You have enlarged the nation and increased their joy; they rejoice before you as people rejoice at the harvest, as warriors rejoice when dividing the plunder. For as in the day of Midian’s defeat, you have shattered the yoke that burdens them, the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor. Every warrior’s boot used in battle and every garment rolled in blood will be destined for burning, will be fuel for the fire.
Isaiah 9:3–5
Isaiah looks past the time when Assyria will take the northern part of their land and shrink Israel’s territory and he sees into the far distant future to the time of the Messiah when the territory of God’s people won’t be shrinking but expanding. He says, the Messiah will enlarge the nation. But Jesus didn’t come to enlarge a physical kingdom like Old Testament Israel. No. He came to establish and enlarge a spiritual kingdom, His church.
If you are a believer, then you are part of that kingdom of God. You are part of the church, and God’s church is meant to grow. It is meant to expand. As a church we must enlarge our borders. We must go out and find the hurting and hopeless and invite them in.
As we see Christianity losing cultural influence in America it can be easy to shrink back and watch and wait for the church shrink as well. But that isn’t what Jesus came to do and that isn’t what He has commanded us to do. His kingdom has been expanding for more than 2,000 years, and it is our job to continue to expand its borders. And we do that by obeying the His command to proclaim forgiveness in His name to all who will receive Him. You are commanded by God to call people out of darkness and into Jesus’ light.
And as Isaiah looks into the future he sees God’s people rejoicing because of the coming of the Messiah. He sees New Testament believers celebrating Jesus’ coming…celebrating Christmas you could say. And how do they celebrate?
He says that they rejoice as people rejoice at the harvest when many months of hard work and investment pay off. These were hungry families, seeing that they would in fact have enough food to make it through the winter. They had battled against the hardships of survival and God had given them the victory. So they would rejoice and have a big feast. That’s what Christian joy is like. That’s how we should celebrate the coming of Jesus.
Then he says it’s like men dividing the plunder of their enemies. In Gideon’s day the Midianites kept the Israelites under their thumb and nearly starved them to death. They invaded their land regularly and ate their crops and ruined their fields and stole anything good that they had. Israel had been plundered by them many times. So, you can imagine the rejoicing that took place when God defeated the entire army of the Midianites with only Gideon and his 300 men and the people of Israel raided their tents. On that day there was plenty of food in Israel and God’s people were given victory over their oppressors. On that day the burden was lifted off their backs. Can you imagine the rejoicing?
That is how we ought to celebrate Christmas. With joy! Not the joy of gifts, or even the joy of family, but the joy that comes from knowing that God is growing His church, the joy of knowing that God has met our deepest need and has delivered us from our greatest enemy. The joy of those who finally know peace. That’s how I want to celebrate Christmas this year. Will you join me?
