December 23 - Isaiah
Gather
Make the room as dark as possible and then light a candle. Spend some time looking at it and thinking about the difference that light makes in the darkness.
Isaiah 9:2 says ‘the people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned’.
Isaiah’s message was to help people see their way out of the darkness of their lives. Apart from night time what dark things are there in our world today?
Engage
Yet again God’s people had forgotten all the great things that God had done for them. They were still having services in the Temple, but they were more concerned about looking good than following God’s rules. God needed someone who would remind the people of all that he had done, who could warn them of what would happen to them and tell them of the great future that God had planned.
Isaiah had a dream, and in it he saw God in all his majesty and power surrounded by fierce looking angels. It was all very scary and Isaiah realised that he was simply not good enough to be even there. Then, in his dream, one of the angels touched his lips as a sign that he was forgiven for all the wrong things that he had done.
Isaiah heard the voice of God asking who would act as a messenger, and volunteered for the job. He was to be the person to remind, warn and encourage the Hebrew nation.
Bad things would happen to them, but God had a great future in store. He was going to send his Messiah who would change everything and allow everyone to become friends with God again.
Respond
The symbol of today is a sword and a hammer, because Isaiah’s message was about peace.
Literally turning weapons into farm tools. Isaiah also had a message about the Prince of Peace, Jesus.
Isaiah 9:6
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.
Listen to these words being sung as part of Handel’s Messiah
Send
God asked ‘Whom shall I send?’ Isaiah answered, ‘Here I am, send me’.
Where do you think God wants to send you to do what? And are you willing to go?