…. But in the future he will bring honor to the way of the
sea, to the land east of the Jordan, and to Galilee of the nations. The people
walking in darkness have seen a great light; a light has given to us, and the
government will be on his shoulders. He will be named Wonderful
Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.
Isaiah 9:1b-2, 6
When this scripture was written the nation of Israel was in
a time of war. It was a war that was not going well. In the midst of that time
of anguish and despair Isaiah prophesied that one day a baby would be born.
That baby would be the promised Jewish Messiah, the Prince of Peace. We know
Him by the name of Jesus and the story of his birth is what makes the Christmas
season so special to us all. But as is often true in Old Testaments prophecies,
there is a second prophecy hidden within the first one.
The passage of scripture refers to the Galilee of the
nations. The Hebrew word used for nations refers to everyone in the world who
was not Jewish. Those non-Jews were lost in utter darkness. But Isaiah knew
that one day they would have the same opportunity to accept the Jewish Messiah
as the Jews did. They would be able to see the Light of Christ.
This prophecy has come true over and over again through the
centuries and now the number of non-Jews who follow Christ is significantly
greater than the number of Jews who do. The Gospel of Christ is being taken to
remote corners of the world by all those non-Jewish believers in the Jewish
Messiah. Only God could have brought such a miracle to pass.
While we rejoice in this centuries long miracle, the time
has come for us to do our part to join God in fulfilling this prophecy for our
generation. Each generation is responsible for taking the gospel to their peers
both in their own nation and around the world. So now the stewardship of this
prophecy has come to us. As we consider our Christmas activities, will it include
opportunities to share our faith with those who are still in darkness? As we
consider our Christmas giving, will it include donations to the Lottie Moon
Christmas Offering and other gospel driven causes? Will we continue to fulfill
the prophecy of Isaiah and help spread the Prince of Peace to the nations?
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Dr. Terry W. Dorsett has been a pastor, church planter, denominational leader and author in New England for more than 20 years. He is a happy husband, a proud father and adoring grandfather. He is a cancer survivor and believes that God works powerfully through times of suffering. He writes extensively and you can find all of his books at:
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