Wonderful Counselor
Today we move to Isaiah 9:6 in our study of the names attributed to the Messiah:
The first of these titles/names is perhaps the most confusing of the four. Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace all speak clearly of the deity of this Son, but Wonderful Counselor seems out of place; at the very least it appears to not speak as strongly concerning the deity of the Baby. Or does it? (You were expecting a trick question here, weren't you?
)
Actually, it does speak very strongly of the deity of the promised Son. But first, some context! Isaiah 9:6 is encompassed by political and governmental language. At the time of this prophecy, Israel was about to be invaded by the Assyrian armies. That would mean the loss of freedoms, loss of land, and the loss of national independence. But God is promising that there will be a Son to reign on David's throne whose reign will last forever.
Now to the name: While the word Wonderful is adequate, it is probably not best. The reason I say that is because Wonderful is an adjective but the word in the Hebrew language is a noun. Thus, it is probably better to translate the word as Wonder. The way this word is used in the Old Testament tells us that this Child is not merely an extraordinary human being, but One who in every way is a Wonder. He goes beyond our thinking and imagination...He is God Himself.
Consider another verse for a moment: "And the Angel of the Lord said to Him, 'Why do you ask My name, seeing it is wonderful?'" Judges 13:18. The Angel of the Lord is the Lord Jesus Himself (before He came to earth as the promised Son), and He identifies Himself as having a name that is incomprehensible, beyond understanding. Perhaps for this reason He is called Wonder by Isaiah.
The counselor part of the name is a little simpler. In the context of Isaiah 9 this has a government and military connection. This Child will be a Wonder of a ruler, governing and leading and counseling unlike any human king. Compare Isaiah 28:29: "This also comes from the Lord of hosts, who is wonderful in counsel and excellent in guidance."
At one point in their history, Israel desired a king in order to be like the other nations around them. There is a problem with human kings, though--they are imperfect, sinful, and generally unwise. God's promise to Israel is a Son...His own Son...to be their perfect, eternal King. He is a Wonder...He is a Wonder of a Counselor.
Application: Israel was to be encouraged and strengthen by the hope of this promise from their God. They were to look at this verse and have their faith invigorated. Assyria was coming and with them a host of other issues. But wait...God promised them a Wonder of a ruler! He was coming, and with Him eternal freedom, perfect government, and perfect wisdom in the perfect Ruler. In light of that, Assyria didn't matter. They could hope in their God.
Where is your hope? Do you get caught up in the happenings of our world? Do the actions of our country/state/society cause stress and worry in your life? Why? Your King has come! There is no need for worry or fear--trust in this Child. He is your God; He is far beyond your comprehension, far beyond even your imagination. He is perfectly wise and all-knowing, and yet He is the Wonder-Child born for you.
"For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."Each of the names ascribed to the Child in this verse are couplets--that is, they are pairs of words placed together to form a descriptive name. Some translations have five names (making "Wonderful Counselor" into "Wonderful" and "Counselor"), but grammatically it is better to only have four (thus, "Wonderful Counselor" as in the NKJV).
The first of these titles/names is perhaps the most confusing of the four. Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace all speak clearly of the deity of this Son, but Wonderful Counselor seems out of place; at the very least it appears to not speak as strongly concerning the deity of the Baby. Or does it? (You were expecting a trick question here, weren't you?
)Actually, it does speak very strongly of the deity of the promised Son. But first, some context! Isaiah 9:6 is encompassed by political and governmental language. At the time of this prophecy, Israel was about to be invaded by the Assyrian armies. That would mean the loss of freedoms, loss of land, and the loss of national independence. But God is promising that there will be a Son to reign on David's throne whose reign will last forever.
Now to the name: While the word Wonderful is adequate, it is probably not best. The reason I say that is because Wonderful is an adjective but the word in the Hebrew language is a noun. Thus, it is probably better to translate the word as Wonder. The way this word is used in the Old Testament tells us that this Child is not merely an extraordinary human being, but One who in every way is a Wonder. He goes beyond our thinking and imagination...He is God Himself.
Consider another verse for a moment: "And the Angel of the Lord said to Him, 'Why do you ask My name, seeing it is wonderful?'" Judges 13:18. The Angel of the Lord is the Lord Jesus Himself (before He came to earth as the promised Son), and He identifies Himself as having a name that is incomprehensible, beyond understanding. Perhaps for this reason He is called Wonder by Isaiah.
The counselor part of the name is a little simpler. In the context of Isaiah 9 this has a government and military connection. This Child will be a Wonder of a ruler, governing and leading and counseling unlike any human king. Compare Isaiah 28:29: "This also comes from the Lord of hosts, who is wonderful in counsel and excellent in guidance."
At one point in their history, Israel desired a king in order to be like the other nations around them. There is a problem with human kings, though--they are imperfect, sinful, and generally unwise. God's promise to Israel is a Son...His own Son...to be their perfect, eternal King. He is a Wonder...He is a Wonder of a Counselor.
Application: Israel was to be encouraged and strengthen by the hope of this promise from their God. They were to look at this verse and have their faith invigorated. Assyria was coming and with them a host of other issues. But wait...God promised them a Wonder of a ruler! He was coming, and with Him eternal freedom, perfect government, and perfect wisdom in the perfect Ruler. In light of that, Assyria didn't matter. They could hope in their God.
Where is your hope? Do you get caught up in the happenings of our world? Do the actions of our country/state/society cause stress and worry in your life? Why? Your King has come! There is no need for worry or fear--trust in this Child. He is your God; He is far beyond your comprehension, far beyond even your imagination. He is perfectly wise and all-knowing, and yet He is the Wonder-Child born for you.
posted by Pastor Jason | 8:30 AM
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