Isaiah 9:6-7
For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
and his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of his government and of peace
there will be no end,
on the throne of David and over his kingdom,
to establish it and to uphold it
with justice and with righteousness
from this time forth and forevermore.
The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.
Peace: a term foreign to the Israelites. They lived in a world thrown into constant turmoil because of sin. Peace was the dream, the ideal that Adam had experienced in the garden before his sin brought with it ruin.
And so it is with us. Our knowledge expands. Our technology advances. Our culture is enlightened. And yet wars still rage on. Battles of the will abroad and at home, physical and ideological, conflict in our homes and in our hearts.
Just as creation groans for redemption, we long for the peace of the garden, for the peace of a world without pain or hardship or hurting. And as believers, we have hope that the peace we know and feel in part will one day rule and reign in every home and every heart on earth. So much like Israel, we long for the coming of the one who will bring that peace in all of its incomparable glory.
His Name shall be the Prince of Peace,
Forevermore adorned,
The Wonderful, the Counselor,
The great and mighty Lord.His pow’r, increasing, still shall spread,
His reign no end shall know,
Justice shall guard His throne above,
And peace abound below.
- To Us a Child of Hope is Born
