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Isaiah 9:4-7
Well, it's an honor to be with you this evening. I just noticed that your your heritage cross. My I have a what's called a Johnny Cash Bible for those of you who know what this is. It's Jeffrey Rice rebinds beautiful thing, but I just noticed that's what's on the front of my Bible.
So do I have to leave this? You'd probably say yes.
I.
Sort of figured you would. It's it's great to be with you this evening here in Tulsa. Some of you know that I was out in prior this morning and last evening and I've been visiting that thriving metropolis for 12 years now.
Obviously Derek Melton has something on me and keeps keeps dragging me back there, but no it's it's been great to Watch the church growing there. And I used to fly. I don't fly any longer. Don't worry.
It's not because I am afraid of airplanes though. If I was getting on a Boeing, I would wonder about a little bit these days.
But I.
Stopped flying in 2020 because we all stopped flying in 2020 at least for a while we did and Make a make a long story short. My wife worked for the Airlines. American Airlines fired 40 ,000 people that year mainly their people had been with them for the longest and I've included my wife and If you put a mask on me, I have a heart condition I go into superventricular tachycardia.
They didn't care. So it's sort of like go ahead and die. We don't mind and so I was like, you know We've been giving these folks a hundred thousand dollars a year. I mean in 2019 I flew 165 Thousand miles I taught in Samara Russia Johannesburg South Africa Kiev Ukraine Melbourne Australia spent two months in London.
I lived overseas almost and It's like, you know, you don't care about me. You're firing my wife I don't think we're gonna give you any money anymore. And so I am parked at a KOA out in Claremore and We started RVing and that's how I get around and the neat part is I get to be in all sorts of churches I wouldn't be able to be in otherwise.
We actually have a list of churches people have sent in to us and they're like look if you're passing through even if it's a Tuesday night a Thursday night, whatever if you're gonna be coming through let us know and we'll we'll do something.
It might be informal but you know and so that's that's what I do now and I enjoy it very much and I have to admit I don't miss the TSA at all. You know, I said I was starting to get to know some of those people by name that's that's way too much familiarity and I don't I have not missed them at all.
I don't miss hotels. I like having my own refrigerator my own bed my own food. It's it's great. Now. I'll have to admit while I was driving here You all had some wonderful winds coming out of the Southwest and when I'm hooked up I'm 57 feet long and 13 and a half feet tall.
So that's a big sail and That wind hits and I was I was having lots of fun for about four hours that day but we we managed to get here in one piece, so when when pastor Melton Communicated the request that I joined you this evening I started thinking about well, you know, I suppose I could redo the sermon from Sunday morning.
But some of you came all the way out to prior this morning and so that would be a little bit boring for you and so I'm looking I was looking at the the calendar and I certainly enjoyed this time of year.
I've always loved this time of year. I feel sorry for the hyper-puritans who detest this type of year.
And.
So there's a particular text of scripture that I've worked through many times before and so I Asked if that would be an appropriate thing. I didn't want to show up and believe me there are There are churches that if I did something seasonal would be deeply offended by that.
But I'm thankful that that's not the case here. So I had to had to sort of check ahead of time. Because I have done things like that. There have been there have been times. I just the sermon that I brought Almost split the church.
So I don't want to do didn't want to do things like that. So think with me if you will what I what I'd like to do. Is I would like to Eventually focus our attention on Isaiah chapter 9. Because this is a text.
I think you know, we're well by the way, you know, I could have worn. You know, I could have put on a boring tie. Actually, I don't own any boring ties. I'll take that back. If you're gonna wrap something around your neck, it might as well be colorful and pretty so I've got my bow ties with me I think I've got a rush limbaugh tie with me.
I've got a bunch of those. So I thought about that but then I thought you know what look if we're gonna try to encourage these folks, how about I wear Not only a Coogee sweater, which I am famous for as you all know but this is a cashmere Coogee sweater and I don't think I've even ever worn a cashmere Coogee for you Derek.
So there you know, I'm sorry. So, I mean this is I don't know how more encouraging I can be than to wear a. Besides that it keeps people awake. Because it moves now if some of you have certain Neurological problems it might cause dizziness and nausea and things like that.
So I'm sorry about that. But no, I I love my my Coogee sweaters. This is cashmere. We could drop it down to about 40 degrees in here I'd still be fine. This has got to be one of the warmest sweaters ever made so I did that just for just for for you all.
So I hope you you take that in the spirit that it's intended. Before we look at Isaiah 9. I want to share something with you that It would have been somewhat self-evident Before the middle of the Middle Ages and That is I want to look at a number of different texts in the book of Isaiah in What we would call chapters 6 through 11.
But remember there were no chapters when it was first written. The chapters were introduced during the medieval period and then the verses that we use today. Were introduced in 1550. In fact, I have a 1550 Stephanos Greek text that's an actual 1550 Stephanos Greek text and It has no verse numbers.
Stephanos who is Calvin's printer in Geneva is the one that introduced the verse numbers into the Bible into the New Testament and So everything after 1550s of his he did a 1551 edition and it then had the verse numbers.
Those things are so useful. Can you imagine if we didn't have verse numbers in our iPads or our phones right now? How would you get anywhere Click on Isaiah. Well, that's gonna take me a while to find that particular text so there there is a great advantage to it, but but it also tends to break the text up in our minds artificially and So, you know people will will you know, and I highly encourage memorization of scripture.
Especially amongst you younger folks who can memorize things easily. We can we can memorize a text of scripture and Then we hear somebody preaching on the immediate context and realize that how we've understood that text all along was inaccurate because we didn't see how it fit into the flow of the text itself in a chapter in a book or something along those lines and So when we when I when I encourage you to look at Isaiah turn with me, for example to Isaiah chapter 6 and Remembering that these chapter divisions are artificial think with me for a moment Isaiah chapter 6 when you think of Isaiah chapter 6, what's the first thing that comes in your mind for most people?
It should be Isaiah's temple vision. This is where Isaiah is set aside as a prophet and Some of the greatest sermons I've ever heard have been taken out of Isaiah chapter 6 and the the temple vision and and who will go for us and holy holy holy and all these other things and and Yet at the same time What you have in chapter 6 at the beginning.
And I got an opportunity to preach on Isaiah 6 at g3 a few years ago I'm not sure if anyone was was there for that but one of the Fascinating things to me about the Establishment of Isaiah as a prophet is you have the beautiful picture of The heavenly throne and the the worship of God and very clearly revelation four and five is Drawing from this this imagery.
It's showing us that that that worship that has been going on in heaven is Continuing to go on even though all of the empires that existed in Isaiah's day are now gone and There are new empires in there in there in their place.
And of course we look we think today. All the empires back then are gone and we have new empires today. And what lesson can we learn? God's worship is continuing in heaven as it has and always will. But we are so focused upon here upon this earth is Not something that's going to disrupt our God and his purposes and his worship.
But there's also the lesson to be learned at the beginning of Isaiah 6 and I'll be very brief with this. But you you know that you know that you probably memorized in the year of King Uzziah's death I saw the Lord sitting on a throne high and lifted up the train of his robe filling the temple now I am by the way reading my my Johnny Cash Bible is a legacy standard Bible.
I am using the LSB these days when I Preach from the English text and the reason for that is I had worked on the NASB back in the 90s. I was one of the critical consultants and defended the translation, but there were certain things that I would do with the translation I felt that it's rendering of Romans 9 5 wasn't all that clear.
So I'd fix that and and ever since seminary when I would see the tetragrammaton Yod. Hey, wow.
Hey.
The the four letters the divine covenant name of God in the Old Testament that would be printed Lord with capital O R and D. But in smaller font size, I'd read it as Yahweh. Well as you know, the The legacy standard Bible does everything that I did to the NASB every time I would make an alteration.
That's exactly what the LSB does. So hey, why not go with it? Why not? Why not enjoy it and so but you'll so you'll notice in Isaiah 6 1 it says I saw the Lord. It doesn't say I saw Yahweh now. This is Yahweh because you'll notice down to verse 3.
And one called out to another said holy. Holy. Holy is Yahweh of hosts. The whole earth is full of his glory, but the term here is Adonai. I Saw the Adonai sitting on a throne high and lifted up the train of his robe filling the temple and so this is a vision of God upon his throne and What's fascinating and I don't want to lose anybody here.
Just track with me for a second. What's fascinating is that the Greek Translation now you need to understand there's something called the Greek Septuagint. The Greek Septuagint is the Greek version of the Hebrew scriptures and it was really the Bible of the early church.
The vast majority of the citations in the New Testament are taken from the Greek Septuagint which makes sense. I mean if you're writing to the Church of Colossae You're gonna quote from the version of the of the Bible.
They're familiar with they didn't have the New Testament they had the Greek Septuagint and I remember when I discovered a number of years ago that there is a difference between The Hebrew text which is being translated by the LS LSB when it says The train with the train of his robe filling the temple there's a difference that's what the Hebrew reads but the Greek Septuagint says something different the Greek Septuagint says and His glory filled the temple or filled the house literally the the heavenly temple his glory.
Now why is that significant? Well, you're probably tracking with me. There is a very significant text in John chapter 12 where right the end of Jesus public ministry when when the Greeks come seeking him and he doesn't meet with them and His public ministry and starting with chapter 13.
It's his private ministry to the disciples. One of the things that John says That's fascinating is that he quotes from Isaiah chapter 6 and Then he says these things Isaiah said Because he saw his glory and he spoke about him.
These things Isaiah said because he saw his glory and he spoke about him. Now, when did Isaiah see Jesus's glory. The only him in the in the context of John chapter 12 is Jesus. And the very next verse says points out that he's talking about Jesus.
So when did Isaiah see Jesus's glory. Well, he just quoted from Isaiah 6 and When you remember when you realize that the Greek version of Isaiah 6 says his glory filled the temple. Then you realize that anybody who would have heard or initially read John's gospel That knew the Old Testament in the Greek Septuagint knew what he was talking about.
John was making an explicit connection between Isaiah's temple vision and who he saw lofty and lifted up and Jesus he was identifying Jesus as Yahweh the pre-incarnate Christ and so there you have Isaiah 6 a testimony to the deity of Christ once you once you have the New Testament fulfillment and Then think about it.
What's in Isaiah 7? What's the key? Text of this time of year that's in in Isaiah chapter 7. Well, you you probably know it Isaiah 7 14 therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign behold The Virgin will be with child and bear a son and she will call his name Emmanuel Emmanuel.
Now most of us know what Emmanuel means. Emmanuel is a Hebrew phrase That simply means God is with us God is with us it's not us it's not. We know that most Hebrew names are actually Hebrew phrases. That you know, God gives life or you know, God reigns and it their phrases.
And so Emmanuel as we use it is in the Hebrew language simply the phrase God is with us and Here you have the virgin birth and we could go into all the Bethula and Alma and all the stuff about that we can argue about in in Isaiah 7.
I don't have time for that this evening, but you have Isaiah 6 of the reference to Christ you have Isaiah 7 being cited in the New Testament as Having its fulfillment, of course the Gospel of Matthew does in Christ and she will call his name Emmanuel Emmanuel.
Now, you know where we're going in Isaiah 9. I just haven't read it yet because we'll get there and and you know how important it is in the Christmas season so you've got chapter 6 you've got chapter 7 and Then most people don't know that chapter 8 Contains a similar reference.
That clearly, you know, I've Mentioned this before well, no not to you. But I mentioned this a lot that remember what the first thing that that Jesus does after his resurrection according to the Gospel Luke is he explains to his disciples to the root the two the two on the road to mass and then To the disciples gathered in the upper room the testimony of From Moses through all the prophets of himself He taught them what scripture taught about himself and clearly these are the texts that Jesus went through with them.
Because and this is this is probably one that that most people don't don't catch they don't see this one. I know I was a seminary graduate before I ever ever ran into into this. But notice beginning in verse 11 of chapter 8.
Isaiah 8 11 for thus Yahweh spoke to me with a strong hand and disciplined me not to walk in the way of this people. Saying you are not to say it is a conspiracy in regard to all this people call a conspiracy boy.
We could use that today. And you are not to fear what they fear and you shall not tremble. It is Yahweh of hosts whom you should regard as holy. And he shall be your fear and he shall be your cause of trembling.
Now.
Where do we find that text in the New Testament because we do. It is in the text that we apologists preach on all the time it's in 2nd Peter and Peter quotes this very text from Isaiah 8 in 2nd Peter chapter 3 and.
In fact, I haven't I haven't looked let's let's just do a quick look back here Into 2nd Peter and see if he I'm sorry first Peter. We'll get to the right one eventually. Okay, yeah. Well sort of if you look at the LSB or ESV.
Well, yes, he does things differently the NAS beard, but if you look at first Peter 3 14 But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness. You are blessed and then and I do appreciate this.
It doesn't work. Well electronically, but but in capital letters with small font and. Do not fear their fear and do not be troubled but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts always being ready to make a defense.
Now if you look at the Greek Septuagint, I think the LSB and in in the Modern Greek New Testament called the Nessie all in 28th edition. It does do this.
That.
Indication of an Old Testament citation should continue into verse 15 with sanctify and Then as Lord in your hearts because what do we have in in Isaiah 8 it is Verse 12 and you are not to fear what they fear and you shall not tremble it is Yahweh of hosts whom you should regard as holy and then Peter quotes that as but sanctify or Consider holy Christ as Lord in your hearts so he's quoting from Isaiah 8 the original text is talking about Yahweh and Then he identifies Christ as Lord who is the Lord that's that's in reference in in Isaiah 8.
It's Yahweh. He's identifying Jesus as Yahweh in First Peter 3 and the amazing thing is what that means is and I had always wondered about this. I had not seen it for years and years even though as an apologist I'd refer to it all the time.
But I hadn't seen this. Because that passage in first Peter 3 Refers to when people ask you about the reason for the hope that's within you. We were always just going out and telling people. They they never got around being able to ask us.
We wanted to tell them about it they will ask you a reason to hope so then you why because if you live in light of Christ as Yahweh in your heart if you know that this that your Savior the one that you're serving is actually the Creator of.
Then that reorients your entire worldview everything that happens in your life is In light of his sovereignty his power his purpose in your life and so you are going to respond to trials and difficulties very differently than the people in the world and So they're gonna ask you.
Where did you get this? Hope? Where did you get this encouragement? And it's because you know in your heart in that ordering part of your your innermost being. That Christ is Yahweh. Christ is Lord and you are seeking to live in light of his lordship.
That's what Peter is Instructing his and he's not talking just to elders and people like that. They're not the people of advanced theology. No, he's making application of scripture for all believers. This is how all of us are to be.
This is the level of Theology that all of us should be involved in and so you've got Isaiah 6 You've got Isaiah 7 you've got Isaiah 8 and So once you get to Isaiah 9. Which we're gonna look at in a moment.
You might go well. So does it continue on from there and it does. Because when you think of as a chapter 10 when I think of as a chapter 10 I think of its incredible discussion beginning in verse 8. I'm sorry verse 5 of.
God's.
Use of Assyria. He punishes he uses Assyria to punish Israel as a as a weapon in his hand and Then he punishes Assyria For the attitude of their heart. So you you have I think Genesis 50 Isaiah 10 Acts 4 are probably the three best texts in the Bible that present to us what we call Compatibilism that God's sovereign decree is compatible with the responsibility of man because the Assyrians They're lofty and lifted up in their heart.
He punishes them for that, but he uses them To punish Israel in fulfillment of his covenant promises to Israel Deuteronomy 28 29. So that's what I think of when I think of Isaiah chapter 10. But there's actually more.
Because when you look at Isaiah 10 20 now will be in that day the remnant of Israel and those the house of Jacob who have Escaped will never again rely on the one who struck them But will truly rely on Yahweh the Holy One of Israel a remnant will return the remnant of Jacob to the mighty God.
For though your people or Israel may be like the sand the sea only a remnant within them will return a destructive and is decreed Overflowing with righteous righteousness. We know Paul's quoting this in Romans to discuss.
The.
Remnant of Israel that will be saved by the decree of God and so we have a continuation of passages used in the Old Testament in regard to fulfillment in Christ in regard to fulfillment in the church in Isaiah 10 and that continues on Actually into Isaiah chapter 11 where you have more references to to the Emanuel and and.
Here's here's the point. You have an entire section of Scripture here, which we've divided up into chapters. Which wasn't divided up into chapters in a day of days of Jesus and the Apostles where you have this constant theme Emanuel God with us.
Sometimes the translations will render it Emanuel. Sometimes they'll say God with us. You don't necessarily see the parallels, but there's all this material and I mentioned last evening in in prior. I've only gotten to go to Israel one time.
I don't know that I'll ever get to go again because it's a very long drive.
Now that I don't fly and I'm not sure that my how well my my unit would float either so So I probably won't get a chance to go there again. But when I did get a chance to go I got to lead a Bible study on John 6 at the seashore at Capernaum.
Okay, that's a that's a bucket list type of a thing to do. But I also led a Bible study right in front of Qumran and and in fact right behind me was the opening to Qumran cave number one where the Isaiah scroll was discovered and The point here is these words were written 700 years before the birth of Christ.
So we're talking almost 2750 years ago now. These words are written now you can you? Pick up your critical commentaries and there's going to be all sorts of Argumentation about first Isaiah and second Isaiah and all the rest of stuff leave that aside for a moment minimally absolutely minimally.
These words are in the Isaiah scroll that were discovered in that cave which very firmly dated at least 100 years before the birth of Christ. So these are words that predate their fulfillment in the birth of Christ.
And if you believe Jesus's view of scripture, which I think is a wise thing to do. Then we are talking about 700 years prior to the birth of Christ you have these prophetic words and I know, you know if we if we did a prophecy conference We could fill this place up, you know.
You'd have people all over the place and you know, if if I if I proclaim that I have figured out, you know. From the the original language of the Bible who the coming Antichrist is. We would have people standing outside the doors to try to find out about this kind of stuff.
There's such fascination about all these things and I'm reminded of the fact that Late great planter Hal Lindsey died just recently just a couple days ago actually, and So, you know that stuff was I grew up with that stuff man.
That was I. Remember my first tritium watch. Kind of tritium watch had a tritium watch face. It would glow all the time because it was radioactive. You can't get him anymore because they're radioactive for some reason.
And I remember at a lock-in and I was a junior in high school and at a lock-in at our large Southern Baptist Church I had a little soul winners New Testament. That's how good my eyes were back then and I was you know, like midnight I'm using my tritium watch to Light up the pages and I'm explaining to all my friends what the budding of the fig tree was in Matthew chapter 24 and because I had read the late great planet Earth and You know all that kind of stuff 40 years from the you know when?
1948 and so it's 1988 and and it was like 1980 then so we're getting really close guys and all that type of exciting stuff. We could fill this place up if we were talking about Prophecies and things like that and yet to be honest with you when you think about it central to the Advent season central to this season where we Consider well the birth of Christ and by the way, I have a study.
It's somewhere on YouTube. We've just put James White Christmas date. I think it will come up. I did a Bible study class at Phoenix Reformed Baptist Church about 2016 I think where I went through the evidence and You don't you don't hear this stuff you get all this stuff.
Oh, it couldn't have been in December because it would have been cold and the flocks wouldn't have been the field and It's all pagan, but all the system. The reality is let me just mention this in passing if you're really interested in this.
What I'll do is I'll just ask the pastor to look all this stuff up for you and and he'll explain it to you. By tomorrow, I would imagine. That's how you do this type of thing. But Dr. Beckwith Roger Beckwith, he wrote a fantastic book called the Old Testament Canon the New Testament Church.
It's not Frank Beckwith. That's somebody different. Please differentiate them. Roger Beckwith died. I think last year. And his book on the Old Testament Canon very hard to read but it's the best book I've ever seen on The apocryphal books and the Old Testament Canon and all that kind of stuff.
He wrote an in-depth article, I don't know how many years ago 20 years ago at least. Where he followed the courses of the priests we have.
Records of.
The which families Served in the temple at the time of the birth of Christ, of course after 8070, you know we don't have anything after that, but we still do have records from before then and We know that there's a relationship between Jesus and John the Baptist as far as what their births are.
We know because of Mary and Elizabeth and so we know when Elizabeth's husband would have been serving in the temple because of the courses of the priests and What's fascinating is when you look at that data, which I'd never seen anybody else do it's about the only historical data.
We can actually look at outside the New Testament that would give us some type of idea. Guess when he would have been serving I guess when His service in the temple would lead us to the birth of Christ the birth of Christ would have been in late December early January and What was the first?
What's what's what's the Eastern Orthodox date of Christmas, January 6th and In the West is December 25th. So all that stuff you hear about no, I couldn't have been this. It was just you know, it was mithraism.
No, there's a it's a bunch of baloney. The best information we've got does point to this time period For the birth of Christ, so I just point that out to you and let you do your own research from that that point onward so We have all these We I think we struggle in our day to really enter into an Understanding of the fulfillment of prophecy we know about it we We it's part of our our thinking but we are so Much wedded to a worldview now of Secularism that I just wonder how many Christians really are excited to recognize That God had told his people 700 years earlier what he was going to do and He didn't do it with some kind of you know video presentation or something like that.
He did it. He did it in in words of Scripture that would satisfy the godly but not the ungodly and For me at this time of year. I truly love to Consider the incarnation and to recognize this was something that God gave word in his prophetic scriptures About so that when it was fulfilled We could look back and see that God has been in control.
He remains in control. He's accomplishing his purposes. And so when we finally now turn to isaiah 9, you know the text We put it in that context it's it's it's the center. It's the centerpiece of a number of key prophetic texts from the old testament here in isaiah and so We begin if you look at it, you'll notice that uh, the the poetic section begins with verse two.
Uh, you can identify hebrew poetry but uh I'll just begin with uh verse four. For you shall shatter the yoke of their burden and the staff on their shoulders and the rod of their task master at as at the battle of midian.
For every boot of the booted warrior in the rumbling of battle and cloaked Cloak rolled in blood will be for burning fuel for the fire. So this is this is a section where you're talking about again. There's uh, there's a tremendous amount of.
Uh.
Pressure upon the people of israel. They're they're at they're at the crossroads of the ancient world. You have you have huge.
Military forces to their north and to and to their west to their south with egypt and. And that they're in a crossroads there. They're constantly getting run over by people going north and south and that's the history of israel as we know it.
And so God is talking about bringing judgment upon nations things like that. And in the midst of that in the midst of that we have these words. For a child will be born to us. A son will be given to us.
And the government will rest on his shoulders and his name Will be called wonderful counselor mighty god eternal father prince of peace. There will be no end the Increase of his government or of peace on the throne of david and over his kingdom to establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness.
From then on and forevermore the zeal of yahweh of hosts will accomplish this. So we know the text. We've heard it many many times before. But maybe if we can try to lay aside our preconceptions. And listen to it afresh.
Because very often as we have seen as we've looked at other texts. Um, for example when when peter quotes the text from isaiah 8 he's making an application in his day. That wouldn't have necessarily suggested itself in the days of isaiah and the same way in the middle of this.
This discussion of judgment upon nations and things like that. We have this section. For a child will be born to us. A son will be given to us.
I cannot with absolute certainty Uh prove what i'm about to say to you.
Um.
But I think it has Some really strong validity. I'll let you judge yourself in hebrew poetry You have very very commonly I. The last sermon I preached in at apologia. We're going through proverbs and we've gotten into the section of proverbs now.
Where there is no context or every single verse Is a context unto itself. The one verse will not be related to the next verse below it. So earlier on in proverbs, you'll have the wisdom sections and you can sort of do stuff contextually.
Once you get into we were in proverbs 14. Each proverb stands unto itself and that can be. That's tough to preach to. That is that is very very hard and so. Um, I was talking about the the text, uh that that a sin is a rebuke to any nation.
In these poetic sections hebrew poetry Will take a concept And will repeat it By using and using different phraseology to expand upon what is being asserted. And you have to be careful that you don't just assume that the author is trying to say something new now.
He may just be expanding upon and repeating the same thing in other words to give a a fuller Expression of it a little more color in the paint. Shall we say? And so it is quite possible That that first section a child will be born to us a son will be given to us Is just hebrew poetry.
It's just it's just the standard type of repetition. So child son born given just simply an expansion. Maybe that's quite possible.
But.
The the term child is yeled in hebrew. And to be born is yeled. Uh, interestingly enough just in passing you find this interesting sometime in the future. Um arabic, I studied arabic for a number of years.
I have let it go unfortunately. Um, but I studied for a number of years and they're both semitic languages. And so there's a lot of parallels. In fact for a long time. My arabic was just my hebrew um gallivanting around in new clothes.
Um, the the grammar and syntax and stuff are are very very similar.
In the quran. In surah 112 called surah tal iqlas. It's about the closest you'll get to a creedal statement in the quran. The third ayah says lem yeled while i'm yuled. Lem yeled while i'm yuled is speaking of allah and it says He is he does not give birth nor is he born using the same terminology used here in isaiah.
And it's very clearly meant to be a a denial that god has a son. Now whether the author of the quran had any idea of what we meant by the son of god is another issue. I think it's very clear that he did not which means that the quran was not given by god.
Uh, but be it as it may that is the the terminology that's being used In in the quran. So here you have or a child will be born to us. It's the natural Uh term regular term for birth a child will be born to us.
And notice it is to us. That's why I think there it the to us is found in in both of these phrases. So a child will be born to us natural birth. A son a ben.
Ben.
A son Will be nathan given to us. The prophet nathan nathan in hebrew is to give one who is given and so a son Will be given to us. So again, I admit the Simplest interpretation is that this is just repetition of the same of the same concept.
What if there is something more there? What if what we're seeing here is a child who is born. A son who is given Nathan. Can we see here? Is it appropriate for us? With new testament eyes. To look at this and see the son.
Who is given? to us. Remember this is in the same section of isaiah where you have emmanuel god with.
Us.
This is the assertion being made in numerous texts. So is it possible? That we have at the beginning of verse six.
A.
Faint glimmer of what we're going to see fulfilled in the new testament in places like john chapter one. Where you have the eternal logos in the beginning was the word and words with god. The word was god.
This son who has eternally existed becomes flesh. And dwells amongst us and we we behold his glory the glories of the only begotten the father full of grace and truth. Is it possible. What we're seeing here is yes, he is truly human.
He is a child who is truly born. It's not like roman catholicism. If you understand roman catholic theology and this is one of my biggest problems with with roman catholic theology. Is that the dogmatic teaching? of the perpetual virginity of mary.
Involves the assertion that she maintained her perpetual integrity even in the birth of christ. Now they're drawing that from proto-gnostic sources. Um, it doesn't come from scripture it comes from external stuff, uh that then became combined with The desert fathers and monasticism and and developed into all the stuff you have in in in mary but but in the earliest source that they draw this from.
When you read it and i've read this on the dividing line before When you when you read it what it says is is there was a great great blinding light. And as the then when the light diminished there was jesus.
There was no birth. Uh to use a star trek analogy jesus beamed out of mary. I mean, that's the only way you can look at it. If you don't have a natural birth. You don't have a true human. Hence you don't have a real giving of a real life.
I think it's extremely important.
And so when it says a child be born to us, that's natural. He was truly man. The word became flesh. But then a son will be given to us. The giving of that eternal son. Is it there? I can't prove it. But I think it is and I think the rest of the verse.
Helps substantiate that why? Well, the government will rest on his shoulders. So you're in the midst of of a text that speaks of judgment coming upon nations things like that and so here you have the Stability of what god is going to do.
The government will rest on his shoulders. I think we sort of skip over that one because. And again, I can't necessarily prove this but I can make a strong argument for it. I think when you look at daniel chapter 7 and you see the one presented before the ancient of days and a kingdom is given to him and his.
His followers worship him and the term there in the greek septuagint is latreo. It's the highest form of worship. Um, I think that's a picture of what happens with christ at his when he ascends to heaven.
Having accomplished redemption and he is seated and he is given a kingdom. And hence you've got psalm 2 kiss the sun lest he Be angry and and you perish in a way and it it all fits together in a in a in a wonderful way.
The government will rest on his shoulders on this one. Well, who is this one? Well, we know all the rest of this but let's look at it carefully and his name will be called Wonderful counselor it you could if you wanted to divide it up into his name will be called wonderful.
And counselor and el gabor mighty god.
Avi ad.
Eternal father prince of peace sar shalom. Let's think about each each one of these. Let's go. Let's go with wonderful counselor as a single as a single name. What is a how does how do we even understand wonderful counselor?
Well I would my my best suggestion would be.
What does what does the new testament writers do when they describe jesus when they will quote from passages about wisdom? In the proverbs and make application to jesus He is the one who reveals the father's heart.
He is the one who brings wisdom. On a level we cannot possibly know he is the one who has been what is what does john chapter one say? He is at the father's side. At the at the bosom of the father at the father's Side, he knows him intimately and so he is able to provide Wonderful counsel and of course the father and the son what do they do when when jesus returns to heaven they send the counselor the spirit.
Who then indwells the followers of the lord jesus christ. So he is the one who can give us wisdom from god. Then when it says mighty god el gabor. We saw that in isaiah chapter 10. In isaiah chapter 10 verse 21 a remnant will return the remnant of jacob to whom el gabor.
It's the exact same phrase it's the exact same phrase even though in Chapter 10 verse 21. What's what's the preceding verse say? But we'll truly rely on who yahweh the holy one of israel. A remnant will return the remnant of jacob to the el gabor the mighty god.
Now you say why are you emphasizing that because I've talked to Hundreds of jehovah's witnesses. That's why. And if you bring this text up they will say well he is a mighty god. And they'll take that in the sense of a mighty angelic being or something along those lines.
But in this section of isaiah, who is el gabor? El gabor is yahweh. And so he is called el gabor he is called mighty god. Now again, if you go buy a critical commentary or something like that. Online or something like that.
We used to have these things called christian bookstores. They were really cool. It was really neat. Um, they were all over the place before amazon came along and then they all died a slow and agonizing death.
And um, I used to say that the christian bookstore was one of the most dangerous places a christian could go. Because what you should think of when you're in a christian bookstore. I'm not talking about when you're walking down the precious moments aisle.
Okay, that's not really a dangerous place. Um, though it is I think for most husbands like no dear. No, I we already got too many of those in the house. No, stop. Um, but when you're walking down the theology aisle.
What you've got to think is. There are coiled rattlesnakes. On all the shelves you're passing. Because I can't tell you how many people i've known who you know. Just innocently went to a christian bookstore bought a commentary on isaiah.
Thinking that well everybody believes what I believe about isaiah that it's the word of god. It's consistent all the rest of this stuff. No, I hate to tell you something.
We lost most of the old testament to the liberals a long time ago. Almost everything that's publishing not everything but almost everything that's published today by the major publishing houses on isaiah or anything in the old testament Um does not begin with the idea that this is the word of god.
It's consistent and things like that. They begin with the idea that this is Actually been edited and redacted over time and and all this kind of stuff. Um, so they're not concerned about these things and there's a there is a useful commentary book by kylan delich.
It's rather old. It's from the uh late 1800s as I recall. Anyway, when they comment on and they're german. They're they're german scholars. And so, you know, they tend to be Normally way to my left when they get to this text.
Even they have to go. Is it is it even possible? That this ancient text when it speaks of mighty god Is talking about what we find in the new test. Is that even possible? And they have to go. We have to admit that it is now that was that was that was a wildly conservative thing for them to say.
Okay, that that was that was a radical thing. They probably got got a tremendous amount of emails. That's a joke. There was the 1800s. They didn't have emails back then but uh, they probably got got uh mocked horribly for saying that but even they had to say.
There just seems to be something here. That cannot be explained on a naturalistic basis when we have this one called the mighty god now. Next phrase I have to spend at least two or three minutes on. Because I can't tell you how many people.
I had someone come up this evening and had me Sign the first edition of my book on the trinity. Uh, by the way, there's a second edition that's that's out. So 40 pages longer whoever had me sign that hate to do that to you, but hey.
Helps me out. I think I make about oh four cents maybe something like that. Um, But I address it in in my book on the trinity because one of the most common questions that I get Is people say hey, you know if if I if isaiah 9 6 is talking about jesus and it clearly is.
How do you understand eternal father because we don't believe jesus is the father in fact. The new testament clearly distinguishes the son from the father. The son is sent by the father and and I in john chapter 17.
Uh the son.
Speaks to the father and speaks of the glory that he had in the father's presence before the world was and. And and you know, uh, we we do have people out there called oneness pentecostals the the modalists who believe that that jesus is Multiple persons, uh that his the son is a just a human being that hasn't eternally existed.
But he's indwelt by the father who is god and now god the father acts like the spirits. There's only one divine person and they deny the doctrine of trinity. If you want to see debates I've done a few debates on that subject, uh, too.
Um, but how. They they will refer to this text. He's called the eternal father. So how do we explain that. Well? As I mentioned. Uh in the in the the text itself and the the terminology that is used of him.
The the hebrew phrase is a single phrase avi ad. Which again literally avi.
Abba.
So father odd eternal eternal father avi avi ad I would understand as father of eternity. And how would that connect with jesus in the new testament well read colossians chapter 1. How is jesus described in colossus chapter 1.
For by him were all things created whether in heaven and earth. Visible invisible principalities powers dominions or authorities all things created by him and for him. He is before all things and in him all things.
Soonest they can they hold together. He holds all of creation together. That's the description of the sun in colossians chapter 1 and that fits perfectly because the term father normally in the old testament is referring to god as creator or maker of something.
And so he is the one who has eternally made he is the creator of all things. John chapter 1. Apart from him. It's not anything made that was made. He is described as the creator in the new testament and so that's how I I understand mighty god.
Eternal father and then sar shalom. Now. We all know the term shalom. I would imagine. Interestingly enough in arabic. It's salam. If you listen to muslims greeting each other, they'll say salam alaikum alaikum salam.
And that's the arabic form of the same root shalom in hebrew. And hopefully you're aware of the fact that the concept of peace.
In.
Hebrew Is much richer and deeper than it is in english language and the way we speak about it. So if today I have not followed the news or anything like that, but My assumption is probably today There were no rockets fired into israel.
Israel's been beating up on everybody and in fact um to be honest with I recently got word from a friend of mine who has a lot of christian friends in southern lebanon uh, they're just Bombing the christian areas horribly and there's there's there's no Hezbollah is not in those areas and the christians are suffering greatly in in that in that in that war at the moment.
But uh, let's say no missiles were fired into israel today. That would not be considered peace. Peace. Just because there was not open warfare. That would not be peace. As long as the iron dome and all the other stuff is sitting there waiting.
As long as the tanks are there and the guns are there and the armies are there. That's not peace. Peace is not simply a cessation of hostilities. Peace True shalom is a wholeness of relationship. When you can drive across the border And have a bible study with the christians on the other side of the border then we can start talking about peace existing.
But peace does not exist there at all and so when we think of prince of peace We think of one who brings peace by his authority and by his power. And I I just can't avoid thinking about Not only the descriptions of jesus Ruling the nations with the rod of iron in in revelation Revelation chapter one, especially and all the old testament imagery that's fulfilled in christ in those descriptions there.
Um, if you don't see how I mean Book of revelation is like 60 of the old testament being recited. It really is. And it it's very helpful to keep that in mind. But I immediately think of romans 5 1 Therefore having been justified by faith.
We have what? We have peace with god. How? Through our lord jesus christ peace with god. That's the highest form of peace. You can create a a creaturely level of peace here on earth but true full peace Is only to be found in peace with god.
And how do we have that? According to the new testament through Jesus christ through what he has accomplished. He is the prince of peace He has by his obedience to the father by his self giving provided the perfect peace that we have with god because We're not taking something that he has done and adding to it.
Our peace with god is because we have been justified by faith by the empty hand of faith. That does not bring works and merit with it. He is the one who has brought about that peace so he is The sar shalom the prince of peace the one who gives us that right relationship with god.
And that's what must be proclaimed To our fellow citizens at this time of year. Because they don't they don't mind a jesus in a manger. Who is in no way a threat to them? But when you think about what is really said about jesus in this text and how many how many christmas cards are being sent.
Well, did anybody do christmas cards anymore? I guess a few people do. Some of us older folks Uh will do christmas cards. My mom would get started on christmas cards the day after thanksgiving. And she had the most beautiful handwriting.
And did any of you i'm really dating myself here. It's terrible, but that's okay.
Did any of you ever have back in the olden days? Um, she had these candles. And you'd light this candle. And you'd you'd let it drip some wax on the on the seal of the envelope. And then you'd blow it out and you'd have a we had a w for white.
This metal thing and you'd press it. You'd had you had to let the the wax Dry just a little bit you couldn't do it immediately. But while it was still pliable you'd press that w Into the wax and you'd pull it up and there's this beautiful wax seal On the back of the envelope.
You're all looking at me like I am from 1842. You really are No one. Did anybody do that? I've got one. I've got two. Okay, I think i'm gonna need cpr here in a second. Um, wow. Now I know why they don't do it anymore because that gums up the postal machines.
You know what you're sending will never get anyplace. But man, it was classy. That was really really cool and she'd let me do that not for everyone because that would slow the process down a lot, but.
But anyway, I I just chased that rabbit right through the oklahoma countryside there. Um. How many christmas cards when they were still being sent had this text? You know in nice fancy lettering and maybe some glitter on it and the pretty scene behind it, but what's it really saying?
This one who has come this child that is born. The son has been given the government rests on his shoulders. He's the mighty god. He's the father of eternity. He's the very prince of peace. What happened in bethlehem Is part of the very center point of history.
I mean one of the differences between east and west between eastern orthodoxy and western christianity.
Is.
We are focused very much upon the cross and the resurrection. They're focused very much upon the incarnation. They all go together. You can't have the one without the other. He had to be truly man. He had to be truly born.
The incarnation is central. He lived a perfect life. People don't know why. Well, it's because the righteousness that's imputed to you. Is not just the removal of your sins, but it's also his perfect righteousness.
He obeyed the father in all things. Did you know that one of the differences between the westminster confession of faith and the london maps confession of faith? The london maps confession of faith specifically speaks of.
The active and passive obedience of christ being imputed to us as the grounds of our righteousness. The westminster doesn't. Mainly because they had had a whole lot more people writing it. There were people there that believed that there were people there That wanted that but they couldn't get everybody on board.
So it's not there. We have it in the london maps confession of faith. Just one small improvement for those of you who are here. That's why he lives that perfect life. And that's what he gives to us. And so you have you have to have incarnation.
You have to have death, burial resurrection. You have an ascension and enthronement. It's all the christ event. But the point is that's the center part of history. Everything before it looked forward to it.
Everything since then looks back to it. So that little baby in a manger the world. World's like not threatening, but you need to know he didn't stay in the manger. And who he was before the manger. And who he is after the ascension.
Consistency. We're talking about the creator who has invaded his own creation. What an amazing message. What an amazing reality. I understand. Why the secular mind today won't accept any of these things.
But that's why i'm so thankful. That i'm not dependent upon the secular mind to believe these things. It's the spirit of god. That opens hearts and minds and continues to do so that's why we're sitting here in oklahoma.
On the other side of the planet from where these events took place. And we have been brought here by our commitment to that one savior. And that one spirit that he and the father has sent into the world.
Drew us under the sun and so we are excited about celebrating once again.
Invasion into his own creation. What an amazing thing the world calls it foolishness. Let them when the spirit of god moves. They won't be calling it foolishness anymore. Let's pray together. Father we do thank you for this time that you've given to us to consider your word.
We do pray that during this season. You would grant to us in the midst of all of our busyness. Time to truly consider What took place So long ago. What it means. The great price that's been paid for our own redemption.
The great condescension of the sun the love of the triune god. Help us to rejoice help us not to be so. Taken up with everything we have to do during this season. To not have time to consider why we should truly rejoice At the gift that has been given to us a child born.
Yes son given. May we rejoice? And may we communicate these truths to those around us with great clarity. Give us that opportunity. We pray in christ's name.
Amen.