Inspirational Message
Inspirational Message: Who Imagined A King?
Isaiah looked beyond the time of captivity to the day when the Lord would have “broken the yoke of His burden.” Isaiah looked far beyond this oppression to Israel’s final deliverance by the Messiah. Isaiah 9:5 tells us that the Lord’s final victory over His enemies will create a permanent era of peace. This was emphatically stressed by Isaiah as he pictured the warfare. “For every battle of the warrior is with confused noise,” which lets us imagine the soldiers’ footwear as they moved into the noise of battle. Can we also see the cloak “rolled in blood?” The bloody clothes of the enemy and the footwear were discarded because lasting peace made them unnecessary for future history. The prophetic visions of joy, blessings and peace were remarkable, but they had come through Jesus Christ, our perfect king as described by Isaiah. Who could have imagined a king?
All of Isaiah’s prophecies about the coming Ruler were beyond human understanding and without doubt had brought great astonishment among Israelites! God’s messages through Isaiah could have been classified as wonders in every respect. His sovereignty (Isaiah 9:7), according to prophecy, climaxed with the idea of the Messiah’s peaceful rule increasing and never ending. In light of this period of time, how were these things possible? The Lord God Almighty made everything happen! God will continue to overcome all obstacles and prove Himself faithful to us. What did the Israelites know? What were some of the specialties about the birth of Jesus Christ? How does His birth affect us now?
Then and now Jesus can identify with the needs of humanity in which He would become a part. In our time, how will the prophecy of Isaiah be accomplished? In our lives, let us continue to ask God to “order our steps” to do His will. The light that Jesus brought into the world was eternal life which was a new quality of life that lifted us out of the darkness of sin. “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon His shoulder: and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6). He is the gracious gift we will always need!
Mrs. Gladys R. McElmore, a resident of Norfolk’s Middle Town Arch Community, is a New Journal and Guide Freelance Contributor on religion. She is a native of Essex County, Va.