A CHILD IS BORN!
A Child is born! This is the message of Christmas! The Christmas story, the amazing and true events of Jesus’ birth, appears in the gospel of Matthew and Luke. Luke’s beautiful text is the one that is most often read and quoted. But, did you know that the story of Jesus Christ’s birth is threaded from the beginning to the end of the bible? From Genesis to Revelation? Jesus’ birth should have been no surprise, and in fact, the Jews had been waiting centuries for their great King to be born onto the stage of history. One of my very favorite verses about the birth of THE CHRIST come from the book of Isaiah during an historical time of great disobedience to God and impending judgement! Let’s look at this unusually placed birth announcement of Jesus!
Isaiah 9:6 is one of those scriptures that is closely associated with Christmas. It is a beautiful scripture… filled with the promise of an infant… a child… and a king!
FOR A CHILD IS BORN TO US, A SON IS GIVEN TO US, AND THE GOVERNMENT WILL REST UPON HIS SHOULDERS. AND HIS NAME WILL BE CALLED WONDERFUL COUNSELOR, MIGHTY GOD, ETERNAL FATHER , PRINCE OF PEACE. Isaiah 9:6
But Isaiah 9:6 is more than just a scripture we read on the front of a Christmas card… it is rich in interesting history and heavy with strong imagery…
Isaiah 9:6 was written by a prophet of Israel when the young nation Israel had been fractured in two by distentions and intrigues! The Northern Kingdom was ruled by a string of terrible ungodly kings and Ahaz (you know, Jezebel’s husband) was reigning at the time of this breathtaking prophesy!
The date in history was about 725 BC. Ahaz, in disobedience had rejected God’s hand of protection on Israel and instead turned to the very people that God had told them not to make an alliance with! Not only that Ahaz led the people into idolatry and every kind of baseness… including infanticide!
This was a very low point in Israel’s history! The people of God were in big, big trouble! God had tried for a very long time to woo them back to Him and also warn them but they turned away from Him in defiance!
During the time of Isaiah 9:6 God is pouring out his prophesy of judgement on the people of Israel. Judgement, not because he is a mean God… but judgement as a way to make things hard enough on the king and the people of Israel that they would return to Him. This judgement was a just and forewarned punishment for their disobedience.
So right in the huge mess of Israel’s disobedience and God’s horrific judgement… God stops… and utters words of promise and redemption and comfort!
I can just see it… God in his righteous wrath is telling Israel through the prophet Isaiah what will happen to this terrible king and His disobedient people…God is making list after list of their wrongs and ways they had gone astray! He is on a roll!!!! Dolling out judgments right and left… and… all of a sudden He stops and takes a deep breath. Love fills His face. His eyes are sad though, hurt by the rejection and sin of the people He loves so much…
God has such good news for His people, the people of judgement. He can’t contain it. So right in the middle of this judgement prophesy God burst forth with the most incredibly wonderful news. News of a baby that will be born to them… a child!
But not just any child! The child is God’s eternally existing Son that will He will give to them. He tells them that the government will rest upon this baby, this given child’s shoulders.
Shoulders are an ancient sign of authority.
This child, this son, will be the long awaited King! This baby will someday have rule and govern Israel!
But, God was not sending just another king… this king would be anointed for the job (meaning of Messiah)! He and He alone would have the right and authority and ability to rule with perfection.
If we think about this passage in the context of the mess going on in the time of the prophesy it must have been meant to give great relief and hope to the people. What a contrast to Ahaz! King Ahaz ran amok and left a trail of abject ruin and disobedience throughout his rule. “So goes the king, so goes the people!”
But there was hope of a new, promised King that would rule someday and usher in a time of perfect peace and goodness!
He would be a Wonderful Counselor! One so splendidly and utterly wise. Able to perfectly rule and direct the human race.
He would be Mighty God…a strong God. This phrase is so interesting to note! In ancient times everyone in the known world believed in a god. How people knew who was the best or the real god was by seeing who was the strongest, mightiest god! A god who showed himself powerful was surely the true god! So God is letting His disobedient people know that this Ruler will be THE true God himself!
He would be Eternal Father…these words in the original text literally say “forever father”. It does not mean that this king is God the Father… but that this Ruler is a forever and ever king. It is an ancient term of great Hebraic poetic beauty… this king is described as as eternal father, showing His duration of forever and ever… His “without end” royal paternity!
He would be Prince of Peace… this is the most complex and rich phrase to describe this king. The word peace in Hebrew is Shalom… it is a word that encompasses such a deep and wide meaning. Shalom is the idea of “wholeness”. It is the idea of perfect rest, because we are whole and healthy in every single aspect of life and in every relationship. Who wouldn’t be at peace in that state!
This king would be the royal mediator of perfect wholeness. And he would bring about the most important peace of all… peace between God and man! He would be the bridge to a perfect intimate and everlasting relationship of complete wholeness between His subjects and the true God!
Let’s go back to the historical time of this text. A time of great disobedience. A time of a huge spiritual mess! So, as God in righteous judgement is judging King Ahaz and the people through the prophet Isaiah He literally taking a “time out” and pours an extreme and lavish blessing of the good news like a balm over a hurting and disobedient people!
Jesus the King was coming!
Did the news change the judgement of God?… No!
Did it turn the peoples hearts back to this God of perfect love?… No!
Did it give them a promise to cling on to?… Some who listened, yes!
And here WE are two and a half centuries later… reading it on Christmas cards! Why?
Because this news… this good new of a coming king still applies to us!
The king has come as a baby… born of Mary. He has come as the Son of God given by the Father. He has come and made a way for us to be eternally at Peace with God through the His death on the cross. He is the anointed King who will have a forever kingdom!
I hope this “Christmas” verse is more meaningful to you. More of a reason for true worship. More of a picture of the Author of Christmas, the Lord Jesus!
At Christmas we celebrate the birth of THE KING and look forward to the time of His second coming. The time He comes to reign as Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace! Hallelujah!
Beautiful message. The best “Good News” ever prophesyd from the Ancient Days. Yes, Halleljah to the Coming King of Kings. what an exciting tme we as Born Again people live in.
Hallelujah!!! What a beautiful message. To be reminded that even in the midst of disappointment, love still reigns! Our sin is truly the reason for the season, and may we never forget as we await our Kings return!
Shalom
We need this message more than ever. Thanks for putting this out there. I was just at Dollywood this week and their Christmas shows are all still very religious based.. I was so happy to see this. They were moving and emotional. Praise GOD.
I’ve really enjoyed your advent posts Yvonne, it’s good to remember the true meaning of Christmas x
Amen!
Yvonne, I particularly enjoyed today’s devotional and the commentary and explanation you provided alongside it. I wanted to know if you use a specific Bible companion text. I was actually looking through an online store for just such an item right before I read your post. If you do use something specific, would you mind sharing?
Yvonne, your daily passages have come to mean so much to me. I am learning to be a more thrifty decorator (meaning I am trying to “edit” the number of items I use), I have come to understand what style I most enjoy, I feel more organized, and I am genuinely touched by the messages you give to your readers about our Heavenly Father. What a wonderful way to witness to others. Thank you so much for doing what you do with such flair, such creativity, such style, and such heart.
Hi Pamela! I don’t use ay Bible companion text. The best book you can get besides the bible is HOW TO STUDY THE BIBLE YOURSELF. You should get this and absorb it! You should study the bible and after you have done a thorough observation, correct interpretation and godly application! This book really helped me! http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0736953434?keywords=HOW%20TO%20STUDY%20THE%20BIBLE%20YOURSELF%20by%20Kay%20Arthur&qid=1450641312&ref_=sr_1_fkmr0_1&sr=8-1-fkmr0
I’ll add my “Amen!” to the comments posted above. What a wonderful Savior we have, so full of love and mercy. For anyone willing to repent of their sins and turn to the Lord Jesus Christ with trust in His shed blood for their sins, there is HOPE. If this world is the best it is going to be, we are to be pitied but thank God, there is a wonderful world coming for the aforementioned saved ones. I can’t wait! Several lines from the song, Mary Did You Know?, cause me to break down in tears as I think about the truth contained in the words and I share them with you as a Christmas gift to all of you. Here are the precious words: “Mary…did you know that you’re baby boy has come to make you new; this child that you delivered, will soon deliver you?…When you kiss your little baby, you kiss the face of God…Did you know that your baby boy is Heaven’s perfect Lamb, the sleeping child you’re holding is the Great I AM.” Merry Christmas!
A thrill of HOPE, the weary world rejoices!
I love that you write these posts each weak. Even long time Christians need to hear the gospel presented in a fresh way, and how you explain things is so clear and enjoyable to read.
Thank you for this perfect message of Gods love! Peace and love be with you and family at Christmas and forever!
I have so enjoyed all of your Sunday posts this,month! They have enriched my worship of the One True King and helped me keep my focus on the real meaning of Christmas I’ve also enjoyed and been inspired by the decorating blogs too! Thank you! Merry Christmas!
Yvonne, what beautiful biblical truths and promises you have stated in this post! Thank you for these reminders of the hope that is within us, a hope we live with each and every waking moment. Beautifully put and thank you for sharing this with us. Much Love, Judy
These words are so truly precious and sweet! Such a blessing – Merry Christmas!
Yvonne
I wrote to you in a private e mail few weeks ago, about how these posts have so made me think about what this Christmas really means to me! As I was busily preparing my home for family and friends, your wonderful posts about holiday decor interspersed with meaningful posts about the true meaning of the season, have made me realize I needed to prepare my heart for Jesus as much as I was preparing my home! With every post about the first Christmas I have come to realize what a gift God our Father has truly given us! Who but a God could devise a plan to save us mere mortals with the promise of eternal life if we only heed his promise to accept his son as our Savior? What kind of father could love us so much that he would give up his only Son to know he was sending him to Earth knowing full well what was to come? The gravity of knowing what would happen to Jesus makes the meaning of Christmas so amazing to me, that all the superficial and commercial hoopla that Christmas has become lately makes me sad in a way. I am overwhelmed with His love and vow not to merely give “things” for Christmas, but to have Christmas in my heart every day! Thank you for sharing your faith with us! There is not abetter gift we could ask for but the opportunity to know what you have so wonderful shared with us! Blessings to you and your family! Thank you for sharing your home and hearth with us every day, but mostly thank you for getting us to think about what a gift we have been bestowed!
Very well said.Amen.