October 22, 2009
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Isaiah 9 by Pastor Don
This lesson was taught on 10/16 – I missed the previous Friday Bible study due to taking my daughter to visit colleges.
Pastor Don went to Isaiah 8:19-22 to lay a foundation because the Bible was not written originally with chapter and verse but as one long scroll. The chapters and verses were placed to make it easier to find our place, but sometimes the translators put the chapters and verses in peculiar places.
Isaiah 8:19 And when they say to you, “Seek those who are mediums and wizards, who whisper and mutter,” should not a people seek their God? Should they seek the dead on behalf of the living?
Today we are seeing this as well, people seeking mediums and wizards, and trying to talk to the dead. This is not possible and there is much deception.
Isaiah 8:20-22 To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them. They will pass through it hard-pressed and hungry; and it shall happen, when they are hungry, that they will be enraged and curse their king and their God, and look upward. Then they will look to the earth, and see trouble and darkness, gloom of anguish; and they will be driven into darkness.
This is an End Times prophetic passage. In this day and age Israel is in a drought, has been for 7 years. Right now Israel is a secular nation, and God is seeking to move them to the place where they seek God. In Isaiah’s day, God needed to bring in the Assyrians to cause the people to finally reject their idols and turn to God. History is repeating itself.
Our President is trying to force Israel to a peace agreement. The lines are more clearly drawn, and the repercussions will be tremendous.
Isaiah Chapter 9 is dealing with future events – the Messiah and the future, the end times. It is a near and a far fulfillment of prophesy.
Isaiah 9:1 Nevertheless the gloom will not be upon her who is distressed, as when at first He lightly esteemed the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, and afterward more heavily oppressed her, by the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, in Galilee of the Gentiles.
The gloom will be raised. Zebulun and Napthali is part of Northern Israel. Galilee, from the Jordan East to West. The Jordan River runs North to South through Israel.
Isaiah 9:2 The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, upon them a light has shined.
Darkness in Galilee and the Gentiles. The Messiah came into Galilee of the Gentiles, and emerged from there. Pastor Don pulled out a map to show us where he was talking about. The See of Galilee is where he is pointing, and below his hand is the Jordan River which feeds into the Dead Sea (the other large body of water) We used maps in the back of our Bibles to get an idea of the geography of the land of Israel.
Pastor Don spent some time with the map of Israel showing us the surrounding countries. Jesus came out of Nazareth and the Scribes and Pharisees did not believe that anything good could come out of Nazareth. Nazareth was on the direct route that the traders took to deliver goods from Egypt and other points to points further inland. Because of that there were many languages and nationalities that came through Nazareth, and the scribes and Pharisees did not think that the Messiah would come from such a diverse city. Also, the small amount of water that Pastor Don is pointing to is the Sea of Galilee – it is the only source of fresh water for Israel. The countries that want Israel to give land that is near the Sea of Galilee to other countries do not realize that that could jeopardize Israel’s livelihood – for without fresh water, Israel would not be able to exist. The Jordan River flows from the sea of Galilee and dumps its water into the Dead Sea (that large mass of water near the bottom of the map). If enemy nations managed to get access to the Sea of Galilee they could pollute, bomb or destroy the water source. Those countries that traveled from Turkey, Europe, Egypt, or other points depended on the Sea of Galilee for fresh water, because water is scarce in the surrounding countries.
Then there is the Palestinian issue – there was never a nation of Palestine from ancient times. In 1948 the League of Nations made Israel a country, and the surrounding nations around Israel were not happy with this for they did not like Israel. They took their poor people from Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Jordan, etc. and gave them guns, telling them that the Israelites were not military people, kill the Israelites and you can have their land. In all honesty, the only native people in Israel at that time were the Bedouins, small tribes of nomads that have no nationality or country and travel around. Well, the plan to kill the Jews did not work, and what happened is that some of those people who had been given guns decided to be loyal to Israel and were assimilated into the land. Others tried to go back to their native countries, but their native countries did not accept them back – they were left in the wilderness in no nation – because they did not like the Jews they could not be assimilated into Israel, and they were just kept in camps – but the Israelites fed them. The surrounding nations realized that Israel was feeding these poor people, so they sent more people into the mix – figuring let Israel take care of them. Unfortunately the disenfranchised people were also angry and kept attacking Israel. There were many wars, 1962, 1967, 1972 and Israel won them all.
People in Jordan, if they are honest also point out that they only are in their second or third generation – the Jordanians do not go back to ancient history either. The trouble is that the surrounding nations want Israel completely annihilated, but America needs to be aware that Israel is our strongest ally in the Middle East and without Israel, we would have challenges.
Back to Isaiah, the Pharisees did not think any good could come out of Nazareth because of all the various peoples who traveled through it. Jesus spoke 3 languages, Greek, Aramaic, and Hebrew. He may even have spoken some Latin to deal with the Roman soldiers.
The Jews in Jerusalem lived in an orthodox atmosphere, and did not think anything good could come out of Galilee. The People from Nazareth dressed differently, had a pronounced dialect. It would be like being able to tell in our country if someone was from the deep South or the North.
Isaiah 9:2 The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, upon them a light has shined.
The land of the shadow of death, this would be the Jezreel Valley – a flat plain where Armageddon will be fought, near Megiddo. There is a narrow mountain pass leading toward there, and it is called the Valley of Decision. In this area there were also altars to idols and babies and small children will killed in temple worship.
Isaiah 9:3-4 You have multiplied the nation and increased its joy; they rejoice before You according to the joy of harvest, as men rejoice when they divide the spoil. For You have broken the yoke of his burden and the staff of his shoulder the rod of his oppressor, as in the day of Midian.
Judges 8 speaks of Gideon and his army defeating the Midianites. Judges 8:28 Thus Midian was subdued before the children of Israel, so that they lifted their heads no more. And the country was quiet for forty years in the days of Gideon.
Isaiah 9:5 For every warrior’s sandal from the noisy battle, and garments rolled in blood, will be used for burning and fuel of fire.
Pastor Don spoke of how Isaiah tells of the light shining, that the Messiah will come from the rejected area and the believers will multiply making the Kingdom of God – Jews and Gentiles together. In the last days there will be a harvest from God. There is a misunderstanding of what this harvest will entail. The harvest will be a supernatural act of God. God will respond to men’s hearts and pour out His Spirit on ALL flesh. Not all will accept God, but God will be sending people to to reap a harvest of souls at such a weight that the reaper will not be able to keep up with the sower. There will also be a great judgment. It is up to us to sanctify ourselves to be in the proper position for us to be used as a minister of the Gospel, for the multitudes are coming to receive from the Lord.
Isaiah 9:6 An incredible verse! For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Notice it is a Child – a Son – GIVEN, it doesn’t say “birthed”. There is no human factor, the Son was GIVEN by God. And the Government would be on His Shoulder, it is a benevolent dictatorship. Democracy is insane and hasn’t worked. The United States is a REPUBLIC, and it is run by the people in power, but it masquerades as a democracy – it lets you vote, but that is more to keep you quiet.
God’s rule is right all the time, for God rules right and what is best for us, we don’t get to vote. Orders come from God. God does not say, “Would you like to …?” Democracy is slow and inefficient, but under God we are a benevolent dictatorship. What comes down to us are dictates, not suggestions.
As lawlessness increases in the land we are going to have to be strong enough to know where to draw the line. We all have to decide what we will accept or not. Sadly, some people only want some of the traits listed for Jesus – Some are happy to have a Wonderful or Counselor, but don’t want a Mighty God. The truth is, when Jesus shows up again He is going to be Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace, Wonderful, Counselor. He will come in His Might – not as a little lamb.
Isaiah 9:7 Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.
There is a specific order in this – right now the Church is in disorder. He will bring order, clean it all out. If you permit any infestation on any level, you perpetuate the infestation. There will be order – judgment – justice. You don’t judge unless you are ready to be judged and can judge rightly. If there is no judgment, chaos happens.
In the shows that have judges on TV, the people are separated by the law giver – we need to know the Law Giver, and then we will have no problem agreeing with what is right and wrong. We know that God’s Judgment is just.
Praying your day is blessed!
Heather
