Isaiah 9:1-7
GET THIS: God is fully present with us through the incarnation and brings salvation into our desperation!
The Backdrop to Isaiah 9:1-7 is one of great darkness: Leading up to chapter 9 (particularly chapters 7 & 8) we see some of these themes:
Distress: facing trouble or experiencing trouble? Are you churning? Loss of job, loss of relationship…
Hunger: Do you find it difficult to be satisfied as you scroll through you feed?
Enraged: Have you lost your patience? Snapping at others?
Darkness: Are you lost and without direction? … maybe you’ve experienced a profound loss or you find yourself in a season of doubt
Gloom: Are you just sad? No motivation… no excitement.
Anguish: Are you oppressed? By your own demons or by others?
“And in despair, I bowed my head:
‘There is is no peace on earth,’ I said,
‘For hate is strong and mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good will to men” —Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Darkness: Meet Light (verses 1-2)
Read Isaiah 9:1-2
Desperation: Meet Joy (verse 3)
Read Isaiah 9:3
Oppression: Meet Liberation (verses 4-5)
Read Isaiah 9:4-5
Yearning Heart: Meet Jesus (verses 6-7)
Read Isaiah 9:6-7
Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
“God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail,
With peace on earth, goodwill to men!” —Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Other Scriptures: Romans 5:1; Isaiah 53:6; Isaiah 53:10-11
Take Time To Reflect
(1) Where are you experiencing darkness, desperation, and/or oppression in this current season of life? How might you hold the promises of God even in the midst of these things?
(2) Who is your life needs a minister of light, joy, and liberation? How could you be such a presence for them right now?
GET THIS: God is fully present with us through the incarnation and brings salvation into our desperation!