Isaiah 9

1.1 When people feel lost in life, they often say, "I am in the dark." I saw this clearly during my military service. Although it wasn't my official duty, my captain asked me to counsel new recruits. Meeting these young men, I saw they were afraid of the unfamiliar environment and held many misconceptions. I helped correct their misunderstandings and gave them a new perspective on their service. Later, after I was discharged, they told me that I had been a light to them—a light that helped them adapt and complete their service well.

1.2 In our daily lives, light is essential. We need it to drive safely, to brighten our homes, and to see clearly. However, we need a far more vital light—one that illuminates our hearts, our minds, and the ultimate purpose of our lives. The Bible tells us that this Light came long ago according to God's promise, yet the world did not recognize it. Today, we will turn our eyes to the Light that finally came to us. We will explore how to truly know and experience this Light in our lives. Let me read Isaiah 9:1-2.

Isaiah 9:1–2 ESV

 But there will be 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. The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone.

2.1 To understand how bright this "Great Light" really is, we must first measure the depth of the darkness these people were facing. When Isaiah speaks of "gloom" and "anguish," he is not just using poetic words for being sad. He is describing a terrifying reality in history.

2.2 The prophecy of Isaiah 9 happens in the 8th century BC, a time of great disaster. The people of Israel were facing the rise of the Neo-Assyrian Empire. This was a brutal military machine that terrified the whole ancient world. The darkness Isaiah describes was the real smoke of burning cities and the shadow of approaching armies.

2.3 Notice the specific places mentioned in verse 1: "The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali." Why these two? These regions were in the north, around the Sea of Galilee.  They were the front door to Israel. When the Assyrian king, Tiglath-Pileser III, invaded in 732 BC, he didn’t strike the capital first. He swept down from the north. Zebulun and Naphtali were the first to be crushed by the oppressor. The Assyrians destroyed everything—they captured cities, took the people away as prisoners, and stripped the land of its identity. This region, once promised to God’s people, turned into an Assyrian province. It was cut off from hope, plunging the people into "deep darkness."

2.4 But the darkness was not just political; it was deeply spiritual. The King of Judah at the time, Ahaz, faced a crisis of faith. Instead of trusting God to protect the nation, he panicked. He made an alliance with the Assyrian empire and even brought foreign idols into the temple. So, when Isaiah uses the word "deep darkness" (tsalmaveth), he is describing a total collapse:

• It was the physical darkness of war.

• It was the political darkness of oppression.

• And it was the spiritual darkness of a people who felt abandoned by God.

2.5 Into this specific, hopeless, and terrifying reality, God speaks a word of reversal. The very places that were destroyed first—Zebulun and Naphtali, the "Galilee of the nations"—are chosen by God to be the first to see the Great Light.

3.1 Every year, as Christmas approaches, we decorate our world with lights. Walking through our neighborhoods, we see houses adorned with bright displays and trees glowing in the windows. While these decorations make our homes look beautiful and festive, they carry a deeper significance.

3.2 Remember the darkness of Zebulun and Naphtali. These Christmas lights are not just decorations; they are a prophetic reminder. They remind us that the Light has pierced the darkness. The true meaning of Christmas is that the Light has finally come to us. We do not have to guess who this Light is. It is not a philosophy, and it is not a political leader. This Light is a Person—Jesus Christ, our Lord. He came to earth to shine God’s light and love into the "deep darkness" of our human experience.

3.3 Seven hundred years after Isaiah’s prophecy, Jesus stood in the temple courts and declared the fulfillment of this promise. Listen to His words in John 8:12.

John 8:12 NASB 2020

Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, “I am the Light of the world; the one who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.”

3.4 This is the answer to Isaiah’s prophecy. The people who walked in darkness have seen a Great Light because they have seen Jesus. He is not just a light for the world; He is the Light of the world. As He said, He is the way, the truth, and the life. When we have Him, the darkness of our sin, our fear, and our hopelessness cannot overcome us.

4.1 Back in 2010, I had the privilege of leading a youth mission team from Calgary to Thailand. We visited remote mountain tribes and stayed in their villages. It was an unforgettable experience, partially because of the "nature alarm"—every morning at 4 AM, a choir of roosters and pigs would wake us up!

4.2 But there is one specific image etched in my memory. One night, unable to sleep, I stepped out onto the porch. The mountains were covered in deep darkness. It was breathtakingly beautiful but also overwhelming. As I looked across to the peak of the next mountain, miles away, I saw a tiny glimmer.

4.3 It was not a star. It was a light from a single house. In that vast ocean of darkness, that one small light was clearly visible. It pierced the night. In that moment, I realized why Jesus calls Himself the Light. And it reminds me of who we are supposed to be. We are with Jesus, Immanuel—"God with us." Because the True Light dwells within us, we do not just reflect the light; we become the light.

4.4 Jesus did not say, "You see the light." He said in Matthew 5:14.

Matthew 5:14 NLT

“You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden.

If we are truly His light, it is only right for us to shine into the world. It doesn't have to be a massive fire; it can be like that single lamp on the mountain.

5.1 Today, our children and the men’s choir performed their programs. This is not just entertainment; it is an act of shining the joy of Christ. Furthermore, our church has decided to support specific organizations during this season. We do this not just to be "nice people," but because we are the light of Jesus piercing the darkness of poverty and need.

5.3 So, as you leave today, look at the Christmas lights in your neighborhood. Let them remind you: The Light has come to you, so that the Light can shine through you. Do not hide it. Shine.

Quiz: Short-Answer Questions

Answer each question in 2-3 sentences, drawing exclusively from the provided source material.

1. What personal experience from military service is used to introduce the concept of being a "light" to people who are "in the dark"?

2. What historical context in the 8th century BC created the "gloom" and "anguish" described in Isaiah 9?

3. Why does the prophecy in Isaiah 9:1 specifically mention the lands of Zebulun and Naphtali?

4. According to the text, what were the three dimensions of the "deep darkness" (tsalmaveth) that the people of Israel faced?

5. How is the prophecy of the "Great Light" described as a "word of reversal"?

6. Who does the text identify as the "Great Light," and what specific verse from the Gospel of John is quoted to support this claim?

7. What is the "deeper significance" of Christmas lights, according to the text?

8. Describe the memory from the 2010 mission trip to Thailand and what it revealed about being a light in the darkness.

9. How does the text distinguish between Jesus as the Light and believers as the light, using a quote from Matthew 5:14?

10. What are two practical examples given for how a church community can "shine the joy of Christ"?

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Answer Key

1. The speaker recounts being asked by a captain to counsel new recruits during military service. The speaker helped correct their misconceptions and gave them a new perspective, leading the recruits to later say the speaker had been a "light" that helped them adapt and complete their service well.

2. The "gloom" and "anguish" refer to the rise of the Neo-Assyrian Empire, a brutal military power that terrified the ancient world. The darkness was the real threat of invasion, the smoke of burning cities, and the shadow of approaching armies.

3. Zebulun and Naphtali were northern regions around the Sea of Galilee that served as the "front door" to Israel. They were the first lands to be crushed when the Assyrian king, Tiglath-Pileser III, invaded in 732 BC.

4. The "deep darkness" was a total collapse on three levels: the physical darkness of war, the political darkness of oppression by the Assyrians, and the spiritual darkness of a people who felt abandoned by God after their king, Ahaz, turned to foreign idols.

5. The prophecy is a "word of reversal" because the very places that experienced the greatest destruction and were plunged into the deepest darkness—Zebulun and Naphtali—were chosen by God to be the first to see the Great Light.

6. The text identifies the "Great Light" as the person of Jesus Christ. It supports this with John 8:12, where Jesus states, “I am the Light of the world; the one who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.”

7. The deeper significance of Christmas lights is that they are a prophetic reminder that the Light, Jesus Christ, has pierced the darkness. They signify that the true meaning of Christmas is that the Light has finally come to us.

8. On a mission trip to Thailand, the speaker saw a single, tiny light from a house on a distant mountain peak across an "ocean of darkness." This image demonstrated how even a small light is clearly visible and can pierce a vast darkness, illustrating how believers are supposed to shine.

9. The text clarifies that Jesus is the Light of the world. Because He, as Immanuel ("God with us"), dwells within believers, they become the light. It quotes Matthew 5:14, where Jesus says, “You are the light of the world," indicating that believers are meant to shine His light.

10. Two practical examples given are children's and men's choir performances, described as an act of shining the joy of Christ, and the church's decision to support organizations to combat poverty and need.