Isaiah 9:2 (ESV)

The people who walked in darkness

have seen a great light;

those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness,

on them has light shone.

This chapter ends with judgment, but it begins with promise. This chapter reminds me of Peter’s words, “It is time for judgment to begin at the household of God” (1 Pet 4:17a). But Peter adds three other thoughts to this idea. The verse goes on to say that the judgment of those who do not believe will be worse. He precedes this statement of judgement with a challenge, “Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name” (1 Pet 4:16). He concludes in verse 19, “Therefore let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.”

This, I think, is the message God is trying to send to Judah through Isaiah. They have not been listening to God. He will necessarily judge his people because of their sin. Their response has been to try and fix things rather than learning from his judgment. Isn’t that just like us? We make bad decisions. Rather than acknowledge our sin to God we run around trying to cover and fix the consequences. What God wants us to do is let go of self and draw near to him. He has a higher purpose in our pain than we can ever imagine, but we cannot enter into his blessing until he brings us to the end of ourselves.

Both Peter and Isaiah talk about judgment and discipline. Both of them, however, speak of it in the context of hope. Peter wants his readers to remember “If [they] are insulted for the name of Christ, [they] are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon [them]” (1Pet 4:14). Isaiah wants his readers to understand that God has broken “the yoke of his burden, and the staff for his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor.” (Is 9:4).

God never abandons his children. There will be pain and sorrow. Sometimes it is the consequence of not listening to God. Sometimes it is the result of living in a broken world. Sometimes is simply because we are faithful to God and we have an Enemy. But, God never abandons his children. In the darkest times there is the promise that God sees, he knows, he is present with us in the darkness, and he has something better planned for us in the future. In the meantime, don’t fight his discipline, and don’t try to fix it with man-made solutions. Trust him to work his purpose in you, or as Peter wrote, “Entrust [your soul] to a faithful Creator while doing good” (1 Pet 4:19b). If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, then hear his voice and follow closely after him because “The Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you” (1 Pet 4:14). Now that’s Good News.