God Promised a Righteous Lord
Isaiah 9:2-7 or Isaiah 9:1-7
International Sunday School Lesson
August 12, 2012
Commentary
By
Jed Greenough
Samuel was a righteous man but he appointed his sons to be judges and they were not. David was a man after God’s own heart but he often fell on the pathway to righteousness. Despite having the wisdom of God available to us satan seeks to enable us to create division and fail. God knows that we need judges and leaders in order to keep us from falling apart.
These are just some of the lesson points we have covered in the last few weeks as we have considered justice but with the coming Messiah shown by today’s scripture we know that He will fulfill all our needs including peace, justice and righteousness. If you haven’t read the scripture for today’s lesson please do so before proceeding.
The world has been a land of darkness, the valley of the shadow of death since the fall of man. Men have often struggled to create a better place out from under the oppression that the darkness causes. We have seen it most recently in places like Egypt, Libya and Syria, but no matter the result of the battle and no matter who ends up in charge the shadow remains.
But for those of us who are His we have seen the light mentioned in verse 2 of Christ’s light and we are no longer “dwellers in a land of death-shade” as Young’s Literal Translation puts it. “Death-shade”, “deep darkness”, “dark land”, “death’s shadow”, these are all the dwelling place of those who are not His and those who have died denying Him.
In verse 3 we see the great joy we all feel for having this light shining upon us but with all those remain in the darkness our joy must be tempered because as it says in verse 4 their yoke still burdens them and the bar and rod remain across their shoulders. We must love them if we are in the light. According to 1 John 2:10 if we love our brothers and sisters we are in the light and there is nothing to make us stumble. But according to the verse that precedes it if we hate them we are still in the darkness ourselves.
Therefore our goal should be that they join us in the light. 1 John 1:7 says, “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.” And when I read that I don’t just read it “from all sin” but also purifies us all from sin.
John wrote these words because of the fellowship that he and the other apostles had and he wrote the words of that book to make their joy complete that the readers would join them in that fellowship. Just as I mention our joy should be tempered in regard to today’s verse 3 John’s joy was tempered until the fullness of all that were Christ’s came in.
Remember, it isn’t until that time that we will see the fulfillment of the concluding verses from today. It isn’t until that time that all that have accepted him will we be permanently free from “death’s shadow”, then and only then will all that remain who are his be able to enjoy His government that will have no end.
For Discussion:
1. If you are not actively sharing the gospel to free your brother or sister from death’s shadow, aren’t you still in the darkness yourself?
2. Discuss 1 John 1:5’s “God is light”.
3. In verse 3 the joy of those in the light is described “as people rejoice in the harvest, as men rejoice when dividing the plunder.” Although we understand these words they are easier to understand if you lived at that time. Choose words for today that might better convey the idea and share them.
4. Point out those who best display this joy and discuss how we might become more like them.
5. For me what I most see in verse 4 and 5 is the defeat of eternal death’s grip upon us. Discuss what most comes to your mind.
6. http://youtu.be/MS3vpAWW2Zc this is a link to Handel’s Messiah: For Unto Us a Child is Born that I enjoyed while working on this lesson. Bring your favorite version on your laptop for your class to enjoy.
7. Discuss the Jewish people view of this scripture in light of the fact that no earthly king or kingdom ever could fulfill it.
8. Do not miss the fulfilled prophecy that was revealed when Jesus began his ministry seen in verse 1.
Upcoming Adult Sunday School Class Commentaries
8-19-12: God Promised a Righteous Branch Jeremiah 23:1-6; 33:14-18
8-26-12: God Promised to Be with Us Ezekiel 34:23-31
Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 Biblica. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved
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