Who can ever become weary of the grand words of the evangelical prophet of Israel? What a richness, a luxuriance, there is in them, and what rhythm? How easy it is to remember them! They fasten themselves in our memory, never to be effaced. There are but few of them in this lesson, but they are wonderfully comprehensive. Let us read them. "The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light; they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them has the light shined. You have multiplied the nation, You have increased their joy: they joy before You according to the joy in harvest, as men rejoice when they divide the spoil. For the yoke of his burden, and the staff of his shoulder, the rodof his oppressor, You have broken as in the day of Midian. For all the armor of the armed man in the tumult, and the garments rolled in blood, shall be even for bursting, for fuel of fire. For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder: and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and of peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon His kingdom, to establish it, and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts shall perform this." (Isaiah 9:2-7,RV)
From Darkness to Light
The lesson begins with darkness, and ends with light. The preceding chapter closes with the statement that upon the earth there shall be "trouble and darkness, dimness of anguish." (Isaiah 8:22) "Darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the Lord shall arise upon you, and His glory shall be seen upon you." (Isaiah 60:2)
Christ is the light of the world; there is no life but from Him, and His light is the light of righteousness, for He is "the Sun of righteousness." (Malachi 4:2)
That the prophecy in our lesson refers to the first advent of Christ, is made plain by comparing the first two verses with Matthew 4:15-17. It was when "the Word of life" (1 John 1:1) was manifested, that the light came into the world. "In Him was life; and the life was the light of men." (John 1:4)
But God did not leave the world in darkness for four thousand years. Far from it. "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light, and there was light." (Genesis 1:1-3)
The Word of life--the light of men--was "from the beginning." (1 John 1:1)
It was the eternal life, shining for the salvation of all men. And men saw the light--and rejoiced in it--in the far-away olden time. Abraham saw it, and was glad. (John 8:5,8) When the light shone forth out of the darkness in the beginning, "God saw the light, that it was good." (Genesis 1:4)
From that time it has been bringing good news. Thus long has "the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ," (2 Corinthians 4:4) been in the world. "There be many that say, who will show us any good? Lord, lift up the light of your countenance upon us." (Psalm 4:6)
From "the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ," (2 Corinthians 4:6) has all the good come, that has ever been known on this earth. "Turn us again, O God, and cause your face to shine: and we shall be saved." (Psalm 80:3) "God be merciful to us and bless us; and cause His face to shine upon us; That your way may be known upon earth, your saving health among all nations." (Psalm 67:12-13) "Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound: they shall walk, O Lord in the light of your countenance. In your name shall they rejoice all the day: and in your righteousness shall they be exalted." (Psalm 89:15-16)
Thus sang the Psalmist hundreds of years before Jesus walked in "Galilee of the Gentiles." (Matthew 4:15)
Ah, the light that shines forth from Jesus of Nazareth was enlightening the earth ages before the glory of God shone round the shepherds of Bethlehem, and the angel said, in fulfillment of the words of Isaiah, "Unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour." (Luke 2:11) "And the light shines in the darkness; and the darkness apprehended it not." (John 1:5)
There is healing in the wings of the Sun of righteousness. He makes people feel whole, "every whit whole." (John 7:3)
To those that "sat in the shadow of death, light has sprung up." (Matthew 4:16)
The light of life scatters the shadows of death. "The light of His countenance" (Psalm 4:6) has in it "saving health." (Psalm 67:2)
Let "the joyful sound" (Psalm 89:15) ring out over all the earth, that He who heals the sick, gives sight to the blind, cleanses the lepers, raises the dead, brings the captives out of the dark prison house, and binds up the broken-hearted, has come to earth, and that His healing presence has never departed. Then why are not all healed and set at liberty? Oh, "Many lepers were in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet; and none of them were cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian." (Luke 4:27)
Yet the light shone for all. It still shines. From those who take the vail off their hearts, the shadow of death will flee away before the life-giving beams of the Sun of righteousness.
Sowing Time and Harvest
"And they shall joy according to the joy in harvest." (Isaiah 9:3) "Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart." (Psalm 97:11)
The sowing-time is the promise of the harvest. What though the corn of wheat falls into the earth and dies, and the storms of long, dark winter nights howl above it? The promise is sure: "If it die, it brings forth much fruit." (John 12:24)
Therefore he who sees with the eye of faith may rejoice as much amid the blasts of winter as when the golden light of autumn reveals the glory of the ripened sheaves. So although the rod of the oppressor is grievous, and "for a season, ... you are in heaviness through manifold temptations, The trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perishes, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: Whom having not seen, you love; in whom though now you see Him not, yet believing, you rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory; Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls." (1 Peter 1:6-9)
Rich men now oppress the poor; the just are condemned and killed; but the joy of the coming harvest is reflected in their faces, and for very joy they do not resist; but take all patiently. "Behold, the husbandman waits for the precious fruit of the earth, and has long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. Be you also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draws nigh." (James 5:7-8) "The harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. The Son of man shall send forth His angels, and they shall gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; And shall cast them into a furnace of fire; there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who has ears to hear, let him hear." (Matthew 13:39-43)
All the armor of the armed man--the furious oppressor--shall be only for a "burning, for fuel of fire." (Isaiah 9:5)
Same Glory in First and Second Advents
Whereby may we know this? By this: "For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given." (Isaiah 9:6)
The first coming of Christ had in it the power and the glory and the joy of the second advent. That little Babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, and lying in a manger, is "the power of God." (1 Corinthians 1:24)
A "tender plant" (Isaiah 53:2) it was, weak as any other babe that ever was born, yet Herod trembled, and raged against it in vain; "for the weakness of God is stronger than men." (1 Corinthians 1:25)
That Child shall yet cause all the kingdoms of this world to totter and fall and crumble into pieces that cannot be found, while "of the increase of His government and peace there shall be no end." (Isaiah 9:7)
Often during His short revelation on this earth did the "Holy Child Jesus" (Acts 4:27,30) show forth His power and glory. Once was it seen that nothing less than "the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ," (2 Peter 1:16) were veiled by the flesh of the Carpenter of Nazareth, and the three disciples in the holy mount were "eye-witnesses of His majesty." (2 Peter 1:16)
For the light that encircled Him then was not light that shone upon Him, but light that shone from Him; "the glory as of the only begotten of the Father" (John 1:14) was always visible to those who could recognize it in the form of "grace and truth." (John 1:14)
So we see that the mighty power that will be revealed in the shaking heavens and earth at the second coming of Christ, will be but the power of Christ's coming in the flesh. It is the same "power of the Highest" (Luke 1:35) that overshadowed Mary, enabling her to bring forth the "holy thing" (Luke 1:35) that was called the Son of God; and it is the same "power that works in us," (Ephesians 3:20) even now, to form Christ in us the hope of glory. There is not so much difference between the first and the second advent of Christ, as people are wont to think. The prophets, as in the instance before us, often mentioned them together as one. The second is but the further unfolding of the first. No man believes in the first, who does not also believe in the second.
He who was, is the One who is, and who is to come. (Revelation 1:8) He is not divided; we must take the whole of Him or nothing. If we do not accept Him as the One who is coming again to take visible possession of His own inheritance, then we do not fully realize His power as our present sovereign Lord.
Never in eternity will there be any more power manifested in Jesus than was necessary to bring Him to birth in Bethlehem of Judea, and to raise Him from the dead. And that is the power by which He now dwells in every living heart. The power of His coming to Judgment, is the power of His humble birth, and the power of the cross. Only by the cross are repentant sinners saved, and reprobate sinners destroyed.
Therefore lift up your heads and rejoice. The time of tribulation is the time to "joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement." (Romans 5:11)
The oppressor may be as cruel and fierce as ever; "your adversary the devil," (1 Peter 5:8) may be as active as ever; there may be visible oppression; but Christ has promised "liberty to the captives," (Isaiah 61:1) and the liberty is ours. The power by which He will at the last "rend the heavens, [and] come down," (Isaiah 64:1) is the same power by which He now rides on a cherub and flies on the wings of the wind to the help of His afflicted, tempted ones. (Psalm 8:1-10) Then why not now rejoice over the conquered foe. Do you expect to be glad when the Lord comes to claim His own? You will not unless you rejoice now, even while surrounded with trials. The crown will be given only to those who "love His appearing;" (2 Timothy 4:8) and none love His appearing who do not know the power of it in His blessed presence. "A woman when she is in travail has sorrow, because her hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembers no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world." (John 16:21)
Therefore, "Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice;" (Philippians 4:4) for, "Unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given." (Isaiah 9:6) "Let the floods clap their hands: let the hills be joyful together Before the Lord; for He comes to judge the earth." (Psalm 98:8-9)--Present Truth, December 14, 1899--This article was not part of the series on Isaiah, but is included because it fits well into this collection--Notes on the International Sunday-School Lessons--Isaiah 9:2-7.