Isaiah 9 · The Lantern

Unto Us a Child Is Born

For there is no gloom for her who was in anguish. As the former time made light of the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, so the latter has made it heavy — the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations.

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 walking in the darkness have seen a great light; those dwelling in a land of deep shadow — light has shone upon them.

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).

You have made the nation many; you have made the gladness great. They are glad before you as with the gladness of harvest, as men rejoice when they divide spoil.

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 his burden, and the bar across his shoulder, the rod of the one oppressing him — you have shattered as on 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…

For every boot tramping with a quaking, and cloak rolled in blood, will be for burning, fuel for fire.

For a child has been born to us, a son has been given to us, and the dominion is upon his shoulder. And his name is called Wonder of a Counselor, Mighty God, Father of Eternity, 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).

Of the increase of the dominion and of peace there is no end, upon the throne of David and upon his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from now and forever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do 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.

All these things, as the apostle teaches, "were done as an example for us" and were written down for us, and so we must scrutinize them carefully for their spiritual meaning.

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.

Judgment against Israel’s Pride

A word the Lord sent against Jacob, and it has fallen on Israel.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN THAT DEATH WAS SENT INTO JACOB AND CAME INTO ISRAEL, WHEN JACOB HIMSELF IS CALLED ISRAEL? — He gave two names to one people, so that from the names their merits might be understood. For the one who was surnamed Israel was previously called Jacob.

For it is written, "The Lord sent a Word into Jacob, and it hath fallen upon Israel." For Jacob means one that overthrows another, and Israel, one that sees God. And what is signified by Jacob but the Jewish people, and by Israel but the Gentile world?

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 the people will know it, all of it — Ephraim and the inhabitant of Samaria — who say in pride and greatness of heart:

“Bricks have fallen, but with hewn stone we will build; sycamores have been cut down, but cedars we will put in their place.”

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.

And the LORD raised up the adversaries of Rezin against him, and stirred up his enemies —

Aram from the east and Philistines from behind — and they devoured Israel with the whole mouth. For all this his anger has not turned back, and his hand is stretched out still.

Judgment against Israel’s Hypocrisy

And the people has not turned back to the one striking it, and the LORD of hosts they have not sought.

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).

And the LORD cut off from Israel head and tail, palm frond and reed, 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 elder and the one whose face is lifted — he is the head; and the prophet teaching falsehood — he is the tail.

And the guides of this people were leading astray, and those guided were swallowed up.

Therefore over its young men the Lord does not rejoice, and on its fatherless and its widows he has no compassion; for all of it is godless and doing evil, and every mouth speaks disgrace. For all this his anger has not turned back, and his hand is stretched out still.

Judgment against Israel’s Unrepentance

For wickedness has burned like fire — it devours briers and thorns; and it kindles in the thickets of the forest, and they roll up in a column of smoke.

By the fury of the LORD of hosts the land is scorched, and the people has become fuel for fire; a man has no pity on his brother.

And one cuts on the right and is hungry, and eats on the left and they are not satisfied; each devours the flesh of his own arm —