What Does Isaiah 9:6 Imply?

This text is a part of the What Does It Imply? collection.

The Context for the Prophecy

Probably the most well-known prophecies in regards to the delivery of Christ is Isaiah 9:6, which says, “For to us a toddler is born, to us a son is given; and the federal government shall be upon his shoulder, and his title shall be referred to as Fantastic Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.” We learn this on Christmas playing cards and vacation indicators, however what does it imply? The unique context of this promise in Isaiah helps us. Isaiah solutions three questions on this baby who can be born.

What He Brings

First, what’s going to he deliver? Together with the arrival of this baby, Isaiah guarantees that God will deliver three presents. The primary is pleasure. Isaiah 9:1 says, “However there can be no gloom for her who was in anguish. Within the former time, he introduced into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, however within the latter time he has made superb the best way of the ocean, the land past the Jordan, Galilee of the nations.” These are the northern components of Israel, and two locations particularly: Zebulun and Naphtali. These northern components had been the areas of Israel’s land that had been most susceptible to assault. They had been the primary locations attacked by Assyria and the primary to enter exile. They walked in darkness and anguish and gloom. But whereas they had been the primary to endure from conflict, Isaiah guarantees they would be the first to expertise restoration. Their darkness can be turned to gentle, their gloom to pleasure: “The individuals who walked in darkness have seen an amazing gentle. . . . you could have elevated its pleasure; they rejoice earlier than you” (Isa. 9:2–3).

God can even deliver his folks freedom and peace. Israel was underneath a heavy burden of oppression, however God will set them free (Isa. 9:4). In the future peace can be so pervasive that every one the boots and clothes wanted for conflict can be burned up (Isa. 9:5). These three presents—pleasure, freedom, and peace—will include the arrival of a kid, a son.

Who He Is

The second query Isaiah solutions is, Who’s he? This son can be a king within the line of David, and he’ll rule the folks. Isaiah identifies him with 4 titles in verse 6. These titles could possibly be referring to God himself because the one who acts in and thru this king, however they’re most probably referring to this Davidic king himself. The primary title is “Fantastic Counselor.” Consider the wisest individual you realize—the one who cuts by way of confusion, clarifies the reality, and charts one of the best plan of action. This king would be the wisest of counselors. And even right here we see a touch of his divinity, for the Hebrew phrase for “great” is uniquely used for the acts of God himself. That is supernatural, miraculous, divine counsel.

The divine nature of this baby turns into unmistakable within the subsequent title: “Mighty God.” This deep thriller, promised right here centuries earlier than the delivery of Jesus, is {that a} baby could be born and referred to as Mighty God. This baby can be really human and really divine.

The fourth title is “Eternal Father.” That is most probably a reference to the daddy care that this king will present his folks. He’s from eternal, and he cares for his folks with fatherly energy, persistence, and safety.

He can even be the “Prince of Peace,” the supply of true peace. He’ll deliver peace to our souls, {our relationships}, our communities, and in the end the entire cosmos.

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Who is that this baby? Isaiah says he’ll sit on the throne of David to determine it endlessly (Isa. 9:7). This hyperlinks this promised baby to one of many central threads by way of the entire Bible. From the very starting, God promised that one would come by way of the road of Eve to defeat Devil and restore all that’s damaged on this world (Gen. 3:15). As this promise develops, we be taught that this baby will come by way of the road of Abraham (Gen. 12:1–3), then Judah (Gen. 49:8–12), then David (2 Sam. 7:1–17; Ps. 2). Isaiah identifies this baby because the long-awaited king of Israel, the one to rule all nations, the one who will set all issues proper and make all issues new.

This promise was fulfilled with the delivery of Jesus, who was born into this promised line of David by way of Mary and Joseph. We marvel at Jesus’s delivery as a result of he’s each really human and really divine, which we confer with because the incarnation. There, in Mary’s arms, was the Mighty God. It’s this baby who would deliver the three promised presents of pleasure, freedom, and peace.

As Jesus grew up, his id grew to become more and more clear to folks. He unfolded his ministry in such a manner that made it evident he was fulfilling these guarantees from Isaiah. He even deliberately started his ministry the place Isaiah 9 promised he would: Matthew mentioned he “lived in Capernaum by the ocean, within the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, in order that what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah could be fulfilled” (Matt. 4:13–14, in achievement of Isa. 9:1–2). He preached the gospel of his kingdom—the excellent news of pleasure, freedom, and peace—to those that dwelt in darkness, starting in northern Israel, and finally spreading his peace and rule by way of all of the world.

He’ll deliver peace to our souls, {our relationships}, our communities, and in the end the entire cosmos.

Who He Is For

We’ve seen what this baby brings and who he’s, however Isaiah additionally solutions a 3rd query: Who is that this baby for? He’s for us—for you and for me—if we’ll obtain his grace and are available underneath his rule. The promise says, “for to us a toddler is born, to us a son is given” (Isa. 9:6). The Lord Jesus was not simply born to Mary, he’s born to all his folks. He’s born to us and given to us. The “us” in Isaiah first referred to Israel, after which prolonged to all who come underneath his grace and authority.

That is why we sing of coming to Jesus and adoring Jesus throughout Creation. It’s as a result of Jesus is the good reward to the world. We stroll in darkness and gloom due to our sin and the mess we now have made from this world. But Jesus got here to deliver gentle to our darkness, freedom to our slavery, and peace to our misery.

At Christmas, we have a good time how Jesus was given to us as a toddler in order that he could possibly be given to us as a sacrifice. He got here to these in darkness in order that on the cross he may take our darkness upon himself. It’s by way of his life, dying, and resurrection that we now have pleasure, freedom, and peace.

This part in Isaiah ends with gorgeous assurance: “The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do that” (Isa. 9:7). This baby would come into the world due to the zeal of God—the eagerness of his coronary heart and his functions. God delights to present us his Son as a result of it’s in and thru Christ that we obtain pleasure, freedom, and peace. God is zealous to present us his Son; allow us to be zealous to obtain him.

Drew Hunter is the writer of Isaiah: A 12-Week Research.

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