READ: Is. 8:23-9:4: …The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; … For You have broken the yoke of his burden and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, as in the day of Midian.
For the believers in Isaiah’s time, there is even a very rich promise in store. A great light will shine in the darkness that sinful Israel will find itself in! God will look upon His people again after exile! This is a significant turning point. Even in the godless and despised region of Galilee in the north of Israel, a change will come. They had intermingled with heathen nations and endured God’s punishment of hostile domination. How could anything good come from there?
But God will give them honor. How? God’s Son will come to His people. Especially in Galilee, Jesus Christ will start as the great Light with His preaching of the gospel of the Kingdom of Heaven, of reconciliation, and peace (Luke 1:78-79). He will teach His people in synagogues and in the open air. He will heal many sick and demon-possessed people there. That light will also be noticed throughout Israel, even in Syria (Matt. 4:24)!
God is the Source of this light: “In Your light we see light” (Ps. 36:9). Even the Gentiles will see light and many of them will join God’s people to serve God with joy (9:3, cf. 49:6).
Before the coming of Christ, the liberation from the Assyrians and the subsequent exile is necessary. In essence, all of that is God’s punishment for sin. The liberation from heavy and oppressive oppression (v.3,4) could refer to the heathen domination as well as to the underlying punishment from God for sin.
With the coming of the Light, the Messiah, all of this will be broken for those who believe in Him. He will lead them out of the cruel slavery of sin through divine intervention (Day of Midian: see Judg. 7:22).
Do we also see the gospel as light in darkness?
Singing: Ps. 36:3