Well, if you were not here this morning, we started a two-part section here, a sermon on the book of Isaiah 7-9, and we're going to read together Isaiah 8 and then 9-7 tonight. It's a lot. Don't worry, we're not going to be able to go through all of this, but I would like you to have an overview of it so that you can understand as we did this morning the big picture of what's happening and then see how it climaxes here in 9 verses 6 and 7 of the announcement of the character of the king who is to come the messiah of the son who was born to us and all of this of course is picked up in the new testament with the coming of jesus as all surrounding the birth narratives and the events early on in ministry they're all telling us look back to the prophecies and consider all of this was said and he is fulfilling it all right now in the time in which we live so isaiah chapter 8 tonight beginning at verse 1 this is the word of the lord then the lord said to me take a large tablet and write on it in common characters belonging to maher shalal hashbaz and i will get reliable witnesses uriah the priest and Zechariah, the son of Jeberakiah, to attest for me. And I went to the prophetess, and she conceived and bore a son. Then the Lord said to me, Call his name Maher Shalal Hashbaz, for before the boy knows how to cry my father or my mother the wealth of Damascus, the spoil of Samaria will be carried away before the king of Assyria. The Lord spoke to me again. Because this people has refused the waters of Shiloh that flow gently and rejoice over Rezan, the son of Ramalia. Therefore, behold, the Lord is bringing up against them the waters of the river, mighty and many, the king of Assyria in all its glory. And it will rise over its channels and go over all its banks, and it will be swept onto Judah. it will overthrow and pass on reaching even to the neck and its outspread wings will fill the breath of your land oh emmanuel be broken you peoples and be shattered give ear all you far countries strap on your armor and be shattered strap on your armor and be shattered take counsel together but it will come to nothing speak a word but it will not stand for god is with us For the Lord spoke thus to me with his strong hand upon me and warned me not to walk in the way of this people saying, do not call conspiracy all that this people calls conspiracy and do not fear what they fear nor be in dread. But the Lord of hosts, him you shall honor as holy. Let him be your dread. Let him be your fear. Let him be your dread. And he will become a sanctuary and a stone of offense and a rock of stumbling to both houses of israel a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of jerusalem and many shall stumble on it they shall fall and be broken they shall be snared and taken bind up the testimony seal the teaching among my disciples i will wait for the lord who is hiding his face from the house of jacob and i will hope in him behold i and the children whom the Lord has given me are signs and portents in Israel from the Lord of hosts who dwells on Mount Zion. And when they say to you, inquire of the mediums and the necromancers who chirp and mutter, should not a people inquire of their God? Should they inquire of the dead on behalf of the living, to the teaching and to the testimony? If they will not speak according to his word, it is because they have no dawn they will pass through the land greatly distressed and hungry and when they are hungry they will be enraged and will speak contemptuously against their king and their god and turn their faces upward and they will look to the earth but behold distress and darkness the gloom of anguish and they will be thrust into thick darkness 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 the land of deep darkness on them has light shown 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 the rod of his oppressor you have broken as on the day of midian for every boot of the tramp tramping warrior in battle tumult and every garment rolled in blood will be burned as fuel for the fire for unto 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 a 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 and there is the reading of god's word well as we consider this morning the celebration of the birth of christ is a celebration that God has done something wonderful for us as He has designated and told us a lot to describe our sinful nature. He has done something wonderful for us as sinners. And the remarkable truth that we saw unfold this morning was He did it when no one deserved it, did He? I just heard a preacher the other day standing up telling his entire congregation we need to stop saying that we don't deserve it. We deserve this all. It was a marvel to me how he could say that. Have you ever read the Bible? The Lord gave us the greatest possible gift. The greatest possible gift. That's what we celebrate tonight. That's what we're celebrating tomorrow and what we call Christmas. And nowhere is this demonstrated so powerfully than the book of Isaiah. The reality that we've studied this morning and that we're looking at briefly tonight is that the entire nation of israel and judah the northern and the southern kingdom had been brought into darkness for their unbelief darkness and we're seeing how great the darkness is we're seeing what darkness looks like we're seeing what darkness where it takes people how it blinds them and the things that they end up doing we're learning about unbelief through this it really is a passage that's showing us unbelief in contrast to the great call to believe this is what god's after it's a simple call in the midst of all of this and what unbelief looks like in contrast even among the people of god which is the shock of this particular section and the nation of israel god gave us to study israel so that we would as paul said in romans learn from them and not do what they did the whole section demonstrated to us a people and a king and we could summarize the problem this morning that we're looking to their own answers for all their problems that we're looking at all of their darkness and all of their trial and seeking for their own answers to solve the problem this was the way of unbelief ahaz chose that way by refusing the word of isaiah did you notice that little phrase in the middle of of this tonight to the law and to the testimony listening to the lord's word will you hear it isaiah had been speaking it but their attitudes were terrible their attitudes were angry they even charged isaiah with conspiracy did you hear that tonight you're giving us a conspiracy and god wanted to um to be clear about this about where unbelief lands people it envelops them in darkness there's real consequences in this life to unbelief many of you uh spoke to me and said this is really a remarkable passage you've known this but And I'm sure reflecting on it afresh, it's a remarkable passage and sort of a strange place to put the prophecy of the birth of Jesus, isn't it? Of all places to do it. We have a lot of places in the Bible where it could have been, and it would have been a lot nicer to get to, wouldn't it? And I thought about that this week, reflecting on tonight's sermon, that to really emphasize here is important in the middle of this judgment. As I read it, it doom and gloom, what everyone often thinks about in the Old Testament, doom and gloom, doom and gloom. Did you feel the tension that's there where the Lord wants to break in and bring light in the midst of all that? Where it's almost a struggle in the text. It goes back and forth, back and forth, even contrasting so radically the gloom and darkness upon a people, but this other people will be filled with joy and light. It's really remarkable when you look at it this way. And the real effect of this is to say, consider your God and consider what he's saying to you. Consider how wonderful he's been to give you this kind of announcement and this kind of answer in such darkness and unbelief. I don't see how anyone could read this then and say i'm the greatest of sinners i've done so many bad things i'm without hope in the world when god is saying in the midst of this there's hope that's the purpose of this we have in many ways really messed up our lives we've done things that are terrible in the course of our lives and a lot of people live that way thinking there's no way that god could ever forgive me or there's no way that God has given me any answer in the midst of this and they live in fear of that and the Lord is saying hear my call and believe and receive the joy that's intended in this particular announcement that's given here well that's where we are tonight God opened the door of grace to a bunch of sinners who didn't want it God opened the door of gospel and gave them an answer to a bunch of people who never asked for it when people were all quite content to look for the answer anywhere and everywhere else there god gave them the answer god loved the world in this way this is what we're announcing today that he gave his only begotten son when in fact the world hated the gift the world has turned from the gift that is the sort of sad reality isn't it and that's what we're studying so that we don't make that terrible terrible mistake and rejection in this life and when i begin to see this the single truth begins to take root i'm prepared to see finally how wonderful the character and goodness and gracious long-suffering character of god is as is so often put on display in the old testament well that's why these stories are important and it helps us understand what he is really giving there's no place better to help us understand this here in this particular passage i believe of isaiah 7 through 9 and that's why we're picking up again tonight you'll remember the call this morning if you were here the call this morning came to us and it said to ahaz if you are uh if you are not firm in faith you will not be firm at all that was an important uh verse there did you catch that if you are not firm in faith you will not be firm at all uh that was the heart of this believe that's what christianity is all about believe well god called ahaz in the midst of this to ask for a sign go ahead ask for a sign in the heights and in the depths and ahaz wouldn't do it in in a pious response i will not put the lord to the test he had already made up his mind remember he had already made up his mind because of something that had happened to him that the northern kingdom of israel and syria had aligned and they are three days away and they're ready to come and wipe them out and in aaz's mind there's no other answer than to go to us syria and ask them to save us from these people and the lord is saying don't you do that i am your deliverer ask a sign i won't i don't want it and the lord says i'll give you a sign the virgin shall conceive and bear a son and you shall call his name emmanuel that's no answer thinks ahaz that is no answer well that's where we come tonight in chapter eight uh we move into this and it says right at the beginning of chapter 8 moreover the lord said to me take a large tablet this is isaiah and write on it in common characters belonging to maher shalal hosh baas and you go on to understand this it goes on to explain what was happening here in verse 3 isaiah goes to his wife and they conceive and they bear a son and they name him a second son maher shalal hosh baas i doubt any of you would ever name your child that right what a name explains it before the child will know how to cry my father or my mother the wealth of damascus and the spoil of samaria will be carried away before the king of Assyria. Assyria would be an agent of judgment on Judah and on the northern kingdom. So the Lord says to Isaiah, I want you to take a large chalkboard. I want you to go into the open square. I want you to write your son's name right on the chalkboard. He probably went right into the open square, the gate of the city, with this board. And he writes on the board, maher shalal hashbaz and everyone knew what that meant speeding to the spoil hastening to the prey is what it means before our child is able to say mommy or daddy assyria is going to be here assyria is coming assyria is going to judge assyria is going to plunder you it's really amazing because this was the one nation whom ahaz had asked for help i was so thankful this morning that someone walked up to me and said you know pastor it's so true that our idols the very things we put our trust in turn on us they turn on us and that's all shown here it turned on him this is what happened and then it gives us insight into all the pleas he made you'll notice here that the lord is being so long suffering through all of this making a series of pleas to them the lord spoke to me again saying verse five in as much as these people refuse the waters of shiloh notice that in verse five and six tonight these people have refused the waters of shiloh that flow gently and rejoice over resin and the son of remaliah therefore behold the lord is bringing up against them the waters of the river that's the great euphrates shiloh was um in israel judah this small spring that flowed east of the city softly it was just a little insignificant stream that they all knew about and the sin that's being pointed out here is that the people as we looked at somewhat this morning god's people refuse these gentle flowing waters i paused on that this morning and wanted you to think about that a little bit because it's so important i think sometimes we think of unbelief as saying i flat out disagree or i don't believe that god exists or i don't believe in god and we think it's a sort of two opinion thing where we have to convince somebody to believe this we think of unbelief that way and it certainly is unbelief that is a way of unbelief but when we're looking at the people of god the way of unbelief here is really a shocking thing the way of unbelief was people playing games with the lord to make excuse after excuse to refuse him i remember years ago reading about one of my favorite athletes michael jordan why he didn't go to church he claimed to be a believer and i remember this article i i had it and i was i just i loved michael jordan i read i i had posters in my room with michael jordan i wore his shoes and his shirts and everything i remember it said in there michael explained jordan why he never went to church and jordan said because i don't go to church because i feel that everyone looks at me i told my grandmother this story and she says don't you believe that it's a cop-out chris that's a cop-out he doesn't go to church because he doesn't want to go to church. Always stuck with me. People make a million excuses to believe what they want and a million excuses to disregard what they want. We've learned about here, what we've learned today is an attitude that had no confidence in the Lord. They didn't see him as the answer. They didn't see him as god they had no regard for him everything else in life was more important everything else was a better answer it's not that he doesn't exist no one in israel or judah would have said that there was no desire for his help there was no desire for him that that's a startling fact of this particular section that he was esteemed this way among the people of god that their regard for the lord's work among them was as little was like that little stream over there it didn't seem like anything and so the lord says and as much as these people refuse the waters of shiloh that flow softly god was weak god was small god was unimpressive and this is why they wanted a king give us one like the nations we look at the mighty euphrates river that's a river that's a river not this little stream in jerusalem that's the contrast here god's work seemed little and it always has seemed little on this earth doesn't it it seems little right now It seems little. I find it really encouraging tonight. This is not to pat this congregation on the back, but I find it really encouraging to see this. I thought no one would be here tonight. I really did. Shame on me, right? I didn't have the confidence in you as I should. There's a lot of you who came out tonight. And you came out tonight, why? On Christmas Eve, when you could have had eggnog, right? You came out because you believe. I believe that about you. I believe you're here tonight because you believe in these waters of Shiloh. And God's done a wonderful thing for you tonight. God has enlightened your eyes. God has been good to you. God has been your answer. And tonight, you're showing that. Now again, I'm not saying great is the Escondido URC, and so I understand we are sinners. but I want to commend tonight and what God has done for you and to see your love grow for His Word that you would be here. The great Euphrates, the mighty Assyrian army, Ahaz and the people looked to them. Judah said, I see power there. I see the horsemen. I see their strength. I see their power. And how it becomes the issue in all of this. You see, we're in no different place right now. What do you see right now? Not much. Is God really powerful? Do His ways really work? Is God so great and powerful? Why doesn't He put His power on display? Why doesn't He show more glory visible to us? Right? Why doesn't He do it? There's the struggle of living by faith and living by sight. It was Sarah's struggle when she said, this promise isn't happening, let's go and do this ourselves and you, Abraham, will go into Hagar and get the seed that way. It was Naaman the Syrian when he was presented to dip in the waters of the Jordan and he said, are not the Abarna and the Farpar greater rivers of Damascus? Why would I dip there? Why would I do that? There's the sin. There it is. It's all culminated in Scripture right here. We reject so easily the soft flowing waters. The little thing of what we regard as little. And I'm going to come back to that thought to close here in a minute. They despise the waters of Shiloh. And the Lord says, because of these sins, entrusting in yourselves and your own counsel and everything else other than me, The Assyrian army is going to reach up to your neck like the flood. It's going to carry away the people. It's going to be in your land, O Emmanuel. This terrible thing that has happened. Did you catch that? In your land, O Emmanuel. This is coming. Assyrians will invade. So what is the answer that the Lord poses to Judah? Well, in verses 11 to the end of the chapter, it's a giant call to faith it's a giant call to faith but he's doing it through the prophet isaiah so here's what the lord expects of his people they were calling isaiah a traitor they were saying how could you say this and turn against our king who is putting trust in assyria that is a conspiracy isaiah you're a conspirator saying these things and the lord answers that for the lord spoke thus to me with the strong hand upon me and warned me not to walk in the way of this people saying do not call conspiracy all that this people calls conspiracy and do not fear what they fear nor be the nor be in dread but the lord of hosts him you shall honor as holy let him be your fear let him be your dread and he will become a sanctuary oh isaiah to you this is where it all started for isaiah in the ministry in chapter 6 where he saw the vision of the lord high and lifted up and the angels were all about in heaven seeing the glorious throne room of god saying holy holy holy is the lord god of hosts the whole earth is full of his glory isaiah don't forget that in the midst of all the tragedy i have to say in the midst of all this darkness every time we find god's people departing from him you know what it coincides with in history no more regard for his holiness no more regard for his greatness no more listening to his word this is all culminating here showing you the darkest moment in history for Israel and Judah that led to their captivity and Israel the northern kingdom being taken away forever that's the consequence of unbelief chapter 8 ends in the darkest statement here you ready for it verse 8 and they will look I'm sorry verse 22 and they will look to the earth they're going to go to every other answer under the sun they're going to look to the mediums and the spiritists and the sorcerers they're going to look to everyone else other than the lord but behold distress and darkness the gloom of anguish and they will be thrust into thick darkness now that's that's about as dark as it gets in the bible isn't it that's sad this is god's people this is the history of the old testament with israel remember i want you to think of this statement tonight there was no help anywhere else in the world and israel and judah looked everywhere else to find it and there was no help anywhere else but the one he was offering to them was a help unlike anything they could ever imagine i find that thought just mind-blowing they looked everywhere else for no answer and got no answer but the one who is being offered to them was an answer beyond anything they could have ever asked or imagined and it's as if in the darkest moment of israel's history of judah's history comes the brightest light ever found in Scripture. This is how the Lord works. I often say to myself, and I do this, all the times are so bad. Times are so bad. Everything's so dark. Where is the knowledge of God anymore? Where are people with conviction? Where are people who love? By the way, I'm looking at you. But I still say this stuff, right? So bad, so bad, so bad, so bad. And it's always at those moments that the greatest light is ready to shine and is shining. There's a tension here. Did you feel it tonight as I said earlier in the text? Darkness, darkness, darkness. You would think, why does God put up with any of this? Why does God continue this? Because He made a promise. And all of a sudden, light comes in unlike anything we would have ever expected. God breaks out in an entirely different way in chapter 9, doesn't He? But, in the midst of this, there will be no gloom for her who was in anguish. Some translations say there was no gloom for her who is distressed. God won't let the darkness reign. God won't let the darkness continue. Now what a message that is for us, isn't it? he won't the lord says darkness and gloom darkness and gloom and then seemingly out of nowhere everything changes with the brightest light we get in the bible you have multiplied the nation listen to this nine verse the first verses there uh verse three you have multiplied the nation you have increased its joy they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest and they are glad when they divide the spoil you say what in the world is that and when is that what are you talking about and and all of a sudden this beautiful declaration is made those who walked in darkness have seen a great light what we have here is that the darkness had totally invaded the land in the context the assyrian oppression had reached their necks but the real truth here is it would not endure the whole earth is pictured as groping about in darkness and then comes this then comes verse six for unto us a child is born unto us a son is given and the government will be upon His shoulder and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace, there will be no end. When He comes, did you hear that? The peace He gives, there will be no end. His government will never be toppled. What is he going to be like? Upon the throne of David and over his kingdom to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward, even forever, the zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this. This one who's coming will be wonderful in counsel. Whatever he decides, whatever the plan is, he puts into action and accomplishes it. That's what it means. Everything He plans will happen. Nothing will frustrate it. He is mighty God. He will surround His people. He will surround His people and care for them in power. Everlasting Father. Every way we knew of Psalm 103, that as a father pities his children, so the Lord pities those who fear Him. It's that kind of treatment that he gives. It's that kind of treatment he will give. He's a prince of peace. He's not a tyrant. Think of living under Ahaz. Think of living under that dog. Not this one. Peace. He is our king. Promised forever to sit on the throne. literally the passion of the Lord of hosts will perform them. Who is this? Well, I mean, it's something you know. I can't imagine the first time ever having the New Testament inspired and handed to people and they looked back to Isaiah 9 and says, that's Jesus. That's Jesus. All of these are prophetic futures here of Isaiah. He is this telling us somebody's coming who's going to be like this to us. A light will illuminate the darkness like never before. In a fallen world of such thick darkness, this light is the true light giving light to every man in the world. It says in verse 1, In Zebulun, in the land of Naphtali, by the way of the sea, by the Jordan, in Galilee of the Gentiles, The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light. Those who dwell in the shadow of death, upon them a light has shined. Who? You. This is you. You know, what if you had lived back in those days? Think of how blessed you are tonight when you open your Gospel and tomorrow you'll reflect in Matthew 1 and then you come to Matthew 4 and you read this. Now when Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, he departed to Galilee. And leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelled in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the regions of Zebulun and Naphtali. That it might be fulfilled. Whoa, this is a big moment. That it might be fulfilled, which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying, the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, by way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles. The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light. And upon those who sat in the region and the shadow of death, a light has dawned. From that time, Jesus began to preach and say, repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Why? Because I'm the one upon whom the government rests on my shoulders. It's my kingdom. I'm the king. Can you imagine that? In Zebulun and in Naphtali, where the Assyrian oppression had reached the next, he stands up and he opens his arms and he says, come to me, all you who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest. That's your king. I am lowly and gentle. I'll treat you with kindness. I'll give you what you could never imagine. Life, light, help, a king who will love you and stand by you and deliver you and help you. You see, this is what the angels were celebrating. The angel said to them, do not be afraid. Isn't that what motivated all this today? Do not be afraid. For behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior who is Christ the Lord. And this lowly king would love you so much that he would put his life on the line and die for you to pay for your sins. Isaiah 9 tells us that these soft flowing waters of shiloh are the answer he's the answer the people in darkness have seen a great light he is the restorer of joy in israel he's the restorer of the people of god he liberates you from bondage he forgives your sins and brings you into the love of god so that you would know true peace the greatest news ever is what we're celebrating at this time of year god in sheer grace with not you deserving it at all when you played games with him gave you his son that message is cherished isn't it that message is celebrated shouldn't it be god was strong enough to overcome the darkness of all of our oppression in the darkest hour of history by himself becoming in his son weak vulnerable humble down from heaven to save us for unto us a child is born unto us a son is given his rule will never have an end forever he will be established with justice and judgment the passion of the lord of hosts has performed it that's what we celebrate joy to the world the lord has come let earth receive her king receive him then that's all what he's saying to you today receive your king there is no good thing he will withhold from those who fear him let's pray heavenly father Father, thank You for encouraging us with these words today. In the midst of darkness and studying Israel and a people who cherish darkness rather than light, You've done something wonderful for us. You've given us light as Gentiles and brought us into the Israel of God that we might know life and light and have life abundantly through His name. may we then act as a people of the king may we believe may we trust you and thank you so much for this congregation i as a pastor am humbled by this congregation tonight it greatly encouraged me to see a people who love you and i praise you for that i pray that you would send them home with great joy and give them your strength and encouragement to know that you are with them and You will never leave them nor forsake them in any of life's hardships. Thank You for being our God and for giving us Your best in Your Son. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.