God will be Born on Earth as a Baby
Isaiah 9
There’s times in my life when my faith is rock-solid; when I just know and feel that Jesus is God, that He died to pay for sin, that He rose again, that heaven and hell are real, and that Jesus is coming back. There’s times when my faith is rock-solid.
But there’s other times when my faith is not rock-solid; when I’m just not feeling it as much. And at those times I can start to wonder – why do I really believe all this? Why do I believe Jesus is God; why do I believe there’s a heaven and hell? Why?
And my guess is that all of us experience that from time to time. And that’s one of the reasons why God has given us the Bible -- because the Bible is full of reasons, full of evidences, which God has given us to strengthen and establish our faith.
And that’s what I am praying God will do this morning. In Isaiah ch.9 God gives us powerful reasons, powerful evidences for the truth of Jesus Christ. So let’s turn to Isaiah 9. If you need a Bible, go ahead and raise your hand and we’ll bring one to you. Isaiah 9 is on page 573 in the Bibles we are passing out.
Let’s start with this question: What will Israel face in the future? Here’s some background: all through Israel’s history God loved her, was faithful to her, provided for her, and guided her. But even though God had lavished His love and care upon her, Israel turned her back on God. Again and again, Israel rejected God and turned their backs on him.
But God was patient and slow to anger, and sent prophets to warn Israel that if they didn’t turn back to Him, He would bring foreign nations who would lay siege to her, bring starvation to her, and end up invading her.
But Israel continued to reject God and turn their backs on Him. So Isaiah tells Israel that she will experience the judgment God had warned about, as you can see in ch.8 vv.21-22 –
21 They will pass through the land, greatly distressed and hungry. And when they are hungry, they will be enraged and will speak contemptuously against their king and their God, and turn their faces upward [a picture of scoffing at God].
22 And they will look to the earth, but behold, distress and darkness, the gloom of anguish. And they will be thrust into thick darkness.
Here’s what Israel will face in the future. Because of her rebellion against God – Israel would live in distress and darkness, the gloom of anguish, and thick darkness.
Now that’s a little hard for us to understand, because we’ve never experienced anything like it. But imagine that some invading army swept through San Jose, and the whole economic system has ground to a halt, 70% of the homes have been burned down, the grocery stores have all been ransacked, and the water supply has been cut off. Can you imagine how you’d feel? Can you imagine the fear? The dread? The gloom?
That’s what Isaiah means when he says that Israel would be living in distress and darkness, the gloom of anguish, and thick darkness. That’s what Israel will face in the future. That’s where we ended in ch.8.
So is that the end of Israel? The answer is No. In ch.9 we read that after this – God will do something astonishing for Israel. First, God will remove the gloom and bring great light. Before reading these verses, look at this map. Here’s the land of Israel. And here in the north is the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali. Here’s the sea of Galilee – and this whole northern area is called Galilee.
So with that in mind, read v.1 --
1 But there will be [in the future] no gloom for her who was in anguish. In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he has made glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations.
2 The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shined.
Because of Israel’s sin God had punished this northern area. Assyria invaded and conquered and left them wandering about hungry and in gloom and despair and darkness. But now God is saying that he will remove the gloom and bring great light to this region of Galilee.
Second, God will vastly increase the number of God’s people. Look at the beginning of v.3 --
3 You have multiplied the nation …
This might just mean that God will vastly increase the size of the nation of Israel. But I think it means more. In other passages Isaiah says that in the future God will enlarge his people to include the Gentiles – that not only will many in Israel return to God, but many Gentiles also will turn to God and become part of God’s people. So in the future the people of God will be vastly increased in size.
Third, God will increase Israel’s joy in God. Look at the rest of v.3 --
… you have increased its joy; they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest, as they are glad when they divide the spoil.
Notice that this is Israel’s joy in God: “they rejoice before you as with the joy at the harvest.” It’s not that they rejoice in the harvest; they rejoice before God with joy like they have in a great harvest. So God will increase Israel’s joy in God.
Now if you know Israel’s history, this is good news. Because throughout her history the vast majority of Israel refused to rejoice in God. Israel’s highest joy, and our highest joy, is in knowing God, trusting God, worshiping God. But throughout her history most of Israel refused to rejoice in God. So the fact that in the future God will increase Israel’s joy in Him means that God will change their hearts. God will give them repentance and faith. God will save them.
Fourth, God will free Israel from all oppression and war. Look at v.4 --
4 For the yoke of his burden, and the staff for his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, you have broken as on the day of Midian.
So in the future Israel will be entirely free from the yoke, the staff, the rod of oppressing, invading armies. And then look at v.5 -- 5 For every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult and every garment rolled in blood will be burned as fuel for the fire.
That’s a bit cryptic, but what God is saying is that all battle-boots and battle-garments will be burned up. Which means that all the boots and garments and weapons of war will be destroyed. Which means Israel will never face war again.
Imagine that you were an Israelite reading through this scroll. At the end of chapter 8 you would have been in despair – your people would experience distress and darkness, the gloom of anguish, and thick darkness.
But now God says that in the future He will completely transform Israel.
He will remove the gloom and bring great light.
He will multiply the nation.
He will increase Israel’s joy in God.
And He will free Israel from all oppression and war.
But how? How will all of this happen? How will God do this? Start reading in v.6 --
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given;
God will do this through the birth of a child, a son, a baby boy.
Keep reading in v.6 --
… and the government shall be upon his shoulder …
So this boy will have governing authority. But this is no ordinary government, because v.7 says that “of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end.” So His government will bring peace throughout the earth.
Keep reading in v.6 --
… and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor …
It’s not that this is his actual name. It’s that this is who he is. He is a wonderful counselor. The Hebrew word “wonderful” refers to something that’s miraculous, that’s astonishing. So when this child grew up and you hear him speak you would be stunned with his wisdom.
Keep reading --
His name shall be called … Mighty God
This is one of the most astonishing verses in the Old Testament. It means that this baby boy is God. The God who has always been – the God who spoke a universe into existence – would be born on earth as a baby.
This means that God would actually be with us here on earth. Which is exactly what we saw last week in Isaiah 7:14 –
“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel [“Immanuel” means “God with us”].”
A virgin will bear a son. And this son will be God with us. Because this virgin-born son is God. God would be born on earth as a baby.
Back to ch.9 v.6 --
His name shall be called … Everlasting Father
All through the Old Testament God promised to be the Perfect Father to those who trust Him – He would provide, love, protect, comfort, guide, teach – He’s the Perfect Father. And the God of Israel is going to be born on earth as a baby. So since this baby is God, and God is the Perfect Father, this baby is the Everlasting Father.
Keep reading –
His name shall be called … Prince of Peace.
We can see what that means in v.7 --
Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.
So this shows us that this baby will genealogically be in the line of King David – ruling on his throne. And His government will never stop increasing – ultimately bringing peace throughout the earth forever.
So how will God remove Israel’s gloom and bring great light – multiply the nation – increase Israel’s joy in God – and free Israel from all oppression and war? How will God do that? By being born on earth as a baby.
So who is this baby boy? Isaiah wrote these words at around 750 BC. Soon after he wrote these words Assyria invaded Israel and Israel was left in distress and darkness, the gloom of anguish, and thick darkness. And those in Israel who were faithful to God clung to this prophecy and waited. They waited for a baby to be born
who would be born of a virgin;
who would bring great light -- especially to Galilee;
who would multiply the people of Israel – adding Gentiles to them;
who would increase Israel’s joy in God – by saving them;
who would free Israel from all oppression and war;
who would have the government on his shoulder;
who would be a Wonderful Counselor;
who would be Mighty God;
who would be an Everlasting Father;
who would be the Prince of Peace, whose reign would never stop increasing and end up bringing everlasting peace to the earth.
So Israel waited. And waited. And waited.
One day a young man named Joseph, who was engaged to Mary, Mary who was of the line of David, Mary who was a virgin, this Joseph had an angel visit him who said that Mary was pregnant. A virgin was pregnant with a child in the line of David.
And the night of Jesus’ birth, angels told shepherds about good news of a great joy which would be for all people – because that night there would be born a Savior, Christ the Lord. Jesus’ birth was good news of great joy.
When Jesus was 12 years old he wowed the scholars in the temple with his answers, and as a grown man others said that no one had every spoken with his wisdom. Jesus was a wonderful counselor.
Jesus focused his public ministry on northern Palestine – the land of Naphtali and Zebulun – Galilee of the Gentiles. Jesus brought great light to Galilee.
Jesus focused his ministry on Israel, but also brought His saving power on Gentiles. Jesus multiplied the people of Israel by adding Gentiles to them.
Jesus said that He was God, and He did mighty works that only God could do – raised a widow’s dead son from out of his casket alive; commanded a paralyzed man’s body to start walking and it started walking. Jesus was mighty God.
Now there are two of these prophecies that have not yet been fulfilled. Jesus has not freed Israel from all oppression and war – and we have not yet seen his reign bring everlasting peace to the earth. Those are still in the future.
But do you see what this means? This means that there has been a baby born in history to fulfills Isaiah’s prophecies. And there is only one baby born in history who has fulfilled Isaiah’s prophecies.
So what does this mean for us? What this means is that it’s all true. It’s all true!
First of all no could make this up. 750 years before Christ Isaiah prophesied the birth of an astonishing baby – and 750 years later it happened – just as Isaiah said.
Which means that God Himself was born as a baby. The God who has always been was born on earth as a baby. The God who created everything was born on earth as a baby. The God who created you was born on earth as a baby. He was here. He came to us. If we were on earth we could have touched him. Now we can read history about him. God was born on earth as a baby.
Which means that everything Jesus taught was true. This is all true.
Because God was born as a baby – we know God is real. God was here -- in history. God was here – physically. God is real.
Because God was born as a baby – we know that we deserve God’s wrath, because Jesus said that we have all rebelled against God and face hell forever.
Because God was born as a baby – we know that we can be forgiven. While on earth Jesus forgave sins. And the reason He could forgive sins was because He would die on the Cross to pay the punishment we deserve for our sins. So if we will repent of our sins and surrender our lives to Him in trust – we will be completely forgiven.
Because God was born as a baby – we know that our hearts can be changed. Jesus said that through trusting Him we can be born-again – and receive a brand new heart which loves God and trusts Jesus and hates sin.
Because God was born as a baby – we know that we can trust Him. If He loves us enough to be born as a little, tiny baby – and enough to be nailed to a cross to be punished in our place – we can trust Him.
Because God was born as a baby – we know that we are not alone. It’s not just us and the empty cosmos. God knows you. God loves you. God cares about you.
Because God was born as a baby -- we know that heaven and hell are real. Jesus said there was a real hell – where everyone would go who did not have sins forgiven through trusting Him – and He said there was a real heaven – where everyone who would who did have their sins forgiven through trusting Him.
Because God was born as a baby – we know that God is all-satisfying. Is anything more glorious than the God who created the galaxies? And could he lower himself lower than to be born as a baby? To know a God like that, to love a God like that, to be loved by a God like that – is all-satisfying.