The text for our sermon this evening, as we contemplate the names of Jesus given to us from this chapter in Isaiah, Isaiah chapter nine, the first reading each evening.
Tonight, we’ll contemplate Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, but especially the term “Counselor” Where does that come from? What is the context? Why is the word “Counselor” a wonderful name for our Lord.
So may God’s grace, mercy and peace be unto you, from God our Father, from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God. We also see that term, that phrase, “Counselor,” mentioned in our Romans 11 reading. A counselor is someone who gives advice, gives counsel. And so today in Isaiah chapter nine, it brings the people relief to know that God is a counselor, because they had plenty of bad counselors, bad kings. But the Lord is always faithful in giving the gospel as the chief counsel. The counsel that we need to hear to stay faithful, to persevere in the faith is the Gospel.
We need to be on the lookout for temptations of bad counsel. Bad counsel that leads us to sin, or bad counsel that encourages sin that we get wrapped up in. “Wonderful Counselor.” Now, for our Isaiah nine reading, it’s going to take a little bit of historical context to bring you up to speed–where things are at. So bear with me here a little bit, and it’ll make sense why, when, in Isaiah nine, the people hear Wonderful Counselor, they’re very much looking forward to this, this Son, the Savior, who’s going to be coming.
In Isaiah nine, the context of this reading is for Israel. Israel had a king, and his name was Ahaz. This was God’s people, and Ahaz, well, he’s kind of in a bind. He’s at a point where he has to make a very important decision, and he needs good counsel. He needs good advice on knowing what to do. Israel is in political turmoil. There are foreign forces all around them threatening to invade. Not only that, but the other kingdom of God’s people, their brothers, they are threatening to invade them as well. So Ahaz now has to decide, because these foreign invaders, they’re offering Ahaz a truce.
They’re offering Ahaz a truce–that if he will bow down to them, if he will give to them the treasures that are in God’s house, if he would bow to their authorities, well, things would be okay. But before all this, God warns Ahaz, “King Ahaz,” he says, “Ahaz, I am your protection. I will be with you.” So now Ahaz has a predicament. Is he going to make a truce? Is he going to make peace, try to barter a deal with these foreign nations so they don’t attack him? Or is he going to say, “I’m going to trust God?”
Of course, from Ahaz’s perspective, as he looks with his eyes around him and sees the world superpower standing at the gates–to Ahaz, it doesn’t seem so clear on what he should do. Kind of like us, when we are facing difficult decisions, sometimes it’s not always clear what path we should take in life. Well, Ahaz, it’s not clear to him because he isn’t heeding God’s word. Remember what I said earlier. God had already instructed Ahaz on what to do. In chapter seven, when Ahaz, the king, hears of these foreign invaders, God sends the prophet to him and says to him, “Ahaz, be careful. But you can be quiet. You can put away all your fears. Do not let your heart grow faint, even though these foreign forces have devised evil against you, it shall not stand. It will not come to pass.”
God counsels Ahaz. Essentially, God says, “Ahaz, don’t worry about it. I’ve got your back. You’ve seen all the wonderful deeds. You’ve heard of them in all the history of Israel.” But something for us to take away from this–that God sends the Prophet and tells Ahaz, “I know what you’re facing.” Something we can glean from this is that when God is speaking to Ahaz, God knows exactly what is troubling Ahaz. God knows what is happening, in Ahaz’s life and the life of Israel. God knows the very thing that Ahaz is fearful of, and this is part of the reason God is a Wonderful Counselor.
God knows all things. God knows, not only what was scaring Ahaz, but he knows what scares you. God knows the doubts and the thoughts that plague your conscience. When you can put on a good smile or carry on day-to-day, but inside you’re hurting very much. God knows the things that plague your thoughts; the bills, the unknown, job security, health, the future. The wonderful thing about God coming to Ahaz in Isaiah seven and nine is that it tells us that the unknown is known to God.
And even with a king like Ahaz, who was not a good king, God still wants to assure him that God is trustworthy, he is a good counselor. God knows the dangers that lurk. God knows even the dangers that you don’t see because you maybe are blinded by one thing or another. And think of this too. God also knows the dangers that you think are so good. The things that the devil dangles in front of you that you think are just wonderful and think is exactly what you need. You have a heavenly Father that knows it’s dangerous for you, and so he will even protect you from what you want.
God knows what the threats are to your life and your faith. And as God affirmed to Ahaz, he also promises you, “I know what’s standing at the gates, and you have nothing to fear.” He’s a Wonderful Counselor.
And this is the first part of Jesus’ name, that we consider here in Isaiah nine. Wonderful Counselor. He knows all things from eternity, even born as an infant. God himself in the flesh, being born, he is omnipotent. But when He comes as man, he sort of puts all his wonderfulness, that omnipotence, that stuff we wish we could be like God, that the devil tempted Adam and Eve. But even that wonderfulness, His omnipotence, that’s not what saves us.
It’s not what saved Ahaz. God warns Ahaz again in chapter seven, he says, “if you’re not firm in your faith and trust in Me, you will not be firm with anything.” God says, “Ahaz, if you don’t trust me to be your protector, your warrior, then you will fall.” But God’s Kingdom is not threatened. It is Ahaz’s earthly throne that God is warning him about. God is not afraid that his kingdom is going to be weakened by a weak king. God’s kingdom isn’t threatened by a king who, unfortunately, is going to listen to bad counsel.
Ahaz doubts. Even if no one would trust and believe in God, His kingdom would still persevere forever. Even now, because Jesus Christ is crucified and raised. But what God desires for Ahaz is that he would take his counsel and live. God desires that Ahaz would live by faith. This will save not only Ahaz’s soul, but this also will save all the people of the kingdom that Ahaz is ruling over that are subject to him. Because, you see, even though Ahaz knew the wonders of God, Ahaz, in the end, turned his back on God.
He tried to make a truce with those foreign nations, and he lost everything. Ahaz turned from God’s promises in chapter seven of Isaiah, when God said, then, “Ahaz, I will give a sign to you, even though you are going to reject me, there will be a sign to show you that I am trustworthy. Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and they will call His name, ‘Emmanuel,’ God with us.” And this is what is interesting about this text in Isaiah seven–is that even though God knows Ahaz is going to reject Him, God still gives him the promise. He says, “Ahaz, even though you are going to fall, even though you are going to sin, I will not leave my people without hope. I will not leave them without a testimony.”
What did God give Ahaz in this time of his unknown? First, he rebuked Ahaz. He says, “Ahaz, if you rebel against me, I will bring a day upon you and your people, a day of terror that has never been seen.” But then, even though Ahaz turned from faith, God still gives the Gospel for his people. Even though the people have been led by a bad counselor, Ahaz, a king who took wicked counsel, the good news is that God would act. That God himself will be the Wonderful Counselor, the Almighty God, that God will speak counsel. The wonderful aspect of God is not just that he’s going to tell Ahaz how to defeat God’s enemies. But in this promise of the of the Messiah, Ahaz and all the people are promised their sins will be defeated. Their doubts. Because so often we are like Ahaz. We do falter. We do know the wonderful works of God. We’ve read them. We were brought up with them in Sunday School. We hear God’s counsel, but we are weak.
Our sinful flesh will get the best of us, and we look around like Ahaz. We doubt or we think we can handle our sins on our own. We think we know the plan of life and how it should go. We think we can win the fight against our flesh instead of repenting and living by faith. Because these enemies that are coming to Ahaz and all the battles of the Old Testament, they’re all pointing to the great battle. The battle of good and evil won by Jesus on the cross.
This is all connected to that prophecy. “Behold, a virgin shall conceive.” The death and resurrection of Jesus shows us that God is trustworthy. He is the victor over our sins. So tonight’s reading from Isaiah nine is addressing the people who are suffering because of Ahaz’s unfaithfulness. Isaiah nine presents a contrast to bad counselors. That Jesus Christ not only comes to die for us, but then He gives us good counsel. Just as God counseled Ahaz, your Savior counsels you through his word, the Gospel is the counsel that we need in a time of doubt.
That’s the point of God coming to Ahaz and stressing faith, saying, “if you are faithless, you will fall for anything.” Even though Ahaz wouldn’t see this Messiah, this child born all the generations after him, when the child is born, if Ahaz would have trusted God, His faithfulness would have been celebrated.
If Ahaz would have trusted God and not partnered and trusted in false gods and kings and politicians, then the people too would have been spared being led into slavery. If you notice, how Isaiah chapter nine started. It said to people who are in darkness. And for us too. We may not be kings over kingdoms. We may not be over many people, but you do have a place where God has called you to serve. And nonetheless, just like Ahaz, God calls you to live by faith. And not just that these things took place on the cross with Jesus, but we believe everything he did was for our sake. For the forgiveness of our sins. Ahaz needed to hear the mercy and love of God, and so do we. We need to be reminded that Christ is Emmanuel. God with us.
So Advent now is a time for you to remember this story of Ahaz. To slow down. While the rest of the world gets caught up in the hustle and bustle of shopping and Christmas. We’ll get there, but first we ponder. We contemplate why it is this child had to be born. What is His kingdom like? He’s a wonderful counselor. It’s a time for us to slow down and see how we have been like Ahaz and doubted. To see how even our sin has cast darkness on others. As you see the light on the Advent wreath this Advent, remember verse two, “those who dwelt in the land of deep darkness on them a light has shined.”
But pray that God will use you to be a light. Pray that God would save you from following Ahaz’s path into unbelief. You have enemies all around you. They are tempting you to not listen to your Counselor. Pray as we count the Advent candles as they’re being lit. Our Psalm today has a perfect verse, “keep steady my steps according to your promise, and let no iniquity get dominion over me.”
And may the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen.