His Name shall be called Councillor

Whether we should read Wonderful and Counsellor as separate names, or Wonderful Counsellor as a single name, it is clear that His counsel is wonderful. Paul could declare “Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out” (Romans 11:33)! This does not mean however, that we do not have access to these things, to His council. Indeed He has promised to give us wisdom (council) when we can admit that we need it, and then ask Him for it in faith (James 1:5, 6). It does mean that we can never arrive at the place where we no longer need His wisdom and council. Indeed, we will always be influenced by someone's council be it our own, or the World's or His. And in regard to these things, He warns “Woe to the rebellious children, saith the LORD, that take counsel, but not of me” (Isaiah 30:1).

Our need of Him, our dependence on Him goes so contrary to the spirit of rugged North American individualism. But it is consistent with the fact that unless we humble ourselves and become as a little child, we cannot enter the Kingdom (Matthew 18:3,4). A little child knows he has not arrived, knows he does not have all the answers, does not go round saying “I am right and everyone else is wrong.” The World tends to do this, calling everyone intolerant who does not agree with them, not realizing that this stance is intolerant in and of itself. Unfortunately the Church does something very similar, and this breeds an “us and them” mentality,  separates us from each other and the very people we say we are trying to reach. Paul tells us “If anyone thinks that he knows anything, he knows nothing yet as he ought to know” (1 Corinthians 8:1).

One of the things of whose depths we will never plummet, is the concept of what, for want of a better name, we are pleased to call Trinity. The verse we are alluding to this morning (Isaiah 9:6) is one of the clearer part of Old Testament Trinitarian theology. In particular, the name of the Son given, is Councillor (Wonderful Councillor), a Name Given to Holy Spirit. Indeed “The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon Him, The Spirit of wisdom and understanding, The Spirit of counsel and might” (Isaiah11:2). All this is part of the mystery of it all, part of knowing we know nothing yet as we aught to know. However this does not mean that there are not things about which we need to be sure. The writer to the Hebrews list as elementary principle such things as repentance from dead works, faith toward God, the doctrine of baptisms, of laying on of hands, of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment (Hebrews 6:1,2). In regard to these things we must not be ever learning but never arriving at the truth (2 Timothy 3:7).

Father, certainly the mystery of it all is past finding out. Paul asks“who has known the mind of the LORD that he may instruct Him?” But then goes on to say that we have the mind of Christ, and that You have revealed the wisdom of God in mystery by Your Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:16, 7, 10). Thank You Father that You have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children (Matthew 11:25), so teach us to be child like Lord, in Jesus Name Amen.