People Wey Dey Waka for Darkness

Imagine di darkest night wey you don ever see. No moon. No stars. You no fit see your own hand. Now imagine say light dey break for top di hills. No be candle. Na one big light, wey dey flood di whole land.

Isaiah dey talk for Jerusalem, about seven hundred years before Jesus. For up north, di land of Galilee don suffer well-well. Di tribal lands of Zebulun and Naphtali, around di Sea of Galilee, na dem first fall when di armies of Assyria rush enter. Dem burn towns. Dem carry plenty people go Assyria as prisoners. Dem put foreigners for dia place. Dem come dey call Galilee, Galilee of di nations, one mixed border land wey full with sorrow. For di chapter before, Isaiah describe people wey dey waka up and down with wahala and hunger, dem dey look up and look down and na only darkness dem dey see. Then, from inside dat darkness, God give Isaiah one song of hope.

“But darkness no go dey again for di one wey suffer.” Before, God humble di land of Zebulun and Naphtali. But for future e go make am glorious, for di way of di sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of di nations. And then: “Di people wey dey waka for darkness don see one big light. Di people wey dey live for di land of di shadow of death, light don shine for dem.” Di very place wey first suffer go first see di light. And di light bring joy. Isaiah talk say e go be like di joy of harvest time, when dem dey gather crops. Like di joy of soldiers wey dey share treasure after dem win war.

Why dis kind joy? Because di oppression don break. Isaiah talk say God go break di yoke wey dem dey carry, di wooden bar wey oppressors put for dia shoulder, as e do for di day of Midian. Dat na di day, long time before, when Gideon and just three hundred men see one big enemy army as dem run with confusion. Then every boot of di soldier wey dey march, and every cloth wey dem roll inside blood, dem go burn am as firewood. No need for war tins again. Di enemy equipment go enter fire. But how all dis one go happen? Through army? Through one strong hero?

No. Through one baby. “Because dem don born one pikin for us. Dem don give us one son; and government go dey for im shoulder.” Di shoulders wey bin carry di oppressor yoke now dey see one pikin wey carry di government. “Dem go call im name Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Four names. One counsellor wey im wisdom dey make person wonder. One God wey mighty. One papa wey no get end. One prince wey dey bring peace. “Im government and peace go dey increase and e no go get end, for David throne, and for im kingdom.” And who go make am happen? Isaiah last line: Di zeal of di Lord of armies go do am. God own passion go do am. Seven hundred years after, one man from Nazareth go live for Capernaum, one fishing town for di side of di Sea of Galilee, for di old lands of Zebulun and Naphtali. And Matthew talk: di people wey sit for darkness see big light.

Di picture wey Isaiah paint about Galilee darkness match history. Second Kings record say for di days of King Pekah of Israel, Tiglath-pileser, di king of Assyria, come take di towns of Galilee, all di land of Naphtali, and e carry di people go Assyria as prisoners. Historians put dis war around seven hundred and thirty-two before Christ. Galilee na di first part of Israel wey enter darkness.

People wey dey waka for darkness. You go find am for Isaiah chapter nine, verse one reach seven. Where di shadow first fall, na there di light first shine: one pikin wey dem born, one son wey dem give, di Prince of Peace. So see one question wey you go carry dey go. Any dark place dey for your life, or for di life of somebody wey you know, where you fit ask Jesus make e bring im light?