What Does Isaiah 9:6 Mean?

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

The Context for the Prophecy

One of the vital well-known prophecies concerning 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 known as Great 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 little one who will probably be born.

What He Brings

First, what’s going to he carry? Together with the arrival of this little one, Isaiah guarantees that God will carry three items. The primary is pleasure. Isaiah 9:1 says, “However there will probably 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 elements of Israel, and two locations particularly: Zebulun and Naphtali. These northern elements have been the areas of Israel’s land that have been most weak to assault. They have been the primary locations attacked by Assyria and the primary to enter exile. They walked in darkness and anguish and gloom. But whereas they have been the primary to endure from conflict, Isaiah guarantees they would be the first to expertise restoration. Their darkness will probably be turned to mild, their gloom to pleasure: “The individuals who walked in darkness have seen a fantastic mild. . . . you might have elevated its pleasure; they rejoice earlier than you” (Isa. 9:2–3).

God will even carry his folks freedom and peace. Israel was below a heavy burden of oppression, however God will set them free (Isa. 9:4). Sooner or later peace will probably be so pervasive that each one the boots and clothes wanted for conflict will probably be burned up (Isa. 9:5). These three items—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 will probably 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 might be referring to God himself because the one who acts in and thru this king, however they’re more than likely referring to this Davidic king himself. The primary title is “Great Counselor.” Consider the wisest individual you understand—the one who cuts via 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 “fantastic” is uniquely used for the acts of God himself. That is supernatural, miraculous, divine counsel.

The divine nature of this little one 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} little one can be born and known as Mighty God. This little one will probably be actually human and actually divine.

The fourth title is “Eternal Father.” That is more than likely 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 power, persistence, and safety.

He will even be the “Prince of Peace,” the supply of true peace. He’ll carry peace to our souls, {our relationships}, our communities, and finally the entire cosmos.

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Who is that this little one? Isaiah says he’ll sit on the throne of David to ascertain it perpetually (Isa. 9:7). This hyperlinks this promised little one to one of many central threads via the entire Bible. From the very starting, God promised that one would come via 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 little one will come via 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 little one 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 via Mary and Joseph. We marvel at Jesus’s delivery as a result of he’s each actually human and actually divine, which we check with because the incarnation. There, in Mary’s arms, was the Mighty God. It’s this little one who would carry the three promised items of pleasure, freedom, and peace.

As Jesus grew up, his id turned more and more clear to folks. He unfolded his ministry in such a approach 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 may 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 ultimately spreading his peace and rule via all of the world.

He’ll carry peace to our souls, {our relationships}, our communities, and finally the entire cosmos.

Who He Is For

We’ve seen what this little one brings and who he’s, however Isaiah additionally solutions a 3rd query: Who is that this little one for? He’s for us—for you and for me—if we’ll obtain his grace and are available below 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 below his grace and authority.

For this reason we sing of coming to Jesus and adoring Jesus throughout Introduction. It’s as a result of Jesus is the nice reward to the world. We stroll in darkness and gloom due to our sin and the mess we have now fabricated from this world. But Jesus got here to carry mild to our darkness, freedom to our slavery, and peace to our misery.

At Christmas, we rejoice how Jesus was given to us as a toddler in order that he might be given to us as a sacrifice. He got here to these in darkness in order that on the cross he might take our darkness upon himself. It’s via his life, loss of life, and resurrection that we have now 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 little one would come into the world due to the zeal of God—the fervour 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 Study.

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