Read
1 But those who have suffered will no longer be in pain. The territories of Zebulun and Naphtali in Galilee were once hated. But this land of the Gentiles across the Jordan River and along the Mediterranean Sea will be greatly respected.
War Is Over
2 Those who walked in the dark
have seen a bright light.
And it shines upon everyone
who lives in the land
of darkest shadows.
3Our Lord, you have made
your nation stronger.
Because of you, its people
are glad and celebrate
like workers at harvest time
or like soldiers dividing up
what they have taken.
4You have broken the power
of those who abused
and enslaved your people.
You have rescued them
just as you saved your people
from Midian.
5The boots of marching warriors
and the blood-stained uniforms
have been fed to flames
and eaten by fire.
A Child Has Been Born
6A child has been born for us.
We have been given a son
who will be our ruler.
His names will be
Wonderful Advisor
and Mighty God,
Eternal Father
and Prince of Peace.
7 His power will never end;
peace will last forever.
He will rule David's kingdom
and make it grow strong.
He will always rule
with honesty and justice.
The Lord All-Powerful
will make certain
that all of this is done.
Reflect
Today’s reading is one of the greatest prophecies in the Old Testament. If you are familiar with Handel’s Messiah you will find yourself singing it.
But don’t miss the first verse. The tribal lands of Zebulun and Naphtali were in the fertile farmland in the north of Israel, a multi-ethnic area where many Gentiles had settled. The description of it here extends it all the way west to the Mediterranean Sea and east to the other side of the river Jordan. But its situation put it in the immediate path of the Assyrians when they swept down from the north to conquer Israel in 722 B.C. These tribes were the first to have experienced the crushing cruelty of their conquerors.
About seven hundred and fifty years later, Jesus began his teaching in Galilee, in this very part of Israel, an area despised by the religious elite in Jerusalem. Matthew points out that Jesus began here deliberately, to fulfill this prophecy (Matthew 4:13-16). In this “land of darkness” his message was heard by many Gentiles. He visited the Gentile territory of the Gadarenes where he healed people possessed by demons (Matthew 8:28) and went to Tyre on the Mediterranean coast, where he healed the daughter of the Canaanite woman (Matthew 15:21-28). His kingdom was not just for Jews, but for everyone.
Unlike the Assyrian warriors, the Messiah didn’t sweep down with military strength but was born in humility as a child, bringing a kingdom where the poor, meek, the hungry, and the suffering would be the ones who are blessed. Unlike the Assyrian Empire, his kingdom will have no end.
Respond
Father, we praise and thank you for the way you work. Light breaks out in the darkness. The Prince of Peace conquers the bloodthirsty armies. Your kingdom is brought in by a baby born in a manger. Thank you for showing us a completely new way to live. Amen.
Annabel Robinson
Annabel was born in Kew, near London, England. She committed her life to Jesus Christ at a Scripture Union camp when she was 16, and immediately found joy and peace. At Oxford she was active in the Oxford Inter-Collegiate Christian Union, where she met her husband, Reid. They emigrated to Canada in 1965, where she taught Classics at the University of Regina until 2007. She has two children, Heather in Oslo and Alasdair in Calgary.