THE WONDERFUL CHILD As darkness prevails dawn comes, and the sun shines on those dwelling in the darkness. The previous chapter ended with a dark portrait of the people, who became in such distress and darkness; to be followed by a new chapter that tells us about the coming of the Messiah “the Sun of righteousness,” who scatters the darkness, and stretches out His hand with love, waiting for all to come back to Him. 1. A light has shone in the darkness 1-5. 2. The wonderful child 6-7. 3. The stretched-out hand 8-12. 4. The Lord’s chastisement 13-21. 1. A LIGHT HAS SHONE IN THE DARKNESS The end of the previous chapter was utterly dark; that is why this chapter began by the word “Nevertheless.” God would never leave His people like that, but would shine upon them with His light. “Nevertheless the gloom will not be upon her who is distressed, as when at first He lightly esteemed the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, and afterward more heavily oppressed her, by the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, in Galilee of the Gentiles. The people who waked in darkness have seen a great light.” (Is. 9: 1, 2) That prophecy was realized through the coming of the Lord Christ, and His preaching in the Galilee of the Gentiles. The evangelist says, “…that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying, ‘the land of Zebulun and the land of Nephtali, by the way of the sea, along the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles. The people walking in the darkness have seen a great light.” (Matthew 4: 14 - 16) That region was a humble one, as expressed by Nathanael: “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” (John 1: 46) That can be explained by the fact that, that region (Galilee of the Gentiles) located on the boundary of the Gentile nations was always subjected to invasions. And because of the influence of the neighboring pagan countries, many pagan customs have infiltrated into it. Long periods of spiritual corruption led the prophet to refer to it as “the people walking in the darkness.” The region of Galilee is a circle that embraced twenty cities that were given by king Solomon to Hiram, king of Tyre. Jews were there a minority, most of the people were Phoenicians, Greeks, and Arabs; hence its name “Galilee of the Gentiles.” The Lord Christ, Teacher of humanity, and Sun of righteousness, came to it to shine with His light on those walking in the darkness. As to the region of Capernaum, meaning (the comforter), it is considered as the most important part of Galilee, Roman castle, with a powerful Roman Garrison. He dwelt in Galilee, in order to shine a great light on those walking in the darkness1. Let those sitting in the darkness of ignorance see the great perfection of knowledge. “Old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” (2 Corinthians 5: 17) The letter is no more; the spirit is now dominant. The shadows vanished, and the Truth came to them2. St. Gregory of Nazianzus 1 On the Words of the Gospel, Or. 37:2. 2 On the Theophany, Or, 38:2. By faith, they come out of the darkness, and the death of sin, to the light and life3. St. Augustine The light of the Logos, which is the life in the darkness of our souls, comes to where the rulers of this darkness, the opponents of mankind, to submit them to darkness. Those rulers will not stand fast in their strength, when the light shines upon them, the light that came to make of men, children of light4. Origen God do not allow the darkness to stay, but would shine with His light. What happens? a. “You have multiplied the nation.” (Is. 9: 3) Despite falling under chastisement, through severe blows, yet it multiplies and grows through God’s mercy and grace. b. “And increased its joy.” (Is. 9: 3) The nation rejoices, as though in the day of the harvest, or the enjoyment of war loot. It is as though the mystery of its joy is a plentiful crop, or a conquest or victory on the devil. Joy is the feature of the Church of the New Testament, joyful with the evangelic life amid passions; joyful because of her continuous harvesting of numerous souls for the kingdom of heaven, and of enjoyment of her victory over the evil one. Her life is a persistent joy, on account of the repentant souls, enjoying salvation, and because of her incessant conquests. c. Enjoyment of a glorified freedom: “For You have broken the yoke of his burden, and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, as in the day of Midian.” (Is. 9: 4) It will be liberated from the heavy yoke, the staff, and the rod of oppression, as a symbol of freedom and salvation from servitude to the devil through the cross. The devil or his hosts have no more authority over the believer, who enjoys the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 2. THE WONDERFUL CHILD The mystery of the nation’s enjoyment of the continuous growth and the persistent joy, together with the glorious freedom, is the coming of the Messiah, as a Savior, a Conqueror and Victorious, in the name of humanity against enemies. The Son of God came, incarnated, to carry the yoke of the cross in our name, to grant us all possibilities of salvation. So the prophet says, “For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of peace. Of the increase of His government and peace, there will be no end, upon the throne of David, and over His Kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.” (Is. 9: 6, 7) The faithful humanity was anticipating the divine incarnation, when the Son of God would come - the Creator, Grantor of life, and its glory, in order to restore our dead and corrupted nature to the goodness with which it has been created; through recreation and continuous renewal, to grant it the continuation of life, with joy and freedom. a. “For unto us a Child is born; unto us a Son is given.” That is to say, the Son of God incarnates to become the Son of Man; and to be counted a child. He 3 On Ps. 88. 4 Comm, on John, Book 2:21. adopts our humanity, truly and perfectly, without separation from His divinity, without mingling, without confusion and without alteration. Partakes of our human life, except for sin, staying as He is: the “Son of God.” The apostle says, “Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is the devil.” (Hebrew 3: 14) He became man in the body of our salvation, so as to have what he would offer on our behalf, as salvation for us all. Pope Athanasius the Apostolic5 Who is He, who wishes us to partake of His flesh and blood? He is definitely the Son of God! How had He done that, save by flesh? And how He broke the bonds of death, save by His bodily death? Christ, through bearing death, brought death to death! St. Ambrose6 b. “And the government will be upon His shoulder.” He reigned on a wood; as said by the Psalmist, the wood of the Cross that He carried on His shoulder as the throne of His divine love. The government will be upon His shoulder, as He entered His kingdom through carrying the cross7. Origen That means the power of the cross, having used His shoulders to carry the cross. St. Justin the Martyr8 c. “His name will be called: Wonderful.” as it is Incomprehensible; “(has been) given a name above every name; that at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth.” (Philippians 2: 9 - 11) The disciples and apostles realized the power of the name “Jesus,” in whose name they preached, and by whom they cured the ill, cast out demons, and raised the dead. The writings of Origen reveal to us how proud the early Church has been of the name “Jesus,” as the mystery of power, held by the believer, to live victorious over sin, the devil, and all forces of darkness. Of his words: [Often in His name, demons were cast out of men; especially when it is said trustingly and correctly. Great is the name “Jesus,” with its effectiveness, even when occasionally used by sinners. The name “Jesus” cures the mentally afflicted, casts away the spirits of darkness, and grants cure to the sick9.] He also proclaims that His titles reveal His numerous and rich graces, saying, [Although Christ is One in essence, yet he has several titles that refer to His authority and works. He is Grace, Righteousness, Peace, Life, Truth, and Word etc.10] d. “Counselor.” Being the “Wisdom of God” (1 Corinthians 1: 24), in whom all wisdom and knowledge are treasured. In the Septuagint version, it came as the 5 Ep. 61:3. 6 Of Christian Faith, 3:84 7 Comm, on John, Book 1:42. 8 Apology 1:35. 9 Contra Celsus, 1. 10 Comm, in Rom. 5:6. “Messenger of the great Counsel.” What is that “Great counsel, for which sake the Father has sent Him? It’s proclamation of the divine mystery to humanity, and revelation of the Father, whom no one knows except the Son, and to whom He wishes to proclaim. The “Son of God” is called the “Messenger of the great counsel,” for the sake of the things He preached, particularly His proclamation concerning the Father, saying, “I have manifested Your Name to the men” (John 17: 6)... He did that through words and deeds11. St. John Chrysostom There is no knowledge without faith, and no faith without knowledge... The Son is the true Teacher about the Father. We believe in the Son to get to know the Father, with who is also the Son. Once again, in order to know the Father, we have to believe in the Son, that He is the Son of the Father. Knowledge of the Father and the Son, according to the true Gnostic way, is how we reach the Truth through the Truth. Indeed, few are those who believe and know!12 St. Clement of Alexandria The divine Word of God has been sent, as a Physician to sinners, and a Teacher of divine mysteries, to those who are pure with no sin13. Origen e. “Mighty God,” a true God of a true God; of one essence with the Father; the only One capable of renewing our nature, being the Creator, and the Intercessor, the only One capable of redeeming the transgressions of the whole world. f. “Everlasting Father.” The title “Mighty God” is directly followed by “Everlasting Father,” a proclamation that the might of the Lord Christ, the true God, is not just for the sake of demonstrating His greatness, but rather for presenting a unique fatherly love toward humanity, through which we enjoy the might of Christ in us. He is the Mighty Creator, who gives Himself to His believers, as members of His body, and as His children, to bear His possibilities in them. In other words, in Christ Jesus, the incomprehensible Might of God is proclaimed, together with His exalted practical love, so as to say with the apostle: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13) g. “Prince of Peace.” He is the “King of Peace” (1 Thessalonians 5) who offered His blood for the sake of our reconciliation with the Father, “to have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Romans 5:1) He grants us peace with God, with ourselves, and with our brothers, abolishing the wall of inner and outer animosity. He is the Son of David “King and Prince,” not on the level of earth and time, but to be eternally given by God “the throne of His father David” (Luke 1: 32), on the level of the inner heart and of eternity; “with no end” to His Kingdom or His Peace (Is. 9:7). He reigns with truth and righteousness, hiding us in Him, to make us walk in the Truth; bearing His righteousness. It is “the zeal of the Lord of hosts that will perform this;” His zeal for humanity, being the heavenly Groom united to His bride. In brief, the prophet Isaiah proclaims that “Mighty Wonderful Child,” who 11 In John hom, 81:1. 12 Stromata 5:1. 13 Contra Celsus, 6:67 does not just save Ahaz from the oppression of his enemies, but establishes a new kingdom, its foundation is the throne of David, a true kingdom of peace that extends to peoples and nations, with “no end.” (Is. 9: 7) He gives us Himself, as the Source of an eternal peace. Behold, we are given the Son of God! A little later he says, “There will be no end” for peace. For the Romans, there are boundaries (end); but for the Kingdom of the Son of God, there are no boundaries. Persia and Mede have boundaries; but the Son has no boundaries. After that He says, “Upon the throne of David and over his kingdom…” the Holy Virgin Mary is a descendent of David14. St. Cyril of Jerusalem 3. THE STRETCHED-OUT HAND The Word of God, in His unlimited love demotes Himself to become Man, in order to give light to those who sit in the darkness; to shine His divine light on them; to grant them the light of knowledge; and to present His life to them, as a Source of joy and a continuous victory. Man, on the contrary, is bloated with pride and haughtiness, counting himself capable, with his human arm, of realizing salvation. That is what happened in the days of the prophet Isaiah, and all along the generations, even in the days of the Lord Christ, when the house of Jacob denied faith in Him. Despite that, the hand of God remains stretched out with love, waiting for man to come back. In this chapter there are three poetic verses in Hebrew, all ending with the phrase: “But His hand is stretched out still.” (Is. 9: 12, 17, 20 and 10: 4) Some consider this stretched hand, a sign of God’s invitation for man to approach, to encounter, and to unite with Him, as well as a sign of God’s protection for Him. As though He is confirming, that whatever the circumstances are, the hand of the Almighty is stretched out to save him from all evil, bitterness, and affliction. It is likewise a sign of divine chastisement, stemming from love; stretching His hand to persuade man to reconsider his situation, and to seek God’s help. These three signs were realized through the incarnation of the Word; inviting us to the adoption to the Father; offering us the free salvation; and bearing in His body the wage of sin, to draw us to Him. The divine hand is a symbol of the divine Word, who descended to us to proclaim His Father’s love, and to reconcile us with Him, through His blood, as a price for our sins and transgressions. God, in His love, allowed for the kingdom of Israel (Ephraim) to be afflicted. Yet, in place of repentance, they were struck with pride and arrogance of heart. The prophet saying expressed this, “Who say in pride and arrogance of heart: ‘the bricks have fallen down, but we will rebuild with hewn stones. The sycamores are cut down, but we will replace them with cedars.’” (Is. 9: 10) Some believe that the prophet here is talking about the earthquake that happened in the days of Uzziah, which most probably affected wide area (Amos 1: 1; Zechariah 14: 5); resulting in the devastation of the majority of houses, and death of a multitude, in Samaria and Ephraim. People, then, proclaimed mockingly, that if God allowed the destruction of their houses, built by mud bricks, and fall of sycamore trees, they are going to build palaces with hewn stones, and to plant cider trees, that the earthquakes can not destroy. They were repeating what man did in the old days, when people started 14 Cat. Lect. 12:24. building the tower of Babel “Whose top is in the heavens.” (Genesis 11: 3, 4) The prophet Isaiah responds to that by proclaiming a harsher divine chastisement. As long as Israel was not terrified by the earthquake, God “shall set up the adversaries of Rezin against him, and spur his enemies on.” He probably meant by that, Assyria who attacked Israel, then turned against Judah. God allowed for setting up adversaries against Israel to devour it completely, as a beast devours sheep: “They shall devour Israel with an open mouth.” (Is. 9: 12) Yet, the mercy of God remained waiting for its return; so he goes on saying, “For all this His anger is not turned away, but His hand is stretched out still.” (Is. 9: 12) 4. THE LORD’S CHASTISEMENT As people remained stonehearted, “Therefore the Lord will cut off head and tail from Israel, palm branch and bulrush in one day.” (Is. 9: 14) a. He will “cut off the elder and honorable” (Head and palm branch). b. He will “cut off the prophets who teach lies” (tail and bulrush). c. He will “cut off the leaders who cause their people to err.” (Is. 9: 16) d. “The Lord will have no joy in their young men... have no mercy on their fatherless and widows,” although He is “a father of the fatherless, a defender of the widows.” (Psalm 68: 5) “For everyone is a hypocrite and an evildoer, and every mouth speaks folly.” (Is. 9: 17) The Assyrian kings were so harsh, that they did not spare the young, the widows, or the fatherless, in Ephraim. e. “Through the wrath of the Lord of hosts, the land is burned up, and the people shall be as fuel for the fire,” (Is. 9: 19) not because the Lord seeks avenging Himself, but “for wickedness burn as the fire.” (Is. 9: 18) f. The whole nation will get into a condition of chaos, governed by a law of violence and oppression, devastated by a bloody destructive civil war. “No man shall spare his brother, and he shall snatch on the right hand and be hungry; he shall on the left hand, and not be satisfied; every man shall eat the flesh of his own arm” (that is to say of his neighbor or relative). (Is. 9: 19, 20) That is a portrait of a society whose law is war and violence, selfishness and greed; “consumed by one another” (Galatians 5: 15), and as said by the prophet Haggai: “You have sown much, and bring in little. You eat, but do not have enough. You drink, but you are not filled with drink. You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm. And he who earns wages, earns wages to put into a bag with holes.” (Haggai 1: 6) A sign that their life is devoid of God’s blessing and grace. f. Animosity is not confined to individuals, but extends to tribes as a whole. One tribe joins forces with another tribe against a third one etc. “Manasseh shall devour Ephraim, and Ephraim Manasseh, and they together shall be against Judah. For all this His anger is not turned away, but His hand is stretched out still.” (Is. 9: 21)
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