Isaiah 9:1-7
The Tipping Point

I. How Does Change Come?
1. “Black Friday” is now eclipsing Thanksgiving itself. How did that come about?
2. Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference: “The tipping point is that magic moment when an idea, trend or social behavior crosses a threshold, tips and spreads like wildfire. . . A single act of courage is often the tipping point for extraordinary change.”
3. Charles Dicken’s A Christmas Carol was the tipping point to make Christmas a holiday again.
4. Dicken’s generous, joyous Christmas is different than the materialistic holiday we now have.
II. The Contrasts (9:1-3)
A. The Former Times
1. There was rage, hunger, distress, darkness, anguish, gloom. They have a gloomy future.
2. “But”, here’s the contrast. On the one hand, there is gloom. But God . . .
3. “In the former times”, in the past, previously, they tasted “contempt”; degradation.
4. The Assyrians invaded and occupied Galilee, the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali.
5. When God’s people today live like the world, they get contempt, degraded with the world.
B. The Latter Times
1. The tipping point is that dramatic moment when little causes finally tips you over.
2. “In the latter times”, “the last days”, the times the Lord is bringing, after the tipping point.
3. In the “latter times”, which are to come, which are future, He “has made” (past tense).
4. Because, it is as good as done, it is so certain, it can be spoken of as if already done.
5. While still oppressed, it was declared that the Lord “has made glorious” Galilee.
6. While we still struggle with sin, God has already declared that we have been “glorified”.
7. Before they were few. Now God has “multiplied” (past tense) the nation, the people of God.
8. They had distress, now joy. The contrast is between gloom and gladness.
9. Jesus rejoiced that the Father revealed the Kingdom to His “little children” (Luke 10:21).
10. The contrast, from darkness to light, from distress to joy, from gloom to glory.
III. The Causes (9:4-6)
A. Freedom (9:4)
1. Because the “yoke of his burden”, the oppression, their scepter, has been broken.
2. The tipping point came when the Lord set His people free from our enemies, like Gideon.
3. Jesus reported that Satan had fallen, the strong man had been bound. We’ve been set free.
B. Fire (9:5)
1. The fire of God’s judgment has consumed all the military hardware of their enemies.
2. God’s judgment will devour everything used against God’s people: the world, the flesh, etc.
3. Luke 12:49, “I came to cast fire on the earth.” That’s the fire that Jesus kindled at the cross.
C. Four Names (9:6)
1. “To us”. To you? “A child is born; to us a Son is given.” This Son is born to rule.
2. This Son will be called names you’d never call anyone in Isaiah’s near-term, any mere man.
3. Wonderful Counselor: A wonder of a counselor.
a. “Wonder” is almost always used of the Lord; it’s like supernatural, makes you amazed.
b. He speaks with authority, not like other teachers, because He is the authority.
4. “Mighty God”: The Son who is born literally is Immanuel, the Mighty God with us.
5. “The Everlasting Father”: a king who relates to His subjects like a father.
a. Everlasting one, not one who abandons us or dies. He lasts forever.
b. There’s only one way to be an “everlasting Father”: being Immanuel, God with us.
6. “The Prince of Peace”: the One who administers all the benefits of peace, restoring all things.
a. Jesus says, from the throne, “Behold, I am making all things new” (Revelation 21:5).
b. “He must reign until He puts all His enemies under His feet.” (1 Corinthians 15:25)
c. The peace making, perfection restoring, enemy subjugating work is going on right now.
7. The tipping point is reached because the Son has the government on His shoulders.
IV. The Consequences (9:7)
A. The Effects
1. The causes will bring the effect of an “increase of His government and of peace.”
2. More people are now at peace with God and so more at peace with their neighbors.
3. Justice and righteousness are being restored because Jesus reigns in the hearts of His people.
4. The Prince of Peace’s government has been increasing and that will continue forever.
B. The Reason It is Certain
1. “The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.” God is passionately committed to this.
2. The Mighty God resolved zealously, eagerly, passionately to save the remnant.
3. He is making all things new and at peace. He is zealous to do that for us.
V. Invitation: Make sure you are among the “us” for whom the child was born. Are you one of the “us” to whom the Son was given? Seek first His government. It’s on His shoulders. Let your zeal be for it to increase in your life.