Now when Jesus heard that John had been arrested and put in prison, He withdrew into Galilee. And leaving Nazareth, He went and dwelt in Capernaum by the sea, in the country of Zebulun and Naphtali-- That what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be brought to pass: The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, in the way to the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles [of the peoples who are not of Israel]-- The people who sat (dwelt enveloped) in darkness have seen a great Light, and for those who sat in the land and shadow of death Light has dawned. Matthew 4:12-16 [AMP]
For Jesus this was a time of great sorrow and anguish. He had heard that John the Baptist had been arrested and put in prison for preaching the Truth. So He withdrew into Galilee fulfilling what the prophet Isaiah had spoken (in Isaiah chapter 9 v 2), many years before.
The people of Zebulun and Naphtali literally saw our Saviour – Jesus, the Light of the world, walking, preaching the good news and performing all kinds of miracles.
Earlier on in Isaiah 9:1, the great prophet Isaiah had said these words:
BUT [in the midst of judgment there is the promise and the certainty of the Lord's deliverance and] there shall be no gloom for her who was in anguish. In the former time [the Lord] brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time He will make it glorious, by the way of the Sea [of Galilee, the land] beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations. Isaiah 9:1 [AMP]
These same words are being fulfilled every day in our lives. The world is under judgment because of sin which began in the Garden of Eden. You may be living a life of uncertainty and fear of the unknown. Everywhere you look, there is so much darkness. Your loved ones may not be saved, and prayers including God’s word now seem meaningless. It looks like there is no hope. But in the midst of this judgment, “there is the promise and certainty of the Lord’s deliverance”.
For those in pain, agony, distress, sorrow and suffering, the promise still remains that “… there shall be no gloom for her …in anguish”
Just as it appeared as if Jesus came to Zebulun and Naphtali due to distraction from what had happened in the “natural” to John, in the spiritual realm, Jesus will always come to fulfill what was written in the written word.
Did He not promise in Hebrews 13: 5 that: “I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. [I will] not, [I will] not, [I will] not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let [you] down (relax My hold on you)! [Assuredly not!]?
Throughout scripture God wants to be believed. Today pray for everybody you know to be in need, including yourself, that their faith may not fail and that they will keep on believing God
Farai Mutsambiwa
Read the Bible in a year: Proverbs 21: 27–22: 6, Isaiah 8: 11-10:19, 2 Corinthians 8:1–15
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