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If we look at the context of the passage, the words that immediately precede and follow it announce judgment upon Judah at the hands of the Lord because of Judah's lack of faith. In the eighth century B.C., that which God repeatedly asks of his people through the words of Isaiah is trust, trust that their lives are in God's hands and that he will preserve them, no matter what enemy is attacking them.

For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel,
In returning and rest you shall be saved;
in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.
Isaiah 30:15


To illustrate that, in our text, Isaiah further uses the situation of the tribes of Zebulon and Naphtali, whose lands were taken over by the Assyrian Empire in 735 B.C. They are, says our prophet, a people plunged into darkness, as every subjugated people lives in gloom and darkness (v. 1). But God will deliver those captive tribes. The light of the Lord's deliverance will shine upon them (v. 2). They will rejoice like those who celebrate a plentiful harvest or like those who divide the spoil from a defeated enemy (v. 3). The yoke of Assyrian oppression will be broken (v. 4) and the equipment of the conquering warriors will be burned in the fire (v. 5). Such are the promises of the first five verses of our text.

But Isaiah does not deal simply with the situation of two Israelite tribes in this passage. He uses them by way of illustration. And then he announces his message to all of Judah, who herself is threatened by Assyria. Judah has no faith in her God. When asked to believe, she has not, and she has said, "No! We will speed upon horses ... and we will ride upon swift steeds" (30:15). In short, Judah will vainly try to save herself, and never mind God. And the result is, that Judah will become a vassal to the might of Assyria for over a century.

That's not too much different from our corporate and individual experiences, is it, when we're always trying to save ourselves? Sure, we believe in God, but we're not going to let him run our lives. This great nation of ours will trust in itself, in its military, its economy, its technology. Those are sufficient against any enemy. And as for us individually, well, we'll go it on our own also, making our own future plans, finding our own self--fulfillments, devising our own rights and wrongs, seeking our own well--being, and trusting God only when we have a little time and it seems convenient.

But can we not say that such views have led us, like Judah, to an awful captivity? Yes, the U.S. is a mighty and prosperous nation, but do you like the state of the nation, with morals a shambles in society and one jam after another internationally? Has peace been secured, and hunger and homelessness overcome, and warfare stilled and all God's earth made fair again? In our own lives, do we have now within our hearts that joy of which our text speaks? Or have broken homes and errant children and anxieties too many to mention undermined all joy and left us restless and disturbed? Have we all become good again - not successful or affluent, but good? Are sin, pride, selfishness, lying, things of the past? And have we solved the problems of our death and our fear of painful dying? Our text for this Christmas Eve announces to us light and joy. Is that what we have at this Christmas time, or are they tinged this day with darkness?

Perhaps the same good news that the prophet Isaiah announces to his people is that which we need to hear in our situation, that knowing our circumstances, our Lord God has nevertheless come to deliver us. No, we are not very faithful people, are we? No, we have not trusted always in God instead of in ourselves? No, we have not sought our life in returning and resting in him. But to our "No" God has said his all--powerful "Yes!" And Isaiah emphasizes that with one little word - "For," because, nevertheless!

"FOR to us a child is born, to us a son is given." And not just any child and not just any son, but rather the one who actually rules our tattered and tangled lives. "The government will be upon his shoulders." He will rule from the throne of David. God has sent his Messiah, his anointed king, his long--awaited Savior. And we no longer have to make our blind way through the darkness of a sin--shadowed world.

We can trust Christ; we can trust the Messiah. Why? Because he is the heaven--sent Wonderful Counselor, who makes careful plans for his world and for us, and who has the power to put those plans into effect. Because he is, in his person, Mighty God, the incarnation of the One who created the cosmos, and who can never be defeated by the power of human sin or the finality of the grave. But oh, how merciful he is, because he is also our Father--Forever, watching over nations and even each of us, and tenderly ministering to all our needs, binding up our hurts, stilling our fears, comforting us in all our suffering, and instilling in our hearts a peace that passes all understanding. Peace, because he also is the Prince of Peace, coming into our war--bloodied world not with sword and battle--cry, but with quietness and confidence and the victorious strength of God.

The Messiah comes to rule our lives, as he came from God on that first Christmas Eve, and now he asks of us but one thing - our unshakable trust in him. Trust that knows that we are not on our own, but that our lives are held secure in his hands. Trust that his is a rule that never can be overcome and that his kingdom will be forever. Trust that love, justice, righteousness are the manner of his rule, and that he wants for us only life and good. Trust that God in his merciful zeal for our salvation has sent us a Savior. That's what Christmas is all about. Trust. And if we have that trust, or will find it this day, Christmas will also be about joy.