"For You have broken the yoke of his burden and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, as in the day of Midian" (Isa. 9:4).
“If God is supposed to be so loving, why is everything in such a mess?” the angry cry rings out in our world. It's not a question with an easy answer, and it's not a question that can be ignored. The only answer that occurs to me is, “The world is in such a mess because a loving God believes in human freedom.”
Satan is called “the ruler of this world” (John 12:31, 14:30, 16:11) which helps explain its messy state, but who gave Satan control over our world?
In Genesis 1:28, God put the first humans in charge on earth and then gave them the freedom to make choices. The first man and woman believed they were choosing the path of greater freedom when they chose to disobey God. They thought they could throw off the restrictions He'd placed on them. But in so choosing, they followed the serpent's leading and inadvertently made him their master.
Who put Satan in control of the earth? The first humans. And every human since. In seeking perfect freedom, we have all sold ourselves into abject bondage.
Isaiah 9 is a prophecy of the coming to earth of the One who believes in human freedom, not human bondage. His rule is characterized by peace, joy...and freedom. The present ruler of this world seeks to enslave. The only real freedom comes from serving the Prince of Peace.
The only real freedom comes from serving the Prince of Peace...and isn't awesome that it's free to serve him..it doesn't cost us a dime...but what a tremendous price He paid...My Lord, My God....
Hi Connie. I loved the freshness of this article; it was so easy to understand. It makes it easy to tell non-Christians about the situation in this world. : )
