I speak here of Handel’s wonderful Messiah, and particularly, “For unto Us a Child is Born” from Isaiah 9:4-6:

As I listened to this magnificent aria again this evening, my attention turned to a contrast in fathers. To more fully appreciate this contrast you might want to go to this link.

What struck me just now is that The Child that is born to us in context of Isaiah 9 has a number of names, one of which is “Everlasting Father.”

Moses mediated the law to the people of God, and in doing so, took the advice of Jethro. Jethro was a priest of Midian.

In the context of Isaiah 9, Midian is the poster child of the enemies of God’s people – “… for as in the day of Midian’s defeat…” Jethro was also Moses’ father-in-law.

Paul concludes his wrestling match with Law with these words in Romans Chapter 7, “Who will deliver me from this body of death?”

Paul’s deliverer, and our deliverer is This Child that is born to us, “who’s name shall be called… Everlasting Father…”

There’s a big difference between these two kinds of fathers: one of them comes by law, and the other comes by blood.

This season I am particularly rejoicing that His name shall not be called “everlasting father-in-law.”

Surely even back in the “fullness of time” we had had quite enough of that! (Galatians 4:4 & 5)

Love!

• By Jay Ferris, originally posted December 2012.