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The Ultimate Birth Announcement! |
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| There’s nothing like the news of a brand new baby! As thrilling as the announcement may be, be it by mail, phone call, or the ever popular ‘stork in the yard’, it is always given after the fact. But there’s one birth announcement in history that actually preceded the happy arrival. Found in Isaiah 9:6,7 is none other than God’s birth announcement: 700 years in advance! | ||||
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“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, 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.” At this time of year believers traditionally celebrate Messiah’s birth. But I sometimes wonder if many believers are receiving the blessings Messiah came to bring? Who was that baby born in Bethlehem so many years ago? | |||
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Son Revealed As Ruler The “Baby of Israel”. “For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given…” (Isaiah 9:6a). Notice “for” at the beginning of the verse and preceding verses (9:1-4). “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 shined. You (God) have multiplied the nation and increased its joy; they rejoice before You according to the joy of harvest, as men rejoice when they divide the spoil” (v. 2,3). This baby is the reason for the joy and the victory! “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son” (John 3:16) is the fulfillment of this portion of prophecy. The “Boss over Israel”. “…and the government will be upon His shoulder…” (v.
6b). In Matthew 28:18 when Yeshua stated that “all authority in Heaven
and on Earth has been given onto Me”, He was merely declaring what
Isaiah prophesied about Messiah’s authority. It is to His authority we
must yield. In history, Dean Farrar was a privileged personal friend of
Queen Victoria. On one occasion she spoke to the Dean about the Second
Coming of Messiah and said, “Oh, how I wish that the Lord would come
during my lifetime”. “Why does your Majesty feel this very earnest
desire?” asked Farrar. The Queen of England replied, “Because, I
should so love to lay my crown at His feet.” Have you yielded ‘your
crown’, your life, to His Lordship? The “Blessing for Israel” Y “Wonderful
Counselor” (Pele Yoetz*) The Problem Solver. Yeshua’s wisdom was recognized in His ministry: Matthew 7:29 says “He
was teaching them as one having authority, and not as their scribes.”
His words, like a map to buried treasure, are enriching to those that
follow them! Y “Mighty
God” (El Gibbor*) The Power Supply.
Lest one would think that this is a mistranslation, these two Hebrew words
for ‘Mighty God’ are used in the same context in Isaiah 10:21,
“The remnant shall return, the remnant of Jacob to the Mighty God.”
(again El Gibbor*) Messiah is none other than the Mighty God incarnate! Or
as the New Covenant states in Colossians 2:9, “For in Yeshua all the
fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form.” Feeling powerless? Yeshua has
all the power you need for your life. You have the potential for great and
mighty things in Him! Y “Eternal
Father”, (Avi Ad*) The Provider.
How is the Son the Father? The word ‘father’ is used in that He
‘fathered’ all of eternity. “In the beginning…” (Genesis
1:1) “…was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and
without Him nothing was made that was made” (John 1:1-3). A similar idea
is the author, “Yeshua, the author and finisher of our faith” (Hebrews
12:2). He is the creative source for the universe, and your life. He wants
to ‘father’ you in the faith. That is, by placing your faith in Him
you can be ‘born again’ and become a child of God. God made the sun,
that solar furnace, so great that it can maintain our entire solar system,
and yet still provide warm sunshine for flowers to grow, or a tree to bear
fruit. He can easily provide eternity for you forever. Y “Prince
of Peace”, (Sar Shalom*) The Peaceful Savior. Israel is presently looking for a ‘partner for peace’, but in
reality, the peace that Israel needs is found only in the Prince of Peace.
When they receive Him, then and only then, will Israel and Palestinians
know true peace. As Prince, Yeshua has authority over ‘Shalom’, peace:
His hand is ‘on the faucet’ so to speak. This peace is not just a
cease-fire, but shalom refers to a wholeness and fulfillment for our
lives: a three-fold peace in Messiah. First, we have peace with God: “Therefore,
having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord
Jesus the Messiah” (Romans 5:1). Secondly, we have peace with
others: “For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups (Jew &
Gentile) into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall”
(Eph. 2:14). Finally, peace with yourself: “And the peace of God,
which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds
in Messiah Jesus” (Phip. 4:7). The Son Given: Received As
Ruler Y The
Son Reigning As Ruler. There is
a difference between receiving a gift and utilizing the gift. Why is the
gift if God not enjoyed nor employed? Note the relationship between His
Government and His Peace. Y His
reign is Peaceful. “There
will be no end to the increase of His government and of peace…”(7a).
His Government is directly related to His Peace. You will have the measure
of peace in your life in relation to the measure of governing power He has
over your life. Have you yielded all of your concerns to His rule? Where
Yeshua rules there is rest. Y His
reign is Purposeful. “On
the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it
with justice and righteousness from then on and forevermore” (7b).
Messiah is both the rightful king on David’s throne, and the righteous
king. Note how He establishes His rule in your life: with justice and
righteousness. The justice that both Israelis and Palestinians desire is
only found when the Lord's reign is established over all. Faith in the
Righteous King is the root of the Spirit. If He rules over you,
righteousness is established. You have the love, joy and peace, the fruit
of the Holy Spirit, that comes as a result of His reign. But, no root, no
fruit! Does Messiah reign righteously in all areas of your life? “Blessed
are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be
filled” (Matt. 5:6). You may be saying, “Sam, that’s all well
and good, but how can I live the life God wants me to live?” Y His
reign is Powerful. “The
zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.” The English novelist,
J. B. Priestly, was once asked why it was that several gifted writers who
were young with him had not matured in their art as he had. His answer:
“Gentlemen, the difference between us was not in ability, but in the
fact that they merely toyed with the fascinating idea of writing, while I
cared like the blazes! It is this caring like the blazes that counts.”
Are you merely ‘toying’ with faith? Have you lost the passion for
Messiah? Rededicate, and yield your life to Him, and live for Him fully, “for
it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good
pleasure.” (Phip 2:13). This holiday season let us consider all that Isaiah foretold in Messiah’s ‘birth announcement’ which God has since brought to pass. May the Lord bless you with His Provision, Power, and Peace, and may you enjoy the full benefits of having Him in your life! Y |
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