Isaiah 9:1-2 Nevertheless the gloom will not be upon her who is distressed, as when at
first He lightly esteemed the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, and
afterward more heavily oppressed her, by the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, in
Galilee of the Gentiles. The people who walked in darkness have seen a great
light; those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, upon them a light has
shined.
Matt 4:13 And leaving Nazareth, He came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in
the regions of Zebulun and Naphtali,
- Zebulun and Naphtali (The northern Galilee region) were the first to fall
before the Assyrians (II Kings 15:29) as Isaiah had predicted, but Isaiah also
predicted in this section that the same region (Galilee) would reap the wonderful
privilege of providing mankind with a Savior.
- Jesus grew up in Nazareth in Galilee and ministered in the Galilee region.
- The word "nevertheless" speaks of God working a wonder regardless of what He
said would happen in the previous chapters.
- The word "gloom" is a good word that reveals the sad condition of the Jewish
leaders who rejected their Messiah, and in contrast the great light that would
shine in the land that they so despised, the Galilee region.
- Gloom speaks of a night without morning.
- The "sea" speaks of the Sea of Galilee
- (Note: The Zohar was not the first to teach that the Messiah would appear in
Galilee, and that redemption would break forth from Tiberias; but this is
found in the Talmud and Midrash, from Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old
Testament).
- The Lord offered His salvation first to the people in the Galilee region.
Shahar - Isaiah 9:1-2 - Audio (right click and choose "save target as")