Isaiah 9:6-7
Throughout this Christmas season, we have been contemplating the wonderful words of hope found in Isaiah chapter 9. This passage reaches its zenith in verses 6 and 7:
“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase ofhis government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even forever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.”
The Titles for the Messiah
Through the guidance of Pastor Rodney King, we have contemplated the promised Son whom God sent. He is The Wonderful Counselor, The Mighty God and The Everlasting Father who authored our salvation. And on this day after Christmas, 2021, we should praise Him as The Prince of Peace, whose government and peace shall never end.
“Sar Shalom”
The Hebrew words “Sar Shalom,” are translated as “Prince of Peace.” The Hebrew word [sar] means, “Prince, chief, captain, ruler, governor, keeper, chief captain, steward, master. This masculine noun is used 381 times in the ot.”[i] It is often used of military commanders, but also refers to royal courtiers or nobles, and even religious leaders (as in Ezekiel 11:1). Some connect this word to our modern titles, “Sir,” “Tsar,” and “Czar”[ii] The word [shalom] translated as “peace” conveys far more than the absence of hostility. “The general meaning behind the root š-l-m is of completion and fulfillment—of entering into a state of wholeness and unity, a restored relationship.”[iii] It refers to “being whole, intact; prosperity, peace — ease, unaffectedness … success, well-being, state of health.”[iv] “Sar Shalom” is a tremendous title referring to a stellar Savior. Who could bring such wholeness and completeness to people and nations? “The Prince of Peace” is the magnificent Messiah whom God promised to send to accomplish this. His promise was fulfilled in Jesus the Christ.
Today, the world longs for such completeness and peacefulness while largely rejecting God’s Promised Son (see Psalm 2). But you can’t have real peace on your own terms; you can’t get real help if you are setting the terms for that help. Rebel humanity wants worldwide peace, but on its own terms, not God’s terms. But without the genuine Jesus, you can’t have genuine peace.
In the art displayed on the grounds of the United Nations, there is a remarkable sculpture. The Russian sculptor, Evgeniy Vuchetich, presented it to the U.N. with a fervent wish for world peace. The inscription on the monument is the most remarkable of all. If you wanted to clearly express the worldwide desire for peace what would you write? Would it be surprising to you to discover that this memorable monument includes the words from the prophet Isaiah?! Turn back for a moment to Isaiah chapter 2 and verse 4. There we find the words alluded to on the United Nations sculpture: “And they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more…” This is beautiful language and you can see why it is much admired throughout the world. The longer quote is included on the Isaiah wall in Ralph Bunche Park. It is one of the clearest expressions of peace – especially for war torn areas of the world. Contrast this beautiful prophecy with the way that ISIS is recruiting small children to learn terrorist warfare. Or consider the recent statement from president Putin concerning the worst case scenario in the tensions between NATO and Russia: “Otherwise, [Putin said] everyone will be turned into radioactive ash.”[v] In his commentary on Ezekiel 32, Matthew Henry wrote, “As if men did not die fast enough, they are ingenious at finding out ways to destroy one another.” Everyone wants peace; only a madman would long for worldwide destruction. But it is important to remember those words of Isaiah in their context. Read again from Isaiah 2, only this time, read the first four verses of the chapter:
Isaiah 2:1 The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. 2 And it shall come to pass in the last days, That the mountain of the LORD’S house shall be established in the top of the mountains, And shall be exalted above the hills;
And all nations shall flow unto it. 3 And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, To the house of the God of Jacob; And he will teach us of His ways, And we will walk in his paths: For out of Zion shall go forth the law, And the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. 4 And he shall judge among the nations, And shall rebuke many people: And they shall beat their swords into plowshares, And their spears into pruninghooks: Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.”
Yes, the world will beat its swords into plowshares, but it is only by the grace of the God of Jacob. He will teach mankind; He will judge the nations; He will rebuke many people. Then worldwide peace will come. How would we apply this today? Simply put: International peace will only come when individuals are at peace. But how do individual people come to peace – wholeness and completeness in well-being? The answer is that this peace only comes through The Prince of Peace – “Sar Shalom”—God’s promised One.
I am amazed at all the ways of Jesus
Almighty grace, His agony for me
And all my gains, that I considered precious
I sacrifice; I lay them at His feet.
I gaze in wonder and I learn to glory
Not in my flesh, for that is foolishness
His gracious ways, His rich salvation story
Deserve my praise for His great righteousness
They pierced His side! It flowed both blood and water
My precious Lord, they pierced His hands and feet
My sacrifice, the Lamb went to the slaughter
And for my sins, His payment was complete
And now my heart, at rest, amazing blessing
To know His ways in all of life I seek
The hope of glory, Christ in me is resting
For He has come to live His life through me
With all I have, my body, soul and being
With all my might, my labors by His grace
I’ll live for Him whose wonders I am seeing
I love Him more, I long to see His face.
As Matthew Henry put it, “Lay yourself at Christ’s feet and He will take you up in His arms.”[vi]
That is how you find wholeness and peace. He is the Prince of personal well-being: the Lord of living well. He is the Prince of practicality: Christ the Savior gives us common sense. He is the Prince of personal potential: the Christ of contentment and completion. He is the Prince of personal interactions: the Redeemer who restores relationships. Colossians 2:10 “And you are complete in Him.”
How Long Will His Kingdom Last?
The problem with earthly tsars and czars is that they don’t last. They are either overthrown in life or toppled by death. But the Prince of Peace will reign forever. Consider the words of Isaiah 9:7, “Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even forever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.”
In this prophecy, God promised that the government of the Messiah would expand without limits. His will be a lasting peace without end. Though this prophecy will be objectionable to some, the Prince of Peace will reign from the throne of David, the great king who ruled from Israel. His will be a reign established on justice and righteousness and last forever. The zealous God – the Almighty God – will fulfill this promise to the letter.
How Should We Proceed Until Then?
The theological implications of “The Prince of Peace” have not been lost on mankind – even in the midst of brutal wars. You have undoubtedly heard remarkable stories such as this one. It was the evening of December 24, 1914, 107 years ago this past Christmas Eve. World War I was underway, with intense fighting along the notorious Western Front. To give a little comfort to those in the trenches, the British royalty had sent little tins of chocolates with a greeting card to each of the British soldiers. The Germans in the opposite trenches had received cigars from the Kaiser. The smell of death was in the air, from the bodies of those who had been killed in the fighting, but had not yet been buried. The German and British enemies would often negotiate ceasefires to bury their dead. But on that Christmas Eve something wonderful happened. Some say that it began with Christmas Carols. The Germans began, singing the tunes so well known in Britain. In one unit, the Germans called out, inviting the British to sing. One British soldier yelled back, “I would rather die than sing in German!” to laughs from his unit. The Germans responded: “It will kill us if you did!” to even more laughs. Occasionally someone would yell across the 30 yards between the trenches. “We both worship the same God! Why are we fighting each other?”
No one is exactly sure how the truce began. Perhaps it was the sharing of a chocolate cake, or the camaraderie of the carols. But, in any case, the truce began in earnest. Those who had been trying to kill each other a few hours before were now standing together between the trenches, sharing Christmas gifts. A soccer game broke out in one quadrant (and the word is that the Germans won, 3-2.) A German juggler gave an impromptu performance in the middle of “no man’s land.”
“The Truce lasted all day; in places it ended that night, but on other sections of the line it held over Boxing Day and in some areas, a few days more. In fact, there were parts on the front where the absence of aggressive behavior was conspicuous well into 1915. Captain J C Dunn, the Medical Officer in the Royal Welch Fusiliers, whose unit had fraternized with the Saxon troops opposite, recorded how hostilities re-started on his section of the front. Dunn wrote: ‘At 8.30 I fired three shots in the air and put up a flag with “Merry Christmas” on it, and I climbed on the parapet. He [the German] put up a sheet with “Thank you” on it, and the German Captain appeared on the parapet. We both bowed and saluted and got down into our respective trenches, and he fired two shots in the air, and the War was on again.’[vii]
That blessed peace of The Christmas Truce came to an end, as the brutality began again. In a series of explosions two and a half years later, the British second army killed ten thousand Germans in just a few minutes at the Battle of Messines.[viii] But today, we are glad to proclaim that when The Prince of Peace returns to reign, “of the increase of His government and peace, there shall be no end!” If you want a life of completeness and well-being, lay your life in the hands of the Prince of Peace. He will bring you genuine peace.
Pastor Gordon Dickson, Calvary Baptist Church, Findlay, Ohio www.cbcfindlay.org
[i] Gary G. Cohen, “2295 ??????,” ed. R. Laird Harris, Gleason L. Archer Jr., and Bruce K. Waltke, Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament (Chicago: Moody Press, 1999), 884.
[ii] Hebrew Word of the Day, accessed at https://hebrew.jerusalemprayerteam.org/prince-chief-captain-minister-modern/
[iii] G. Lloyd Carr, “2401 ??????,” ed. R. Laird Harris, Gleason L. Archer Jr., and Bruce K. Waltke, Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament (Chicago: Moody Press, 1999), 930.
[iv] William Lee Holladay and Ludwig Köhler, A Concise Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament (Leiden: Brill, 2000), 371.
[v] Steve Rosenberg, What is Russia’s Vladimir Putin Planning? BBC News, December 20, 2021 accessed at https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-59730522
[vi] The complete works of Matthew Henry, vol. 2 p, 275 accessed via Google Books
[vii] The Christmas Truce, accessed at http://firstworldwar.com/features/christmastruce.htm
[viii] Mines in the Battle of Messines (1917), accessed at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mines_in_the_Battle_of_Messines_(1917)#:~:text=The%20mines%2C%20secretly%20planted%20by,nuclear%20explosions%20of%20all%20time.