Isaiah 9:6 Christmas Series: Wonderful Counselor Isaiah 9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Intro For the past several weeks we have been working thru an expository stud f Isaiah 9:6. In three consecutive lessons we ve covered everything except the names or titles that Isaiah ascribes to Jesus. This morning we will cover the first of those names: Wonderful, Counselor This is where things start to get interesting from a theological viewpoint as we begin t take the specific language used by Isaiah and scrutinize it for insight into the character of Jesus. The choice of the words used by Isaiah was not his alone but we know from 2 Timothy 3:16 that all scripture is given by the inspiration of God. Another passage (2 Peter 1:21) tells us that holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. The word inspiration used in 2 Timothy literally means breathed. Paul told Timothy that all scripture was God-breathed. Every word was inspired by God as he, literally, breathed upon the men who were recording his word. So the words, and the meanings behind them become very important. We read our bible in English but it was originally recorded in Hebrew and Greek. What we read in English is usually the best possible rendering of the intent and meaning of the words. Sometimes however, there is a deeper, unspoken depth to biblical language that can be uncovered through a study of the original text. We will discover, this morning, that Wonderful and Counselor take on a deeper meaning when you look into the Hebrew. Lets start with Wonderful: Part 1 This Wonderful Child Isaiah s first description of the Messiah was simply that he is Wonderful. Indeed this morning Jesus is wonderful. The glory of who he is and what He has done for us should inspire wonder in our hearts. We have talked for several weeks now about the most awe-inspiring, wonder-filled event in human history. In the person of that child that was born in Bethlehem and laid in a manger, God became a man.
This, in and of itself is full of wonder. You cannot really ponder that incredible truth this morning without some sense of wonder in your spirit. God became a man. The Lord of all the Universe was wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger. The one that owns the cattle on a thousand hills and wants for nothing, surrendered himself to the arms of a teenager mother and relied upon her to meet all of his basic needs in life. What a wonderful savior we have, what an amazing grace he has shown us. This is the wonder that the angel declared when Joseph was told, in Mat 1:23, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. This is the wonder that Paul shared with Timothy when he said, in 1 Timothy 3:16, And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory. If you were to attempt to sum Jesus up in a single word, wonderful would have to be on your short list of candidates. He is wonderful in who he is, in the glory and beauty of his very nature. It is a wonder to understand that he was born of a virgin. It is a wonder to comprehend that he is both God and man in one person, that he would have both the nature of a man that would be tempted via his flesh and the nature of God that would speak to the wind and the waves as the master of all that is and ever will be. It is a wonder to grasp the fact that he was completely God and completely man, at the same time. The qualities of his character are so full of wonder: his love for people; his sympathy for the sheep that had no shepherd; his humility, meekness, and patience; his wisdom, conduct, and compassion. The gospel accounts relate the wonder of his life: the wise men that followed a star to worship this child; the way Joseph and Mary spirited him away, escaping Herod s plan to kill him; and the way he disputed with the theologians at the temple at the age of 12. His life was a continued series of wonders: his baptism in the Jordan; his temptations in the wilderness; his doctrines and miracles, and his transfiguration on the mountain. His death was also filled with wonder: that he who is the Lord of Glory would die at all is wondrous; and that by his death he brought us life -- the world knows no greater wonder. Our hope of salvation is fully vested in his death, burial and resurrection and all of it this morning is filed with wonder: he died, was buried, laid in a borrowed tomb, for he is the only one that as the power to borrow a tomb and then return it in three days. The wonder of his resurrection is beyond our ability to tell: they sough him among the dead, but he had risen with the keys to death, hell and the grave.
Unto him all power was given to set the hopeless captive free. How wonderful our savior is this morning. If we never delved any further into it, just the wonder of his life, the wonder of who he is and all he s done should be enough to inspire us to worship and adore him. We truly have a wonderful savior. Part 2 This Wonderful God However, as I ve already mentioned this morning, there is a greater depth to the original language that remains unseen b the casual observer. To flesh that out we need to visit another passage of scripture for a moment. I ve mentioned, multiple times in this study, that the patriarchs of old often inquired about the name of God. On each occasion I ve refrained from going into the examples of this inquiry because of the restraints of time. However, this morning, it will be beneficial for us to look at one such inquiry. Manoah, the father of Sampson, had an encounter with the angel of the Lord in Judges 13. When that encounter was concluded Manoah said to his wife, in verse 22, we shall surely die, because we have seen God. Manoah recognized that the angel of the Lord that he was having an encounter with was God, much the same as Joseph did at Bethel. Once Manoah realized who he was dealing with, that insatiable desire to know the name of God got the best of him and he enquired, in verse 17, 17 And Manoah said unto the angel of the LORD, What is thy name, that when thy sayings come to pass we may do thee honour? The response is what interests us this morning. 18 And the angel of the LORD said unto him, Why askest thou thus after my name, seeing it is secret? The word secret is translated from the Hebrew word wonderful. As a matter of fact, when I looked the verse up in a modern translation the ESV renders it this way: "Why do you ask my name, seeing it is wonderful?" This is important to us this morning because when the original Hebrew audience read the Hebrew passage of Isaiah 9:6 and cam across the word wonderful ascribed to the child that would be born in Bethlehem, they understood that this word, wonderful, was how God described his own name to Manoah. Just as much as the terms Mighty God and Everlasting Father make the reader aware of the diety of this child, so also does the word wonderful cause the original reader of this text to reflect upon the hidden name of the one true God. While Isaiah was relating to us how wonderful, awe inspiring, this child would be he was also communicating in biblical language that this child was, indeed, God manifest in the flesh and that his name, the name given unto him, would be the wonderful name of God that Manoah, Joseph and other sought after for so many years. This morning we should praise him for he is truly wonderful!
Part 3 The Counselor Isaiah goes on to speak of him next as a counselor. That child that was laid in a manger is our Counselor: Jesus is the only one that is qualified to direct our lives And he is a great resource to you as a counselor in the midst of life s struggles. When you ve got nowhere else to turn, you should take great confidence this morning in the fact that you can turn to Jesus. Take your cares, your worries and your burdens to the master in prayer and there you will discover the wisdom of his counsel. As we kneel in prayer, as we cast our cares upon him, his sweet grace overshadows us and the comfort of his presence ministers to us. How many times have we found direction when we stopped to pray? How many times have we received a much sought after answer when we turned our hearts to Jesus and inquired of the great counselor? Isaiah said that the child that was born at Bethlehem was a counselor, and my friend, how often we need a counselor. And not just any counselor, but a righteous counselor who gives counsel we can trust. 2 Samuel 13 tells us that Amnon had a friend named Jonadab who counseled him in hw to seduce his half sister Tamar. It was the ungodly advice from this supposed friend and counselor that ultimately lead Amnon to his death. We have no shortage of counselors in this life, you don t have to look very far to find someone that is willing to tell you how you should handle a particular situation or circumstance. However, what we lack is the same thing the Amnon lacked, and that is Godly counsel. We have a lot of friends like Amnon had that would merrily lead us down the path to destruction with their counsel for our lives. What we need this morning is a righteous counselor, one who speaks truth, and leads us in the paths of righteousness. Can I tell you this morning, that the greatest counselor you have is embodied in the person of Jesus Christ. He s the one you should consult before every major decision. He s the one you should turn to as you endeavor to work thru life s problems and opportunities. He s the one that will provide you with direction, meaning, and purpose for your life. This morning, we need a counselor, we need the counsel that Jesus brings to us. Consider this, it was by a Counselor that this world was ruined. Satan disguised himself in the serpent, and counseled Eve with subtle craftiness, that she should partake of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, in the hope that she would become like God.
It was this evil counsel that provoked Eve to sin and further caused Adam to purposefully rebel against his Maker in order to remain with his bride. Eve, the scripture said, was deceive, but Adam sinned willfully, with his eyes wide open, understanding what he was doing. So, by the counsel of the serpent, and the complicity of Adam, sin and death were loosed in this world. How wonderful is the grace of God! What was set in motion by an evil counselor, Isaiah said, would be corrected by the righteous counselor. My friend, we need a counselor in our lives. We need to know that there is one we can turn to in times of trouble that we can trust. We need to now that there is one that can provide us with direction and wisdom that we can lean on. Isaiah has declared to us that Jesus is that counselor. His counsel will withstand all scrutiny, extend to every generation and remain forever true. o Psalm 33:11 - The counsel of the LORD standeth for ever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations. His counsel is always available to us and will guide us: Psalm 73:24 - Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory. His counsel never wavers and is never withdrawn Hebrews 6:17 Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath Immutable means unchangeable. God s counsel doesn t change. How many times have you sought advice only to find that the advice that you are given keeps shifting and changing with the circumstance. The counsel of Jesus is unchanging, he is the same yesterday, today and forever. The key to living a blessed life, the Psalmist tells us lies in the source of your counsel: Psalm 1:1-3 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shallbe like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. If you want to prosper in this life, build your life upon the counsel of righteousness, that unchanging counsel of Jesus. The writer of Colossians tells us that (Col 2:3) Christ is the mystery of God, in whom are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge hidden. Want wisdom and knowledge for your life? Turn to Christ, for in him all the wisdom and knowledge of God is hidden. We have been given a great counselor, one that we can turn to in times of trouble and one that we can trust to guide us and direct us at all times in our lives.
Part 4 The Wonderful Counselor Once again, however, the original language gives some further insight into the passage. First of all, many scholars believe that the words Wonderful and Counselor were intended to be read together as a single phrase where wonderful modifies counselor the same as the other phrases in the verse: the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father and the Prince of Peace. As a matter of fact the Greek translation of the Old Testament that the disciples, and particularly Paul, studied and quoted from contains that kind of translation of Isaiah 9:6 where Wonderful Counselor is a single title. This kind of rendering takes nothing away from the fact that he is wonderful and he is couselor but rather applies the wonder of Jesus to his counsel casing us to see again just how amazing the counsel of Jesus really is. Just as wonderful as his birth, his life, his death and ressurect, o also is hi counsel wonderful. This rendering also agrees well with Isaiah 28:29 KJV This also cometh forth from the LORD of hosts, which is wonderful in counsel, and excellent in working (wisdom ESV). Further insight is to be gained from the original language from which the word Counselor is translated. The word does not mean simply an advisor, but rather it implies someone who makes a plan that he intends to carry out. Isaiah 25:1 reads in the KJV O Lord, thou art my God; I will exalt thee, I will praise thy name; for thou hast done wonderful things; thy counsels of old are faithfulness and truth. That word counsels I from the same root as counselor and is translated in modern translations as plan. The same reading from the Amplified Bible says: O LORD, You are my God; I will exalt You, I will praise Your name, for You have done wonderful things, even purposes planned of old [and fulfilled] in faithfulness and truth. The ESV puts it this way: O LORD, you are my God; I will exalt you; I will praise your name, for you have done wonderful things, plans formed of old, faithful and sure. What Isaiah is saying when he calls this child the Wonderful Counselor is that he is more than just an advisor in our lives. He is the one who made the plan and set the events of our lives in motion. And he is the one that will carry his plans through and bring all things to completion. We can trust his counsel because he is the one that sees the end from the beginning. Remember this, there is nothing that happens in your daily life that wasn t first devised in heaven. The footsteps of a good man are ordered by God and no trial or temptation ever enters your life that God hasn t already made a way for you to come through it.
God directs our lives and orders our paths, where else would you turn in times of uncertainity? Remember the Hebrews who wandered in the desert for 40 years. In a relatively small wilderness, they wandered about as they were led and directed by God. If you could trace their route on a ma you would find them zig-zagging over the same piece of real estate over and over again. To the casual observer it would seem to have been a pointless directionless existence but it was divinely directed by God and what appears crooked and convoluted to us was a direct path and a straight line to God. He was taking the Isrealites on more than just a journey from point to point but also a journey of faith where they would grow in their faith and reliance on him. He was establishing a people that would place their trust in him and allow him to govern their lives. Sometimes the events of our lives seem convoluted and confused and we can t make any rational sense of what is going on but rest assured, my friend, that God has a direction and plan for your life and he is taking you on journey that is to him a straight path from where you are now to where he wants you to be. You can trust him this morning to provide you with counsel and direction as you make your way through this life. For he is the Wonderful Counselor. Close Isaiah said of this child in Isaiah 11:2 And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD; This is the Wonderful Counselor, the Might God, the Everlasting Father, and the Prince of Peace. Wonderful Counselor means that the child that was more than just wonderful, more than just a counselor, but he was a wonderful counselor. The Ancient of Days, the one who knows the end from the beginning, the one that cannot lie yet speaks of things that are not as though the were. That child that was born in Bethlehem was god manifest in the flesh and he possessed the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of Counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. This morning, the wonderful counselor is here. You may simply want o praise him for his wonder or seek him for his counsel but whatever you need from him today, he is here. Why don t you come together and let us call on his name.