Wonderful Counselor (Part 2 of 3)

You ever found yourself in a room so dark you could not see your hand in front of your face matter how wide you open your eyes without light we can see today entry for life. We learn why our hearts and minds need like just as our eyes. Alastair Greg is teaching today from Isaiah 819 through Isaiah 9 verse seven. You will notice in chapter 90 with a reference to the past in the past in the past. He that is, God humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali in the past he has done this and then you will notice in the future is going to do something else. In the past he has humbled his people by the invading armies and in the future is going to help his people and because you've already thought of this but are not sure where to find it, let me tell you that what you're thinking of is Matthew chapter 4 and verse 12 which reads as follows. When Jesus hair that John had been put in prison, he returned to Galilee leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum, which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun, always Jesus doing an area of Zebulun and Naphtali is actually taking care of Isaiah chapter 9 verse 1B and five. That's exactly what Matthew tells us. So when you read Isaiah chapter 9 verse one and say what in the world is that mean the answer is provided for us in Matthew chapter 4, and we need be in any doubt at all is fantastic. It's helpful for those of you are thinking already detected the fact that Isaiah writes about this.

Using tenses that are in the past that the appearance of this light is already, but we just read Matthew four and we discovered from Matthew that the appearing of this light in all of his fullness is in the arrival of Jesus, but were 800 years before Jesus. So why is Isaiah writing about as if it already happened. Answer because it was so vivid, so clear and so certain in his mind that he could use the prophetic perfect in order to make clear exactly what was going to take place.

The people walking in darkness have passed and seen a great light on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned. Now how does this come about, how is darkness replaced by light. I was more replaced by peace. How is distress replaced by joy. Those irrelevant questions I think you would agree. You can get a conversation going on. Most of those questions and any in any decent spot where people are hanging around for any length of time it's all I do think you can take your depression and replace it with joy.

I don't know. Today it is possible to have peace in our world.

Well, we can discuss that and so on will notice the answer. The use of verse three you have enlarge the nation is referring to God. This is what God has done and this is very very important lies in the heart of this prophecy. Who is it that is caused all this to take place. Answer God who is the source of light, and in whose light alone.

Men and women may see light. God, who is the source of light, and in whose light along men and women may see light after prevent myself from going off in evangelistic forays, but I will allow myself this brief step to the left.

There is no intellectual road to God that is not to say that our minds and irrelevant. They are clearly relevant. I just suggested to the importance of thinking, but I have known a number of people and I meet them with frequency of all kinds of questions and discussions and arguments about the Bible and about Jesus and about the doctrine of the Trinity and about a million things by the light is never dawned in their hearts. There is no way for this light to dawn upon the human heart and mind, except that God doesn't accept that God does. That's why two people can listen to the same sermon so many can walk out with his friend and say you know is a remarkable insight that we gain there.

I have never understood that concerning Jesus and the other person says I you know Frank Lambert of fluid our chapters on about it was absolutely double Dutch to me. Same sermon same IQ. What's the difference Lucy it's something God does what is he done were told what he's done the people walking in darkness have seen a great light, and in verses two and three. We have a description of the good things that are received, and then in verses four and five. We have a description of the bad things that are removed, those are your points for the morning if you like II feel like the Puritan this morning breached the sermon in the morning that had 20 points and he was embarrassed by making back in the evenings of my sermon this morning at so many points that might sermon this evening will be pointless.

And for those of you are looking for three words, all all beginning the same letter you're horribly disappointed this morning, which is why I said you are to be thinking but in verses two and three. Notice the good things that are received. What are the good things that are received. You have enlarge the nation and increase their joy.

I simply wrote down to four words in my notes bigger numbers, deeper joy, bigger numbers, deeper joy. What is this while here is an opportunity for us to remind ourselves of the wonderful discovery remade some time ago that the storyline of the Bible is anchored between two fixed points. If we keep these in mind, then we will be fine one in the first book of the Bible where God makes a promise to Abraham, whom he is called his opinion out of the land of Chaldea and he says to a neighbor and through your seed all the nations of the earth will be blessed, and from that point on. As you read your Bible, you need to keep in mind that what God is doing is keeping his promise to Abraham by the time you get to the last book of the Bible in Revelation 7, you have this wonderful picture of the completed promise of God to Abraham and verses that we quote with frequency verse nine of Revelation 7, as John describes a multitude that no one could count, from every nation, try people and language. So what is the story of the Bible is the story of a God of grace who comes to men and women and woos them and wins them and includes them in this forever family that he's putting together that is made up of differing person analogies and succeeding generations in different nations and people are using.

Once we understand that we understand why it is the 45th Psalm ends with the statement, the nations will praise you forever and ever. We talked about the nations will praise you forever and ever and you see CNN having you read the newspaper don't you take the Wall Street Ave. seen the New York Times were you talking about the nations will praise you forever and ever. After the nations of the world are remotely interested in this Jesus would like to squash this Christmas and so on. What you say will you see you must read all of those things in light of these great anchor point. I mean, don't tell your history professor your humanities professor that your view of the Civil War is directly related to the promise of God to Abraham and the fulfillment in Revelation 7 they'll think you've taken leave of your mind, or try and explain the history of the rise and fall of nations in relationship to how it is described for us in terms of God's ordering of the people and the planets in acts chapter 17.

Again, our friends and our neighbors as they hear a strange and and unruly customer. But the fact of the matter's. That's why the psalmist and some 100. Starts out shout for joy to the Lord all the air wax don't you come out here and shout to the if you want to go in your building. There and do what you do in that building. Whatever it is and sing those songs or proclaim those things. You can stay in their hundred but don't don't come out here and say that all that we have to why because you see this is the promise of God. He is the one who is enlarge the nation and increased their joy shout for joy to the Lord all the air. Why, because the darkness of calamity and of ignorance and of fear and of death and of sin is overcome by light, a light that is engendered not from within. As a result of man discovering himself by an inward investigation, but a light that is produced from beyond ourselves because the human heart is dark and very nature and only God can dispel the darkness and the scene there in verse three is a wonderful scene if enlarge the nation increase their joy and they rejoice before you like people at a harvest time going some more this watermelon.

It is really fantastic when you like some of this corn. Let me heated up for you have some more potatoes here is our turn up, and so on. The wonderful experience of the taxi had looking as they call it in Scotland as the as the carts come down through the streets of the village is with all these people hanging off the site and potato dust going everywhere. The harvesters come and we rejoice in it. A going business terrific or the victory in battle, and the plunder that we can now share is basically the picture about of the victorious team's locker room after the World Series. That's the picture. Exuberant joy is in the good things that are received. Verses four and five tell is about the bad things that are removed, you're not looking your watch going there is no possible ability of wonderful counselor anytime this morning. You're absolutely right have also deduced that myself. Verses four and five verses four and five describe the bad things that are removed.

Here is a description of liberation and peace again. You will notice it comes from beyond the people themselves.

They do not bring about this.

Only God brings about this victory.

That's the significance surely of the way in which verse four begins for as in the day of Midian's defeat. What's that about this is this is Isaiah filling in his essay your novel by her putting up with something in here. I didn't know how to start the first line know this is purposeful. He's under the direction of God reminding them about Midian's defeat was, who the Midianite or the Midianites were the ones who are opposing the people of God. When Gideon was rule was raised up as a judge. Gideon little fearful. Gideon Gideon with a 32,000 troops, whom God decided should be reduced by the number of 31,700 so that with 300, he would defeat Midian for a what's that about so that in so that the Midianites would be absolutely amazed so that Gideon would be absolutely clear, and so that God's people would be in absolutely no doubt that they weren't particularly special. God said, let me show you how I'm going to do the for as in the day of Midian's defeat. You have shattered the yoke the burdens them in the bar across their show picture of the people of God are crashed and burned a picture reproduced throughout the series of history, God lifts the oppressive yoke. Remember I told you what I wrote down just for words to try and help me remember the good things that are received.

Say no tell me them again are ready for cut bolero down bigger numbers, deeper joy and under the bad things removed. I wrote down burdens lifted bonfire lit burdens lifted bonfire lit Jesus.

Your name is power.

Jesus, your name is light, Jesus, you're the one who can overturn the captives and every warriors boot used in battle and every garment rolled in blood will be destine for burning will be fuel for the fire. I can imagine Bob Dylan reading this and going. I like this one and if you live through the 60s, as I did you know you like this one to is the answer really blowing in the wind. How many times must the cannonball fly before they're forever been how long will humanity do this to itself is peace and notion that we are to pursue is the liberation of oppression, a reality that can be enjoyed. Isaiah 9 says yes, but the answer is this answer because Jesus is Israel else strand and consolation. Jesus is Israel else strand and consolation.

Jesus is the only consolation for June and for our Jesus is the only Savior Jesus is the only Jesus is the only Lord Jesus is the only one who may lift our burdens and light. This bonfire as he will. And again, if you lived in the 60s and went to folk clubs if they had them here. You sang all the songs maybe was easier for us because we didn't have the Vietnam War going on and we then identify ourselves by the length of our hair but we sang the song's that's why notable last night I dreamt the strangest dream I ever dream before I dream the world and all agree to put an end to war. I dreamed I saw a mighty room and the room was filled with men in the paper they were signed and said will never fight again. And when the papers all were signed and a million copies made the all joined hands and bow their heads and grateful prayers were pre-and the people in the streets below were dancing round and round and guns and swords and uniforms were scattered on the ground.

Now we know how that was going to work out or every every good work. Let me tell you this every warriors boot used in back and every garment rolled in blood be destine for burning will be fuel for the fire in that day. All the weapons of mass destruction hours included will be consumed in a bonfire lit by God's grace the accoutrements of war will be disposed of.

They will be unnecessary. They will be completely obsolete. Why, because God has purposed that it will be so. He is working his purpose out says the hymn writer as years succeeds to hear he's working his purpose out and the time is drawing near and nearer and nearer draws the time the time that will surely be when the air will be filled with the glory of God as the waters cover the sea.

That's why that's why in the heart of man, understandably, all of these songs and poems arise. I'm waiting on a study war no more waiting on a study war no more. Thank God Almighty peace at last.

That's why the heart of man cries out in that way by the answer to that fundamental Christ the darkness and the oppression and the despair in the ignorance and that there is all found in Jesus not in Jesus. An example but in Jesus as Savior, who reconciles man who is at war with God and God who is at war with man and who reconciles man who is at war with his fellow in his time and how does he do this with a baby. As for now were in verse six were getting close. Verse six all all of a sudden slips and silently does. It is as if, after all the cacophony and description of drama and harvests and plunder and boots and bonfires and for unto us a child is a child really. We need a warrior.

I mean the warrior warriors only need a colossus that was strange human history that will straddle the affairs of time.

We need the great bullying of all bullies so that we can beat all the bullies that have ever lived, whether it is Alexander the great, or Hitler or whoever it is beat them all into submission. Now we don't need that will God, what are you going to do. I want to send a baby what you can send a child to do a man's work, watch like to speak to Heracles Herod the king is very busy yeah, but we are wise men.

We've come a long way.

Heracles of caregiver five minutes while we were just like to know where the king of the Jews has been born king of the what the king of the Jews resource store in Easton would come to worship and Herod was troubled and all Jerusalem with troubled troubled by the birth of a baby all you see this baby this baby is profit who speaks from God.

This is priest who bears our place in his sacrifice and this baby is king in one sense this child is trouble.

This child that laid to rest on Mary's lap is sleeping because this child is the child with the forename the first of which is wonderful, counselor, which is the title for this morning. Study a study, which is and we are trying God can supply the light that chases away's listing to Truth for Life. Alistair Begg with part two of a message titled wonderful counselor keep listening. Alastair will be back in just a minute to close with prayer. We have been talking this month about a book called Spurgeon on the power of Scripture. Tomorrow is the last day will be offering that book unit Charles Spurgeon unpacks why we can trust the certainty of God's word. Whether were listing in the pew or preaching it from the pulpit in the final chapter of this book, you learn how to read the Bible in order to truly understand and profit from it, we discover how meditation and prayer, and the Holy Spirit work together to make all of that happened. Request your copy again. The book is titled Spurgeon on the power of Scripture it's yours. When you give a donation, simply visit our website@truthforlife.org/donate or call us at 888-588-7884.

Speaking of this book Charles Spurgeon's message to his listeners was that the Scripture is God's word.

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The addresses Truth for Life PO Box 39, 8000, Cleveland, OH 44139. Now here's Alastair to close with prayer or verify that it is amazing to think that your answer to all of this tyranny and oppression and darkness in distress and war and sin is to be found in a child in Jesus that the deliverance which brings joy to the people of God is in some vague notion, but something brought about by a birth in history on earth at a definite time and at a definite place bring us then we prayer God out of the darkness and distress in warfare of our own rebellious hearts or may your truth on today and maybe discover that you are beautiful Savior for us in your name we pray. Bob Lapine last few days we've been learning about our wonderful counselor, but what is that title actually mean and why does it matter.

Join us tomorrow to hear the answers, Bible teaching of Alistair Begg is furnished by Truth for Life where the Learning is for Living