Isaiah 9 · The Lantern

Yet the darkenesse shall not be according to the affliction that it had when at the first hee touched lightly the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, nor afteward when he was more grieuous by the way of the sea beyond Iorden in Galile of the Gentiles.

Now when Jesus had heard that John was cast into prison, he departed into Galilee; And leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim: That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthalim, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of…

(Chapter 9, verses 1 and following) In the first time, the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali were relieved, and in the last time the way of the sea beyond the Jordan of the Galilee of the Gentiles was made heavy. The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, upon them a light has shone.

297. At the first time the land of Zabulon. Here he sets out the mode and order of destruction: and first, according to the diversity of punishers; second according to the diversity of punishments, where it says, the Lord sent (Isa 9:8). The first of these is divided into three, according to the three persecutions made by the Assyrians into the land of the promise. 298.

The people that walked in darkenes haue seene a great light: they that dwelled in the land of the shadowe of death, vpon them hath the light shined.

Now the expression darkness will likewise be used to refer to two corresponding concepts. The statement "And God called the light day, and the darkness he called night" is an example of the more common meaning. An example of the spiritual meaning occurs in the statement "The people who sat in darkness … and in the shadow of death, light has dawned on them."

Although he filled all things with his invisible majesty, [Christ] came, nevertheless, to those who had not known him, as if from a very remote and deep seclusion. At that time, he took away the blindness of ignorance, as it has been written: "For those sitting in darkness and in the shadow of death, a light has risen."

300. Third, Sennacherib came and took the cities of Judah and besieged Jerusalem, as is said in 2 Kings 18:13, 17. And the prophet speaks here of this third persecution saying, the people, and he promises salvation to the Jews. Hence he does two things: first, he promises the grace of salvation, second, he assigns the cause: the zeal of the Lord of hosts (Isa 9:7).

Thou hast multiplied the nation, and not increased their ioye: they haue reioyced before thee according to the ioye in haruest, and as men reioyce when they deuide a spoyle.

You have multiplied the nation, you have not magnified the joy: they shall rejoice before you, as they rejoice in the harvest, as conquerors exulting for the spoils, when they divide the spoils.

Whatever is said in the Bible of the sun shedding light, or of other diffusions, or of banquets, is said of His bounty. Hence, in the Psalm: "The household shall divide the spoils." And in Isaiah: "They rejoice before You as men make merry when dividing spoils." These are the gifts of Christ's lavishness.

302. You have multiplied the nation. Here he sets out the process and order of salvation as to four things. First, as to the frustration of the enemy, and as to this he says, you have multiplied the nation, in the army of Sennacherib, and have not increased, in them, the joy, that they might complete what they had proposed: he disappoints the counsels of the wicked (Job 5:13).

For the yoke of their burthen, and the staffe of their shoulder and the rod of their oppressour hast thou broken as in the day of Midian.

For the yoke of their burden, and the rod of their shoulder, and the scepter of their exactor you have overcome, as in the day of Midian. LXX: For the yoke that was upon them, and the rod from their neck, has been taken away. For the rod of the oppressors shall be broken, as in the day of Midian.

In the mystery of the establishment of judges, Christ is symbolized by Gedeon, of whom Isaiah speaks: "As on the day of Madian."

Third, the liberation of slaves: for tyrants burden with precepts, and as to this he says, for the yoke of their burden, that which Sennacherib laid on them; they afflict with punishments, and as to this he says, and the rod of their shoulder, that is, with which they beat their shoulders; they plunder goods, and therefore he says, the scepter of their exactor, below: how is th…

Surely euery battell of the warriour is with noyse, and with tumbling of garments in blood: but this shall be with burning and deuouring of fire.

For vnto vs a childe is borne, and vnto vs a Sonne is giuen: and the gouernement is vpon his shoulder, and he shall call his name Wonderfull, Counseller, The mightie God, The euerlasting Father, The prince of peace,

"Unto us a child is born, and unto us a young man is given, and the government shall be upon His shoulders;" which is significant of the power of the cross, for to it, when He was crucified, He applied His shoulders, as shall be more clearly made out in the ensuing discourse.

The fact that the one who talked to Moses is called both the angel of the Lord and the Lord raises a big problem, which calls not for hasty assertion but for careful investigation. There are two opinions that can be put forward about it, of which either may be true, since they both fit the faith.

303. For a child is born to us. Here he describes the Savior. And first, as to his reception; second, as to his naming, where it says, and his name shall be called (Isa 9:6); third, as to his power, where it says, his empire shall be multiplied (Isa 9:7).

The increase of his gouernement and peace shall haue none end: he shall sit vpon the throne of Dauid, and vpon his kingdome, to order it, and to stablish it with iudgement and with iustice, from hencefoorth, euen for euer: the zeale of the Lord of hostes will performe this.

Listen to how Isaiah predicted this long beforehand when he said, "and his name shall be called Messenger of Great Counsel, Wonderful Counselor, God the Strong, the Mighty One, the Prince of peace, Father of the world to come."No one could say this of a mere man, as is obvious even to those who are very eager to show how stubborn they can be.

What does the spiritual house or temple that King Solomon made for the Lord in Jerusalem signify? Solomon himself, whose name means "peaceful," is a fitting symbol of the one about whom the prophet sang, "His government will be increased, and there will be no end to peace." [This is] the same one concerning whom the apostle also wrote to the church of the Gentiles, "and he came…

305. His empire shall be multiplied. Here he describes his power, and first, as to the magnitude of his kingdom; second, as to the nobility of his kingdom: he shall sit upon the throne; third, as to its eternity: from henceforth and for ever. Concerning the first, he sets out two things.

The Lord hath sent a worde into Iaakob, and it hath lighted vpon Israel.

Chapter IX - (Verses 8 onwards) The Lord sent a word into Jacob, and it hath lighted upon Israel. And all the people shall know, even Ephraim and the inhabitant of Samaria, that say in the pride and stoutness of heart, The bricks are fallen down, but we will build with hewn stones: the sycomores are cut down, but we will change them into cedars.

And Isaiah shows this: "The Lord has sent word against Jacob, it falls upon Israel." He has sent word against Jacob. Jacob is a name of nature, for He was of his seed; but it falls upon Israel: Israel is a spiritual name. We are the sons of Israel and the sons of Abraham according to the promise, for we are the imitators of Abraham's faith.

311. The Lord sent a word into Jacob. Here he describes the order of punishment according to the diversity of punishments. And first, he recalls the fault, second, he describes the punishment: and the Lord shall set up (Isa 9:11). And he denounces the fault in them in two ways.

And all the people shall knowe, euen Ephraim, and the inhabitant of Samaria, that say in the pride and presumption of the heart,

The brickes are fallen, but we will build it with hewen stones: the wilde figge trees are cut downe, but we will change them into ceders.

Whoever offers God his choicest goods is likened to Abel's works, while the one who brings cheap things is likened to the works of Cain or to the one who laughed at his father and went to tell his two brothers, or again to the one who decided to build a tower in the plain of Shinar, forgetting the one who had piloted him on the boat and had saved him from the water of the flood…

Because the prophet recognized that the Jewish people would perish from the faith and because he foresaw that there would arise within the church holy apostles, through whom many of the Gentiles would be established in the strength of faith and life, he spoke with great encouragement, saying, "The stones have fallen, but we will build with square stones." Having foreseen the ri…

The bricks, that is, the kings of Judah, who were weak, are fallen down, away from us, but we will build our kingdom with square stones, that is, strong kings from among ourselves.

Neuerthelesse the Lord will raise vp the aduersaries of Rezin against him, and ioyne his enemies together.

Aram before and the Philistims behinde, and they shall deuoure Israel with open mouth: yet for all this his wrath is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.

For the people turneth not vnto him that smiteth them, neither doe they seeke the Lord of hostes.

It is better to turn again when we err than to be free from correction when we stumble. For whom the Lord loves he chastens, and a rebuke is a fatherly action. Every soul that is not chastised is not healed. Is not then freedom from chastisement a hard thing? But to fail to be corrected by the chastisement is still harder.

Against them the prophet complains to the Lord, saying, "You have bruised them, and they have refused to receive correction." … Hence again the Lord says, "The people are not returned to him who has struck them." … Hence the Lord reproaches the people of Israel, captive yet not converted from their iniquity, saying, "The house of Israel is become dross to me; all these are bras…

The reason for adding punishment to punishment is the incorrigibility of the people, and this is what he says, and the people are not returned to him who has struck them: in vain have I struck your children, they have not received correction (Jer 2:30).

Therefore will the Lord cut off from Israel head and taile, branche and rush in one day.

(Vers. 14 seqq.) And the Lord will scatter from Israel the head and the tail, the bend and the corrupt in one day. The venerable and honorable, he is the head; and the Prophet teaching falsehood, he is the tail. And there will be those who call this people blessed, deceiving, and those who are called blessed, being cast down.

Remember what is written in Isaiah: "The elder and honored man is the head, and the prophet who teaches lies is the tail, and there will be some who delight my people while deceiving them, and those who are delighted will be cast headlong." Thus it is clear that some desire to master those domains which all the saints and teachers of the truth are zealous to avoid, namely, worl…

315. The Lord shall destroy. Here he threatens against trust in the use of persons; and first, the punishment is set out; second, the preparation of further punishment: for all this (Isa 9:17).

The ancient and the honorable man, he is the head: and the prophet that teacheth lies, he is the taile.

For the leaders of the people cause them to erre: and they that are led by them are deuoured.

Therefore shall the Lord haue no pleasure in their yong men, neither will he haue compassion of their fatherlesse and of their widowes: for euery one is an hypocrite and wicked, and euery mouth speaketh follie: yet for all this his wrath is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out stil.

For wickednesse burneth as a fire: it deuoureth the briers and the thornes and will kindle in the thicke places of the forest: and they shall mount vp like the lifting vp of smoke.

By the wrath of the Lord of hostes shall the land be darkened, and the people shall be as the meate of ye fire: no man shall spare his brother.

And he shall snatch at the right hand, and be hungrie: and he shall eate on the left hand, and shall not be satisfied: euery one shall eate ye flesh of his owne arme.

Manasseh, Ephraim: and Ephraim Manasseh, and they both shall be against Iudah yet for all this his wrath is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.

Isaiah9