Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. Isaiah 9:1
This time of year, gloom is a persistent reality…especially in the lush, green, wet Pacific Northwest. Last night was especially grim…driving home from Seattle in rush hour, in the midst of torrential rains, while lightning flashed overhead. I confess, I was feeling a wee bit gloomy. It would seem that there is a little Eeyore in all of us. We all experience times where life is simply harder, when it’s more difficult to find joy. The causes are as wide and varied as our different life experiences. But we all, on occasion, struggle with gloom. The Bible is not ignorant of such gloom. In fact, there are countless passages which reveal God’s people struggling with discouragement, doldrums, despair. The psalms are famous for a shockingly transparent picture of the psalmist’s struggles. But when it comes to gloom, I’m not sure anyone does it better than the prophets. This is even true of Isaiah. Just consider the two verses which precede Isaiah 9:1 above, “Distressed and hungry, they will roam through the land; when they are famished, they will become enraged and, looking upward, will curse their king and their God. Then they will look toward the earth and see only distress and darkness and fearful gloom, and they will be thrust into utter darkness” (Isaiah 8:21–22). Talk about gloom. And who are the “they”? God’s own people, Israel. Granted, the text also makes clear that they have brought this gloom on themselves by refusing to seek Yahweh God, to regard Him as holy, to obey His Word. It’s true…sometimes the gloom we struggle with is of our own making. Other times, it is simply the result of living in a fallen world. But then comes Isaiah 9’s promise of “no more gloom.” Doesn’t that sound good?!? It is described in verses 2-3, “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned. You have enlarged the nation and increased their joy; they rejoice before you as people rejoice at the harvest, as men rejoice when dividing the plunder” (Isaiah 9:2–3). I can’t say I’ve ever had the privilege of “dividing the plunder.” But I have to believe it feels something like pouring my Christmas stocking onto the floor as a kid and separating out the nuts and fruit from the good stuff! But what is truly significant is that gloom has been replaced with rejoicing/increased joy. What is the source of this joy? The text goes on to describe a warrior’s boots and bloody clothing tossed into the fire. Why? Because the fighting is over and peace prevails. What is the source of that peace? “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6). Here’s the source of peace—a son who is wonderous in counsel, might, faithfulness, and as the source of genuine shalom. Furthermore, the text reveals that this son is not Isaiah’s invention, but the son promised in an equally significant messianic passage 500 years earlier. What is God’s promise regarding this Son? “I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be his father, and he will be my son” (2 Samuel 7:13-14). It is this very son of whom Isaiah prophecies, “Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this” (Isaiah 9:7). Of course, Isaiah is pointing to the coming of Jesus Messiah. It is Jesus Messiah who will rescue a people in distress from their gloom. And who is that rescued people? The answer is found in a verse written another 500 years later, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). All who believe in the Son—they are the recipients of this great joy, they are those who rejoice in the plunder. What is the plunder, this prize? Good movies? Great food? Cute cat videos? Expensive “toys”? The prize is life eternal, God’s own life at work in us from now into eternity! A life in which we are reconciled to our maker, made members of His forever family, embraced by His faithful love. This doesn’t rule out gloom as we await our Savior’s return. But it provides a genuine answer to life’s struggles in a deeper, abiding joy. This morning, as I headed out for work the sun was peeking through the gloomy clouds, shooting glorious, golden rays across the tops of trees still wet from last night’s storm. A light has indeed dawned! May we learn to increasingly live our lives in His light as we await His fast approaching return.
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Dan GannonDan has ministered at Renton Bible Church, with his wife Debbie, since 2003. Archives
June 2022
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