Wonderful Counsel

When Isaiah went to Ahaz with counsel, he didn't want it in Isaiah 7. When Isaiah offered him a validating sign, he didn't want it, same chapter. He had his mind made up. He liked his idea of an alliance with Assyria against Israel and Syria. He wasn't a man that was much for counsel from the Word of God. Human leaders and humans in general need counsel from counsellors. One would hope they could have good ones. Today, it seems that they have to choose their counsellors from an eclectic group that "looks like America." After things get really bad on earth, the worst they can get, much because of bad counsel from people who are the type that write most self-help books, then a real king will come to put an end to all of the problems, bring world-wide peace, also someone who would fulfill that sign that Ahaz said he didn't want to see. In Isaiah 9:6, this king is described as a Wonderful Counsellor. In other words, here will be a king who won't need counsel from anyone else. He will speak as One having authority.

Now if you said someone was a wonderful counsellor today, that would mean that he was very sensitive, listened well, had a lot of training and diplomas on his wall, and didn't charge too much. He might also have a comfortable cot on which you could lay down, relax, and think. You know, ventilate, free up your superego. "Wonderful," unfortunately is applied to many things that don't deserve it, including the salad bar at the local pizza shop. As used in Scripture, wonderful would only apply to something supernatural that was obviously enabled by God. The same word translated "wonderful" in Isaiah 9:6 is translated "hard" in Genesis 18, which applied to Sarah having a baby at a very ripe age. Nothing is too wonderful for the Lord. David knew about the kind of knowledge that God had, and in describing it in Psalm 139, he writes that it was too wonderful for him.

"Counsellor" is a Hebrew word that means "one who plans." A wonderful counsellor is someone who had supernatural ability to offer you a plan that perfectly fit for you. No one could do that, but God. And that is just Who this king is, God; actually, the Mighty God, the Lord Jesus Christ. Did you know He wants to start giving you His counsel right now? He wants His Words to dwell in you richly. Most people don't want to hear what He has to say because they have someone who tells them what they want to hear. Jesus, however, knows you better than you know yourself, and He also knows the future, so if you don't listen to Him through His church and His pastors and other Godly people in the church, you will be getting something less than average counsel. So it's your choice. Wonderful Counsel or Just Average, what will it be?