To the person sitting in darkness6/22/2023 ![]() ![]() Though the prophecy was about the peoples of Zebulun and Naphtali, it is also true that the birth of Jesus brought light into a world of darkness. Isaiah 9 is often read around Christmas time. He shines brightly in the land of darkness known then as "Galilee of the Gentiles." Instead of coming first to the "well lit" region of Judea, Christ comes first to the people living in darkness. Isaiah's prophecy, though, while writing about the coming of the Messiah, was that a light would dawn in their region. ![]() They had to travel some distance to reach the temple and the dwelling place of God. Second, the people living there were far away from the cultural and religious centers of Jerusalem and Judea. First, their land was much closer to Gentile peoples and thus more vulnerable to attack. This was likely true for several reasons. The people of that land were described as dwelling in darkness under the shadow of death during Isaiah's time. Capernaum and the region around it fell within the ancient boundaries of the Jewish tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali. ![]() Matthew is quoting from Isaiah 9:1–2 to show that Jesus' move to Capernaum on the Sea of Galilee was another fulfillment of prophecy about the Messiah. ![]()
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