Next Level Isaiah (Part A)

He is the author and finisher of our faith.

Not only the church, but the Old Testament saints also. God so loved the world, He gave His only begotten Son. There is no other, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. Well, it's about salvation of sinners, the light that has come, that we opened up with, that things were going to get brighter for humanity.

God has always got His eyes on sin and eternity, and the solutions. This is Cross-Reference Radio with our pastor and teacher Rick Gaston. Rick is the pastor of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville. Pastor Rick is currently teaching through the book of Isaiah.

Please stay with us after today's message to hear more information about Cross-Reference Radio, specifically how you can get a free copy of this teaching. But for now, let's join Pastor Rick in the book of Isaiah chapter 9 as he begins his message, An Astounding Prophecy. An Astounding Prophecy, that's the title of this evening's message. And before we dig into the first verse, you should know in the Hebrew Bible, the first verse of chapter 9 is connected to the last verse of chapter 8.

And that makes sense. Verse 22 of chapter 8, then they will look to the earth and see trouble and darkness, gloom of anguish, and they will be driven into darkness. And then verse 1, nevertheless the gloom will not be upon her who is distressed as when at first he lightly esteemed the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, and afterward more heavily oppressed her by the way of the sea beyond the Jordan in Galilee of the Gentiles. No wonder this is very difficult reading in your devotional times.

If you have no study Bible, no study aid, you're really left scratching your head. But he's still dealing with what's going to happen to the northern kingdom. At the time, Isaiah is ministering in the south, the northern kingdom is still there at this point, although he'll be around when it falls. But not yet, it's still there, and he's still dealing with the problems. To us, it's history.

But in those days, it was life or death. The people would be looking to the prophet. Has God said anything to you? What's going to happen? Are the Assyrians coming here?

We've got family up in the north. What's going to happen? And so these prophecies were quite well received and profound amongst the righteous. And so he continues with this theme of light and darkness. Things are going to change when the invading forces of the Assyrians kick into gear because of the apostasy, of course. It's always before us in the Old Testament.

It says here in verse 1, and afterward, more heavily oppressed her. Well, that refers to the many invasions that the Jews would suffer coming from the north. The Assyrians, the Babylonians, the Greeks, the Syrians, the Romans, Nebuchadnezzar. The north was the main route towards Jerusalem. There was Egypt to the south, but not as much of a threat and a burden in history bears that out. And so the Jews in Jerusalem, of course, they knew the enemies would come from the north. And that's what Isaiah is dealing with. He says, by way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, in Galilee of the Gentiles.

And that is, again, the direction from which the Assyrians would invade and eventually the Babylonians. Verse 2, now we haven't gotten to the good stuff yet. Verse 2, the people who walked in darkness have seen a great light. Those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, upon them a light has shined. Well, the shadow of death was these armies. It was very real to them.

You know, we have our worries and our age, but for them it was the real threat of these massive and vicious armies. But brighter days were ahead, and that's what the prophet is saying. Of the 12 tribes of Israel, these two smaller tribes, or less significant tribes, Nephthali and Zebulun, they're singled out. And they're being linked in this prophecy to Immanuel, back from chapter 7. Isaiah will begin to tie it in soon. From their territory, Messiah arises to remove the doom and darkness of sin, but he does it in phases. Which stumbled the apostles when they were the disciples, which also stumbled the religious elite in Israel, and also many students today don't see the two-phase ministry of Messiah.

His first coming and his second coming. And when the prophets spoke of it, they often just weaved it in to what they were saying. I don't know how much the people were grasping concerning what's about to be said in the day of Isaiah, but looking back over history now from where we are, we have a lot of fact here that it makes it so easy to follow the breadcrumbs to the source, and to come up with that conclusion, which is our doctrine that this is Jesus Christ and none other. And so the New Testament, of course that they did not have, we have, Matthew chapter 4, applies this section of scripture to the Messiah and says this is prophetic. Matthew chapter 4, verse 12, now when Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, he departed to Galilee. Well, that's the region we're talking about.

That's in the territory of Naphtali. And it continues, leaving Nazareth, and Nazareth is in the territory of the other guy, Zebulun. So he comes on here, continuing in Matthew, leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum.

Capernaum is also in Naphtali's territory, which is by the sea in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali, that it might be fulfilled, which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali by the way of the sea beyond the Galilee of the Gentiles. And he continues to quote Isaiah. So, by the time we get to the New Testament, the Holy Spirit's revealing these things to the church and saying, Isaiah was speaking about Messiah, Christ is the one who is the Messiah. Ultimately, its fulfillment comes in the second coming of Christ, which we'll get to that in a minute.

And so let me read on a little bit further. Here in verse 2, he says, Have seen a great light. That's the Galilee of the Gentiles. The Savior's boyhood is in this region. John chapter 8, verse 12. Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, I am the light of the world. He who follows me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life. These things are all tied in together.

They're not fragmented. And if you have a knowledge of the scripture, if you have a knowledge from reading the prophets and reading what the New Testament writers say, it's a perfect fit. Well, verse 3 goes on. It says, You have multiplied the nation and increased its joy.

They rejoice before you according to the joy of harvest, as men rejoice when they divide the spoil. Verse 4, For you have broken the yoke of his burden and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, as in the day of Midian. Well, that's all future because it hasn't happened yet.

And this is what I mean. You see the phases of Messiah. His first coming, when he does come to the region of Naphtali and Zebulun, and then when he is going to bring this peace that Isaiah is now introducing. So verses 3 and 4 are still future, not yet happened. Christ's first coming, he brought the light into the world through Galilee. And his second coming, he will bring the joy to the nation of Israel.

And, of course, it will be global. And he will put an end to enslavement and war, and that's what these two verses are introducing. The thrice repeated in verse 4, his burden and his shoulder, his oppressor. Well, that refers to Israel.

The rod of the oppressor, that's the emblem of tyranny. And so the prophet is saying, the days are coming when Messiah comes, we're not going to be under the threat of war and oppression and enslavement. And the Jews, of course, still have a lot of history ahead of them because after the Assyrians are dealt with, of course, the Babylonians will then come and eventually conquer all of Judah, Jerusalem, and take them captive.

And then they come back, so there's a lot of stuff going to happen. He mentions here, as in the day of Midian, well, the Midianites were oppressors of the Jews, and God miraculously raised up Gideon, and Gideon put a whooping on them. Verse 5, for every warrior's sandal from the noisy battle and the garment rolled in blood will be used for burning and fuel of fire. Well, some of the historians tell us that the Assyrians did roll garments in blood to sort of terrorize the armies they were going to face.

They did a lot of things that were full of terror, the Assyrians did. Military hardware will be a thing of the past. That's what that verse is saying. It's spoken in chapter 2 of Isaiah in Micah, peace will make violence obsolete when Messiah comes. And now, in verse 6, of course, the prophet is going to get right to it. The child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government will be upon his shoulder, and his name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. Well, there's a lot there of all the people in the Bible, the only one in history that can encapsulate all these superlative titles is Jesus Christ.

No one else in history has a record anywhere near it. And what backs up Christ, of course, are the witnesses that suffered and died in witness of these things about him. This is one of the most explicit passages in the Old Testament that speaks of this coming figure who is God as man, his humanity within his divinity. And that's something that we Christians should be able to articulate, the humanity of Christ through the virgin birth, but his divinity. He's always divine. He never gave up his divinity. He gave up his humanity when he said, Father, into your hands I command my spirit, and he gave up the spirit.

He retains enough of these things for us, of course, so that there is no doubt who he is. There is an interesting pattern of prophecies that outline the birth of Christ, his ministry, and his millennial ministry just in three chapters of Isaiah. And it's a three-phase plan, the coming, the life, and the second coming. The promise, God with us, Immanuel. I did not spend too much time on the prophetic nature of that in chapter 7.

I should probably just read it briefly. Chapter 7, verse 14 of Isaiah. Therefore, the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son and shall call his name Immanuel. And back then, when we were in chapter 7, I mentioned it had a dual fulfillment. The prophecy was fulfilled on some level, though not miraculous, but extraordinary in the day of Isaiah, in the day of Ahaz. But then it has a future fulfillment that is extraordinary and miraculous in the virgin birth.

And now we can go back and give it more attention because Isaiah is giving it much more detail in this section. So, the three-phase plan for Messiah, the promise of God with us. Well, we just read the mighty God, a son is given, the mighty God. And that's God with us, his arrival, that is his life, a son is given, and his rule, the Prince of Peace. I'm going to stay with this for a little bit, but in chapter 7, verse 14, he's about to be born.

The virgin will have a child. Here in chapter 9, verse 6, he's already born. For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given. And then when we get to chapter 11, in verse 4, we will then read his millennial rule, where he is in power.

And there in chapter 11, verse 4, we read, But with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide their equity with equity for the meek of the earth. He shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall slay the wicked. So we see this in these breadcrumbs laid out for us in Isaiah, speaking about Messiah. We have so much accumulated history concerning him, not only from the prophecies, but prophecies fulfilled, writings of the New Testament, that is so easy for those who are born again and responsive to the Spirit. And so these three form some of the greatest messianic passages in all the Old Testament.

No historical Davidic king fits the picture of this ideal ruler. You cannot apply any of this, you know, some of the passages that you can say, well, you know, you see David in that and Messiah, not in verse 6, it doesn't apply to anyone else. You cannot apply verse 6 to Abraham, to Daniel, to Joseph, to no one, only Christ. It is an extraordinary prophecy. And so, again, chapter 7, in verse 14, announcing his birth, in chapter 11, which I just read from a moment ago, there we have his millennial kingdom, his rule over the earth, but here the emphasis is on his person, and what is said about him. Can you imagine not having Isaiah 9-6?

Well, we have enough other things, we still have a sufficient amount of scripture, but this just sort of just, you know, crushes all the opposition in his presentation. So the first and second coming of the Lord wonderfully blended together in Isaiah 9-6, and I haven't read 7 yet, but 7 has to do with the future. So staying here with verse 6, for unto us a child is born. That's his humanity, the Christmas story, the virgin birth, Emmanuel, God with us. Matthew chapter 1, so all this was done, that it might be fulfilled, which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, that is Isaiah, saying, Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which is translated, God with us. Unto us the child is born, God with us, he says, unto us a son is given, this speaks of his deity. God so loved the world, he gave his only begotten son.

Well, that's not random. When Christ spoke that, he knew about Isaiah 6, he authored it. He's the author and finisher of our faith.

Not only the church, but the Old Testament saints also. God so loved the world, he gave his only begotten son. There's no other, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Well, it's about salvation of sinners, the light that has come, that we opened up with, that things were going to get brighter for humanity. God has always got his eyes on sin and eternity and the solutions. And if we could stay that way, if we could keep our eyes on those two things more often, we'd stay out of a lot of arguments that are just a waste of time. Paul warns, you know, those who argue about endless genealogies, eating meat, holidays, they want to argue, let them argue it.

Paul says, we have bigger fish to fry than that. He says then the government will be upon his shoulder. Well, that's future, because he's not ruling yet, not the world as he's sovereign, but he is not boots on the ground, that's going to come, his second coming. And here is why, one reason why, the Jews and the disciples thought that he would restore the kingdom. Well, the Jews were like, well, if you're a messiah, then how come the Romans are still ruling over us? Because they didn't understand the two comings of Christ, of their messiah. The disciples, on the other hand, after his resurrection, well, it's time now, right?

Acts chapter 1. Therefore, when they had come together, they asked him, saying, Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel? Well, Luke 24, verse 21, on the road to Emmaus, them speaking to the risen Christ, not even knowing it's him, but we were hoping that it was he who was going to redeem Israel, indeed, besides all this, today is the third day since these things happened. He's going to redeem all Israel, you know, the millennial reign, the temple of Ezekiel, be put up. So, again, they did not factor in the cross of Christ, and then the kingdom of Christ, and then he says, and his name will be called Wonderful.

The name is Nature, in the scriptures, and the nature of Christ is that he is wonderful. In the book of Judges, when the angel of the Lord appeared to Manoah, the father of Samson, we read this in chapter 13 of Judges, and the angel of Yahweh said to him, Why do you ask my name, seeing it is wonderful? It's a declaration. It's like, I am amazing.

It's true, and not bragging if it's true in this context at all. And I love that little, you know, just put in the middle of Judges like that. And then it shows up. It flashes out to us from Isaiah.

Yes, it just can't make this stuff up. Isaiah 25, O Yahweh, you are my God. I will exalt you. I will praise your name, for you have done wonderful things. Your counsels of old are faithfulness and true.

This is poetry. Well, he's also called here the counselor. A lot of people want counsel, and sometimes we do need counsel, but not like it's being abused, I fear, by so many today, who fail to see that the Holy Spirit is our counselor.

Christ is our counselor, and they're not divided, because he guides us into all truth. He guides us into the life we are to live before God and men, with men. Isaiah 48, verse 17, Thus says Yahweh, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, I am the Lord your God, I am Yahweh your God, who teaches you to profit, who leads you by the way you should go.

Well, there's counsel in that. Isaiah 28, verse 29, you see how much Isaiah has to say about Messiah? He is the messianic prophet, by far. He says, This also comes from Yahweh of hosts, who is wonderful in counsel, and excellent in guidance. So he is wonderful, that's all by itself. He is the counselor, that's all by itself. He is a wonderful counselor that just takes both of them and blends them together, and no one's got God like this. Can you imagine the Greeks having something like this?

No one has anything like this. It's just quite amazing. Anyway, and then you add to that, as you read these things, the movement of the Spirit of God in your heart, as you're reading them, opening it up to you, helping you to receive it. Isaiah 11, verse 2, The Spirit of Yahweh shall rest upon Him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of Yahweh. We see this when he walks in Galilee, when he enters into public ministry. No one ever spoke like this.

They sent them to arrest him, and we couldn't arrest him. The sermon was so incredible, he should have been there. Can you imagine how people would turn on Christ, who harmed no one and could have wiped out everyone? I could call 12 legions. In fact, I don't even need the legions. Well, mighty God.

Well, that eliminates a lot of people, does it not? The mighty God eliminates those who cannot match the signs and wonders. From Cana, turning the water into wine, which displayed his creative powers as a source of life. When Jesus said, I am the bread of life, I'm the source of life. And it's said in different ways from different angles, so if you want to debate it, you lose on each one. Well, mighty God, from Cana to the empty tomb. If you can do that, then maybe we can talk.

But you can't. To see Jesus as God, because to see Jesus is to see God. Philip said, show us the Father and it will suffice. And Jesus said, have you been with you so long? He who has seen me has seen the Father.

Now, we're going to have to open that up a little bit more. But this is a good point to say, Jesus had to be who he was in order to do what he did. You can't have a sinner come, you could not have a created being take your sin away. It would take God.

Now, looking at the record, looking at everything, it's like, you know, it's like God says, you know, if you want to do something right, you got to do it yourself. Thanks for tuning in to Cross Reference Radio today. Cross Reference Radio is a ministry of Pastor Rick Gaston of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville in Virginia. If you'd like to learn more about this ministry, we invite you to visit our website, crossreferenceradio.com.

You'll find a number of teachings from Pastor Rick available there. We also encourage you to subscribe to our podcast. When you subscribe, you'll be notified of new editions of Cross Reference Radio. Just search for Cross Reference Radio on your favorite podcast app. You can also follow the links at crossreferenceradio.com. We're glad we were able to spend time with you today. Tune in next time to continue learning from the book of Isaiah with Pastor Rick, right here on Cross Reference Radio.