Isaiah 9: 1-7

For a child has been born for us,
a son has been given to us;
authority rests upon his shoulders;
and he is named
Wonderful Counsellor,
Mighty God,
Everlasting Father,
Prince of Peace.


Today in The Netherlands it is grey and miserable. It has been raining on and off all day- but every so often, an unexpected break in the clouds lets a shaft of sunlight shine through. For a few moments, the mood lifts- colours wake up, the sopping flowers seem to lift their heads again, there is hope that it is not going to rain for ever. These few verses in the middle of Isaiah chapter 9 sound a bit like that- suddenly in the middle of all the judgement, pain, destruction and indifference to truth comes a shaft of light, and glimpse of something better, a sunshine ray of hope. These are once again familiar verses, they are sung and read at Christmas clearly prophesying the birth of Jesus, but even here in Isaiah's time when nobody could guess how the story turned out, they speak of innocence in the middle of corruption, or wisdom and counsel in the middle of deceit, or something everlasting in contrast to the ever shifting political sands of the time. How much we still need to hear these words of hope today.

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