Isaiah 9:1-2 (NIVUK)
1 Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future he will honour Galilee of the nations, by the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan –
2 The people walking in darkness
have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of deep darkness
a light has dawned.
On Sundays over Advent we’re looking at some of the Old Testament prophecies about Jesus’ birth, mostly in Isaiah (sometimes called the fifth Gospel even though it’s in the Old Testament). This chapter begins with a look back to Isaiah 8, which describes the consequences of rejecting God’s Word – they will have ‘they have no light of dawn’ (8:20). Here, in chapter 9, we see those who have experienced this – the lands of Zebulun an Naphtali were amongst the first that were invaded and defeated by the marauding Assyrian empire. God’s judgement, however, is not about retribution, it is to bring about repentance and restoration. Isaiah prophesies a time when through God’s intervention, the light will shine once again.
Maybe you’re experiencing darkness at the moment, or maybe you know of others who are. Certainly, all know of lands that are in darkness right now. Lift them before God and pray for his redemptive light to shine upon them.
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