Survivor

 

A series on Isaiah 9:6 – The Child of Prophecy
 – Introduction
(Click on the link below to read the verses.)
Isaiah 7:1-17; 9:1-7 

[Jesus was a child of prophecy. The Christmas story in the Bible was predicted in many Old Testament prophecies but the centerpiece of these is Isaiah 9:6. It was written nearly six hundred years before Jesus’ birth. In this series we’re going to look at the meaning and implications of this amazing prophecy.]

  

The reality TV show “Survivor” is in its 47^th season. The premise is that 18 strangers are placed on an island together with no shelter and little or no food. One by one, they vote each other out of the game until only the winner remains.

 

As the number of participants are reduced, the lying and manipulation increases. Alliances are made and broken, sometimes on the same day. The prize is one million dollars… so the stakes are high. People become desperate to survive. It is survival of the fittest.

 

Isaiah lived in a tumultuous time of history. The world was full of political intrigue, shifting alliances and warring nations. It was a matter of survival on both a national and personal level. It was survival of the fittest.

 

The Assyrian Empire was expanding to the west. The brutality of the Assyrian military was evident in their merciless torture and terrorism. Fear and intimidation were among their weapons. They were masters at siege warfare and one of the first to use cavalry in battle giving them a decided advantage.

 

Israel was now divided into the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah, with the northern kingdom in the crosshairs of Assyria. As a result, both nations were weakened.

 

In order to combat this, Israel and Aram formed an alliance and then tried to usurp King Ahaz of Judah into a forced coalition against Assyria. Their plan was to replace Ahaz with their own man as king. As you might expect, this possibility terrified Ahaz as well as the people of Judah.

 

But Isaiah met with Ahaz and told him not to worry. That the Sovereign Lord wouldn’t let this happen. However, Isaiah also warned Ahaz of the consequences if he chose to form an alliance with Assyria instead of trusting the Lord. It would mean a broken alliance that would result in the oppression of Judah by Assyria.

 

Ahaz didn’t listen to Isaiah and the result was as prophesied. Assyria became not only the Lord’s instrument of judgement for Israel, but also Judah. But there was hope. Isaiah prophesied that the people who walked in darkness will see a great light; that they will be freed from the “yoke of their slavery”.

 

Into our world of survival, Isaiah pronounced this famous prophecy from the Lord.

 

⁶ For to us a child is born,
    to us a son is given,
    and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
    Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

 

For centuries, the Jews believed that this meant someday they would have an earthly kingdom. But not Jesus, for him it meant an eternal kingdom. The birth of Christ was the kingdom of heaven come down to earth. He was, is and continues to be "Immanuel, God with us”.

 

Copyright 2024 Joseph B Williams

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