Is 9:7 Zeal Will Accomplish This

Is 9:7 Zeal Will Accomplish This
The Gospel is God Jealously Magnifying His Reign

Introduction:

Do you notice that in our popular culture the Christmas season is surrounded folklore and myths that don’t really line up with the way we actually spend Christmas. Even the most secular unbelieving households get caught up in all the “peace on earth,” “better to give then receive,” “ho ho ho,” and “good will to all men” etc.? But try getting a parking spot close to the mall this month and you’ll see how altruistic people really are. Even in the Church, we sing songs like Joy to the world, and O Come O Come Emanuel; but how much of our Christmas has anything to do with the things we sing about? It’s hard not to get caught up in all the busy-ness… and in fact, I think Christmas, the holiday that is supposed to be about peace on earth, is actually the busiest time of the year.

Introduce theme and introduce Isaiah:

· Name means “The Lord is Salvation”
· Quoted more times in the NT then any other prophet (65x)
· Date c. 739 to 686 BC (Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah)
· According to tradition, Isaiah met his death under King Mannassah who sawed him in half with a wooden saw


(Read) Is 9:6-7

What is the “This”, that the zeal of the Lord of Hosts will do?

I. Of the increase of His government and peace, there will be no end, Let’s unpack this:

1. His government and peace is something that is increasing. To get a picture of the way that his government increases, picture a sower going out with seed, or a measure of yeast spreading through doe:

o The Kingdom of God advances that way- it spreads by the seed of the gospel in the hearts of God’s elect.
o Wherever there is a Christian who is sealed by/with the Holy Spirit, there is the presence of God and the dominion of God. Christians are the manifest presence of the increase of His government and peace.


2. What does his Government look like? Government: dominion/rule:

And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence (Col 1:18)

ἀρχή always signifies “primacy,” whether in time: “beginning,” principium, or in rank: “power,” “dominion,” “office.”[1]

According to Luke 1:33, Jesus Kingdom shall have no end:
We see that the mightiest governments of this world, as if they had been built on a slippery foundation, ( Psalm 73:18 ,) are unexpectedly overturned and suddenly fall. How fickle and changeable all the kingdoms under heaven are, we learn from history and from daily examples. This government alone is unchangeable and eternal.[2]

The Kingdom of God is the ever expanding reign of God as it advances in the hearts of men and women who have transferred their citizenship from the Kingdom of this world to the Kingdom of Heaven. We do not belong to this world, we have another king and we are his Ambassadors. Can you imagine the ambassador of China living so much like a Canadian that he forgets he’s Chinese? Such an ambassador would certainly be recalled for fear of his defecting. Did you know that the Chinese consulate in Vancovuer is officially Chinese territory? You home is a consulate of heaven.

What is the Character of the dominion? I’m glad you asked that.

3. Peace- Shalom (שָׁלוֹם): The biblical concept of shalom conveys a broad range of meaning:

i. Completeness:
- It has the idea completeness of the grace of God (2 Cor 8:6)
-in 2 Cor 13:9 Paul equates it with comfort and being of one mind with the brethren and living at peace with others.
-Col 2:10 says that we are complete when we are in Christ

This is a completeness of peace that we can experience in the most trying of circumstances:

2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. 4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. (James 1:2-4).

ii. Welfare

This is the idea of a loving Father who labours for the security of his children; to keep them warm and dry and nourished even if he himself goes without the comforts he labours so hard to give his children. How much more the heavenly father who does not even spare his own son to ensure the eternal welfare of his elect children.

iii. Peace

Ps 4:8 I will both lie down in peace, and sleep; For You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.

Ps 55:18 He has redeemed my soul in peace from the battle that was against me

Ps 147:14 He makes peace in your borders, And fills you with the finest wheat.

Jn 16:33 These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

But He was wounded for our transgressions,
He was bruised for our iniquities;
The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
And by His stripes we are healed (Is 53:5)

That’s the this, now look at who it is who performs it:

II. The zeal (קִנְאָה) of the Lord of hosts will perform this.

Zeal is the subject of the verb- Zeal will perform the act of increasing God’s Dominion of peace.

1. zeal: zeal, jealousy (from colour produced in face by deep emotion)[3]

a. Zeal- like the Zeal in Ps 69:9: Because zeal for Your house has eaten me up,

God is zealous, consumed by, passionate about, purpose driven- to increase his reign of peace in a world that has willingly rejected his rulership and exchanged it for the tyranny of Chaos- the very thing that wars against us celebrating the true meaning of Christmas.

b. Zeal is also sometimes translated “Jealous”- as one who desires an object the way that barren Rachel envied Leah when Leah gave Jacob sons (Gen 30:1); Ps 79:5 describes God’s jealousy as a burning fire- fire consumes and it spreads, but the fire of God is never quenched nor can it be extinguished:

This is what Paul calls a godly jealousy:
How jealous the Father was of His incarnate Son’s honor! It was evidenced again when He condescended to be baptized in the Jordan, for "The heavens were opened unto him," the Spirit of God descended like a dove and abode upon Him, and the Father declared, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased" (Matthew 3:16-17).[4]

To use human terms: God is burning jealously and with red faced zeal to advance his dominion of completeness, welfare and peace in a world that is fighting a losing battle against the advancing kingdom. The only thing that restrains the advance of this dominion of peace is the timetable of God- it will not complete its advance until the full number of gentiles comes in.


Since God himself is not above being jealous for the advance of His glory, how much more does it become Christians to be likewise passionately consumed by the spread of the gospel?


2. Take comfort, because its not up to you, His Zeal will perform this (Ethical obligation- action of noun Zeal)- God is responsible for the increase of His Kingdom; He just condescends to use us as the means of achieving it. Our being has as much to do with the increase as our doing! Are you remembering that you are under the dominion of peace!

He hasn’t promised us an easy journal, just a safe arrival into his kingdom of peace.

Conclusion:

The government that God establishes by the gospel is a reign of peace. If it is a Kingdom of Peace with Christ as its king, then Jesus must be the prince of peace. Do you have peace this morning?

Thomas Watson wrote Jesus “…is called the Prince of Peace. He came into the world with a song of peace…. He went out of the world with a legacy of peace… Christ’s earnest prayer was for peace…. Christ not only prayed for peace, but bled for peace: “Having made peace through the blood of His cross.” He died not only to make peace between God and man, but between man and man. Christ suffered on the cross, that He might cement Christians together with His blood; as He prayed for peace, so He paid for peace[5]

Someone has said, “when you are faced with untenable alternatives, you should consider your imperative.”[6] The world offers no alternatives, only chaos and dispare. Our imperative is simple: peace

May Thy rich grace impart
Strength to my fainting heart,
My zeal inspire;
As Thou hast died for me,
O may my love to Thee,
Pure, warm, and changeless be,
A living fire!


COME TO THIS TABLE IN PEACE!
[1]Theological dictionary of the New Testament. 1964-c1976. Vols. 5-9 edited by Gerhard Friedrich. Vol. 10 compiled by Ronald Pitkin. (G. Kittel, G. W. Bromiley & G. Friedrich, Ed.) (electronic ed.) (1:479). Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans.
[2]John Calvin. Commentary on Isaiah - Volume 1 (209). <<>>.
[3]Brown, F., Driver, S. R., & Briggs, C. A. (2000). Enhanced Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon.
[4]Arthur W. Pink. Gleanings in the Godhead. Joseph Kreifels.
[5]Morgan, R. J. (2000). Nelson's complete book of stories, illustrations, and quotes (606). Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers.
[6] Commander Cain said this on Battlestar Galactica “Razor”.