CHRISTMAS SEASON INTERLUDE

Revisiting Messiah’s Descriptive Names

Part IV: Christ Our Prince Of Peace

(Isaiah 9:6)

Introduction: (To show the need . . . )

A lack of justice and righteousness abounds in key realms in today’s world, and it breeds much unrest:

(1) It occurs in our national elections: “(A) recent poll by Rasmussen Reports and the Heartland Institute” found that “‘(t)wenty-one percent of Likely U. S. voters who voted by absentee or mail-in ballot in the 2020 election” when President Biden ran against former President Trump “say they filled out a ballot, in part or in full, on behalf of a friend or family member, such as a spouse or child, while 78% say they didn’t.’” The editorial that quoted this claim commented: “The mania for convenience in the voting process has had at least two unfortunate consequences. One is rampant voter fraud . . . The other is the provision of opportunities to political animals to convince substantial numbers of Americans that an election was fixed or subject to fraud – accusations that would die on the vine if the vast majority of voters had to present themselves to alert, well-trained poll workers, photo-ID cards in hand, in order to receive a ballot and fill it out in private.” (“‘Convenience’ or integrity?” Ibid, December 19, 2023, p. 6A)

(2) It occurs in traffic law enforcement nationwide: “‘Across the country, the legal mechanisms intended to keep roads safe are failing,’” according to liberal media “Vox in September. ‘In 2021, 42,939 people died in traffic crashes, the highest number recorded since 2005. In 2022, another estimated 42,795 people were killed. During the same period, police in several jurisdictions across the country significantly limited the number of traffic stops they performed’ . . . (B)ut the ‘social justice’ dam is beginning to break . . . (as) even (National Public Radio) can admit depolicing is the source of the problem . . .” (“Legislation endangers drivers,” Ibid., December 14, 2023, p. 10A)

(3) It occurs in academia: “Harvard” University, “regarded by many as the most elite university in the world,” has seen its president, A. Claudine Gay, become “embroiled in a dual scandal following her disastrous congressional testimony on campus antisemitism and the ensuing revelations that she has plagiarized much of her academic work . . . (T)he . . . affair is a perfect encapsulation of the populist movement. While it’s true that modern societies cannot be expected to function without elevating a subset of highly competent individuals, Americans have rightfully lost faith in the country’s so-called meritocratic institutions as they’ve discovered the mediocrity of today’s elites, who wield outsize cultural power while refusing to submit to the most basic level of accountability.” (“Mediocrity reigns at Harvard,” Republican-American, December 18, 2023, p. 7A)

(4) It occurs in the mainstream media: James Bennett testified: “‘The (New York) Times’s failure to honour its own stated principles of openness to a range of views was particularly hard on the handful of conservative writers, some of whom would complain about being flyspecked and abused by colleagues. One day when I relayed a conservative’s concern about double standards to (New York Times Publisher A. G.) Sulzberger, he lost his patience. He told me to inform the complaining conservative that that’s just how it was; there was a double standard and he should get used to it.’” (James Bennett, “When the New York Times lost its way,” The Economist, Dec. 14, cited in “Quotable,” Ibid., December 16, 2023, p. 8A)

Need: So we ask, “If injustice and sin yields a lack of peace this Christmas, what does God want us to do?!”

I. Messiah Jesus Christ, the Isaiah 9:6 KJV “Prince of Peace,” will bring peace to this world in His reign:

A. The Hebrew text’s expression for “Prince of Peace” in Isaiah 9:6 is Sar shalom (Kittel, Bib. Heb., p. 621).

B. This expression better translates as “Ruler of Peace” due to the context of the Hebrew text:

1. The Hebrew words Sar (“Prince,” v. 6b KJV) and misrah (“government,” v. 7a KJV) are both joined to shalom: verse 6b reads, Sar shalom “Prince of peace” and verse 7a reads, hamisrah wulshalom (“of the government and of peace;” Ibid., Kittel; B. D. B., A Heb. and Eng. Lex. of the O. T., p. 976, 978-979)

2. Thus, the opening phrase of verse 7 KJV that reads, “And of the increase of His government (misrah) and peace (shalom) there shall be no end . . .” suggests that Sar in verse 6b is better translated as “Ruler” to parallel the explanation of His “government” as Ruler in verse 7a that will produce endless peace.

3. Sar can mean either “Prince” or “Ruler” (Ibid., B. D. B., p. 978-979), so “Ruler” better fits this context.

II. As the “Ruler of peace,” Christ will bring endless peace in His future world reign by administering “justice” and “righteousness” according to Isaiah 9:7b in the Hebrew text:

A. The Hebrew word for “judgment” KJV is mishpat, better interpreted as “justice,” and the Hebrew word for “justice” KJV is sedaqah, better rendered as “righteousness.” (Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 1048-1049, 842)

B. Thus, Christ will bring endless peace in His world rule by administering justice and righteousness.

III. The use of mishpat and sedaqah in describing a king’s administration in Scripture reveals that the administration of Jesus Christ will uphold the welfare of EVERY INDIVIDUAL in His world kingdom:

A. Both mishpat and sedaqah are used in Jeremiah 22:3 of an administration that delivers one who was robbed by an oppressor, and that protects people who are socially vulnerable to harm like foreigners, orphans, widows and innocent people who can be wronged and murdered by the powerful in a kingdom. (Ibid., Kittel, p. 743)

B. Both mishpat and sedaqah described David’s beloved reign in 1 Chronicles 18:14 and the Queen of Sheba used these two words to describe and praise Solomon’s reign in 2 Chronicles 9:8. (Ibid., Kittel, p. 1360, 1390)

C. Thus, Jesus Christ will produce endless peace by administering justice and righteousness for even grassroots people in His Kingdom, so He will administer justice and righteousness for every individual worldwide!

Lesson: As the Ruler of peace, Messiah Jesus Christ will produce endless peace in His coming rule by administering justice and righteousness for every individual in His worldwide Kingdom.

Application: (1) May we trust in Christ Who died as our Atoning Sacrifice for sin that we might receive God’s gift of eternal life, John 3:16; 1 Corinthians 15:1-11. (2) May we hope in Christ’s coming world kingdom and heed His example now by promoting individual justice and righteousness in the lives of others around us.

Conclusion: (To illustrate the message and provide additional guidance . . . )

While we anticipate the coming world Kingdom of our peace-giving Lord Jesus Christ, there are steps that we can take in promoting His peace-influencing justice and righteousness for individuals around us today:

(1) As for the academic mediocrity in today’s meritocratic institutions of learning as typified in the case of Harvard’s current president, (a) Ephesians 4:25 directs us to put away lying and to speak the truth with our neighbor, so we should always give credit where it is due in citing other sources. (b) Since I Thessalonians 4:11 ESV directs us to mind our own affairs and work with our own hands, in composing written materials, we should perform our own research to gain credit for our work. (c) To excel in school, we must be organized as organization makes up for much of what one may lack in I. Q. (as follows, Luke 14:28-30): (i) To avoid fruitless cramming for tests, a student can read through his notes taken at the end of each class day, reading through them just once. When he adds more notes to those initial notes in subsequent class days, he can read through all of his notes in all of his classes just once at the end of each class day. If he does this every day through the school term, he will be ready for tests! (ii) If one is assigned term papers in various classes, he can make a schedule of preparing those papers at the start of the school term, including the time needed for research, and chart it all out on a calendar so that every day, he does the 5 or 10 minutes of work needed for each paper. When it is time to compose each paper, he will be able to do so without cramming!

(2) As for the injustice in our national elections, (a) Romans 12:17b ESV calls us to “do what is honorable in the sight of all,” so regardless what others around us do, we should strive to show up at voting polls with proper IDs and fill out our ballots in private as a testimony as law-abiding citizens before the world. (b) As for the election results, we need to trust God’s sovereignty as to who is elected to office in accord with Romans 13:1. (c) Meanwhile, as subjects of Christ who will rule with Him in His Kingdom one day, we should do what is just and righteous toward other people around us, especially for those who are vulnerable to harm by oppressors!

(3) As for the double standard by the mainstream media, (a) we should strive to uphold what is true and equitable in the sight of all men in heeding Romans 12:17b, and (b) be careful to use Scripture whenever applicable to discern and to proclaim to others we know what is true versus what is false in the media (cf. 2 Timothy 3:13-17).

(4) As for the increased highway dangers of depolicing policies by political and government officials, (a) we should obey every human institution and law to fulfill our testimony as law-abiding citizens (1 Peter 2:13), what includes heeding traffic laws. (b) Also, we should heed credible, multiple advisers regarding how to conduct ourselves on the highways for our safety (cf. Proverbs 11:14), and (+) many advisers call us to “leave yourself an out” in driving, meaning to function in such a way that we minimize problems for other vehicles on the road! (+) An experienced ambulance driver who taught defensive driving at the Baylor University Medical Center once told me to watch the front tires of oncoming vehicles during emergencies as those tires will indicate what the drivers will do before the drivers know it! (c) Also, we must rely on the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:16-23) to avoid expressing “road rage” if some other driver makes our driving difficult, for “road rage” can lead to great confrontations and trouble!

May we trust in Christ Who died as our Atoning Sacrifice for sin that we might receive God’s gift of eternal life. May we hope in our Lord’s coming world reign in His kingdom and heed His example today in fostering individual justice and righteousness.