Isaiah 8-9:7

The passage finishes with the zeal of the Lord will accomplish this. The image of Jesus weak and tea drinking is wrong. Yes he is meek (strength brought under control) but He is also zealous and brave – He will accomplish! God is not wishy washy – He is on fire for the triumph of His grace!

Yesterday we saw how Ahaz and the people of Judah have rejected God in their defining moment – but that hasn’t stopped God – he will bring salvation to those who will receive Him.

All around was going wrong v9-10 but they could be confident that God was with them! They know the presence of God in the midst of darkness.

Verses 11-15 Isaiah knew the strong hand of God upon him – a real sense of consciousness of God’s presence. A holy fear of the Almighty God.
v16-18 truth about God was also important to them. v9-18 we see the priority of the presence of God, a holy fear of His awesome power and a passion to know God’s truth.

Mediums, spiritualism and necromancing are very dangerous pastimes. People are desperate to know the future – they love prophecy, but go to the wrong source of power. God speaks – enquire of God, he loves to speak and in our church age, He wants all to prophecy! All to have visions or dreams (Acts2!)

The first area to be invaded is the North (9:1-2) but that will also be the first area to see the light of Jesus (Matthew 4:12-17). Grace came to those walking in darkness – the light of Christ broke in!

9:3 – grace will multiply across the nations – there will be a great multitude that no-one can number from every nation, from all the tribes and people and languages… crying out with a loud voice , “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne and to the lamb!”

Isaiah is writing about a freedom fighter breaking in – “as on the day of Midian” – like the day that Gideon the unlikely hero with the shrunken down army of 300 outrageously beating the Midianites.

v5 Jesus will not only defeat the forces of evil, he will put a final end to conflict itself. Who will do it v6 God’s answer to evil is a child! God’s power is so superior that he can defeat them coming as a child!

Weakness overwhelms power and foolishness outfoxes wisdom! (1 Cor 1:18-25)

Jesus is the Wonderful Counsellor – the best ideas and strategies for life
Mighty God – he defeats his enemies easily
Everlasting Father – who loves us endlessly, enjoy Him!
Prince of Peace – he reconciles us to God while we were still enemies!

The Kingdom will never end and it will ever increase!

Get in! Put your faith in Jesus – there will never be a moment went we will say we have reached the ceiling, there is nothing more, nothing new! His kingdom will increase – Jesus’ zeal will accomplish it!

Hallelujah!