No more gloom for those who are in distress! Although the Lord greatly humbled the regions of Zebulun and Naphtali, he will one day bestow upon them great honor—from the Mediterranean eastward to the other side of the Jordan and throughout the Galilee of the gentiles.

Those who walked in darkness
    have seen a radiant light shining upon them.
    They once lived in the shadows of death,
    but now a glorious light has dawned!
Lord, you have multiplied the nation
    and given them overwhelming joy!
    They are ecstatic in your presence
    and rejoice like those who bring in a great harvest
    and those who divide up the spoils of victory!
For you have broken the chains
    that have bound your people
    and lifted off the heavy bar across their shoulders,
    the rod the oppressor used against them.
    You have shattered all their bondage,
    just as you did when Midian’s armies were defeated.
Every boot of marching troops
    and every uniform caked with blood
    will be burned as fuel for the fire.

The Wonderful One

A child has been born for us;
    a son has been given to us.
    The responsibility of complete dominion
    will rest on his shoulders, and his name will be:
    The Wonderful One!
    The Extraordinary Strategist!
    The Mighty God!
    The Father of Eternity!
    The Prince of Peace! Isaiah 9:1-6 TPT

When Jesus heard that John the Baptizer had been thrown into prison, he went back into Galilee. Jesus moved from Nazareth to make his home in Capernaum, which is by Lake Galilee in the land of Zebulun and Naphtali. He did this to make the prophecy of Isaiah come true:

Listen, you who live in the land of Zebulun
    and the land of Naphtali,
    along the road to the sea
    and on the other side of the Jordan,
    and Galilee—the land of the Gentiles!
You who spend your days shrouded in darkness
    can now say, “We have seen a brilliant Light.”
    And those who live in the dark shadow land of death
    can now say, “The Dawning Light arises on us.”

From that time on Jesus began to proclaim his message with these words: “Keep turning away from your sins and come back to God, for heaven’s kingdom realm is now accessible.” Matthew 4:12-17

His word will surely come to pass. Our texts today attest to this.

This was the region that first went into captivity during the Assyrian invasion in 734–733 BC. Yet this land was the first to enjoy the blessings of the ministry of Jesus, for His works were done among them. Their “honour” would be to host the life and miracles of the Prince of Glory, the Messiah. Isaiah is prophesying the ministry of Jesus that would reverse the curse over that region. Jesus affirmed it!  In the place where devastation had robbed hope, He will appear. He chooses the places in our lives where we have the most disgrace and shame, and there He shines His light. Our past failures become prophecies of a future victory. Just as darkness and night have boundaries (Gen.1:4), so the Lord will cause gloom to end and the shadows to flee. He is the one who says, “It will last this long and not a day longer.” God begins in darkness and brings darkness into the day. The darkest thing in us will be bathed in His glory-light.

This glorious light includes Jesus’ teachings, His miracles, and His pure life lived before the Father. Jesus Christ is the light of rescue for the lost, comfort for the hurting, wholeness for the broken, and escape for the captive. He is the:

1. light of joy,
2. light of revelation, and
3. light of deliverance. Jesus’ birth signals an end of night and the beginning of morning.

As the light of Jesus shines on the earth, it will bring in a harvest of joy and rejoicing. The people of God are about to arise and spoil the kingdom of darkness, even as Israel spoiled Egypt and went out rejoicing. God will cause our joy to overflow like those distributing loot after a battle. Great will be the conversions, the increase, and our rejoicing. Many sons will be brought into glory as the increasing Light of Dawn appears (Heb. 2:10). With both harvest and victory in battle, people rejoice in what God has done. Do you believe this? Then rejoice for He that promised in those days and fulfilled His promise will not fail now hence the call to endurance. Selah