right by the Hudson River, and when I drive by there later, I’ll open the window and throw your troubles in the water. Sound good?” It was as if a spell had lifted. Everyone burst out laughing. Faces gleamed with surprised delight. People who’d been pretending for the past hour not to notice each other’s existence were suddenly grinning at each other like, is this guy serious?[1]

Once there was a grandmother, struggling with a life-threatening illness, who had her little granddaughter with her one Christmas. The granddaughter watched her as she lit a candle and placed it in the window. "Grandma, why do we light candles on Christmas?" "We light candles on Christmas, my dear, to tell the darkness we beg to differ." God has plenty of light for us as we face our darkness. Some people prefer to walk in darkness. God holds on to us, even when we let go. God keeps drawing us and pursuing us. Most importantly, followers of Jesus need to reflect the light of Christ in the world so that others may see it.

The secularity of our age suggests that darkness or nothingness is the “ultimate truth” of human existence, whether our personal death, the death of the earth, or the death of the universe. It also suggests that it will take courage to lead a meaningful human life considering our nothingness. We arise every day to fulfill our various tasks, knowing the nothingness of our end. All this may well be true. That is why the hope presented in texts like this will require the response of faith in the promises of God. If the hope that inspired Isaiah to write in this way is true, then we can live through any darkness as a temporary and finite reality. 

 

The prophet now discusses the harsh realities of war. ³ You have multiplied the nation, you have increased its joy; they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest, as people exult when dividing plunder.Cruel as it sounds to modern ears, this reflects the harsh reality of ancient warfare, in which the spoils of war provided much-needed compensation for war’s costs to both civilians and soldiers. Since Ahaz jeopardized the Davidic dynasty, a new king gives rise to new hopes. For Isaiah, the lack of trust in the Lord was the problem. They needed to trust the Lord rather than their military strength or alliances. 

In Isaiah 9:4-5, we learn that their future wellbeing depends on the defeat of the enemy. The community has lived under oppression, but the new king comes to rescue them. It will be brutal and violent.  ⁴ For the yoke of their burden[2], and the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor, you have broken as, in a phrase unique to this passage, on the day of Midian in Judges 7:15-25, where Gideon led Israelite warriors in the defeat of the army of Midian, along with the heads of commanders Oreb and Zeeb brought to Gideon. The battle also receives mention in Isaiah 10:26 and Psalm 83:9, 11. Here are the images of the oppression. The scenes of liberation Isaiah recalls are classic. As slaves in Egypt, the burdens of their oppressors had become their yoke.  Nevertheless, the Lord miraculously broke the unmerciful rod of Egypt and freed the people. In Psalm 2, the king ruling from the holy hill of the Lord, Mount Zion, shall break the enemies of Judah with the rod of iron. In Psalm 76, the Lord broke the weapons of war and saved the oppressed of the earth (!). The prophet heralds not only the release of the people from political oppression, but also the cessation of warfare in general. ⁵For all the boots and tramping warriors and all the garments rolled in blood shall be burned as fuel for the fire.

Isaiah 9:6-7 reveal the source for the joy and victory a new heir will bring. It promises the international rule of the house of David. It refers to a royal accession rather than a literal birth, as in Psalm 2:7. God adopted the king as a son and heir. Obviously, such a promise of intimacy between the Lord and the king had become an important part of the worship life of Judah. Priest and prophet long relied upon this intimacy with the Lord for their authority, but the claim of the king to such intimacy with the Lord was late in Israelite theology. This claim would become the basis in Christian theology for the offices of Christ as prophet, priest, and king. Out of the historical matrix a model for kingship emerges that is filled full in the person of Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews, Messiah of the nations. The vision that Israelj had of its kingship prepared the church to see in Jesus a king like no other.[3] It was appropriate to receive new throne names. What is in a name? A rose by another name would smell just as sweet, would it not? Sometimes, names are important. The names to follow come from Egyptian throne names. Isaiah can promise this ⁶ For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders. This child has a name, which the following long sentence will provide: and he is named Wonderful Counselor (dispensing justice), Mighty God (the power of a god), Everlasting Father (reassuring and protective as a great tribal leader), and Prince of Peace (bringer of peace and prosperity) or “The Mighty God is planning grace, (as in 25:1, you planned graciousness); the Eternal Father, a peaceable ruler.” Such a name does not describe the person who holds them. They describe the qualities of the divine qualities of the god to whom the parents offer worship. The name given here does not describe the child. Such qualities were in short supply under Ahaz. Sadly, such qualities were in short supply in the descendants of Ahaz as well. However, the prophecy could refer to Hezekiah, the son of Ahaz, as an immediate one to fulfill the prophecy. Hezekiah (along with Josiah later) was considered the most faithful king of Judah after King David himself (see II Kings 18:1-7). The child is the one identified as the way the Lord will deliver Judah.[4]

In fact, considering the disastrous consequences of the rule of so many political leaders, whether descendants of David or not, whether kings, dictators, prime ministers, or presidents, we need not place our hopes in the political class or the ideology that guides them. They will disappoint and fail the people often. In that sense, what Christians celebrate in the fulfillment of this prophetic promise in Jesus is a political statement. The rearrangement that takes place politically is that no political ideology or leader will satisfy our hopes. He has come to rule, but not through power, bloodshed, violence, and coercion. He is the prince who embodies peace. In that sense, Christians gladly mix politics and religion, not to take a side, but to relativize all sides of the political equation. In John 18:36-37, we learn that the rule of Jesus is not from this world. Rather, he testifies to the truth. Those who belong to the truth will hear his voice. No wonder that Christians look upon the fulfillment of this promise arriving from another place than the political arrangements of a nation. 

 

Isaiah promises that ⁷ His authority shall grow continually, and there shall be endless peace (shalom) for the throne of David and his kingdom. Shalom in Hebrew means more than just peace, or a time of cessation of war. It also means tranquility, wholeness/completeness, well-being, reconciliation between people, and harmony within the community, prosperity and safety.  He will establish and uphold it with justice (mishpat) and with righteousness (tsedeqah) from this time onward and forevermore. Even in the period sacral kingship the Lord was the king, as Isaiah 6 makes clear. Yet, we see here that Isaiah regarded the successor to Ahaz as the representative of divine rule. [5] The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this. Isaiah has predicted the birth of a child, which is the reason for the joy and light to which the prophet has referred. 

Isaiah says, "To us a child is born, to us a son is given." It is like when women [approach a baby's cradle and] say, "Oh, a baby! What is it?" And I answer, "It's a boy -- and he's ours!" What an incredible thing to say, that all of us should somehow be the mothers of one whom we have not carried [in our womb]! He is given to us as though he were our own son. How proud and honored we are that he is our son, that he belongs to us. But it is not enough that he is "born" to us; he is also "given" to us. What does "given" mean? He is a [pure] gift, a present. There is nothing I have to give or pay in return.[6]

 

The decisions political leaders make affect the daily life of the people they serve. An example is the rule of Ahaz. In the view of Isaiah, the decisions of Ahaz placed the Davidic dynasty in Jerusalem at risk. As he graphically describes it, they have lost their way as they wal in death-darkness, a way that is malevolent and frightening. He describes the darkness of the land brought upon the people, some through their behavior, but much of it inspired by their political leadership. 

This is no time for a child to be born,

With the earth betrayed by war and hate

And a comet slashing the sky to warn

That time runs out and the sun burns late.

 

That was no time for a child to be born,

In a land in the crushing grip of Rome;

Honour and truth were trampled by scorn — 

Yet here did the Saviour make his home.

 

When is the time for love to be born?

The inn is full on the planet earth,

And by a comet the sky is torn — 

Yet Love still takes the risk of birth.[7]

 

The birth of a child invites us to reflect upon new beginnings, hopes, and possibility. The same experience came to the prophet Isaiah, as he reflected upon a descendent of Ahaz who would bring joy and light. He would bring justice. He would be a wonderful counselor, would fight battles with God-like wisdom and power, a father who cares for the general welfare of the people, a prince that will bring peace. Such qualities were in short supply under Ahaz. Sadly, such qualities were in short supply in the descendants of Ahaz as well.

We need another descendant of David to fulfill this prophecy. For Christians, of course, the prophecy finds it fulfillment in Jesus. He is our Wonderful Counselor, providing us with the wisdom and insight we need to live our lives. He is Mighty God, ready to do battle against the evil that always threatens humanity. He is Everlasting Father, providing help to the helpless and discipline where needed. He is the Prince of Peace. 

Think of it this way. We are in darkness spiritually unless we reach out for healing. Jesus is the one who gives us the light, the eyes to see properly. What would it mean to look at the world with Jesus eyes? Isaiah gives us a clue with the four names he attaches to the child whom God places on the throne of David and given the kingdom of God.

First, to have Jesus Eyes is to share the vision of a Wonderful Counselor. This means that we come to see the world with the perspective of the one who is our guide and our leader. In our sinfulness, we want to figure life out on our own. Yet, we can also choose to follow the clear and compelling guidance of the one who knows the path to health and wholeness. Consider the fresh new perspective that Jesus the Counselor gives us on the way we are to treat our enemies. “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy,’” says Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount. “But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:43-45). When we have Jesus Eyes, we are not looking to love only those people who love us, because everyone does that. Instead, we are looking to love everyone — friends and enemies — as children of our heavenly Father. That is a whole new path for us to walk, and it’s one that leads us to everlasting life. “Do not be overcome by evil, overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:21).

Second, to see with these lenses is also to perceive the activity of a Mighty God. Sure, this may be hard to visualize when Jesus first appears on the earth as a powerless child, but keep in mind that he grows into a man who goes as far as to conquer sin and death. He is not the weak and skinny Jesus who appears in the animated series South Park, hosting a cable access show called Jesus and Pals. No, the real Jesus is one who has the skill and the strength to achieve significant victories. Remember this when you are doing battle in your own life ... with a temptation ... with an obstacle ... with a setback ... with a rejection ... with a disappointment ... with a particularly crushing loss. You have a Mighty God riding in front of you, one with the strength and the skill to provide real leadership in battle. Follow the guidance of Jesus when you are feeling bruised and beaten down, and he will show you the way to emerge victorious. “Thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:57).

Third, looking with Jesus Eyes also gives us an unclouded vision of our Everlasting Father. God is not an absentee father, nor is he an abusive one. Instead, he is a close, caring and attentive Father — one who has deep concern for the welfare of his people. “Look at the birds of the air they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?” (Matthew 6:26). Jesus encourages us not to worry about clothing or food or shelter or anything else we need for life. He assures us that our Everlasting Father will meet our needs, if we put time and energy into pursuing his kingdom and his righteousness. Regardless of the experience we have of parents, we need to remember that Jesus and his heavenly Father are one God, so the face of Jesus is the same as the face of God the Father. Jesus is our Everlasting Father, and when we need an image of a close and caring and attentive parent, we can look directly at him.

Finally, the eyes of Jesus help us to see the world from the perspective of the Prince of Peace. The mission of Jesus is to bring peace, prosperity, and well-being to all people, and he challenges us to work toward the very same goals. So often, we confuse the interests of our nation with the interests of Jesus, or we assume that our own sense of security is going to line up perfectly with the intentions of our Lord. When we look at life in this way, we might need a vision correction. We might need to make sure that we have put on our Jesus Eyes. To see eye to eye with the Prince of Peace is to live “with justice and with righteousness from this time onward and forevermore” (Isaiah 9:7). It means to embrace these virtues in our personal lives, in our community involvement, in the way we treat strangers, and in the way we practice our politics. It means that we see the world as a place that needs more peace, more justice and more righteousness, and that our mission as Christians is to push toward these goals in whatever way we can.

When you put on a new pair of glasses, you see the world in an entirely different light. We will receive an even more amazing gift — one that will give us new vision and new light as we make our way through the darkness.The gift of Jesus Eyes.

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[1] —Elizabeth Gilbert, “The Kind Gesture that Helps Elizabeth Gilbert Find the Light On Her Worst Days,” O Magazine, May 2016.

[2] This word (here and at 10:27 and 14:25) and only with a pronominal possessive suffix (singular in Hebrew — “his burden” — plural in NRSV — “their burden”).

[3] Seitz (75)

[4] Christopher R. Seitz (Isaiah 1-39, in the Interpretation series of Bible commentaries, 60 ff.)

[5] (Pannenberg, Systematic Theology 1998, 1991)Volume 3, 50.

[6]  --Martin Luther, "To us a child is born: Sermon on Isaiah 9:6, December 25, 1531," Word & World, Fall 1996, 398, http://wordandworld.luthersem.edu.

[7] —Madeleine L’Engle, “The Risk of Birth, Christmas, 1973,” The New and Collected Poems of Madeleine L’Engle (Crown, 2009), 155.