Welcome to Day 6 of this series, blogging through the 25 days of Advent.
Today, the Bible reading I'm looking at is Isaiah 9: 2 - 7 ...
"The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; a light has dawned on those living in the land of darkness. You have enlarged the nation and increased its joy. The people have rejoiced before You as they rejoice at harvest time and as they rejoice when dividing spoils. For You have shattered their oppressive yoke and the rod on their shoulders, the staff of their oppressor, just as You did on the day of Midian. For the trampling boot of battle and the bloodied garments of war will be burned as fuel for the fire. For a child will be born for us, a son will be given to us, and the government will be on His shoulders. He will be named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. The dominion will be vast, and its prosperity will never end. He will reign on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish and sustain it with justice and righteousness from now on and forever. The zeal of the Lord of Hosts will accomplish this.
What an incredible prophecy this must have been for the original recipients! With wars and rumors of wars threatening in Judah, Isaiah describes this great reversal of circumstances for sinners.
Light was going to come into their darkness! The fear and despair, the bondage and the sorrow would be taken away, and instead joy in the Lord would come upon those who once resisted and rebelled against God. Incomprehensibly, complete victory over every enemy would come to the people who deserved the very worst from a perfect and holy God.
All of this might have sounded too good to be true, but the prophet was sure: it will be done.
How? "The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this"!
God – the LORD of all heavenly armies, the Lord of hosts – has promised to accomplish this word, and His plans cannot be thwarted, nor can His power be defeated.
And this prophecy is just as exciting and encouraging for us today. Our world right now is just as dark, and lacking in hope, and sin-filled as Isaiah's was. We look forward to the ultimate restoration and salvation of all things just as much as those who waited so long and so patiently for Messiah's first coming.
We love to watch movies and read books where a hero defeats the villain and saves the world, don’t we? Captain America defeating Thanos, Eragon defeating Galbatorix, Aslan defeating the White Witch ... these are the stories that inspire hope in us.
But in the Gospel story, the thrill is so much greater, because it's not fiction but historical fact! And the Hero of our story needs no back-up plan, no magical protection, and no sequel to come back and try again.
No. The glorious and powerful Hero of our story as Followers of Christ is Father God Himself, the Hero who does for us what we cannot do for ourselves, and what no other person could do on our behalf.
Matthew Henry describes the coming of our Saviour so stirringly: "God himself has undertaken to bring all this about. The Lord of hosts, who has all power in His hand and all creatures at his beck, shall perform this, shall preserve the throne of David till this Prince of peace is settled in it; His zeal shall do it, His jealousy for His own honour, and the truth of His promise, and the good of His church."
'We need to remind ourselves that Christmas comes from divine initiative, the unshakable plans of a loving God with unlimited resources and unbounded enthusiasm. Do you find yourself caught up in His enthusiasm? Excited by His unshakable plans? Swept along by the mind-boggling concept of unlimited resources being released into your world? “The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.” We can confidently write this next to every one of the promises of God.' (Jill Briscoe)
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