A Son Is Given to Us
“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.”
Isaiah 9:6 NRSV
What was the
solution? A new government, leader, economic reform, military strategy, or
education system?
“And he will be
called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
Isaiah 9:6b NIV
In 700 BC, the nation
of Israel had overwhelming problems. They were surrounded by vicious enemies.
The people had forgotten God. Darkness, death, and despair filled the land.
Isaiah declares that
hope will only arrive, in a newborn baby. More than a usual baby—He would
be a king. Indeed, He would be the King of kings and would rule the world. This
baby king would have four titles, describing what He can do for us:
“Wonderful
Counselor.” This King has all wisdom and understanding; life’s complexities
that are beyond us, are not beyond Jesus. Do you need wisdom? Go to the
Wonderful Counselor. He knows what to do.
“Mighty God.” Now we know
that this King is none other than God in the flesh. He is the mighty God,
mighty enough to save us. Whatever the need, He can do it. He can rescue you
“Everlasting Father.”
This King is like a loving father in the way He cares for us. He provides. He
protects. He shepherds. He cares. He understands. He listens. What is your
greatest burden right now? Bring it to Him. He cares about you.
“Prince of Peace.”
Jesus can take your fears, your worries, your guilt, and your hopelessness, and
replace them with His peace. He can flood your heart with peace. He can envelop
you in peace because He, is the Prince of Peace.
The ultimate solution to the needs of ancient Israel was this most unusual baby. The baby who was King. He is your solution too. Call out to Him. Look to Him. Run to Him. He knows what to do. He can rescue you. He cares about you. He can flood your heart with peace. Run to Him now.
“You will keep him in
perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You. Trust in
the Lord forever, For in YAH, the Lord, is everlasting strength.” Isaiah 26:3-4
NKJV
You will keep him in
perfect peace: What a promise! Perfect peace! God promises that we can
have perfect peace, and even be kept in a place of perfect
peace.
In Hebrew, the
term perfect peace is actually shalom shalom. This shows how in
Hebrew, repetition communicates intensity. It isn’t just shalom; it
is shalom shalom, perfect peace.
To be kept in this perfect
peace, our mind must be stayed.
Strengthen the weak hands
and make firm the feeble knees. Say to those who are fearful-hearted,
“Be strong, do not fear! Behold, your God will come with vengeance,
With the recompense of God; He will come and save you.” Isaiah 35:3-4
Strengthen the weak hands
and make firm the feeble knees: The coming judgment would be enough to make the
hands of anyone weak, and knees of anyone feeble. But in light of the glorious
restoration God will bring from that time, it is no time to have weak
hands or feeble knees! Get strong and get going!
We use our hands to
work with; those with weak hands are not working for the LORD as they
should. We use our knees both to progress with and to pray with.
Those with feeble knees are not progressing with the LORD and praying
as they should.
Hebrews 12:12 quotes
this verse from Isaiah to make the point that even in a time of chastening from
the LORD, we should take strength and courage in the LORD, knowing that it is
His Fatherly love and care that has allowed and directed the chastening. It’s
time to get strong in the LORD and move on!
The passage both here
in Isaiah and Hebrews 12 indicates that there are some among God’s people who
indeed have weak hands and feeble knees. If we are not making
progress in our walk with Jesus, fault can surely be found with weak hands and feeble
knees.
In our present
trials, we need the strong hope of the LORD to overcome our fearful hearts. Our
fearful hearts are not hoped by a vain, vague optimism; they are helped by the
assured confidence that He will come and save.
Then the eyes of the
blind shall be opened and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Isaiah 35:5
When God’s salvation
comes, miraculous power comes with it. It is a miracle for the blind
to see, for the deaf to hear, for the lame to run, and for the mute to speak.
But when He will come and save you, He does it with miraculous power!
“A road will be there
and a way; it will be called the Holy Way. The unclean will not travel on it,
but it will be for the one who walks the path. Fools will not wander on it.”
Isaiah 35:8 CSB
Today, we take good
roads for granted. But in the ancient world, a good road – a highway –
was an amazing blessing for travel, progress, and business. Isaiah announces
that in the ministry of the Messiah, there will be a wonderful highway,
a road, known as the Highway of Holiness.
The Hebrew word
for highway indicates what our English word literally says: “a
high-way.” It speaks of a raised road, lifted above the ground. It is a high,
glorious road to travel on!
The construction of
this Highway of Holiness was the greatest engineering feat ever
accomplished. “Engineering has done much to tunnel mountains, and bridge
abysses; but the greatest triumph of engineering is that which made a way from
sin to holiness, from death to life, from condemnation to perfection. Who could
make a road over the mountains of our iniquities but Almighty God? None but the
Lord of love would have wished it; none but the God of wisdom could have
devised it; none but the God of power could have carried it out.” (Spurgeon)
Singing praise to
the LORD.
“Sing to
the LORD,
For He has done excellent things;
This is known in all the earth.
Cry out and shout, O inhabitant of Zion,
For great is the Holy One of Israel in your midst!”
Sing to the LORD:
First, the LORD was the song of the worshipper (Isaiah 12:6). Now, he
sings this song of the LORD to whoever will listen! If
the LORD has become your song, then sing it!
Cry out and shout:
This is excited praise! We should all abhor the artificial,
“Let’s-whip-them-up-into-a-manufactured-enthusiasm” kind of worship. But if our
worship will never cry out and shout, there is something lacking in it.
“We ought not to
worship God in a half-hearted sort of way; as if it were now our duty to bless
God, but we felt it to be a weary business, and we would get it through as
quickly as we could and have done with it; and the sooner the better. No, no;
‘All that is within me, bless his holy name.’ Come, my heart, wake up, and
summon all the powers which wait upon thee! Mechanical worship is easy, but
worthless. Come rouse yourself, my brother! Rouse thyself, O my own soul!”
(Spurgeon)
For great is the Holy
One of Israel in your midst: This gives two reasons for great praise. First,
because of who God is: the Holy One of Israel. Second, because
of where God is: in your midst. Each of these gives everyone
reason to praise God!
Be blessed and be a
blessing!
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