Isaiah 9:6 “The Righteous King is Coming, Part 2”

1:12Granted, Lincoln was president during the most difficult time in America's history, but the mantle of leadership is a heavy burden to bear, no matter when you bear it. Friends, a week ago in the book of Jeremiah, where we've been all fall, We looked at the reigns of the last four kings of Judah: Shalom, Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin, and Zedekiah. These men were the last ones to preside over Jerusalem and the southern kingdom before Babylon broke through the walls and carried off the nation into exile.

1:47This morning, we find ourselves even further back in history, about a century earlier, to be exact. Ahaz is the king of Judah, and he is neither a good leader nor a godly man. And sadly, ever since David was king, that has been the case roughly half the time in Judah. They'll have a couple of good kings in a row, and then two or three bad kings. It's exhausting to read if you've ever read 1 and 2 Kings and 1 and 2 Chronicles, because every time that you think that the nation is starting to get back on track, they'll have multiple decades of bad, ungodly leaders.

2:31A monarchy is great if the king or the queen is a godly and wise person and uses their absolute power for good. Every citizen of every nation would long to be under that kind of leadership. Beginning with Isaiah, God starts to make promises to us, promises to his people that one day we are going to have just that kind of a king, a king that. Doesn't just meet our hopes and expectations, but exceeds them in every possible way.

3:07And so, today's sermon, as well as next week's, builds on what we learned last week in Jeremiah 23. And that is that the righteous king that we long for has come and will return to save us and reign forever. Now, before we get into Isaiah chapter 9, I want to set the table for you a bit. In Isaiah chapter 8, God reveals through Isaiah that Assyria is going to invade Israel, also known as Samaria or the northern kingdom, and it's going to destroy that nation.

3:42They're going to be carried off into exile, and those who remain in the land are going to be greatly distressed, plunged into a deeper gloom and anguish than they could have ever imagined. But in chapter 9, where we find ourselves today, God speaks a word of hope to these people. What the angel in Luke chapter 2 calls good news of great joy that will be for all people. Isaiah says that a day is coming when all of the gloom and anguish are going to be taken away, and those who walk in darkness are going to see a great light. They're going to know a joy that they have never known before.

4:23Similar to the joy of harvest time when you have a bumper crop, similar to the joy that you experience after a great Military victory, but even greater than that. And that's because the yoke, the staff, the rod of those who oppressed the people will be broken, just like the day on which God delivered the people through just 300 soldiers so many years ago. This victory over the oppressor would be so complete that they would not need their military clothes or weapons of war any longer.

4:58They would be burned as fuel in the fire. But how could that be the case? I mean, Israel and Judah have certainly known times of joy, but they've all been short-lived, a few decades at most. Even in those times, the prospect of war was always looming overhead. It's not like even under the reigns of David or Solomon, the people could have burned their weapons or burned their boots or anything like that. So what's going to change? What will lead to such joy and peace and security?

5:34Look at verse 6 of chapter 9, where we'll spend the entire time this morning. Isaiah 9:6, for to us a child is born, to us a son is given. You know, I think for Americans and for any citizens who don't live under a monarchy, it can be hard to fully appreciate just how. Much power a king or a queen actually has. Like we understand it in an academic sense, but most of us have not lived that.

6:13See, the United States is a constitutional republic. And what that means is every two or four or six years, we vote for men and women to represent us in three branches of government which exist to separate and to balance power so that no one person or no group of people, at least in theory, can accumulate too much power to themselves. And functionally, what that means is if you don't like the person or the people in power, you can vote for somebody else in the next election. And even if your candidate loses in the next election, it's really not that big of a deal because, again, in a government like ours, power is separated and it's balanced so that no one person can cause too much damage.

7:09Yes, it might limit the amount of good that you can do, but it certainly limits the amount of damage that any one person can cause. But friends, in a monarchy, that's just not the case. All of the power to make laws, all of the power to execute laws, all of the power to judge rests in the hands of just one or two people. That's why citizens of kingdoms are always so concerned about succession. Who is the next person that's going to sit on the throne? What kind of person are they?

7:41So, going back to the people of Israel and Judah, these are people who live in kingdoms who understand these kinds of things in ways that we don't. They've understood and lived in the prosperity and security that good kings bring, and they've lived in the scarcity and insecurity that comes from having bad kings reign over them. And so, Isaiah declares that the reason that these people are no longer going to be walking in darkness but light, the reason that there will be peace and security instead of conflict and insecurity, the reason there's going to be great joy in all of the land is because of the birth of a child.

8:23Now, like all children, this child would be born. He would come from a human mother. But we also see that this child, this male child, would be given. And that suggests something different about this child. Now, in one sense, all children are given. They are gifts from a gracious God who opens the womb and causes babies to grow and develop and be carried to term and be safely born. Every child is a gift in that sense.

8:58But perhaps there's something different. About this particular child. Maybe there's a sense in which he is given to us that's different from all other children. Look again at verse 6. For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulder. Now, again, if you live in a monarchy, there's nothing especially remarkable about that statement. Citizens of kingdoms would hear that and think, right, that's what it means to be a king. The power to govern rests upon him.

9:43But citizens of republics and democracies hear that differently. We have a different perspective because we are allergic to anything that sounds like a monarchy, to anything that sounds like power is being concentrated in the hands of one person or a few people. Ever since the days of the American Revolution, we've had it pounded into us that it would be better to die than to live under a king or a queen. And that's because our ancestors experienced the abuse of power that can come at the hands of a monarch.

10:21Our ancestors had their money and property taken without their consent. They were forced to board soldiers in their homes at the time. Their own expense. They were forbidden to engage in certain forms of free trade. Now, I'm not saying that any of that is good, but it's downright tame compared to the abuses of other kings and emperors all throughout history who would just make their opponents disappear, who would just take any woman that they wanted, who would just take anything that they wanted, who would do anything they pleased with absolutely no recourse for those who have been offended.

11:04So, whether you live under a bad monarchy or you just know that bad monarchies have existed, the statement that the government shall rest upon his shoulder might make you nervous. Notice it says the government, not just a government, the government of the world. Just imagine that for a moment. Imagine if you were the king or the queen of a tiny country like Aruba. That might sound awesome. 100,000 people live in Aruba. How would you like to be solely responsible to govern 100,000 people?

11:47What if you were the king or queen of America? 340 million people that you are responsible to govern. India or China, 1.5 million. billion people each. What if you were responsible to govern the entire world? More than 8 billion people. Sometimes when we talk about men and women who lead, who bear great responsibility, we say things like, they've got the weight of the world on their shoulders. We mean that they're under a tremendous amount of stress because of their responsibility. We say they've got the weight of the world on their shoulders. Shoulders, plural.

12:35That's why camping backpacks have two straps, not one. It's why when you do squats, you put that bar over both shoulders because you distribute the weight across your shoulders. You can bear the most weight that way when both of your shoulders are bearing weight. But look at this. The government shall rest upon his shoulder, singular. This child that will be born, this son that will be given, who is going to be responsible to govern the entire world, is just going to pick up the government with one hand and throw it over one shoulder because it's no big deal. How could that be possible?

13:24Look again at the text, verse 6. For to 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. When many kings and queens are coronated, they often take on a new name to distinguish their past more private life from their now very public reign over their kingdom. They may choose a name that would align them with a great monarch from the past, or they might choose a name that no king or queen has ever had before to indicate that they're making a clean break with maybe what was a difficult or disappointing past.

14:21Now, I want you to remember, wicked king Ahaz is currently the king in Judah when Isaiah is prophesying at this time. He burned most of his sons in the fire as part of worship of false gods. But thankfully, he did not murder Hezekiah, his successor, who would be one of the godliest kings that Judah ever had. But friends, quite obviously, this prophecy is not referring to his son Hezekiah. Not only was he never called any of these names, he couldn't be called by any of these names.

15:00And so, I want to think about these names and this one that is coming, this child that is coming to reign over us. First, wonderful counselor. King Solomon was the wisest man who ever lived. His wisdom delighted and amazed all who heard him speak. But I want you to look at his prayer, what he prays to God when he became king. He prays this: And now, O Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of David my father, although I am but a little child. I do not know how to go out or come in. And your servant is in the midst of your people whom you have chosen, a great people, too many to be numbered or counted for multitude. Give your servant, therefore, an understanding mind to govern your people, that I may discern between good and evil. For who is able to govern this, your great people?

16:06Solomon was born to reign. And when that day arrived, and the government of Israel was about to rest on his shoulders, he looked at that great multitude that he was about to govern and said, I don't know what I'm doing. Who is sufficient for this task? Solomon knew that he needed wisdom. He needed an understanding mind if he was going to be able to govern that people well. So what did he do? He prayed. He asked God for wisdom because God is the source of all wisdom and knowledge.

16:45Solomon was wise, but his wisdom came from God. He had to ask for and receive it. And everything that he said that was good and true, everything that we see in the scripture came from the Lord. But friends, Solomon didn't know all that there is to know. He wasn't perfectly wise. He could give great counsel and, on occasions, perfect counsel. But he couldn't always do that. But the child to be born is going to be called wonderful counselor because, unlike Solomon, he's going to be perfectly wise. He's never going to go off the rails like Solomon did because he will possess all wisdom and knowledge.

17:33He'll be called wonderful counselor. Second, this child to be born will be called mighty God. In the 1960s, Nelson Mandela was fighting against apartheid in South Africa, using his education and his brilliant mind to battle against segregation and racism. And from 1994 to 1999, he served as South African. First black president. There was a great exhibit at the George Bush Library a few months ago that we got to go to and learn more about him. But, friends, from 1962 to 1989, Nelson Mandela was in prison.

18:16And he was in prison because he had conspired with others to overthrow the unjust government of South Africa. So during those 27 years that he was in jail, he grew ever more wise. He studied, he wrote, but he had almost no power to put that wisdom into practice because he was in prison. You see, being a wonderful counselor, having all wisdom, is a major asset, but it only matters if you have the power to put that wisdom into practice.

18:52The wisest leaders that our world has ever known haven't just been limited in their wisdom. They've been limited in their power, in their ability to put that wisdom into practice. Maybe they could do it in their own country for a time. Maybe they could do it over several countries, but no one has had the power to do it over the entire world. But the child to be born is going to be a wonderful counselor, and he's going to be all-powerful because he will be God himself. His name will be mighty God.

19:29Third, He will be called everlasting father. A few years ago, Kendra and I were enjoying the BBC series Victoria, which was great until all those actors left the show. Why don't they care about our feelings? Anyway, in real life, Queen Victoria married Prince Albert in 1840. And thanks to their marriage, Albert had great influence. He was a wise man who used that new influence for good. He pursued projects that led to the flourishing of the British citizens.

20:10He argued against slavery worldwide and promoted its abolition. He worked for educational reform. He was a loving and devoted father. But in 1861, after just 21 years of marriage and public service with Victoria, he died at the age of 42. And Queen Victoria and all of Great Britain were left to wonder and to mourn how much more good he could have done if he would have had a longer life. Albert's story reminds us that you can be wise and powerful, but if you are a human being living under the curse, you can only do good through wisdom and power while you're alive.

21:00But the child to be born is going to be a wonderful counselor, mighty God, and the everlasting father. Unlike the best monarchies that the world has ever known, his reign as a benevolent father would last forever. And then finally, he will be called the Prince of Peace. By September 1938, Hitler had already invaded Poland, and he threatened to invade Czechoslovakia on October 1st. Two days before that deadline, Neville Chamberlain and a group of ministers met with Hitler. And throughout the course of those negotiations, Chamberlain and the delegation agreed to cede a portion of Czechoslovakia without their consent to Hitler if he promised not to invade any more countries.

21:57He signed that agreement, and there's this famous picture, I should have brought that for you, but I forgot, of Chamberlain stepping off his plane with that signed piece of paper blowing in the wind, and he declared that he had won peace for our times. Less than two years later, Hitler and Germany would bomb London for eight straight months. That whole conflict would eventually engulf the whole world. World on a scale even larger than World War I, which was called at the time the war to end all wars.

22:41Because of sin and the curse, peace on earth has proven to be elusive ever since Cain killed his brother. No diplomatic agreement, no war has ever brought lasting peace. But this child to be born would be called the Prince of Peace, and his title would not just be in name only. He's going to bring a perfect and permanent peace to a world that has only known short periods of relative peace ever since the fall. He is going to be the Prince of Peace.

23:18Well, friends, roughly 700 years after Isaiah spoke these words, a son was born in Bethlehem to a woman named Mary, who came from a small town in Galilee called Nazareth in fulfillment of the prophecies that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem, but called a Nazarene. When this man began his ministry, he astounded everyone with his wisdom. The people who heard him speak said, Where did this man get these things? Isn't this the carpenter's son? Isn't his mother called? Mary?

24:02Don't we know his sisters and brothers? Where did he get this wisdom? On many occasions, he claimed to be God, calling himself by names that are reserved only for God and claiming to have the authority to do things like forgive sin. He backed up those claims with miracles like making the paralyzed walk and the blind see, and finally, with the promise that he would be killed and rise from the dead on the third day. He told a crowd filled with religious leaders that Abraham saw his day and rejoiced. They scoffed at him and they said, you're not even 50 years old, and you're telling us that you've seen Abraham?

24:52And this man said, Truly I say to you, before Abraham was, I am. He claimed to be the everlasting God. And before he was crucified, this man said to his disciples these words in John chapter 14 and 16: Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. I have said these things to you, that in me you may. Have peace. In the world, you will have tribulation. But take heart. I have overcome the world.

25:40Friends, God promised to give us a son who would bear the government of the world on his shoulder. A son who is equal to the task because he would be the wonderful counselor, mighty God, everlasting Father, and the Prince of Peace. Jesus of Nazareth was and is that promised child. Historically, the four weeks of Advent serve two purposes in the Christian church. The last two weeks of Advent, as we've discussed, call us to look back to the birth of Christ, to the Savior's first coming. He came that time to live sinlessly, to offer his life in our place on the cross for our sins, to die and be buried, and to rise again victorious over sin and death, so that through faith we could be counted righteous in him.

26:42There is so much to remember and celebrate. But as Pastor Joshua has alluded to, the first two weeks of Advent are different. They actually call us to look forward to the second coming of Christ, to the day when he will descend from the heavens with a shout. With an army of angels to judge the world and to dwell with us forever in the new heavens and the new earth. It is there in the new heavens and the new earth that we are going to experience every single day for all eternity, in the most complete way possible, the joy of living under his monarchy, his absolute reign in wisdom and power, in a peace that never ends, because he himself never ends.

27:33Friends, no human ruler has ever been equal to that task, but he is. He is equal to that task. This child who is born, the son who is given, and when he returns, the government is going to rest on his shoulder. All who hope in him and wait for him with patience will see his return and be glad. And so, friends, I want to call you this morning, whether for the first time or once again, in a fresh way, to put your faith in this child who grew into a man, who lived and died and rose again for our salvation. Put your faith in this Savior who is coming to rescue us and to make all things new, the righteous king we long for.

28:30Has come and will return to save us and reign forever. Amen. Let's pray. Oh, Father, we pray that at this time of the year, in a season that has become almost exclusively about remembering your first coming, which is a good thing, we pray that you would teach us to hope for and pray for and long for the day of your return. Without your first coming, we would have no hope. If you didn't come to live and die and rise again, as Paul says, let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.

29:32But Jesus, if you're not coming back, then the present state of the world is as good as it's ever going to get. The present state of the world with its short, momentary joys, its fleeting pleasures, its glimpses of how things could be and should be. Is as good as it's going to get. But because you are coming again, the reality for all who believe is that this is the worst it's ever going to be. And so I pray this morning for all who are longing for your return because they are sad, because they are hurting, because they are disappointed, because they're frustrated, because they wanted it more for their life.

30:45I pray that you would teach them to set their hope on the king who is coming. And Father, for all of us who have become too content living in this world with its temporary and fleeting pleasures and joys, would you teach us to hope for that new and better and perfect day that will make the greatest joys in this life seem so tiny and fleeting? Thank you, Lord, for the hope that we find in your word. In Christ's name we pray. Amen.

31:30Thank you for listening to the sermon audio from New Life Baptist Church in College Station, Texas. For more information or to support our ministry, visit us online at newlifecs.net.