“The people who walk in darkness will see a great light. For those who live in a land of deep darkness, a light will shine. You will enlarge the nation of Israel, and its people will rejoice. They will rejoice before you as people rejoice at the harvest and like warriors dividing the plunder. For you will break the yoke of their slavery and lift the heavy burden from their shoulders. You will break the oppressor’s rod, just as you did when you destroyed the army of Midian. The boots of the warrior and the uniforms, bloodstained by war, will all be burned. They will be fuel for the fire.”
Isaiah 9:2-5 NLT
Isaiah’s prophecy brought light into a dark nation, hope to a people who were hopeless in their outlook, and victory when only defeat and slavery could be anticipated. In a time when only sadness and depression were possible emotions, something would happen to bring joy and hope, celebration rather than mourning. As the Assyrians overran Israel and Judah, did the Jews remember what Isaiah had said, or did they succumb to their fate, going to their graves or into exile, thinking that God didn’t care for them, if they even thought of Him at all? A long period of darkness was about to envelop the sons of Jacob, their tribes and nation, but God had a plan that would turn around their distress, and “Galilee of the Gentiles … will be filled with glory.
How long would it be before the “great light” would be seen? Isaiah neither knew nor said, but God knew. And we, with the benefit of hindsight, can see that it was seven hundred years or more before Jesus came. For the Jews, before that eventful day, there were four hundred years with no prophetic voice, a silence as God brought into being His plan for the salvation of mankind. In those four hundred years, between the Old and New Testaments, God did not speak, and no books or prophetic words were recorded. The Old Testament closed with two verses from Malachi, “Look, I am sending you the prophet Elijah before the great and dreadful day of the Lord arrives. His preaching will turn the hearts of fathers to their children, and the hearts of children to their fathers. Otherwise, I will come and strike the land with a curse” (Malachi 4:5-6). This was written about 430 BC, and what followed was a time of instability as one nation, after another, overpowered the Jews and occupied their land. But the Jewish people never forgot the prophecy that Elijah was coming to prepare the way of the Lord.
John the Baptist emerged from the shadows “to tell about the light so that everyone might believe because of his testimony” (John 1:7). John was asked by the Jewish leaders, ““Well then, who are you?” they asked. “Are you Elijah?” “No,” he replied. “Are you the Prophet we are expecting?” “No”” (John 1:21). A contradictory response, I’m sure we agree, because John fulfilled Malachi’s prophecy, but the Jews were expecting a literal Elijah, risen from the dead, whereas John “.. will be a man with the spirit and power of Elijah. He will prepare the people for the coming of the Lord. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and he will cause those who are rebellious to accept the wisdom of the godly” (John 1:17). About John, Jesus said, “The prophets wrote about Elijah. They said he would come again, to prepare for the Messiah. They were writing about John, and you should believe their message” (Matthew 11:14).
But Jesus came as the “great light”, bringing a new world, a New Covenant, and one that has brought rejoicing to the people. No longer would God’s people be burdened and enslaved. No more “yokes of slavery”. No more “heavy burdens”. The “nation of Israel” was enlarged with the salvation of the Gentiles, and today it is estimated that a third of the global population is Christian. But in Isaiah’s prophecy, there is fulfilment of more to come, because Jesus will come a second time “to strike down the nations” who have risen up against Him (Revelation 19).
We pilgrims, Gentiles saved by grace, have read to the end of the book, and we know what is coming. One day, there will be a new Heaven and Earth, and God will come to live with His people. Are we ready?
Dear Father God. Thank You for Your loving kindness, patience and grace. Jesus came to this world and transformed humanity forever, bringing light into a dark place. Thank You. Amen.
Being a Pilgrim 