Third Presbyterian Sunday Morning Bible Study - November 22, 2020

Below is the Bible Study written by Jim Rudiger for his Sunday School Class which meets at Third Presbyterian Church, Norfolk, Virginia. It's based on Isaiah 9:1-7.

“I can’t believe I ate the whole thing.”  “Give it the whole nine yards.”  “There’s a whole lot of lovin’ going on.”  In all of these sayings, what is the meaning of the word “whole”?  Full.  Complete.  Total.  If “whole” means complete, what does wholeness mean?  A feeling of being complete.  In order to get that feeling of wholeness for the Christmas Season, what preparations do you have to do?  Put up a tree.  Decorate the house and yard.  Buy and wrap presents.  Put flowers on the graves of loved ones.  Family parties - celebrations.  Going to church.  In the Christmas Season there seems like there is so much to do and only a few days to do them.  You worry about what gifts to buy - if the person will like it or if it will fit.  To add to the worry, there may be loved ones out of town that requires you to get moving and buy and ship their presents early. With so much riding on what you have to do, when does that sense of wholeness kick in?  Hopefully, when you clean up after the Christmas Eve party, turn off all the Christmas lights and crawl into bed.  You take a deep breath and wholeness finally fills your body and mind.  What does this wholeness give you?  Peace.

With all of the bright colored lights, bows on presents and enjoying loved ones, there are those who don’t experience this wholeness.  Their Christmas season is full of disappointments or sorrow.  There are families where there is no money to buy the one present their child has dreamed about and promised Santa they would be good.  There are families where there won’t be enough food.  There are families facing the death of a loved one and the joy that others feel just deepens their suffering.  For these people, Christmas, which should be the happiest time of the year, makes them feel depressed and useless.  It is no surprise that there are more suicides during the Christmas Season than any time of the year.  For those people, there is no sense of wholeness or peace.

For the most part, both groups have at the center of their wholeness plan material things.  They are looking for material things to avert their eyes from what is happening in our world.  Our study for today deals with wholeness from a spiritual view not a material one.  In this spiritual view of wholeness, peace isn’t earned by us getting things done.  Peace is a gift not wrapped in bright ribbons or gay paper, but covered in the blood of our Savior.

To set the stage for our study, we have to know what happened in Chapter 8.  Chapter 8 paints a picture of people totally lost.  They have reduced God’s influence in their lives until his council isn’t even sought.  Isaiah paints a gloomy outlook for these people.  They are stumbling along in a darkness they made with no hope of a dawn coming.  That’s where we pick up our study.

Isaiah 9:1 But there will be gloom for those who were in anguish.  In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphali, but in the latter time he will make glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations.

All scholars agree that this verse should have been the last verse in Chapter 8.  He is presenting a contrast to the people described in Chapter 8.  These are difficult words to understand, but let’s see what we can make of this. How does he describe the people?  In anguish.  He doesn’t identify the anguish, but he does tell us it happened when?  In the former times.  In other words, way back in the past.  Isaiah goes on to identify which two lands that were brought into contempt?  Zebulun and Naphtali.  Any idea about what or where these two places were?  They were two of the twelve tribes of Israel which happened to be the most northern tribes. That meant any country invading the kingdoms of Israel and Judah had to pass through Zebulun and Naphtali.  As a result, they were always on a war footing waiting to be invaded or being invaded.  Of course when the armies of Assyria invaded Israel, these were the first tribes to be wiped out.  So, when Isaiah speaks of “contempt”, he is speaking about these countries falling to enemy armies. 

When will things change for these tribes?  In latter times. Remember, as a prophet, Isaiah is repeating what God had told him to tell to the people.  He might not even understand what God says, but that isn’t important only what God said is important.  Why doesn’t Isaiah give us a date about when this latter time will occur? God didn’t tell him.  But, he does describe what will happen then.  What will God do?  Make a glorious way to the Jordan to a place called Galilee.  For Christians, this is an important piece of information confirming that this prophesy is talking about events hundreds of years later involving the Messiah - Jesus Christ.  Matthew 4:13 states: “He (Jesus) left Nazareth and made his home in Capernaum by the sea, in the land of Zebulun and Naphtali so that what had been spoken by the Prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled.”  Capernaum was located on the Sea of Galilee.  Matthew wrote this about Jesus just after Jesus had heard of what had happened to John the Baptizer.  It was in Zebulun and Naphtali which had suffered the most in the past that Christ first came to teach in a synagogue, and that’s where he did his first miracle in Cana. 

Isaiah 9:2 The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness on them light has shined.

Things they are a-changing for the people struggling with darkness.  What happens? They have seen a great light.  We have studied that a great light always accompanied what?  The glory of God.  The people who first read this verse must have thought this meant that the light meant that the countries oppressing them will be driven out.  As Christians we recognize that the “great light” is Jesus.  Jesus was described as the light to the world.  God isn’t just removing the countries oppressing Israel, but delivering them from everything else that oppresses them including the greatest oppressors of all- sin and ignorance.

Isaiah 9:3 You have multiplied the nation, you have increased its joy; they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest, as people exult when dividing plunder. 4 For the yoke of their burden, and the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor, you have broken on the day of Midian.

Who is the “you”?  The prophet is addressing God.  What has God done?  He has multiplied the nation.  How has God done that?  Through Jesus, the whole world is brought before God.  God’s chosen people has expanded to cover everybody - Jew or Gentile - who accepts Jews as Lord.  Now, everybody has something to celebrate.  In Ruth we learned that after a successful harvest, there was a feast - a party.  The harvest this time won’t be barley or wheat.  It will be the souls of men. A harvest of believers sure is worth celebrating with a feast.  After all, isn’t that what we do when something good happens?  A family member graduates from college and we have a party.  A couple gets married and we party.  A wife has a baby and we have a party.  Scripture tells us that God is going the throw a party to end all parties - literally - when we celebrate that feast in heaven.

What is Verse 4 describing by talking about a yoke and bar?  Anything that burdens us.  Back in Isaiah’s day when this was written, something special had just happened.  The king of Assyria, Tiglath-Pilesor, had just died and the people thought that this meant that Assyria would lighten up on them.  In fact, some might have considered that Isaiah was predicting the end of Assyrian rule over them.  What does Isaiah bring up?  The Day of Midian.  Remember when we studied Judges a couple of months ago, Miidian came up.  What happened?  The Midianites were constantly invading and stealing the Jew’s harvest.  God rose up Gideon as a judge to defeat the Midianites.  Gideon defeated the 120,000 Midianite army with just 300 Israelites.  A remarkable victory.  By mentioning the Israelite’s victory over a superior army, would have led the readers to believe that the same thing could happen with the Assyrians.

Isaiah 9:5 For all the boots of the tramping warriors and all the garments rolled in blood shall be burned as fuel for the fire.

Does our world need peace right now?  Is it any different from Isaiah’s world?  Anywhere there is conflict or oppression, we aren’t feeling wholeness.  We all share a common life, so we all feel the lack of the wholeness that gives us peace of mind.  Pollution of our world and of our morals takes away our wholeness.  The threat of nuclear war evaporates our wholeness.  These words speak as clearly to us today as they did to Isaiah’s readers back then.

Isaiah 9:6 For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders; and he is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Is there any way of establishing this wholeness that leads to the peace that we all want?  These verses gives us the answer.  This is a potent message to us today.  How is our wholeness packaged?  As a baby.  That’s a funny way to introduce the person who will lead the people out of their depression.  Not a grown up Moses or Joshua, but a little baby.  But, this will be a special baby.  What will the baby have even at his birth?  Authority.  Whose authority?  God’s.  And this baby is named what?  Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father and Prince of Peace.  It appears that Egyptian protocols might have influenced Isaiah which isn’t too far fetched since Israel spent a lot of time in Egypt.  In Egypt the Pharaoh’s had five names.  If we separate Wonderful Councilor into two names - Wonderful and Councilor - then we have the five names.  Remember, in those days, names might describe an attribute or characteristic.  So, these names are really listing the attributes of the baby king. Lets examine each attribute:

(1) Wonderful - What does “wonderful” mean?  Causes wonder.  Marvelous.  Remarkable.   What was “Wonderful” about Jesus?  He existed before the creation of everything.  In fact, he was a major part of the creation of the universe.  That’s pretty wonderful.  His virgin birth was wonderful.  How about his miracles?  They were pretty wonderful, too.  He was a wonderful teacher.  He was wonderful in his suffering, death, burial and resurrection.  He is wonderful in establishing his church.  He is wonderful in what he will do when he returns and judges all mankind - both the living and the dead.  Wonderful is an apt description of Jesus.

(2) Councilor - What does a councilor do?  A lot of time we think about attorneys when we hear the word councilor, because councilors give us advice, and that’s what an attorney does.  But a councilor as used here does much more than give advice.  He is a trusted aid who lets us know what is right and what is wrong.  Just imagine.  When God said, “Let’s make man in our own image,”  Jesus was there as part of the Godhead.  And his input was wanted.  Can you picture God sitting down with Jesus and discussing how each creature should look and function?  Jesus is the only councilor who had “the words of eternal life.”  John tells us that his council is truthfully described as the “Light of the World”.  The council of Jesus is eternal.  Heaven and Earth shall pass away, but his word lives for ever.  His council is the sole authentic Handbook for Christian living.  

(3) Mighty God - Do you have a problem with assigning the name “Mighty God” to Jesus?  Is there a division we should make between God and Jesus?  How does John start his Gospel?  “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was WITH God, and the Word WAS God.”  To see Jesus is to see God.  Even doubting Thomas when challenged by Jesus to put his fingers in the nail holes, declared, “My Lord and my God.”  As part of the Godhead, Jesus has the right to claim the name of “Mighty God.”  Some translations use the words “God’s Warrior” for this name and that’s appropriate.  Jews always considered that the Messiah would be a warrior who booted an invading country out of Israel.  It will be Jesus who will lead the battle against Satan.  I hate to ruin the ending of the book for you, but Jesus wins.

(4) Everlasting Father - This gets a little tricky.  Jesus is the “Son” part of the Godhead.  How could he also be the “Everlasting Father”?  Any takers?  We became children of God through our acceptance of the “gospel’ message which was delivered originally by who?  Jesus.  Since we all are born again through the word of Christ, in a sense, Jesus is the “father” of all who believe in him.  Remember, Jesus is called the author and protector of our faith in Hebrews.  A chief role for a father is to protect his children.  That’s what Jesus does for us.  In the same sense that Abraham was called the Father of the Faithful, Jesus can be called the Everlasting Father.

(5) Prince of Peace - Is there any problem with Jesus having the title of Prince of Peace?  Is there anybody who ever lived other than Jesus, who could be called the “Prince of Peace”?  When Jesus was born, the angels proclaimed, “Glory to God in the highest heaven and on earth peace among those whom he favors.”  Does this promise peace for all men?  Which men will have peace?  The ones who God favors.  What does this mean?  Only the ones who are obedient and faithful will know the peace that come from the Lord.  What is this peace that the Lord will give us?  An inner tranquility. The Hebrew have a word, Shalom, which is a greeting given when you meet a friend or when saying goodbye to a friend.  It means” Peace”, so it offers peace whether they are coming or going.  The root meaning for shalom is “wholeness” or “completeness.”  This is the wholeness that we talked about at the start of this study.  It really doesn’t have anything to do with what the world might be going through at the time.  It doesn’t even involve what personal conflicts we have like with our wealth or our health.  This means that this peace is there regardless of what the external influences may be or how severe they may be.   Paul put it this way, “If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord; so then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s.

Isaiah 9:7 His authority shall grow continually, and there shall be endless peace for the throne of David and his kingdom.  He will establish and uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time onward and forevermore.  The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.

So what will the reign of this Prince of Peace be like?  His authority will grow.  With authority will come power.  As we grow old our power decreases as well as our authority.  We watch world leaders as they retire from the world stage and see their abilities fade especially if they are struck with dementia.  It was very sad to see a robust man like Ronald Reagan being told by his wife to wave to the crowd.  Christ’s reign will not be accompanied by decreasing abilities, but an increasing authority.

What else will characterize Christ’s reign?  Endless peace.  This will be more than a hope.  It will be an absolute necessity.  What would you see this peace including?  No war.  No disease.  No pain no coronavirus.  All of the things that might keep you awake at night or worrying about would be no more.  What would be the result of an endless peace?  Pull up the blanket on a coll night, snuggle in and have a full restful night.  And, you won’t have to get up at 3:00 in the morning and try to make it to the bathroom in time.

The people who walked in darkness longed for another strong king like David had been.  Jesus will better David’s reign because Jesus’ reign will uphold what?  Justice and righteousness.  How can we be assured that there will be justice and righteousness?  His light will fall on all who live there.  Best of all it will be forevermore.  How do we know for sure that it will really work out?  Because “The Zeal of the Lord will do this.”   That means that what is impossible from a human perspective, will work because God is committed to supporting Jesus’ reign with all the power and glory that comes with being God.

We all want that promised wholeness.  What about those who are depressed during this Christmas Season?  Can they know that Jesus knows their pain?  That he can be there in their dark times?  Jesus knows their loneliness and grief because he has been there.  Jesus grieved over the city of Jerusalem, wept at the death of a friend, and suffered the denial of his most trusted and loved disciple.  He showed us that he has wholeness because he loved and trusted God completely

So now it all comes down to us.  Can we have the same wholeness right here - right now?  Yes, we can if we obey what God has asked of us and love the Lord with all of our heart and soul.  When that happens, our “wholeness” will become our “Holiness.”

Prayer: Lord, let me today renew our hope for peace by working for the coming of your reign.  Amen