Nine Lessons #3: Isaiah 9

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The people walking in darkness have seen a great light;

on those living in the land of deep darkness
a light has dawned.

...

For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the greatness of his government and peace
there will be no end.

He will reign on David’s throne
and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it
with justice and righteousness
from that time on and forever.
The zeal of the Lord Almighty
will accomplish this.

Issaiah 9:2,6-7

The famous words of Isaiah 9 always come with particular sounds in my head.  Verse 2 is in the thick accent of a small Cornish child - the people that have walked in darrrrrkness have seen a great loight!  I am taken back to the small Cornish chapel, arguably my 'home church' of my childhood and our yearly visit to my Grandma's carol service.  Verse 6, by contrast, is pretty much guaranteed to get me singing the relevant number from Handel's messiah.  We come now to some of the very familiar words from Christmas, as the birth of Jesus is foretold.

Some words of scripture are so familiar to us because we hear them said or sung repeatedly.   It's one of the many benefits (or maybe I should say 'essential reasons') of coming together in communal worship - impressing God's words on us so that we believe them, act on them, live by them, and are reminded of them day by day - particularly when God seems far off.  And so, we can also cast our minds and imaginations on the lives of the ancient Israelites, for whom in an age without universal literacy and mass reproduction of literature, communal worship was vital for learning scripture.  They would have heard these words from the Torah from an early age and committed them to memory, encouraging them and inspiring them to look forward to the coming Messiah.

With all this in mind, we can also picture clearly the joy and relief of the elderly Simeon when the new baby Jesus was presented at the temple:

29 “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,
you may now dismiss your servant in peace.
For my eyes have seen your salvation,
which you have prepared in the sight of all nations:
a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
and the glory of your people Israel.”

Luke 2:29-32

These verses from Isaiah that, along with many others, Simeon would have been familiar with, speak to such a dark and hurting world.  Verse 1, not included in the above, gives context that these verses first point to Galilee - the place from which Jesus came.  However, as with many prophetic writings, the there is a wider application.  We live in a dark world, but not only that - our hearts are also in darkness too.  So many of us live without the guiding light of Jesus, shutting the door on that illumination.  And yet, the first part of our reading shows that a light has dawned even into the darkest corners.  No matter how dark our hearts or how bleak our situations, Jesus can shine hope into them.

Like a diamond, there are many angles from which we can view Jesus, each essential.  In this reading we learn of his mighty, just and peaceful rule that is coming.  We do not yet see that rule in totality yet - but like Isaiah, we wait for it's coming, because these words are not just about the Jesus incarnate 2000 years ago, but the same Jesus who will come again in glory.   Consider, for example, the words of Revelation 22:5:  There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever.

And what is more, Jesus may not have yet taken up his visible throne on earth, but he has taken the throne in the hearts of every believing Christian, so we can Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful (Colossians 3:16).