A Land "Treated With Comtempt"

Isaiah now alludes to one of the worst of the cataclysmic events that come upon the descendants of Abraham:  "The obscureness will not be as when the land had stress, as at the former time when one treated with contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali and when at the later time one caused it to be honored-the way by the sea, in the region of the Jordan, Galilee of the nations."  (Isaiah 9:1)  Galilee is a territory in the northern kingdom of Israel.  In Isaiah's prophecy it includes  "the land Zebulun and the land of Naphtali" and also "the way  by the sea," an ancient road that ran by the Sea of Galilee and led to the Mediterranean Sea.  In Isaiah's day, the region is called "Galilee of the nations," likely because  many of its cities are inhabited by non-Israelites."  How is this land "treated with contempt"?   The pagan Assyrians conquer it, take the Israelites into exile, and resettle the whole region  with pagans, who are not descendants of Abraham.  Thus the ten-tribe northern kingdom disappears from history as a distant nation! -2 Kings 17:5, 6,18, 23, 24.

Judah too is under pressure from the Assyrians.  Will it sink into a permanent  "obscureness" as did the ten-tribe kingdom represented by Zebulun and Naphtali? No. At a  "later time," Jehovah will bring blessings to the region of the southern kingdom of Judah and even to the land formerly ruled by the northern kingdom. How?

The apostle Matthew answers this question in his inspired record of the early ministry of Jesus. Describing the early days of that ministry, Matthew says:  "After leaving Nazareth, [Jesus] came and took up residence in Capernaum beside the sea in the districts of Zebulun and Naphtali, that  there might be fulfilled  what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet, saying:  'O land of  Zebulun and land of Naphtali, along the road of the sea, on the other side of the Jordan, Galilee of the nations! The people sitting in darkness saw a great light, and as for those sitting in a region of deathly shadow, light rose upon them.' " -Matthew 4:13-16.

Yes, "the later time" foretold by Isaiah is the time off Christ's earthly ministry.  Most of Jesus' earthly life was spent in Galilee.  It was in the district of Galilee that he began his ministry and started to announce:  "The kingdom of the heavens has drawn near."  (Matthew 4:17)  In Galilee, he delivered his famous Sermon on the Mount, chose his apostles, performed his first miracle, and appeared to some 500 followers after his resurrection.  (Matthew 5:1-7:27; 28:16-20; Mark 3:13, 14; John 2:8-11; 1 Corinthians 15:6)  In this way  Jesus fulfilled Isaiah's prophecy by honoring "the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali."  Of course, Jesus did not restrict his ministry to the people of Galilee.  By preaching the good news throughout the land, Jesus 'caused to be honored' the entire nation of Israel, including Judah. 

Next time: The "Great Light"

From the Book Isaiah's Prophecy Light for all Mankind