For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this. Isa 9:6-7
Historical Background
Isaiah, the son of Amoz, who ministered from about 740 to 680 B.C. For about 20 years, he spoke to both the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah. After Israel’s fall to the Assyrians in 722 B.C., Isaiah continued to prophesy to Judah.
Isaiah, son of Amoz: The name Isaiah means Salvation is of the LORD. There are at least seven men by the name of Isaiah in the Bible, but only one is Isaiah, the son of Amoz.
This period of Israel’s history is told in 2 Kings 15 through 21 and 2 Chronicles 26 through 33. Isaiah was a contemporary of the prophets Hosea and Micah. By the time of Isaiah, the prophets Elijah, Elisha, Obadiah, Joel, Jonah, and Amos had already completed their ministry.
Isaiah 9:6-7, which was written between 701-680 BC about 700 years before the time of Jesus. Source: KJV Bible Commentary
(see note below)
Isaiah, son of Amoz: The name Isaiah means Salvation is of the LORD. There are at least seven men by the name of Isaiah in the Bible, but only one is Isaiah, the son of Amoz.
This period of Israel’s history is told in 2 Kings 15 through 21 and 2 Chronicles 26 through 33. Isaiah was a contemporary of the prophets Hosea and Micah. By the time of Isaiah, the prophets Elijah, Elisha, Obadiah, Joel, Jonah, and Amos had already completed their ministry.
Isaiah 9:6-7, which was written between 701-680 BC about 700 years before the time of Jesus. Source: KJV Bible Commentary
(see note below)
The Incarnation
We have here the great mystery of the Incarnation. "Unto us a Child is born; unto us a Son is given." "Unto us a Child is born" relates, we may safely say, to the humanity of Christ. "To us a Son is given" relates to the Divine nature of Christ. He was a Son when born, even the Eternal Son of God.
Our nature shrinks from the imagination of Deity existing in solitude. Suppose that self-manifestation is a property of the Divine nature, as essential to its perfection as wisdom or love, then He in whom that manifestation is made, to whom God communicates His nature as the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, must be co-eternal with Him. From the beginning the Word was with God.
"The government shall be upon His shoulder." He is a King then; born for kingly office, and with kingly power. For one who shrinks from Christ, through dislike of the cross, there are hundreds who shrink from Him through dislike of the throne. The hard sentence to flesh and blood is not "The world’s iniquity was laid upon His head," but "The world’s government is laid upon His shoulder." Christ is King, and He reigns, whether to reward the loyal, or to punish the rebellious.
"Wonderful." This is the first title which the prophetic herald assigns to the newborn Prince. Wonderful in His actions, for look at His miracles; wonderful in His endurances, for contemplate His sufferings; wonderful in life, for who shall declare His generation? wonderful in death, for He saw no corruption; wonderful in His resurrection, for He raised Himself; wonderful in ascension, for He carried our fallen nature into heavenly places; wonderful in the love which moved Him to do and to suffer for sinful beings like ourselves.
Next He is called "Counsellor." His intimate union in the Divine essence, as a Person in the Godhead, and as such concerned in all the counsels of eternity. But, having come in the form of man, and sharing in our sufferings-able to comfort us in our sufferings, and stand as our High Priest. He is the Advocate of His people, and has carried their cause into the high court of heaven.
"The Everlasting Father." “The Everlasting Father,” otherwise translated, The Father of Eternity; otherwise, and better translated, The Father of the age to come. It was customary among those who spoke and wrote the Hebrew language, to call a person who possessed a thing, the “father” of it: hence, a strong man was called “the father of strength”; a wise man, “the father of wisdom’”; a wealthy man, “the father of riches”; and so on. Now, the phrase, “the Father of Eternity,” seems to be here applied to Christ in a similar way—He possessed eternity, and, therefore, He is called the Father of it.
"The Prince of Peace." "On earth peace, goodwill toward men" was the chorus with which the hosts of heaven rang in the birthday morn. Christ came to give peace to troubled consciences. "Being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." This appellation seems intended to teach us, that the Messiah would be invested with the prerogatives and honours of royalty, and that His kingdom, in its essential laws and principles, would differ from all the kingdoms of men, past, ,present, and future. While other kings were despots and warriors, He would be peaceable Prince. While other kingdoms were acquired by physical violence and force, and were cemented with human tears and blood, His would consist in righteousness, peace, and joy, and would win its way among men by the inherent power of its own excellence, would gradually terminate war and conflict, and restore love and order to the whole earth. But His reign was to achieve higher ends still, for it was to establish peace between man and his own conscience, between man and all the physical and moral laws of the universe, and between man and his insulted and offended Maker. Hence, prophecy foretold that, in His days there should be abundance of peace; that, in His reign, justice and mercy should meet together, righteousness and peace Should embrace each other; that the chastisement of our peace should be on Him; that He should be the peace; and that, of the increase of His peace there shall be no end.
Our nature shrinks from the imagination of Deity existing in solitude. Suppose that self-manifestation is a property of the Divine nature, as essential to its perfection as wisdom or love, then He in whom that manifestation is made, to whom God communicates His nature as the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, must be co-eternal with Him. From the beginning the Word was with God.
"The government shall be upon His shoulder." He is a King then; born for kingly office, and with kingly power. For one who shrinks from Christ, through dislike of the cross, there are hundreds who shrink from Him through dislike of the throne. The hard sentence to flesh and blood is not "The world’s iniquity was laid upon His head," but "The world’s government is laid upon His shoulder." Christ is King, and He reigns, whether to reward the loyal, or to punish the rebellious.
"Wonderful." This is the first title which the prophetic herald assigns to the newborn Prince. Wonderful in His actions, for look at His miracles; wonderful in His endurances, for contemplate His sufferings; wonderful in life, for who shall declare His generation? wonderful in death, for He saw no corruption; wonderful in His resurrection, for He raised Himself; wonderful in ascension, for He carried our fallen nature into heavenly places; wonderful in the love which moved Him to do and to suffer for sinful beings like ourselves.
Next He is called "Counsellor." His intimate union in the Divine essence, as a Person in the Godhead, and as such concerned in all the counsels of eternity. But, having come in the form of man, and sharing in our sufferings-able to comfort us in our sufferings, and stand as our High Priest. He is the Advocate of His people, and has carried their cause into the high court of heaven.
"The Everlasting Father." “The Everlasting Father,” otherwise translated, The Father of Eternity; otherwise, and better translated, The Father of the age to come. It was customary among those who spoke and wrote the Hebrew language, to call a person who possessed a thing, the “father” of it: hence, a strong man was called “the father of strength”; a wise man, “the father of wisdom’”; a wealthy man, “the father of riches”; and so on. Now, the phrase, “the Father of Eternity,” seems to be here applied to Christ in a similar way—He possessed eternity, and, therefore, He is called the Father of it.
"The Prince of Peace." "On earth peace, goodwill toward men" was the chorus with which the hosts of heaven rang in the birthday morn. Christ came to give peace to troubled consciences. "Being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." This appellation seems intended to teach us, that the Messiah would be invested with the prerogatives and honours of royalty, and that His kingdom, in its essential laws and principles, would differ from all the kingdoms of men, past, ,present, and future. While other kings were despots and warriors, He would be peaceable Prince. While other kingdoms were acquired by physical violence and force, and were cemented with human tears and blood, His would consist in righteousness, peace, and joy, and would win its way among men by the inherent power of its own excellence, would gradually terminate war and conflict, and restore love and order to the whole earth. But His reign was to achieve higher ends still, for it was to establish peace between man and his own conscience, between man and all the physical and moral laws of the universe, and between man and his insulted and offended Maker. Hence, prophecy foretold that, in His days there should be abundance of peace; that, in His reign, justice and mercy should meet together, righteousness and peace Should embrace each other; that the chastisement of our peace should be on Him; that He should be the peace; and that, of the increase of His peace there shall be no end.
A Solemn Warning to The Sinner
Great is the sin and how fearful is the condition of those who reject the Saviour. He is “the Wonderful”—the Eternal God, of angels, and of saints; and yet He has no attractions for you. He is “the Counsellor”; and yet you never “wait for His counsel,” but follow your own vain imaginations. He is “the Mighty God”; and yet you trample on His authority, defy His power, and risk His awful displeasure. He is “the Father of Eternity”; and yet you seek no place in His heavenly family, and are in imminent danger of being forever banished from His presence, and the glory of His power. He is “the Prince of Peace”; and yet you voluntarily live in a state of hostility to Him and His kingdom, and refuse to be reconciled by the blood of His Cross.
Consider Christ- And how secure and happy is the state of believers. Under His wings, they find safety, peace, and the promise and assurance of heaven and shared eternity with their Savior.
May you look within your soul this season-and ponder the verses in Isaiah "Unto Us a Son is Given"- He came for you, to redeem your eternal soul. Jesus knocks on the door of our heart-may you open yours and receive His gift of salvation today. That, is what Christmas means.
Lorna Couillard
Joh 10:9 I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.
Joh 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
Joh 10:11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Note: I've been shown that I've been accused of using someone's copyrighted material, which I had found searching on Google-I've changed the historical information, and used my own online bible commentary information. I almost never use anything but my own bible commentaries, I'll be much more careful from this point on. However, I also have a very hard time understanding how any scriptures or biblical history can be copyrighted for profit, it goes against everything Jesus teaches. But, I know this world doesn't care-any more than they did when He was walking this earth. The content within the rest of the devotion has my own material, and excerpts from my own commentaries (these are from quotes and sources over 100 yrs, ago-before copyrights).
The Lord has prompted me to add this question: If any of the people who wrote the works used by me; whether quotes, commentaries, historical information knew I was accessing it to lift up Christ, and spread the Gospel in any fashion-do you believe they really care? They-who have now been in heaven in the glory of the Savior, and the joy of eternal bliss for many years, in some cases centuries, really cares whether I'm using their material or not? I would say, by the Holy Ghost-do so, as much, and as far as you can use it, for the glory of Christ our Lord.
Consider Christ- And how secure and happy is the state of believers. Under His wings, they find safety, peace, and the promise and assurance of heaven and shared eternity with their Savior.
May you look within your soul this season-and ponder the verses in Isaiah "Unto Us a Son is Given"- He came for you, to redeem your eternal soul. Jesus knocks on the door of our heart-may you open yours and receive His gift of salvation today. That, is what Christmas means.
Lorna Couillard
Joh 10:9 I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.
Joh 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
Joh 10:11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Note: I've been shown that I've been accused of using someone's copyrighted material, which I had found searching on Google-I've changed the historical information, and used my own online bible commentary information. I almost never use anything but my own bible commentaries, I'll be much more careful from this point on. However, I also have a very hard time understanding how any scriptures or biblical history can be copyrighted for profit, it goes against everything Jesus teaches. But, I know this world doesn't care-any more than they did when He was walking this earth. The content within the rest of the devotion has my own material, and excerpts from my own commentaries (these are from quotes and sources over 100 yrs, ago-before copyrights).
The Lord has prompted me to add this question: If any of the people who wrote the works used by me; whether quotes, commentaries, historical information knew I was accessing it to lift up Christ, and spread the Gospel in any fashion-do you believe they really care? They-who have now been in heaven in the glory of the Savior, and the joy of eternal bliss for many years, in some cases centuries, really cares whether I'm using their material or not? I would say, by the Holy Ghost-do so, as much, and as far as you can use it, for the glory of Christ our Lord.
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