God With Us: God’s Providential Plan

All hope is in the incarnation of Jesus Christ.  Isaiah 9:6-7

The hope of the world is tied to the incarnation of Jesus Christ.  He is the only One who can save this world.  He is the only One who can save us.  He is the only One who can save me.

All hope is in the birth of a baby.

9:6 For a child will be born to us,

It’s a good thing that those first century Jews did not practice abortion.  History reflects only the most horrific, depraved civilizations killed their babies.  Jesus would have been a prime candidate for the practice of abortion renamed reproductive rights or freedom by Kamala Harris.   The hope of the world is dependent on the birth of a baby.

All hope is in the giving of a son.

a son will be given to us;

The prophet through the Holy Spirit spoke of something that he could not have comprehended on his own or even totally in his day.  But no clearer word could have been prophesied than “a son will be given.”  God would give His own Son.  He would not just send His Son but He would give His Son.

All hope is in one name.

And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.

Wonderful Counselor combines the idea of doing something extraordinary with giving wise advice, plans, and guidance.

Mighty God combines the name God ‘El with mighty or mighty warrior. 

Eternal Father speaks of the ongoing eternal nature of the baby born, son given.  So He was no regular person because He was eternal.  The title Father is readily recognized in terms God Himself as a Heavenly Father.

Prince of Peace is easily embraced as most all long for and see leaders bringing about peace.

All hope is in God’s righteous, eternal kingdom.

6...And the government will rest on His shoulders;... 

7 There will be no end to 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.

All hope is in God accomplishing this.

The zeal of the Lord of hosts will accomplish this.

Only God can accomplish this kind of kingdom and this kind of salvation plan for His people.

Isaiah did not stop in prophesying the birth or incarnation of the Messiah but he went on and prophesied of His life and His substitutionary sacrificial death.  This passage is known as the Suffering Servant Song.  It really begins in Isaiah 52 but for the sake of time we will just briefly consider these verses in 53.

All hope is in the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.  Isaiah 53

It is a revealed message to be believed.

1 Who has believed our message?

And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?

It is a revealed message of suffering humiliation.

2 For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot,

And like a root out of parched ground;

He has no stately form or majesty

That we should look upon Him,

Nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him.

3 He was despised and forsaken of men,

A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief;

And like one from whom men hide their face

He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.

It is a revealed message of suffering substitution.

6 All of us like sheep have gone astray,

Each of us has turned to his own way;

But the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all

To fall on Him.

It is a revealed message of suffering propitiation.

10 But the Lord was pleased

To crush Him, ^bputting Him to grief;

If He would render Himself as a guilt offering,

He will see His offspring,

He will prolong His days,

And the good pleasure of the Lord will prosper in His hand.

11 As a result of the anguish of His soul,

He will see it and be satisfied;

By His knowledge the Righteous One,

My Servant, will justify the many,

As He will bear their iniquities.

It is a revealed message suffering exaltation.

12 Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great,

And He will divide the booty with the strong;

Because He poured out ^bHimself to death,

And was numbered with the transgressors;

Yet He Himself bore the sin of many,

And interceded for the transgressors.

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