Spotlight on Prophecy - Becky

I am in the process of writing some Bible lessons to go along with some of our sustainable living projects. One of the things our team has already begun to do is to install bottle lights in homes that either have no electricity or that have electricity that is too expensive for the occupants. Bottle lights are clear plastic Coke bottles filled with water and bit of chlorine that are dropped into a tin roof, magnifying the light of the sun. Apparently, the light that comes through one of these bottles can be as bright as a 50 Watt bulb. Anyway, I am working on some lessons about light that could possibly be presented to the women in areas where we install these lights. (I don't know yet when and where this would happen--the bottle light thing is a side project while our main focus right now is trying to get a goat house built--but I do know I can at least give these lessons in the ladies class here in Jinotega.)

While looking through a list of Bible verses with the word "light," I came across this passage from Isaiah chapter 9 that I just thought was cool:

1 Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future he will honor Galilee of the nations, by the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan—

2 The people walking in darkness

have seen a great light;

on those living in the land of deep darkness

a light has dawned.

3 You have enlarged the nation

and increased their joy;

they rejoice before you

as people rejoice at the harvest,

as warriors rejoice

when dividing the plunder.

4 For as in the day of Midian’s defeat,

you have shattered

the yoke that burdens them,

the bar across their shoulders,

the rod of their oppressor.

5 Every warrior’s boot used in battle

and every garment rolled in blood

will be destined for burning,

will be fuel for the fire.

6 For to us a child is born,

to us a son is given,

and the government will be on his shoulders.

And he will be called

Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

7 Of the greatness of his government and peace

there will be no end.

He will reign on David’s throne

and over his kingdom,

establishing and upholding it

with justice and righteousness

from that time on and forever.

The zeal of the LORD Almighty

will accomplish this.

I absolutely love passages like this, prophecy that is actually fulfilled. It is chilling to read the blatantly obvious references to Jesus that were written WAY before he came on the scene. The cool thing is that everything the passage says that Jesus was supposed to do is still applicable today. So many people are living in spiritual darkness. Most of them don't even realize it. They are burdened with a yoke, but they don't know that they don't have to bear it. As much as I want to do what I can to help these people myself, God is the real hero.

The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this.

Amen!

-Becky