3. \\#Isa 9:1\\ "Zebulun… Naphtali…." - These two tribes belong to the
northern kingdom. While Isaiah is a prophet to the southern
kingdom, Judah, and the context of the message is to their king
(Ahaz \\#Isa 7:1\\), the prophecy of Assyria’s coming and the land’s
destruction affects both nations and so this message is for both
kingdoms.
4. \\#Isa 9:2\\ Isaiah’s hopeful message is that the second period of
darkness will be ended by a "great light" shining in the areas of
Zebulun and Naphtali. The people of Israel will have been dwelling
"in the land of the shadow of death," until that time.
a. \\#Matt 4:12-16\\ These verses were fulfilled when Jesus, the
Light of the World, came to Zebulun and Napthali in the early days
of His ministry to preach the gospel to those who sat in darkness.
b. The fulfilling verses show that Isaiah’s second dimness was not
the conquest by another military power, but the conquest of sin
and a dark heart and mind.
c. Jesus’ reference to these verses also dates the end of second dark
period about which Isaiah is speaking. The second dimness
refers to the time period up to Christ’s first coming. Christ
coming was supposed to end the darkness for Israel. Unfortunately,
the Jews did not accept Jesus, and they were cast into an even
deeper darkness—one from which they still have not emerged.
5. \\#Isa 9:3\\ "Thou hast multiplied the nation" - God had made Israel
great n number, both in Isaiah’s day and in Christ’s. Sadly, Israel’s
population would be greatly reduced, in both time periods, due to the
judgment that befell them for their sin.
6. "and not increased the joy; they joy before thee…" - Isaiah makes
two references to joy. In the first, Israel did not have joy. In a
second, Isaiah says they did. Some think there to be contradiction
here, and some newer Bible versions even attempt to correct the text.
However, there is no need to correct God’s Word. It is not in error.
Two different time periods are again in view.
a. The time of MULTIPLICATION but no JOY was when Jesus came the first
time. God had blessed the Jews with a large population, but they
found no JOY in Jesus’ coming. Because Israel did not accept
Jesus, God sent General Titus to remove them from their land.
b. The time when THEY JOY BEFORE THEE is when Jesus comes to Israel
again. Then, His people will accept Him and rejoice before Him.
Messiah will establish His rule and the Jewish people shall
rejoice greatly, as THE JOY IN HARVEST.
c. This small section of three verses discusses three completely
different time periods.
(1) \\#Isa 9:1\\ The VEXATION - When Israel made the wrong choice,
aligned themselves with foreign nations, and God sent
Assyria to judge them.
(2) \\#Isa 9:1-3\\ The DARKNESS and the time when the Jews had
no JOY The time until Jesus’ birth. The DARKNESS was to end
when a "great Light" (Jesus) shined upon the region of
Naphtali and Zebulun. The Light came, but Israel did not
accept it.
(3) \\#Isa 9:3\\ THEY JOY BEFORE HIM - The future coming of Jesus.
The time when the Jews will accept Jesus and rejoice. This
is a prophecy for the tribulation and the beginning of the
millennium.
7. \\#Isa 9:4-5\\ "For thou hast broken the yoke of his burden… the rod of
his oppressor" - This is also end time. This verse explains why
Israel will have a reason to rejoice when Messiah comes. A great
battle is pictured, describing the destruction of Israel’s enemies as
the Lord returns.
a. Like all battles, this battle with have "confused noise" and
"garments rolled (covered) in blood."
b. However, this battle will be different in that there will be
"burning and fuel of fire." Perhaps the BURNING is a reference
to the defeat at Jerusalem as Jesus return \\#Rev 19:11-15\\ or
perhaps it is a reference to the great conquest of the Jews over
their enemies as the millennium is ushered in \\#Mal 4:2-3\\.
8. \\#Isa 9:6-7\\ "For unto us a child is born" - Isaiah does a shift in
time at this point. While he has been talking about the end of the
tribulation and the beginning of the millennium, he moves to Jesus’
coming as a Baby. Isaiah did not see his prophecies in chronological
order. Neither did he see the time gaps which would separate them.
He has told Israel they will one day rejoice due to a great military
victory over their enemies, now he tells them the reason for the
military victory. It is because a new Leader will be born. That
Leader is Messiah. There are several elements to this promise:
a. The Leader will be born a CHILD, specifically a SON. If the
Bible had not spelled out how Messiah would come, mankind
would have been left to create his own bizarre theories.
b. "the government shall be upon his shoulders - The CHILD will be a
ruler.
c. The Leader shall have divine attributes, described by His many
titles:
(1) "Wonderful" - He is WONDERFUL both in what He did and in Who
He is.
(2) "Counsellor" - How marvelous and wise are His words.
(3) "The mighty God" - He is God.
(4) "The everlasting Father" - While Scriptural typically keeps
the title, Father, reserved for Jehovah, here it is applied
to the coming Son. Perhaps it is done to deal a death blow
to the notion that Jesus BECAME God. Some cults attempt to
give to Jesus either a creation or a progression to deity.
This title proves that Jesus is and always has been of the
same nature as the Father.
(5) "The Prince of Peace" - The term PRINCE indicates that there
is One of higher authority than this Leader. That is God
Himself \\#Phi 2:6, 1Cor 15:24\\. Even so, the title
refers to Jesus being the Leader who will usher in a kingdom
of peace (millennial) for the Jews and the world.
d. The Leader’s government shall never end.
e. The Leader’s government shall be an extension of David’s throne,
making the Leader a descendent of David and thus fulfilling the
promise God made to King David \\#Psalm 89:35-37\\.
f. The Leader’s government shall be marked by judgment and justice
forever.
9. \\#Isa 9:7\\ "The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this." To
assure the certainty of the promise, God affixes it with guarantee.
II. \\#Isa 9:8-12:6\\ The Word to Judah and Israel
A. \\#Isa 9:8-13\\ Their Stubbornness
1. \\#Isa 9:8-9\\ This is the Word from God to all of His people in
general, but specifically to Ephraim (a predominate tribe of Israel)
and to Samaria (the capital of Israel).
2. \\#Isa 9:9\\ "pride and stoutness of heart" - Pride and stubbornness
will be the ruin of the northern kingdom.
3. \\#Isa 9:10\\ "the bricks are fallen down, but we will build with hewn
stones" - God had brought hard times upon, Israel but they determined
to keep going—their own way!
4. \\#Isa 9:11\\ "Therefore the Lord shall set up the adversaries…
against him" - So the Lord will combine Israel’s enemies against
them. Even though Israel is joining with Rezin, King of Syria, in
chapter seven, they will soon help in destroying Israel.
5. \\#Isa 9:12\\ "The Syrians before, and the Philistines behind" - Judah
will be wedged between Syria and the Philistines.
6. \\#9Isa :12\\ "For all of this, His anger is not turned away, but His
hand is stretched out still." - This phrase is repeated
\\#Isa5:25, 9:12, 17, 21\\and implies that God knows the agony this
will bring upon the people, but He will not stop it or help them.
7. \\#Isa 9:13\\ "For the people turneth not unto him" - Why? Because this
people will not turn to the One who is in control.
B. \\#Isa 9:14-20\\ Their Judgment
1. \\#Isa 9:14-15\\ "Therefore the Lord will cut off from Israel head and
tail" - Hence, God will add to the judgment and take out of the
land the old and honorable, as well as the false PROPHET who could
only teach LIES.
2. \\#Isa 9:16\\ "For the leaders… cause them to err" - Why remove the
old, the honored, and the prophet? Because they have lead Israel to
their destruction.
3. \\#Isa 9:17-21\\ Therefore, great judgment shall come upon the land.
These verses describe Assyria’s destruction of the Israel.
a. \\#Isa 9:17\\ "the Lord shall have no… mercy of the fatherless and
windows."
b. \\#Isa 9:17\\ "For all of this his anger is not turned away but his
hand is stretched out still" - Repeated in \\#Isa 5:25, 9:12, 21\\
c. \\#Isa 9:18\\ "wickedness burneth as a fire" - As the wickedness
is, so the fire of judgment shall be. Wickedness was out-of-
control and so will God’s judgment burn, blazing and unstoppable.
d. \\#Isa 9:19\\ "the land is darkened" - The wrath of God upon the
land will cause a darkness to fall upon it. This is the first
darkness and the vexation mentioned in \\#Isa 9:1\\.
e. \\#Isa 9:20\\ "he shall snatch… and be hungry" - Famine is always a
part of war.
f. \\#Isa 9:21\\ "Manasseh, Ephraim; and Ephraim, Manasseh" - All of
Israel had joined together to attack Judah. This was apparently
the last straw for God’s patience. He will now let His anger
come upon Israel without pulling back.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Via_Maris