Isaiah 9:1-4
Nevertheless, will be no gloom for her who 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 has made glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations.
2 The people who walked in darkness
have seen a great Light;
those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness,
on them has Light shone.
3 You have multiplied the nation;
You have increased its joy;
they rejoice before You
as with Joy at the harvest,
as they are glad when they divide the spoil.
4 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 is one of the verses I cannot read or hear without deep and abiding realization in the Greatness of the Almighty. The nearness of Jesus to us. The depths of God we cannot fathom. Every time, Isaiah 9 brings learning, warmth and love. Aspects of the Lord are recalled.
Saul was wrong to call up Samuel from his rest. And Saul did regret doing so. I wonder if Isaiah greeted the Magi with the words, "What were you thinking, to knock on the door of Herod. I was clear!" We will never accomplish or reach the Glory of God. Instead, Jesus will reach out to us and pull us to Him. Dearly, knowing us personally and in His Love and Joy.
Mary was probably surprised when the adult Jesus chose Capernaum. Isaiah, not at all. John recognized immediately the Light of the world, the Light of mankind, the Light of the nations.
Unexpectedly, Jesus left the land given to Judah, being of the tribe of Judah and chose Zebulun the last of the six sons of Jacob and Leah (Jacob's tenth son) and the last of the two sons of Jacob and Bilhah (Jacob's sixth son). Least of all. Much further down from Benjamin. Levites are to remain with Levites. Judah, the Tribe of David, you'd expect to remain within. Instead, Jesus sits with the unclean. Leaves the expected, immediately gathers thousands to Him, says Repent and speaks of the Kingdom of Heaven being present and accounted for.
Jesus knows Nathaniel, doesn't trust Himself to mankind, knows what is in them and Saves the world to bring a new Heaven and a new earth.
The ministry of Jesus is immediately filling the entire town and reminding the people of Moses. Moses was living in Midian, shepherding. His father-in-law was a priest of Goodness. Midian isn't supposed to be filled with this. And Capernaum must have been living day to day in the beauty of the Sea of Galilee, while Jesus Christ was a complete and total joy and surprise. Jesus began to heal everyone. Jesus is God. Jesus fills the All in All.
Isaiah is incredibly correct. Impossibly correct. Completely correct. Isaiah has given us the vision of God the Almighty for His Son, Jesus Christ. 700 years before Jesus walks as Grace upon Grace.
Would Jesus leave Isaiah to have the last living word about Capernaum? Jesus builds faith. Increases faith. Jesus is the seed of the Parables and the Tree of Heaven, calling many to live in His Word and be comforted by His Branches.
Matthew 11:23
And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted to the heavens? No, you will go down to Hades. For if the miracles that were performed in you
had been performed in Sodom, it would have remained to this day.
Jesus did not bow down, did not whitewash, did not sanctify this life as filled with holiness. Did not flatter.
Jesus does Love. Jesus offers a way, truth and Life.
Jesus taught part of John's 6th Chapter in the Synagogue in Capernaum. This relief of the Ark of the Covenant is found in Capernaum's White Synagogue.
Deuteronomy 28:9.10
The LORD will send a blessing on your barns and on everything you put your hand to. The LORD your God will bless you in the land
He is giving you.
The LORD will establish you as His holy people, as He promised you on oath, if you keep the commands of the LORD your God
and walk in His Ways.
God of Love. God of encouragement. Capernaum is not recorded trying to throw Jesus off a cliff or stone Him. Jesus will be Jesus and bring good forth. Jesus has an earnest, serious life and yet, the Gospels record Jesus always finds Joy.
Jesus looks to what brings peace and joy and chooses a wonderful portion in hardworking Judea.
Vintage photo of Capernaum, 1800s. The interesting part of 1800s photography of Israel, the populations were about the same as Jesus alive in Judea. Really interesting, so surprising, like Jesus!
Such a pretty town, located in the most fertile Sea of Galilee coast, with views of the Sea. No wonder Jesus chose Capernaum as his adult hometown. (Matthew 4:13 And leaving Nazareth he went and lived in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali.) Remember what causes a ruin. A ruin is caused by devastation, abandonment or prosperity. In devastation, only small parts will be discovered. Abandonment makes the best ruins for archaeology. Prosperity is iffy for posterity, sometimes covered over and preserved, sometimes ripped to fragments.
What do we know of Capernaum architecturally and historically. This is where the Jesus Boat was found in 1986 during drought. An intact ship, the kind dated to the day of grace and truth when Jesus prayed, walked, listened, asked and healed. Where the wealthy, largest home of Peter was used as a Church, as Peter went out to spread the Good News. The graffiti types and messaged date to about identical as the tomb of Peter found 80 feet below the Vatican Altar today (a complete village similar to the photo except underground).
So, what did Jesus' hometown do with the verbal seeds planted by the ministry of Jesus based in Capernaum? Capernaum is a suburb of Kinneret, listed by Joshua as one of the fortified cities in the Naphtali tribe. Capernaum grows up just before Jesus and is a Roman city made in logical grids. When we remember Jerusalem was utterly destroyed by the soon to be Roman Emperor Titus, in 70 A.D., we remember Jesus forgave everyone on the cross. It wouldn't have made Jesus sacrifice and forgiveness for us so majestic, if God had allowed the destruction to occur during Jesus' natural lifetime. The people of Jesus' day lived in mostly orderly rule.
Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. Capernaum - where Luke 4:23 records Jesus did so many miracles and signs, where people knew to look for Him - fared much better than Jerusalem in 70 A.D. Peter's house was overflowing with people coming to worship Jesus after He ascended into Heaven. They even added onto the house to accommodate larger numbers of worshipers and pilgrims.
During the three Jewish Revolts against Rome - still good soil. Capernaum is recorded as being a "fertile spring" by Josephus. Many mills for grain and fisheries are in continuous operation and the town expands.
What would Jesus have said to the new 4th century Synagogue on top of the one where He taught and the new Byzantine Church built over (literally, they did not destroy) Peter's house? He probably would have been pleased they were much more interested in peace. And mixed emotions over a prosperity peace seeking than true peace. Perhaps, perhaps, He would have called this a seed being choked by weeds. Maybe.
Capernaum isn't intact, as we see in the photo. In the 6th century, Persia invaded, the Church and Synagogue were destroyed. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, 6 but when the sun rose they were scorched.
The Persian invasion left Capernaum unmolested, until the 11th century, (WOW) to continue to provide fish and grain. Until later, the town of Capernaum was destroyed, as the Persians continued to be a governing force. And since they had no root, they withered away. 7 Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them.
What do we know of Capernaum architecturally and historically. This is where the Jesus Boat was found in 1986 during drought. An intact ship, the kind dated to the day of grace and truth when Jesus prayed, walked, listened, asked and healed. Where the wealthy, largest home of Peter was used as a Church, as Peter went out to spread the Good News. The graffiti types and messaged date to about identical as the tomb of Peter found 80 feet below the Vatican Altar today (a complete village similar to the photo except underground).
So, what did Jesus' hometown do with the verbal seeds planted by the ministry of Jesus based in Capernaum? Capernaum is a suburb of Kinneret, listed by Joshua as one of the fortified cities in the Naphtali tribe. Capernaum grows up just before Jesus and is a Roman city made in logical grids. When we remember Jerusalem was utterly destroyed by the soon to be Roman Emperor Titus, in 70 A.D., we remember Jesus forgave everyone on the cross. It wouldn't have made Jesus sacrifice and forgiveness for us so majestic, if God had allowed the destruction to occur during Jesus' natural lifetime. The people of Jesus' day lived in mostly orderly rule.
Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. Capernaum - where Luke 4:23 records Jesus did so many miracles and signs, where people knew to look for Him - fared much better than Jerusalem in 70 A.D. Peter's house was overflowing with people coming to worship Jesus after He ascended into Heaven. They even added onto the house to accommodate larger numbers of worshipers and pilgrims.
During the three Jewish Revolts against Rome - still good soil. Capernaum is recorded as being a "fertile spring" by Josephus. Many mills for grain and fisheries are in continuous operation and the town expands.
What would Jesus have said to the new 4th century Synagogue on top of the one where He taught and the new Byzantine Church built over (literally, they did not destroy) Peter's house? He probably would have been pleased they were much more interested in peace. And mixed emotions over a prosperity peace seeking than true peace. Perhaps, perhaps, He would have called this a seed being choked by weeds. Maybe.
Capernaum isn't intact, as we see in the photo. In the 6th century, Persia invaded, the Church and Synagogue were destroyed. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, 6 but when the sun rose they were scorched.
The Persian invasion left Capernaum unmolested, until the 11th century, (WOW) to continue to provide fish and grain. Until later, the town of Capernaum was destroyed, as the Persians continued to be a governing force. And since they had no root, they withered away. 7 Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them.
This provides us with being able to understand so much of Capernaum and the history of Capernaum in archaeology! Jesus has given us the Depths of Capernaum!
And Isaiah wrote about Jesus right here, right here.
Philippians 4:8
Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble,
whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy
—think about such things.
John records Jesus led a life of Joy. We understand as Isaiah 9 tells us of Joy. In His footsteps are Goodness and Mercy.
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