His Story: A journey through the greatest story of all time
The Bible isn’t just an old book—it’s God’s story, and it’s still alive today. His Story takes you chapter by chapter through Scripture, combining simple readings of God’s Word with prayer for every listener and occasional reflections on what the passage means for our lives right now.
Whether you’re brand new to the Bible or have been reading it for years, this podcast is a space to slow down, hear God’s Word spoken, and be reminded that His story is also our story.
His Story: A journey through the greatest story of all time
The Prophetic Promise: Unpacking Isaiah 9's Divine Revelation
Light breaks through darkness in Isaiah 9, one of Scripture's most profound prophetic passages. We journey through this remarkable text that announces hope amid despair and reveals the divine nature of the coming Messiah through a series of majestic titles.
The Hebrew word for "light" here, "or", echoes Genesis 1, signaling that the Messiah's arrival represents nothing less than a divine new creation. When Isaiah proclaims "Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace," he's not merely crafting beautiful poetry. Each title unveils a facet of Christ's nature: divine wisdom beyond human understanding, explicit deity as God the warrior, eternal paternal care, and the bringer of complete wholeness (shalom).
While ancient listeners may have hoped for immediate relief from Assyrian threats, this prophecy transcends their circumstances, pointing to an eternal kingdom "with justice and righteousness from this time forth and forevermore." The declaration that "the government shall be upon His shoulder" offers profound comfort—the ultimate weight of responsibility rests not on fallible human leaders but on the Messiah Himself. His kingdom, unlike every earthly empire, has no expiration date.
As we reflect on these ancient words, their fulfillment in Jesus becomes clear. The zeal of the Lord Himself guarantees these promises, demonstrating God's passionate commitment to establish His perfect rule through Christ. Have you experienced the light this passage promises? The divine wisdom, strength, hope, and peace available through the one who shoulders the government of all creation? Join us as we continue exploring the greatest story ever told, a story that includes you and me.
The Bible isn’t just an old book—it’s God’s story, and it’s still alive today. His Story takes you chapter by chapter through Scripture, combining simple readings of God’s Word with prayer for every listener and occasional reflections on what the passage means for our lives right now.
Whether you’re brand new to the Bible or have been reading it for years, this podcast is a space to slow down, hear God’s Word spoken, and be reminded that His story is also our story.
Welcome back to His Story, a journey through the greatest story of all time. Today we're reading Isaiah 9, one of the crown jewels of prophecy. It announces light in darkness. The titles Wonderful Counselor, mighty God, everlasting Father, prince of Peace, aren't just poetry but reveal Christ's divine nature. It shows us that this prophecy pointed beyond temporary relief for Israel to the eternal reign of Christ. It highlights that this passage undergirds our understanding of Christ's deity and his kingdom without end. Let's pray and then get to work.
Speaker 1:God, thank you so much for your word that we can be able to read it and understand you better. As a result of that, god, I pray that this reading in Isaiah 9 would be powerful for us. It would be impactful. It would change the way that we view you and our lives. God, we thank you for this day that you've given us. May we rejoice and be glad in it, and thank you so much for always providing for all of our needs. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.
Speaker 1:But there will be no gloom for her who was in anguish. In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he has made glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, galilee of the nations. The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light, those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness. On them has light shone. You have multiplied the nation, you have increased its joy. They rejoice before you, as with joy at the harvest, as they are glad when they divide the spoil For the yoke of his burden and the staff for his shoulder. The rod of his oppressor you have broken, as on the day of Midian, for every boot of the tramping warrior in battle to molt and every garment rolled in blood will be burned as fuel for the fire. For to us a child is born, to us a son is given and the government shall be upon his shoulder and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, mighty God, everlasting Father, prince of Peace, of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end On the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness, from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this. The Lord has sent a word against Jacob and it will fall on Israel, and all the people will know Ephraim and the inhabitants of Samaria who say in pride and in arrogance of heart the bricks have fallen, but we will build with dressed stones. The sycamores have been cut down, but we will put cedars in their place.
Speaker 1:But the Lord raises the adversaries of Rezan against him and stirs up his enemies. The Syrians on the east and the Philistines on the west devour Israel with open mouth. For all this, his anger has not turned away and his hand is still stretched out. The people did not turn to him. Who struck them? Nor inquire of the Lord of hosts. So the Lord cut off from Israel head and tail, palm branch and reed.
Speaker 1:In one day, the elder and honored man is the head and the prophet who teaches lies as a tale. For those who guide this, people have been leading them astray and those who are guided by them are swallowed up. Therefore, the Lord does not rejoice over the young men and has no compassion on their fatherless and widows, for everyone is godless and an evildoer and every mouth speaks folly. For all this, his anger has not turned away and his hand is stretched out still. For wickedness burns like a fire. It consumes briars and thorns, it kindles the thickets of the forest and they roll upward in a column of smoke Through the wrath of the Lord of hosts. The land is scorched and the people are like fuel for the fire. No one spares another. They slice meat on the right but are still hungry, and they devour on the left but are not satisfied. Each devours the flesh of his own arm. Manasseh devours Ephraim and Ephraim devours Manasseh. Together they are against Judah. For all this, his anger has not turned away and his hand is stretched out still.
Speaker 1:The Word of God, isaiah 9, is written into a backdrop of despair, yet it opens with hope. The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light. The Hebrew word for light here is or often used in Genesis 1 for God's first act of creation. Isaiah is signaling a new creation, a new dawn through the coming Messiah. Rc Sproul calls this passage one of the crown jewels of prophecy because it piles title upon title to reveal Christ's nature. Each Hebrew title carries immense weight. Wonderful Counselor. Wonder here implies something divine beyond human understanding. Mighty God, literally God the warrior, affirming Christ's deity and power to save Everlasting Father, not confusing Christ with the Father, but pointing to his paternal care and eternal rule. And Prince of Peace, shalom isn't just peace as absence of war, but wholeness, flourishing, restoration. It's peace with God.
Speaker 1:Isaiah's prophecy wasn't ultimately about temporary relief from Assyria. It pointed to an eternal reign, fulfilled in Christ. This passage anchors both Christ's deity and his unending kingdom. John Piper reminds us that these promises culminate in Christmas, god himself entering the world to bear our burdens and reign forever. The promise that the government will be on his shoulders means that the weight of the world rests not on us but on him. His kingdom, unlike every earthly empire, has no expiration date. Isaiah 9 proclaims that in Christ the true light dawns. The warrior God fights for his people and the prince of peace brings wholeness where there is only brokenness.
Speaker 1:God, we thank you for this passage in Isaiah 9 that talks about your plan that you fulfilled in sending Jesus to become a man, to walk this earth, to live a sinless, perfect life and to take upon himself the iniquity of us all.
Speaker 1:By going to the cross, he bared our burdens in our place, so that we may know you and have relationship with you. God, we thank you so much for this plan that you have put into motion long ago and that you have fulfilled that through the coming of Jesus. God, we thank you that you are a wonderful counselor when we need guidance. That you are a wonderful counselor when we need guidance, that you are a mighty God when we need strength, that you are an everlasting Father when we need hope. And that you are a Prince of Peace when we need relationship. May we see this day as the day that you have made. May we rejoice and be glad in it. God, thank you for always providing for all of our needs. In Jesus' name, we pray Amen. Next time we'll return to the New Testament, in Matthew 2, where wise men follow a star to the newborn king. Until next time, remember, jesus wrote the greatest story ever told, and that includes loving you and me completely no-transcript.
