Imagine the lights go out and they don’t come back on. It is a time of darkness. This is how the prophet Isaiah describes the kingdom of Judah during the late 8th Century BC. Isaiah 8 says they could only see distress and darkness and the dimness of anguish. No, it wasn’t a miraculous eclipse, nor had they run out of oil for their lamps. It was a time of darkness politically, economically, and spiritually. Isaiah 9:1-7 promises a great light shining in the darkness. This is a birth announcement written 700 years ahead of time. The birth of Jesus would bring light to darkness, not just for ancient Israel, but for all of us. We all have dark nights of the soul. Jesus brings light to our darkest places.