Today’s Reading: Isaiah 9-12

“All right then, the Lord himself will give you a sign. Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means ‘God is with us’).” – Isaiah 7:11-14

In addition to the priceless advice the Lord was sending to King Ahaz through the prophet Isaiah (to stop worrying and stand firm in his faith), Isaiah was telling Ahaz that God would send a sign of salvation. A baby would be born of a virgin and he would be called Immanuel, God with us. In the midst of the trouble and anguish and dark despair, a light would shine in the land of Zebulun and Naphtali.

A LIGHT WOULD SHINE IN GALILEE FOR ALL TO SEE.

When Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he left Judea and returned to Galilee. He went first to Nazareth, then left there and moved to Capernaum, beside the Sea of Galilee, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali. This fulfilled what God had said through the prophet Isaiah:
“In the land of Zebulun and Naphtali,
beside the sea, beyond the Jordan River,
in Galilee where so many Gentiles live,
the people who sat in darkness have seen a great light.
And for those who lived in the land where death casts its shadow,
a light has shined.” – Matthew 4:12-16

Isaiah had the difficult task of declaring the coming judgment of God, but he also had the privilege of declaring the redemption that was to come. The time of darkness and despair would not go on forever (9:1). A remnant would return from exile (10:21) and the Messiah would come to save His people from their sins.

For a child is born to us,
a son is given to us.
The government will rest on his shoulders.
And he will be called:
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
His government and its peace
will never end.
He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David
for all eternity.
The passionate commitment of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies
will make this happen! – Isaiah 9:6-7

“…In a little while my anger against you will end, and then my anger will rise up to destroy them.” The Lord of Heaven’s Armies will lash them with his whip, as he did when Gideon triumphed over the Midianites at the rock of Oreb, or when the Lord’s staff was raised to drown the Egyptian army in the sea. – Isaiah 10:25-26

Before sending His people off to exile as a consequence of their generational unfaithfulness, the Lord was reminding them of who He is and how He had provided for them in the past. Remember when the Lord downsized Gideon’s army from 32,000 to 11,000 to 300. All they had to do was surround their enemy, break their clay pots, and shout their victory, and God caused the Midianite army to panic and start fighting against each other (Judges 7). Remind yourselves of how God parted the Red Sea to provide dry ground for His people to escape; do not forget how the walls of the Red Sea came crashing down on the Egyptian army (Exodus 14).

TAKE NOTE OF WHAT GOD IS CAPABLE OF DOING FOR YOU!

In that day the heir to David’s throne
will be a banner of salvation to all the world. – Isaiah 11:10a

From then on Jesus began to preach, “Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.” – Matthew 4:17

In that day you will sing:
“I will praise you, O Lord!
You were angry with me, but not any more.
Now you comfort me.
See, God has come to save me.
I will trust in him and not be afraid.
The Lord God is my strength and my song;
he has given me victory.”
With joy you will drink deeply
from the fountain of salvation!
In that wonderful day you will sing:
“Thank the Lord! Praise his name!
Tell the nations what he has done.
Let them know how mighty he is!
Sing to the Lord, for he has done wonderful things.
Make known his praise around the world.
Let all the people of Jerusalem shout his praise with joy!
For great is the Holy One of Israel who lives among you.” – Isaiah 12:1-6

Immanuel, we thank you for coming to live among us. We praise you for your strength and your ability, and we fall on our knees in gratitude for the many ways you have displayed your power and authority. Thank you for the salvation that is made possible through Jesus’ message of repentance, his death on the cross, and his resurrection from the dead. We declare today that we will trust you and not be afraid. We will sing of the wonderful things you have done for us, for great is the Holy One who lives among us! Amen.