Peter Barnes: Isaiah 9:6,7 (NO AUDIO)
(23 December 2018)
SERMON NOTES: THE CHILD WHO IS GOD (Isaiah 9:6-7)
The virgin shall conceive and give birth to Immanuel, ‘God with us’ (Isaiah 7:14), and now in Isaiah 9:6 it is explicitly said that the child is divine. Gal.4:4.
1. He will come as a child.
– 9:6. There are those who say that this refers to Ahaz’s son, Hezekiah, but Calvin rightly says that is to ‘torture this passage’. Edward Caswall:
Lo! within a manger lies
He who built the starry skies.
Christ became man to live a sinless life, and finally die.
.
2. The child will be divine.
– 9:6. We can understand why Matthew Bridges wrote his hymn, Crown Him with Many Crowns. The KJV and NKJV put a comma between ‘Wonderful’ and ‘Counselor’, and so make five titles.
(a) Wonderful Counselor. The Lord of hosts is wonderful in counsel – Isa.28:29; Matt.17:5; John 14:6). Spurgeon cites some lines: Earth is too narrow to express/ His worth, his grace, his righteousness.
(b) Mighty God. He will possess the same title as God Himself – Isa.10:21. Rabbi Hertz: ‘This is quite impossible. No true prophet – indeed no true Israelite – would apply a term like “Mighty God” or “Everlasting Father” to any mortal prince.’ But it is prophesied.
(c) Everlasting Father. Edward Young and Allan Harman say that this refers to the Messiah’s relationship with His people, not with God the Father. But see John 10:30.
(d) Prince of Peace. The Assyrians had plundered and destroyed, but that is not Messiah’s way – Zech.9:9-10; Isa. 53:5.
3. The kingdom which is forever.
– 9:7. This is the kingdom that is forever: this is the right side of history – Dan.2:44; 7:27; Luke 1:33.