A MARVELOUS LIGHT!

IN THE OLD TESTAMENT TEXT, THE ACCOUNT BY ISAIAH, THE PROPHET AND 

PREACHER IS THE MESSAGE OF HOPE AND LIGHT TO A PEOPLE WHO WERE IN 
DARKNESS. GOD APPEARED TO ISAIAH A FEW CHAPTERS EARLIER. IN THE 
CHAPTER, ISAIAH TELLS US THAT IT WAS THE YEAR THAT KING UZZIAH DIED 
AND ISAIAH SAW THE LORD OF LIGHT SITTING UPON HIS THRONE, HIGH AND 
LIFTED UP; AND THE LORD'S TRAIN FILLED THE TEMPLE.

GOD ALWAYS HAS A WORD OF HOPE TO SPEAK TO US WHENEVER WE CONSIDER 
OURSELVES AT A POINT OF ABSENCE OF HOPE.

WE CANNOT SEE OUR WAY--JUST IN THE NICK OF TIME WHEN WE CALL ON HIM 
HE SHOWS UP! TOO OFTEN WE DON'T SHOW UP BUT THE LORD ALWAYS SHOWS UP!

SOMEBODY SAID THAT HE MAY NOT COME WHEN YOU WANT HIM BUT HE IS ALWAYS 
RIGHT ON TIME.

NOW AS WE MOVE TO THE N.T/ SCRIPTURE, FOR FOUR HUNDRED YEARS THE 
PEOPLE OF GOD WERE WITHOUT A PROPHET--THEY WALKED AND LIVED IN 
DARKNESS IN THE NIGHT. THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOW OF DEATH WAS NEAR 
AND FAR!

WAR, HEATHEN WORSHIP, SCOURGE OF THEIR ENEMIES CONSTANTLY WERE ON 
THEIR MIND AND COLORED THEIR EVERYDAY EXISTENCE. IN THE OT, 
NEBUCHADNEZZAR AND THE BABYLONIANS HAD DESTROYED THE CHILDREN OF GOD 
AND TORE DOWN THEIR FAMILIES--WOMEN AND CHILDREN. DEPORTED THEM TO 
BABYLON EXILE AND SUBJUGATED THEM INTO A NEW SLAVERY SIMILAR TO 
EGYPTIAN BONDAGE. DARKNESS AND HOPELESSNESS COVERED EVERY ASPECT OF 
THEIR LIVES. NOW THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF DARKNESS IN THE LIVES OF 
GOD'S PEOPLE

THE TEXT TELLS US TODAY THAT THE PEOPLE WHO WALKED IN DARKNESS HAD 
SEEN A MARVELOUS LIGHT! THE PROPHECY FROM ISAIAH IS GOOD NEWS TO A 
PEOPLE IN DARKNESS. HIS PROPHECY OF THE COMING SAVIOR AND LIGHT 
BRINGER OF LIFE IS TIMELY, RELEVANT AND SPEAKS TO THE CONDITION OF 
EVEN MEN AND WOMEN TODAY WHO ARE STILL IN DARKNESS.!