Light out of Darkness

But there will be no gloom for her that was in anguish. In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he will make glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations.

The people who walked in darkness
have seen a great light;
those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness,
on them has light shined.
You have multiplied the nation,
you have increased its joy;
they rejoice before you
as with joy at the harvest,
as men rejoice when they divide the spoil.
For the yoke of his burden,
and the staff for his shoulder,
the rod of his oppressor,
you have broken as on the day of Midian. (Isaiah 9:1-4)

If this reading seems familiar, it is Isaiah 9 is also the Old Testament reading that was read during Christmas (See: The Child King). However, this reading includes verse 1, and omits verses 6-7. The omission of verses 6-7 from this reading makes the passage less focused on the child who is to be born, and more on the light and deliverance of God’s people, who in darkness and will experience a great light.

The inclusion of verse 1 is significant for the geographical references it makes. Naphtali and Zebulun are both northern tribes, which broke away from the southern kingdom of Judah to form the northern kingdom of Israel. Their territory is located around the west side of the Sea of Galilee. At the time this passage was written, they were at war with Judah, which is mentioned in Isaiah 7-8. Because of this, they are painted in the preceding chapters as the antagonists (see: God With Us).

Despite this, however, God still has a plan for the northern kingdom. God continued to send prophets to the north (such as Elijah and Amos) right up to when they were taken captive by Assyria. In our reading, Isaiah declares that although the people in the land walk in darkness, they will once again see the light, and turn back towards God.

Finally, there is an interesting reference to “Galilee of the Nations” (Galil HaGoyim). This refers to the east shore of the Sea of Galilee, which lay beyond the territory of Israel. By naming this territory alongside Zebulun and Naphtali, we are being informed that God’s plan of redemption extends beyond Israel to encompass the gentile nations.

This brings us to our Gospel reading (Matthew 4:12-23). There, Jesus is shown beginning His public ministry in Galilee, where Zebulun and Naphtali once resided. By quoting Isaiah in connection with Jesus’ ministry, Matthew is letting us know that Jesus is the fulfillment of the prophecy in question. Jesus fulfills Isaiah’s prophecy by bringing light, not just to Israel, but to the nations. In order to walk in that light, we must respond to Jesus’ call: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”