Sermon Tone Analysis

This is an incredibly familiar verse, so I want us to think about what we are reading.

These are people in sin, but the application is vivid.

Because of sin the earth is full of

distress

darkness

anguish

I also want you to think of this in context of Hebrews 11.

Isaiah is writing prophecy… things yet to come.

He was writing prophecy to encourage those who had not yet recieved the promise.

We have received the promise.

We have thousands of years of testimony and truth to look back on to back up the prophecy.

How much more then should we be encouraged?

Some versions split the two words - wonderful & counselor

However, most scholars agree that the better translation is that they go together.

The child that was born is a Wonderful Counselor.

The meaning is far deeper than the english language would lead us to believe.

1. Jesus is incomprehensible.

“Wonderful”

Something that is wonderful is great.

It’s extra good.

Our thanksgiving meal was wonderful.

That wedding was wonderful.

Ice Cream can be wonderful.

Hebrew…

Astonishing

Extraordinary

Incomprehensible

The angel of the Lord told Manoah that he would not be able to understand even if He told him.

We really could say - in the original Hebrew - “A wonder of a counselor”

2. Jesus is an incomprehensible strategist.

“Counselor” -

to advise, counsel, purpose, devise and plan.

to purpose, devise and plan is to strategize.

It is far more than someone who give us advise.

an esteemed position that involved giving wisdom and strategy to the king.

The kings closest advisors.

It is one who can properly stand near the king and give advice on how to rule.

Jesus the King needs no advisors.

He is His own counselor and strategist.

He is an incomprehensible, wonder of a strategist.

So incomprehensible that His strategies often don’t make sense to us.

Like spreading the gospel.

1 Cor says it PLEASED God to use the foolishness of preaching.

Like the people He uses.

We also know that He uses the foolish and broken things of the world.

His strategy is not like ours.

Here’s what I mean...

Jeremiah 29:4–14 (ESV)

4 “Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon:

5 Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their produce.

6 Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease.

7 But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.

8 For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Do not let your prophets and your diviners who are among you deceive you, and do not listen to the dreams that they dream,

9 for it is a lie that they are prophesying to you in my name; I did not send them, declares the Lord.

10 “For thus says the Lord: When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will visit you, and I will fulfill to you my promise and bring you back to this place.

11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you.

13 You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.

14 I will be found by you, declares the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, declares the Lord, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile.

This was the master strategists plan.

He had a future plan for them, but for now exile was part of that good plan.

We can’t fathom His strategies.

3. Trust His strategy.

(3) A. Our incomprehensible strategist knows what we need better than we do.

He can handle all the problems that keep us awake at night.

Finances

family

health

job

The reason we struggle with God’s plans is because it doesn’t match ours.

(3) B. Our incomprehensible strategist knows the past, present, and future.

God is writing HIS story.

He is using you and I to do it.

God chose you before your past.

We like to disqualify ourselves because of our past.

God knows the future… not just OUR future.

The story of the Bible.

Is a about God.

We fit in that story is a special way that we can’t comprehend.

Remember Zerubbabel from the book of Haggai.

Given a second chance.

Receiving the grace of God.

So that the Davidic line could be restored and the Messiah could come.

(3) C. Our incomprehensible strategist has a bigger plan than we do.

We cannot comprehend the greatness of God’s plans.

Maybe you don’t like God’s plans.

Maybe God’s plan hurts right now.

Maybe God’s plan scares you right now.

Know this...

His strategies are infallibly and wonderfully right.

No pain.

No gain.

Our pain if for our gain.

If suffering is for our good then suffering will not disappoint and our incomprehensible strategist knows that.

Our plans are futile and small.

We would take away the suffering in an instant.

But God says we will not be disappointed by it.

We rejoice - glory, boast, find joy - because...

Produces or works fully!!

Endurance