The Counselor

Counselor

Isaiah 9:6

In the culture of the Indians, one’s facial expressions and characteristics were used to choose their name. Here are a few examples:

Yellow beard

Deer kill

Eagle Eye

Buffalo face

Sleepy Eye

Red cloud

Blackhawk

Rain-in-face

Sitting bull

All of these names were given and chosen because they told something about themselves. God was no different when He gives the names for Jesus in Isaiah 9:6

· The Second name that God gives for Jesus is counselor.

· Many people place the first two names together instead of seeing them as two separate names. The flow of names seems to follow an adjective/noun type pattern. Notice: Almighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. So they think wonderful counselor is one name. The problem with that is, the Bible just does not say that and the Hebrew language has them as distinct names.

· Wonderful is the first name of Christ, and He is wonderful. Christ has been set apart/distinguished from all men and all gods. Because He is wonderful and he is a counselor; He is a wonderful counselor. In fact everything Christ does is wonderful.

· The word counsel in the Bible means to advise, to deliberate or resolve. When this word, Counselor, is used of Christ is means “one who gives counsel.” The word denoted honorable rank; one who is suited to stand before princes and kings as their advisor.

1. What does the Bible says about the Counsel of Christ?

Jeremiah 32:19 - Great in counsel, and mighty in work: for thine eyes are open upon all the ways of the sons of men: to give every one according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings:

Psalms 33:11 - The counsel of the LORD standeth for ever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations.

Proverbs 21:30 - There is no wisdom nor understanding nor counsel against the LORD.

Job 12:12-13 - With the ancient is wisdom; and in length of days understanding. With him is wisdom and strength, he hath counsel and understanding.

Isaiah 25:1- 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.

Isaiah 46:10-11 - Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure: Calling a ravenous bird from the east, the man that executeth my counsel from a far country: yea, I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it.

2. What words come to mind when I think of the counsel of Christ?

Wisdom

Proverbs 8:12-30

Romans 11:33-34 - O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counseller?

· Jesus is the wisdom from the Father

B. “Logos”

· He was intimately acquainted with the counsels of God from eternity, and he gives the counsel to the children of man!

· God gave us counsel through Christ!

· He is the wisdom of the Father!

Truth – Word of (eternal/this) life

Judge

1 Corinthians 4:5 - Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.

3. What has man done with the counsel of God?

A. Psalms 2:2 - The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD

Acts 4:26-28 - The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ. For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together, For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done.

B. Luke 7:30 - But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves, being not baptized of him.

C. Jude 25 – The Godless world crucified “the only wise God our Saviour”

D. Today the unbelieving world still rejects His counsel

E. But wait many times even the believers of this world reject the counsel of God!

1. The chose to go their own way!

2. God’s way is clearly defined in his word, the Bible!

3. “Even those who love Him and truly want His counsel all too often fail to go to him for wisdom and guidance! We are self-willed, impatient, forgetful to our utter dependence upon Him who “doeth all things well” – Louis T. Talbot (a godly old time preacher)

4. What does God say about man rejecting his counsel?

Isaiah 30:1-3 - Woe to the rebellious children, saith the LORD, that take counsel, but not of me; and that cover with a covering, but not of my spirit, that they may add sin to sin: That walk to go down into Egypt, and have not asked at my mouth; to strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh, and to trust in the shadow of Egypt! Therefore shall the strength of Pharaoh be your shame, and the trust in the shadow of Egypt your confusion.

· Although the Bible is speaking directly to Israel and is speaking directly about Egypt, We are likened to Israel and Israel is likened to the World

· In fact, in the Bible Egypt is a type (picture) of the World.

· God is saying that we sometimes take counsel, not of Him, but from the world! He says to us, Woe!

· This word “Woe” means to cry out after. It has the feelings of longing for someone to return.

· Why does this bother God so much? Notice what God says about the counsel of Egypt!

Isaiah 19:3-4 - And the spirit of Egypt shall fail in the midst thereof; and I will destroy the counsel thereof: and they shall seek to the idols, and to the charmers, and to them that have familiar spirits, and to the wizards. And the Egyptians will I give over into the hand of a cruel lord; and a fierce king shall rule over them, saith the Lord, the LORD of hosts.

· God has turned Egypt over to a fierce King!

· If Egypt is a type of the world, who is the fierce King to whom God has turned over this world? The Devil

· The Wisdom of this world is of the Devil. Even the greatest of knowledge, the greatest of morals of this world is of the Devil. It is not of God.

1 Cor 3:19 - For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God.

· God speaks of this in the first Psalm.

Psalms 1 - 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 shall be 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. The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away. Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.

5. What will you do with the counsels of Christ?

Will you reject Christ’s counsel:

· The counsel that can bring you eternal life

· The counsel that can help you grow

· The counsel that can keep your strong

Or will you embrace them:

· Today your can have eternal life

· Today you can return to God, forsake the counsels of this world that you have grown to trust and love.

· Today your can praise His name for being the only wise Counselor, and continue to live according to His counsels!