1 "Nevertheless, that time of darkness and despair will not go on forever.
The land of Zebulun and Naphtali will be humbled, but there will be a time
in the future when Galilee of the Gentiles, which lies along the road
that runs between the Jordan and the sea, will be filled with glory.
2 The people who walk in darkness
will see a great light.
For those who live in a land of deep darkness,
a light will shine.
3 You will enlarge the nation of Israel,
and its people will rejoice.
They will rejoice before you
as people rejoice at the harvest
and like warriors dividing the plunder.
4 For you will break the yoke of their slavery
and lift the heavy burden from their shoulders.
You will break the oppressor’s rod,
just as you did when you destroyed the army of Midian.
5 The boots of the warrior
and the uniforms bloodstained by war
will all be burned.
They will be fuel for the fire.
6 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.
7 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!"
WOW! What a step up from the world governments that we have now! Unlike the ones that exist today where rulers and leaders twist truths to get what they want, and corrupt justice to make supporters happy, in the government of the Kingdom of God, there will be a King who rules with fairness and justice, and will reign FOREVER! Did you notice His titles too? Wonderful counselor! He will counsel us and lead us with immense wisdom and compassion! Mighty God! He is a strong warrior, capable of conquering even the strongest of strongholds! Everlasting Father! He will last forever and will be our King! Prince of Peace! Peace will be central to His kingdom and everyone in it, both peace between citizens AND peace between God and man! The beginning part of verse 6 really gives us a clue as to who the King is, and when you read the New Testament, you see this clue become a reality. It's also really cool to see, that the first thing Jesus did as a part of His ministry in the book of Matthew is found in chapter 4 and is a direct quote of Isaiah 9.1-2! Look here!
Matthew 4.12-17:
15 “In the land of Zebulun and of Naphtali,
beside the sea, beyond the Jordan River,
in Galilee where so many Gentiles live,
16 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.”
17 From then on Jesus began to preach, “Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.”
I think it's also on purpose that Jesus chose to fulfill this passage of Isaiah, because they child Isaiah prophesied about, is Jesus, God's own Son! =)
Questions to Think About:
1. Do I believe that Jesus is my King? Do I believe that this world isn't my home and that I'm really a citizen of a different kind of Kingdom? If so, am I living my life in a way that reflects this reality?
2. What are some ways I can make this Kingdom more of a reality for other people here on earth that don't know about it?
"Father thank You for sending Your Son! Thank You for saving us through Him and for loving us! I pray that each day, our lives would reflect the Kingdom where our citizenship truly is. Please forgive us when we fail and help us to get back up again! We love You! It's in Jesus' name that I pray, amen!"
No comments:
Post a Comment