Slices
Prepare
They say night is darkest just before the dawn. That may not be true, but it reminds us not to give up. Seek hope today in Jesus, ‘the true light’ (John 1:9).
Bible passage
The darkness turns to light
19 When someone tells you to consult mediums and spiritists, who whisper and mutter, should not a people enquire of their God? Why consult the dead on behalf of the living? 20 Consult God’s instruction and the testimony of warning. If anyone does not speak according to this word, they have no light of dawn. 21 Distressed and hungry, they will roam through the land; when they are famished, they will become enraged and, looking upwards, will curse their king and their God. 22 Then they will look towards the earth and see only distress and darkness and fearful gloom, and they will be thrust into utter darkness.
9 Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future he will honour Galilee of the nations, by the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan –
2 The people walking in darkness
have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of deep darkness
a light has dawned.
3 You have enlarged the nation
and increased their joy;
they rejoice before you
as people rejoice at the harvest,
as warriors rejoice
when dividing the plunder.
4 For as in the day of Midian’s defeat,
you have shattered
the yoke that burdens them,
the bar across their shoulders,
the rod of their oppressor.
5 Every warrior’s boot used in battle
and every garment rolled in blood
will be destined for burning,
will be fuel for the fire.
6 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.
7 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 for ever.
The zeal of the Lord Almighty
will accomplish this.
Explore
A prom ball after exams. A wrap party after filming. A feast when the harvest is gathered in. All these customary celebrations mark the successful end of a time of intense pressure and effort. Relax! It’s over!
One day we shall really celebrate. Isaiah tells us why (9:3–6). Despite all the gloomy warnings and judgements to fall on God’s people living in darkness, one day it will be over. The Lord will have won them a victory even better than the great victories of their history. The blows of judgement from various invading armies will have ceased. The light will shine. This is all because of someone unique, given four majestic titles here. Of all the prophecies of the Messiah pointing to the Lord Jesus, verse 6 (which we hear every Christmas) is surely one of the greatest.
Which of these names (v 6) means most to you? Wonderful Counsellor – an extraordinary friend. Mighty for every need, and God, no less. Everlasting Father – father par excellence and father of eternity. Prince of Peace – a prince unlike any other, at one with God and at peace with himself, whose reign will be one of peace and harmony, justice and righteousness, well-being and fulfilment, for ever (v 7). We may start rejoicing now.
Respond
Praise the Lord! ‘Let everything that has breath praise the Lord’ (Psalm 150:6).
Deeper Bible study
‘O loving wisdom of our God! / When all was sin and shame, / a second Adam to the fight / and to the rescue came.’1
‘I am making everything new!’2 These words could describe the transformation from the empty darkness of 8:19–22 to the vision of light of 9:1–7. Brueggemann calls it something ‘completely fresh and without extrapolation from anything that has gone before’.3 Isaiah criticises a culture that disdains the wisdom of the Lord Almighty, seeking direction from other spiritual sources and refusing to listen to God (vs 19,20). It leaves them, in Paul’s words, ‘darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God’.4 In current British culture, the phrase ‘follow the science’ has become common. If this means excluding the living God from discussion, something fundamental is missing from every argument, with fearful and distressing consequences (v 22).
This despair can only be overcome by the ‘zeal’ (9:7) or passion of God, which touches even lands that have long been in death-like darkness. Isaiah’s images of harvest and military victory catch something of the elation. Drawing on Gideon’s defeat of the Midianites (v 4) is particularly poignant, given the unexpected victory with a tiny force of men. Peace has come and the enemy is humiliated – and it starts small, with the birth of a child. What follows goes way beyond what any human king could aspire to. This King plans without the limited knowledge that dogs earthly kings; his might is great but not unregulated. It is under the control of Father-like love and desire for shalom, justice and righteousness. There is no end, geographically or temporally, to his reign. This cannot apply to any coming human king, even the lauded Hezekiah. Isaiah was unaware of the full future, but we recognise in this the coming of the kingdom of God, inaugurated in our Lord Jesus Christ and ending in everything being made new.
Passages like this bring us to our knees in worship, rather than to discussion. Allow these descriptions of the coming king to form prayers of deep gratitude.
1 JH Newman, 1801–90, ‘Praise to the Holiest in the height’ 2 Rev 21:5 3 Walter Brueggemann, Isaiah 1–39, 1998, p82 4 Eph 4:18
Bible in a year
Read the Bible in a year: Nehemiah 13; Luke 10
Pray for Scripture Union
Pray for the children and young people attending a holiday with their Faith Guides for the first time, and for their Faith Guides too. Pray that the holiday experience will help them grow and flourish in their faith.
Revealing Jesus
With a staggering 95% of all under 18s not in church, the task of reaching them with the good news of Jesus is huge. But so too is the opportunity!
At Scripture Union, we’re passionate about equipping and enabling local churches like yours to reach ‘the 95’ though our Revealing Jesus mission framework. Revealing Jesus will not only help you to connect with these children and young people but will also provide you with the support and resources you need to continue to walk alongside them as they find and grow in faith.
