How bad does it have to get to turn back to God?  Pride and arrogance, thinking we have life under control, are tough, ingrained attitudes to let go of but it is this very thing that keeps us in the Dark and blocks us from seeing the Light.  Isaiah, the prophet of God, who speaks of things to come from God, shouts out Truth to his current society of religious leaders and followers and their current situation.  Isaiah give them (and us) a “sit-rep”, if you will, of what it is like to walk in darkness.  But soon, about 400 years later, they will see a Great Light that will dispel all darkness.  That Great Light is Jesus, God’s Son, born of a virgin, sent to save the world from sin.  All sin.  Everyone who believes—forgiven.

Isaiah 9, The Message

A Child Has Been Born—for Us!

9 But there’ll be no darkness for those who were in trouble. Earlier he did bring the lands of Zebulun and Naphtali into disrepute, but the time is coming when he’ll make that whole area glorious—the road along the Sea, the country past the Jordan, international Galilee.

^2-7 The people who walked in darkness
    have seen a great light.
For those who lived in a land of deep shadows—
    light! sunbursts of light!
You repopulated the nation,
    you expanded its joy.
Oh, they’re so glad in your presence!
    Festival joy!
The joy of a great celebration,
    sharing rich gifts and warm greetings.
The abuse of oppressors and cruelty of tyrants—
    all their whips and clubs and curses—
Is gone, done away with, a deliverance
    as surprising and sudden as Gideon’s old victory over Midian.
The boots of all those invading troops,
    along with their shirts soaked with innocent blood,
Will be piled in a heap and burned,
    a fire that will burn for days!
For a child has been born—for us!
    the gift of a son—for us!
He’ll take over
    the running of the world.
His names will be: Amazing Counselor,
    Strong God,
Eternal Father,
    Prince of Wholeness.
His ruling authority will grow,
    and there’ll be no limits to the wholeness he brings.
He’ll rule from the historic David throne
    over that promised kingdom.
He’ll put that kingdom on a firm footing
    and keep it going
With fair dealing and right living,
    beginning now and lasting always.
The zeal of God-of-the-Angel-Armies
    will do all this.

God Answered Fire with Fire

^8-10 The Master sent a message against Jacob.
    It landed right on Israel’s doorstep.
All the people soon heard the message,
    Ephraim and the citizens of Samaria.
But they were a proud and arrogant bunch.
    They dismissed the message, saying,
“Things aren’t that bad.
    We can handle anything that comes.
If our buildings are knocked down,
    we’ll rebuild them bigger and finer.
If our forests are cut down,
    we’ll replant them with finer trees.”

^11-12 So God incited their adversaries against them,
    stirred up their enemies to attack:
From the east, Arameans; from the west, Philistines.
    They made hash of Israel.
But even after that, he was still angry,
    his fist still raised, ready to hit them again.

^13-17 But the people paid no mind to him who hit them,
    didn’t seek God-of-the-Angel-Armies.
So God hacked off Israel’s head and tail,
    palm branch and reed, both on the same day.
The bigheaded elders were the head,
    the lying prophets were the tail.
Those who were supposed to lead this people
    led them down blind alleys,
And those who followed the leaders
    ended up lost and confused.
That’s why the Master lost interest in the young men,
    had no feeling for their orphans and widows.
All of them were godless and evil,
    talking filth and folly.
And even after that, he was still angry,
    his fist still raised, ready to hit them again.

^18-21 Their wicked lives raged like an out-of-control fire,
    the kind that burns everything in its path—
Trees and bushes, weeds and grasses—
    filling the skies with smoke.
God-of-the-Angel-Armies answered fire with fire,
    set the whole country on fire,
Turned the people into consuming fires,
    consuming one another in their lusts—
Appetites insatiable, stuffing and gorging
    themselves left and right with people and things.
But still they starved. Not even their children
    were safe from their greedy hunger.
Manasseh ate Ephraim, and Ephraim Manasseh,
    and then the two ganged up against Judah.
And after that, he was still angry,
    his fist still raised, ready to hit them again.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

Get out of the shade of darkness and all things dark that keep us there.  Head for the Light that gives life now and forever!

And did you know?

The return of the Jewish remnant to their land is a major theme in these chapters of Isaiah! When Assyria conquered the northern kingdom of Israel (Ephraim), the nation was never restored but became what we know as Samaria. After the Babylonian captivity (606–586 B.C.), the people of Judah were given another chance to establish themselves in the land, and through them the Lord brought the Messiah into the world. Had a remnant not returned, God’s plans for redeeming a lost world might have been frustrated. How much would depend on that small remnant! 

Jesus, The Light of the World, will meet a woman of Samaria at the well at noon, the heat of the day, to offer forgiveness and wholeness.  She accepted and ran back, without her water jars, to tell the entire village of Samaria that she had met the One who is Savior and Lord!  He is the Way, the Only Way, to leave all that is dark to the Light of God’s love forever.

Lord,

Your Plan, all along, was to save us from our sins and to teach us how to live your best life—loving you and loving each other.  Thank you for working through the remnant to bring us all into the Light of all things good, right and pleasing to you.  To you be all glory, honor, and praise forevermore.

In Jesus Name, Amen