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NASB | Isaiah 9:6 For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Isaiah 9:6 For to us a Child shall be born, to us a Son shall be given; And the government shall be upon His shoulder, And His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. [Is 25:1; 40:9-11; Matt 28:18; Luke 2:11] |
Subject: what does the scripture mean? |
Bible Note: Jesus lets us know that following him will involve pain, that the Christian life is not a life of ease. Living for him will bring us into conflict with others, and I suppose that the sword is a symbol of conflict. This is only one of the many difficulties that one experiences because of his association with Christ (Luke 9:23;John 15:18). It is apparent that conflict within the family is quite painful for some people; painful to see and painful to experience (Jeremiah 15:10). And Jesus explains what he means by continuing to say that there would be divisions within natural families because of him: “a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law“ (Matthew 10:35). The language does seem strange because Jesus seems to be saying that he came for that purpose, to set us one against the other. Other Scriptures state that his purposes were otherwise (Luke 19:10; John 10:10). I suppose that he is saying, not that he desires these conflicts, but that these conflicts are an unavoidable consequence of his coming (John 16:33; 2 Timothy 3:12). True, as mommapbs has said, he does give personal peace (John 14:27). This peace is beyond human understanding (Philippians 4:7), and it reigns in the heart in spite of the conflicts. The believer has personal peace, and even joy, even when his family may misunderstand him and reject him. He will love them and want to be at peace with them, but his faith often makes that impossible. Unbelievers can be hostile and resentful towards believers. In some cultures it can be severe. That, I suppose, is the sword. Whether there should be conflict among believers is another matter. Within the household of faith, we are commanded to be at peace among ourselves (1 Thessalonians 5:13). We may not know exactly what difficulty tip is having with the statement quoted in the question, but this writer hopes that these thoughts, added to those that our sister has already given, are a useful contribution. |