Isaiah 9:3
You have enlarged the nation
and increased their joy;
they rejoice before You
as people rejoice at the harvest,
as warriors rejoice
when dividing the plunder.
It's one of the most chaotic moments in Israel's history, and it's only getting worse, as Isaiah writes down this next verse in his prophecy to the people of Israel. God's chosen people are on the verge of entering exile into the northern kingdom of Babylon, a land full of wicked sorcerers and idol worshippers. Still, in the midst of this Isaiah writes of the people of Isareal that they rejoice before the LORD. How can this be? How can a nation engulfed by despair rejoice and sing songs of joy, when everything around them seems to made up of nothing but sorrows?
As it is written, the nation of Israel rejoices, because God has "increased their joy" (Isaiah 9:3). God has "enlarged their nation" (Isaiah 9:3). In this moment the Israelites could see that their nation was apparently diwindling not enlarging, but they also knew that God promised them that they would come out of exile and captivity and their nation would grow. God promised His people that "a shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse [the father of King David]; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit" (Isaiah 11:1). Jeremiah tells those living in Jerusalem during this time that "The days are coming,' declares the Lord, 'when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land. In His days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety" (Jeremiah 23:5-6). These are strong and powerful promises, and they are from God, the maker of heaven and earth. This is why Israel is rejoicing, because they are trusting that what God says shall come to pass. A savior from the line of King David shall come to them. He will free them from captivity and His reign shall never end.
Israel believes on faith that "not one of all the Lord’s good promises to Israel failed; every one was fulfilled" and all of them will be fulfilled (Joshua 21:45). God also gave the people of Israel signs that they could look forward to, so they could know who God's son, the savior of all mankind, would be. One of these signs given to the people of Israel was that "the virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call Him Immanuel [God with us]" (Isaiah 7:14). Most of us can read today in Luke chapters 1 and 2 that this sign of a virgin birth did come true, but the Israelites in the past could not read the gospel of Luke because it was not yet written. They could only trust that what God said would happen, as what He has promised in the past has also happened. These promised signs gave great joy to the people of Israel, as they waited on the LORD to fulfil what He has promised them. They waited on this promise "more than watchmen wait for the morning" (Psalm 130:6).
This is the joy Christmas brings; it was the day the wating stopped and God's promises were fulifilled. In much the same way children look forward to Christmas day hoping that they will get everything on their Christmas list, the people of Israel looked ahead to the day their savior would come praying that He would be everything God told them He would be. As God is a man of His word, everything He told Israel (every sign He gave them to look forward to and every promise He made to them) came true, and on that day God's people rejoiced. An angel of the LORD came before shepherds in Bethlehem, and he sang out to them, "I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger" (Luke 2:10-12).
When the shepherds saw the baby Jesus, their long awaited Messiah, they were filled with joy as the angel said they would be, and "they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them" (Luke 2:17-18). The joy of Christmas is so powerful that it cannot be contained. It must burst forth from us, God's children. Our joy of Christ's coming erupts from us when we gather together to sing songs of praises; rejoicing before the LORD who has increased our joy. Christ has come, just as the LORD promised.
As it is written, the nation of Israel rejoices, because God has "increased their joy" (Isaiah 9:3). God has "enlarged their nation" (Isaiah 9:3). In this moment the Israelites could see that their nation was apparently diwindling not enlarging, but they also knew that God promised them that they would come out of exile and captivity and their nation would grow. God promised His people that "a shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse [the father of King David]; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit" (Isaiah 11:1). Jeremiah tells those living in Jerusalem during this time that "The days are coming,' declares the Lord, 'when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land. In His days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety" (Jeremiah 23:5-6). These are strong and powerful promises, and they are from God, the maker of heaven and earth. This is why Israel is rejoicing, because they are trusting that what God says shall come to pass. A savior from the line of King David shall come to them. He will free them from captivity and His reign shall never end.
Israel believes on faith that "not one of all the Lord’s good promises to Israel failed; every one was fulfilled" and all of them will be fulfilled (Joshua 21:45). God also gave the people of Israel signs that they could look forward to, so they could know who God's son, the savior of all mankind, would be. One of these signs given to the people of Israel was that "the virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call Him Immanuel [God with us]" (Isaiah 7:14). Most of us can read today in Luke chapters 1 and 2 that this sign of a virgin birth did come true, but the Israelites in the past could not read the gospel of Luke because it was not yet written. They could only trust that what God said would happen, as what He has promised in the past has also happened. These promised signs gave great joy to the people of Israel, as they waited on the LORD to fulfil what He has promised them. They waited on this promise "more than watchmen wait for the morning" (Psalm 130:6).
This is the joy Christmas brings; it was the day the wating stopped and God's promises were fulifilled. In much the same way children look forward to Christmas day hoping that they will get everything on their Christmas list, the people of Israel looked ahead to the day their savior would come praying that He would be everything God told them He would be. As God is a man of His word, everything He told Israel (every sign He gave them to look forward to and every promise He made to them) came true, and on that day God's people rejoiced. An angel of the LORD came before shepherds in Bethlehem, and he sang out to them, "I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger" (Luke 2:10-12).
When the shepherds saw the baby Jesus, their long awaited Messiah, they were filled with joy as the angel said they would be, and "they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them" (Luke 2:17-18). The joy of Christmas is so powerful that it cannot be contained. It must burst forth from us, God's children. Our joy of Christ's coming erupts from us when we gather together to sing songs of praises; rejoicing before the LORD who has increased our joy. Christ has come, just as the LORD promised.
Joy to the world, the Lord is come
Let earth receive her King
Let every heart prepare Him room
And Heaven and nature sing
-Isaac Watts
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