Auto Generated Transcript
Well, if you’re open to the book of Isaiah, I’m going to give a little bit of a backdrop. And so for the next couple of weeks leading up into Christmas, we’re going to be focused on just one verse of the Bible and the application that it makes throughout all of Scripture for us. And that verse comes in Isaiah chapter nine and verse six. And it’s particularly important to us as body of believers today, because this text in general deals with the idea of the Messiah coming at the time that we celebrate, which is Christmas. If it’s the 25th, I don’t know, right? But it’s the time that we celebrate and the Messiah who is to come. And the promise of that delivery of a future Messiah begins in the Old Testament, in the book of Genesis, in chapter three. And the particulars of his arrival are given throughout Scripture to the point that even in the life of Isaiah, Isaiah gets very specific in the coming of Jesus and what it is to look like, and even to the point of his death. Isaiah 53 is very descriptive in that. And the interesting thing about the book of Isaiah is Isaiah is written over 700 years before Jesus comes on the scene, and we have copies of the book of Isaiah that date hundreds of years before Jesus arrives. And you probably heard of the Dead Sea Scrolls. Isaiah begins his prophecy and he’s called in the Bible the major of the major prophets, meaning this the reason he’s called a major prophets, not because he’s so good at being a prophet, but because he was very wordy.
Your Old Testament when you look at your Old Testament. The latter half of the Old Testament is broken down into into five major prophets and 12 minor prophets. If you ever study your Bible, you’ll you’ll understand as you read it that you’ll read some of the history in one book and go on and read that same event later in another book. And it’s because your Bible’s not put together in a chronological order. It’s put together according to literary genre. And the last 17 books of your Old Testament are the prophetic books in Isaiah being the major prophet to kick off the prophetic books, the the five major prophets are the five longer prophets in the beginning, and the 12 minor prophets are the books that are smaller. Those guys are men of few words, right? The ones you probably read before you read the bigger ones makes you feel good. I’ll write a book. But Isaiah. Writes his prophecy hundreds of years before Jesus and the. The significant point into the writing of Isaiah comes to to to captivate our minds when we when we realize the time period in which Isaiah is writing this portion of Scripture. Isaiah is writing about the middle of the eighth century BC. And Israel is at a place in their history where they’ve become weak.
The people of God have strayed from the Word of God. And rather than pursue after God, they’re pursuing after men. And the nation of Israel, rather than looking back to God for their strength, began to look to outside sources to help them in their moments of need. Trusting in other nations in their weakness, to supply them with what they needed as a people rather than looking to God in Isaiah, looks upon the nation of Israel and uses his text as a form of encouragement to them. The climate of Israel is weak in its spiritual relationship to God. Matter of fact, when you open the book of Isaiah and you read very early on in the chapters of Isaiah, Isaiah begins to share with the nation of Israel that the northern kingdom, the northern tribes of Israel, are about to go into captivity. The northern tribes of Israel had partnered with Syria to to become a more powerful place, and the Assyrians are about to get angry with the northern tribes of Israel and lead them into captivity. And Isaiah four warns and predicts the captivity of the northern tribes of Israel. To this point in the nation of Israel, there had been a civil war that had existed, dividing ten tribes in the north and two tribes in the south. And when you read about it in the text of Scripture, it often refers to the northern tribes as the tribes of Ephraim or Israel, and the southern two tribes as the tribe of Judah.
And Isaiah, particularly in his prophecy that he gives in this book he’s given to the southern tribes of Judah, saying, listen, we we are still a people that need to pursue God. And what’s about to happen to the northern tribes is a warning to us that we need to look to Christ for our strength, or we need to look to look to God for our strength rather than to look to man. Israel had become a weak nation. Isaiah desired for them to find themselves merry in their relationship with God. And and if we’re being honest in Isaiah chapter nine and verse six, really to have a merry Christmas based on what God was about to do. Isaiah records in chapter seven and verse 14. There’s lots of wonderful chapters in the book of Isaiah. Isaiah chapter six, the calling of Isaiah. Isaiah chapter 14. The description of of Satan. Isaiah 53. The death of Christ on the cross. Isaiah 42 to 45. That includes the Grand Council of there only being one God, there only ever being one God who will ever exist. And in chapter seven, Isaiah begins to lay out for the people of Israel this, this hope that is coming to them for the Messiah or through the Messiah that will lead the people in the nation of Israel.
There was a reason to hope. The nation of Israel, feeling weak in that moment, asks Isaiah, give us what kind of sign could, could God give us to even indicate to us that we have any hope if we put our trust in him? He starts in chapter seven and verse 14. A virgin shall conceive, and she shall give birth, and he will be called Immanuel, which literally means God with us. There is hope. Because there is a messiah who’s coming. And he will redeem his people and set his leadership as the foundation to the world and govern all nations from the covenant people of Israel. Isaiah goes from chapter seven into chapter nine, explaining the joy of the Messiah who is to come, and in particular in chapter nine gets more focused on what his arrival will do. And he gets to verse six and he gets and he comes to this pinnacle moment in describing what the Messiah will be like. And he says in verse six, for a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us, and the government will rest on his shoulders, and his name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, and the Prince of Peace. And quickly. This morning, I’m going to give us just a breakdown of what this passage means to the people in the time of Isaiah’s life, and then we’re going to make application for us. And what this means for the Christmas season for us as people who desire to pursue Christ.
Isaiah says, and in this beginning chapter he says, for for a child will be born to us. Literally, I identifying that this child will who will be born, is born from the covenant people, the nation of Israel. If you’re looking for the Messiah, he’s coming from us. The nation of Israel is saying he will be born unto us. And the description given here is this incredible sight of this Messiah, and what he will do in the and the word choices and the imagery that Isaiah gives at the end of this passage. And he and he goes on to say, A son will be given. Meaning while this child is born physically in the nation of Israel, at the same time, this son will be given from the father as a gift. In the New Testament, we we’ve gathered this terminology and come up with this, this hypostatic union of the coming of the Messiah, that Jesus in his arrival was both fully God and and fully man. He was born as a child. He was given as a son from the father. It tells us in John chapter three and verse 16, he is the only begotten of the father, which literally means of the only kind of the only essence. When you look at Jesus, you see the makeup of the Father in him, because God’s imprint is in him.
He is God. Isaiah tells us. He is both born and he is given. He is both humanity and he is both deity. Second Samuel. The promise to David was this your house to the king, David. Your house and your kingdom shall endure before me forever. Your throne shall be established forever. The reason this promise could be given to David is one who would take the throne, whose reign would last for eternity. The humanity of the King would come through the throne of David, and the deity of the king would cause that kingdom to endure. He even tells us in the book of Matthew concerning the the birth or excuse me, the book of Luke concerning the birth of Jesus. It says he will be great and will be called the son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and his kingdom will have no end. He is both humanity and he is both deity. The Bible goes on and describes a child will be born in Isaiah nine six, a son will be given and the government will rest upon his shoulders. The appropriate application of this text is specifically dealing with the reign of the Messiah, meaning there is a promise in which Jesus will fulfill at his second coming, in which Christ will set up his throne and govern and rule this world.
When we think about leadership, we think about government. When we think about rulers, we look to Jesus. And he alone sets the precedent and dictates to this world the way it will be governed. The application to the nation of Israel is in those moments as they feel weak. Jesus will come. In Jesus will reign. From the nation of Israel will reign with him at the coming of this Messiah. To us today, the application can still be drawn that the government does indeed rest upon the shoulders of this king. In fact, Romans chapter 13 specifically declares to us. That Jesus is still in control. See today, though we don’t see him raining. God works particularly through the leadership of this world to to determine and make sure that his plan will, will become, will come to fruition through his reigning and governing of all people. Romans. Chapter 13 even goes on and tells us that as the government looks like it’s resting upon the shoulders of man, it’s still resting in the arms of God. And God calls us to be people that pray for our leaders. Knowing that Jesus is still in control of government, though we don’t particularly see him reigning. One day we will see him reigning in position as leader of all of the world. The reminder is this to us. Jesus is still in control. Well this morning, maybe the encouragement from this portion of the tax to us, as people would say this, rather than complain about your country or leaders, how about praying for your country and leaders? I’m one of nature that particularly believes this, that it doesn’t matter who is in control.
We can’t legislate change. Because the problem with the country rests in the people, and the problem with the people rests within their hearts. No matter what piece of legislation you pass, the power of prayer is by far more powerful. It penetrates the hearts of people by calling upon our Lord. The government rests upon his shoulders. And you know the king who is in charge. And God calls you to pray for those in leadership positions that God may intervene on our behalf. Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government rests upon his shoulders. And the text goes on further to say that if if you have the right people in the right position, life tends to go the right way. And so he says this about Jesus. You as people, you you need hope in this Messiah. And just so you understand how much hope he brings into your world, if you need direction, he’s a wonderful counselor. If if you need power to protect you from those around you who might harm you, he is almighty. If you need someone to look after you forever, he is the Everlasting Father. If you need rest for your soul, he is the Prince of Peace.
I love what Isaiah does in this portion. It’s as if he goes through chapter seven, chapter eight, chapter nine. He gives this this description of what this Messiah is going to do in the nation of Israel. And then he gets to this moment and he just says, you know what I’m going to do? I’m just going to say these powerful words, and I just want your soul to take rest in the thought of what Jesus is going to do in your life. So the nation of Israel to this point. If you read the first nine chapters of the Book of Isaiah, it tells us that they’re not seeking after wisdom. In fact, the wisdom of the nation of Israel that can be found in the nation of Israel is being ignored. They need wisdom. We need to know what to do. We need counseling in our lives. And so Jesus is that wonderful counselor. We we need protected. We need to know everything is going to be all right. Jesus is the almighty God. We need to know someone looks after us and that they can’t. They’re not just going to stop tomorrow, but that it’s going to sustain forever. And Jesus is the eternal Father. I need rest for my soul in the midst of turmoil. And Jesus is that Prince of Peace. Isaiah uses these powerful words to to communicate to us this word, imagery of what the Messiah will fulfill for us when he comes to this world.
Jesus has called the Wonderful Counselor in this passage of Scripture, so that you and I can both recognize what is counsel is really worth. The Bible translates in the Hebrew language. This wonderful counselor is also exceptional or distinguished. It means to us when Jesus speaks. If there’s one place you should listen, it’s when Christ has something to say. It helps us to see the worth of who he is by recognizing his counsel. You know, when I first became a believer, there was this hunger in my life to get to know Jesus more. It was really it was strange for me because to that particular point of, of of my life, I thought when it came to to Jesus, it was just really about church and religion. And now all of a sudden I put my faith in Christ, and I just had this hunger to want to grow in my relationship with Christ. And so I started going to some people and I kept saying, you know, I want to I want to know more about Jesus. What do I do, man? I want to get closer to him. I mean, how does that happen in my life? And they said, you know, you know what you’re saying. There’s a word for that. It’s called disciple. Whoa. There’s a word for what God’s doing. And there’s a word for the way that I’m feeling on the inside is is to be a disciple.
And I remember the person that’s explaining to me said, yeah, that’s what he did with the 12 that followed them. They were they were called the disciples. I mean, that’s that’s that’s what it means to follow after Christ. I’m thinking, that’s cool, man. Jesus. The same thing that he’s done in me, he’s done in other people. There’s like this, there’s this hunger when you come to know him, to draw close to him. And I remember that individual handed me a book and it was called The Master Plan of Evangelism. It was a discipleship book. And I started reading it. I was thinking, yeah, this book is going to give me the answers of how to get closer to Christ and and got to chapter one. And do you know what it told me? The number one rule. For being a good follower in Jesus. Being a disciple. Just being a good listener. You don’t take time to listen. You’re never going to see the brilliance of his wonderful counsel. I think that’s what Isaiah means in this passage of Scripture. And before Jesus can really begin to work in your life the way that Jesus desires to work in your life, you’ve got to calm and quiet yourself before him to hear what he even has to say. You think of people in our lives, they just fight Christ. But just a quieter soul and recognize.
Because you need direction. Nation of Israel. You’re so weak right now because you don’t understand the brilliance of the counseling that Christ can bring into your life, and he can’t even begin to share what his plan is for your life, because you haven’t even quieted your soul before him to listen to what God has to say. Jesus desires to speak to you. That’s the implication of the name. Isn’t it wonderful, counselor? I mean, what kind of counselor would you be if you just sat silently all the time? Jesus desires to speak to you. And when he speaks, it’s it’s it’s not just words like someone else would say hoping that they can fix the situation. His wisdom is exceptional. His wisdom is distinguished. It’s it’s wonderful. It’s brilliant. It’s exactly what you need to hear. Do you know there’s a verse in the Bible for that approach to discipleship? James 119. Let every man be swift to hear and slow to speak. There was a point in my life where, um, I thought I had to get real spiritual in every text that I read. And so I remember I was on a Bible study with somebody and we were reading this thinking, man, what? What does this mean? You know, like Plato pondering it or whatever. And and being from West Virginia, we have a real, um, blunt way to place some things sometimes and, um, and sometimes inappropriately.
But but the person looks up to me and says this. He says, um, it’s saying this, Nathaniel. Opinions. They’re, they’re they’re all like rear ends. Everyone has one and they stink. Right. And that’s what James is saying in this passage of Scripture, what you have to say that you think is so important in light of what Christ has to tell you, it’s far more important to listen to Jesus. Well, sometimes you’re prettier with your mouth closed. Most of the time, right? We all have the right to have an opinion. Just keep it to yourself. And that’s exactly what Israel needed to hear. Proverbs 18 says this A fool finds no pleasure in understanding, but delights in airing his own opinion. You know why I think this is important? To recognize the identity of Jesus being a wonderful counselor this morning. This is simply give you a warning and say. I can be dangerous. I mean, if I don’t say what Bible says, it is dangerous. Remember in the beginning of the Garden of Eden, when Adam and Eve were tempted of the fruit? Do you know what Satan said to them? Did God really say that? Surely God didn’t say that. Either the fruit, surely he didn’t say. Anytime we ever stray from the truth of what God desires to communicate to us, it’s dangerous. That’s why this morning when when we opened up Isaiah in the beginning of the text, I simply broke down what the text is saying.
The government’s going to be on his shoulders. It has a practical application to the nation of Israel when Jesus will reign, but still relevant to us today. You’ve got to see it in context before you begin to apply it to your own lives. Because if you don’t, it’s it’s dangerous. When people give you their opinions and advice, it can be dangerous. But when Jesus opens his mouth. It’s wonderful. Council. Councillors desire, and even counseling is for the ability to be heard. Counseling implies that God wants to communicate to you. And God desires for you to see the brilliance of what he has and the plan that he wants for your life. And it’s wonderful. Can I tell you this morning if if your approach to Jesus in the past hasn’t been an observation of a Jesus who was wonderful, maybe. Maybe someone has pushed you into a corner of pursuing a Christ. That may not be the biblical Jesus. Sometimes religion gets associated with Christ, and the Christ that comes out of religion just isn’t that wonderful. Matter of fact, it’s really not Christ centric at all. But to listen to Jesus and to spend time with his counsel, it makes it wonderful. Counseling implies that he desires to communicate and get this. I think we recognize this morning that we as people. Like to communicate as well. And being made in his image. Just maybe, God had this crazy idea that this inner relationship would exist between humanity and God, where God would communicate his counsel.
And knowing we’re creatures of communication, we might in return communicate to his glory as its being made known through the wonderful counsel that he gives to us. It’s a crazy concept, isn’t it? God made you in his image as a creature who communicates because God is a creature who desires to communicate to you. God desires to share with you and have you respond to him. And so the the practical question that you look at maybe in this text this morning would say you we would say to each other, well then how how does that happen? Jesus being a wonderful counselor and me to experience that relationship with him, how exactly does that play out in life? And, you know, this morning I could I could go into a gamut of ways for us just to understand and live in light of that relationship with Christ. But I’m I’m just going to focus on a few. But I would say this before I share, no one wakes up in the morning and says, I cannot wait to do so many stupid things today, right? I would think we would agree with that. I can’t wait to live like an idiot, you know? Nobody wants to be a fool. That’s Proverbs would say. And so our desire would be to live in light of good counsel, to reflect wisdom in our lives, and recognizing that Jesus then brings forth that wisdom to us.
The question that we should carry is, how can we grab a hold of that wisdom? You think about that and the implications of of your life personally, but but not just your life alone. Because if you’re a human being this morning, you have influence. I hope everyone is. You have influence in this world. You, you you recognize that in your life you have relationships in which you you can influence and encourage in light of who Christ is. And so not only does it become important for you to understand God’s wisdom in your own personal life, but but the but the idea of carrying that wisdom into this world becomes significant and demonstrating God’s glory, so that the rest of the world can grab hold of the wisdom of God. I heard somebody say once. I want to be an encourager. And they were asking this older, wise man. He said, I want to be encourager. And how do I know that someone needs to be encouraged? And the guy just looked back at his wisdom and said. If they’re breathing. This wonderful council isn’t just intended for you to sit on it. It’s intended for the world to hear. The council in which Isaiah’s promising to the people isn’t just for one person in Israel, it’s for the nation of Israel. How does God give us her wisdom? The answer is really simplistic in the Christian faith, and most of you could probably write all these down and be like, we’re done with today, but I want to throw out some of these thoughts and some some new ideas and thinking to this.
But some of the ways in which God communicates to us. Are you ready for this? Number one is this word. You know the important thing about recognizing the Bible? Is that the beauty of the way God desires to communicate is one. He was able to write it down, which says to us as people, his truth is so timeless and perfect that it doesn’t change. And the good part about it is, is when God desired to communicate it, he communicated it in such a way that he didn’t wait for the individual just to be able to physically hear from God, but he communicated a central truth for the whole world so that all of us could look at it together, and then we could determine, based on our reaction to it, if we really got what the text was saying. Does that make sense? Jesus communicated in his word, the Bible, so that we as his church could have a self corrected method of understanding of whether or not the church has a concept of what Jesus desires for us to know. It’s incredible the way that God would do that. Then God writes his timeless truth down so that when I go read the book of Ephesians and make application of life, and the church reads the book of Ephesians and makes application life, the understanding of the book of Ephesians should be the same, because God’s truth is timeless.
It’s a self corrective way for us as a body of believers to make sure we as people understand what God is really desiring to say to us. Second Timothy 316 even says this to us. I like thinking about the idea of Timothy in this passage of Scripture. Paul’s writing his very last letter to Timothy, traveled all over the world with Timothy. Timothy planting these churches. Timothy is just a young guy who’s become a pastor of this church, and I can see him just so nervous thinking, I can’t wait till Paul comes back, because I don’t know if I can do this. You know, it’s scaring me. All these people standing up on Sunday morning or whatever. I don’t know what he thought, but he was a I just get this idea of timidness based on the way that Paul writes to Timothy. And then Paul writes this last letter. You sitting there reading it, thinking what? I’m on my own. How am I going to figure this out? And within the letter, Paul writes this particular verse to Timothy and says this all scripture. Is inspired or literally breathed out by God. And profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training and righteousness.
And what Paul is saying to Timothy. Timothy, listen, the answers are right there. You don’t need my wisdom. You need the Lord’s. On the place that you get it is his word. And if you’re serious about seeing the wonder of his counsel. And that’s where you’ll be. Now, the interesting thing about the Bible, when you start to read it, is when you begin to read the Bible. At first you think that you’re reading the Bible. But what you begin to discover is that the Bible is really reading you. So I’m of the thought that when it comes to God’s Word, that God’s Word is what’s inspired, not me. God’s words. What changes hearts? It’s not me. It’s a spoken word is it’s able to penetrate our lives. And so as you begin to read the Bible, the Bible really begins to read you. You know, when I first started reading God’s Word to discover the wonderful counsel of his. And even today, there are passages that just blow my mind. How does that work? I’m in the Old Testament right now that that is NC 17. You know, David carrying around foreskin and and stuff happening in Sodom and Gomorrah, two angels I don’t even want to talk about. And the Song of Solomon, it’s like, what does God want to put that in the bedroom and leave me out of this? I mean, it’s both. Thought provoking. Tough. Encouraging for your life.
That was always the I grew up in sort of a religious type background. So when I first came into the Bible, I thought, you know, I’ve got I’ve got to read this, to read it, to say I did it right. The Bible in a year, let’s do it. It’s New year, it’s coming up. Who’s with me? Okay, you’ll tell off by Leviticus, right? But. But that gumption. You know, I got to say, I did. I got to get to heaven and tell God the achievement has been done, sir. You know, I’ve read through your word, man. You know, I’ve noticed as I’ve gone through the Bible. Is it really God’s purpose of writing the Bible? I think it’s a good thing to get the Bible and read it for a year, but but not to read it to say you read it. To read it, to spend time with the wonderful counselor. I used to look at those challenging passages and just blow right through them. Wow. That’s not for me. It’s for someone else more brilliant. Keep going, keep going. You know. You know, now, I’ve learned in my life to delight in those. Take time to say, you know, if God’s really communicated this, there’s something important about it. And his camp in those moments, and just dive into that text and understand what God really wanted to say. Not only does God give you his word, but he’s also giving you prayer.
You think the way that the wonderful counselor communicates to you is the Word of God, and the way that you communicate back to the wonderful counselor is through prayer to God. You know, the prayer is important for the life of the believer because this is what it teaches us to stop. To stop and pause before God Almighty and to check yourself. The quiet your heart. When it comes to God’s wonderful counsel. There’s no understanding of his wonderful counsel without quieting yourself. And prayer gives the introduction to your spiritual life of pausing before his greatness. Do you know, I find out in my life when it comes to prayer, when I kneel down before God, or whatever posture I take laying on the floor, standing up, whatever. My initial thought is, now what am I going to talk about to God? What does God even care about? I love the way that that John says it when it when he talks about prayer, he says in first John five, this is the confidence which we have before him, that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. Prayer is the avenue that sinks my heart to God. Do you see that in this text? Meaning my concerns I bring before the Lord? But what I’m really interested in when I come before God in prayer, is seeing this world the way that God desires to see this world, or the way that God does see this world, so that I can join in him in what he desires.
I mean, prayer isn’t about inviting God to do what you want. Prayer is about joining God in what he desires to do. And so we listen to God through His Word and we communicate back to God through prayer. The last thing I’ll share is this. God has also given you his church. I shared briefly the importance of church as it relates to God communicating. We become a self-corrective environment. Meaning, when I read God’s Word, you read God’s Word. We can talk about it together to see if we’re understanding what God really desired to communicate in the passage of Scripture. So no one in here goes crazy, right? Want everyone to be sound and godly thinking. But God also created his church as a place where the rubber meets the road. Meaning this. You shouldn’t measure yourself by what you know, but rather by the practice of what you know. Jesus created his church as a place for us to come and demonstrate what the wonderful Counselor has said to us as people. Its meaning this is there a connection through what God has said to me being lived out in my life for him? Rubber meets the road. Am I demonstrating? Like I understand what Jesus had to say? It’s not just words stuck in the air for my mind to comprehend, but for my heart to live.
Matter of fact, in Jesus’s last moments, last hours with the disciples, he said this. By this all men will know that you are my disciples if you have love for one another, meaning church, the evidence of you understanding. If the counselor has spoken and you have listened and absorbed it into your life, is seen through the love that you demonstrate in this room this morning, and not just in this room, but outside of these walls. If you understand how wonderful the counsel of God is. That’s something you proclaim throughout this earth. Jesus is a counselor because he desires to communicate. You know, I could say this morning, too, that Jesus desires for his church to be the place for us to demonstrate his love. To demonstrate our understanding of what he communicates. And this is why I know Jesus built it. Jesus died for it, and Jesus blessed it. This is his home where his family grows. This is the place where his wonderful counsel is made known, and not just made known, but demonstrated in this world. So let me give you two encouragements this morning. Before Isaiah could begin to even describe the the rest of what God was about in the coming of this Messiah and what he would demonstrate, he had to get the people to a place where they recognized that there is a need just to take your heart, pause, and listen to the wonderful counsel of what Christ would bring.
Two encouragements for you this morning. I think the reason that Isaiah had to share this about the Messiah wasn’t because they didn’t know that the Messiah was coming. It’s just that they forgot just how wonderful this Messiah was. They had forgotten how wonderful his counsel was. The nation of Israel had walked away from God because they had forgotten just how good God had been to them. I mean, just like Adam, we could be questioning in our own lives. Did God? Did God really say that? Israel, speaking for the Isaiah, speaking for the nation of Israel, so that they won’t forget the wonder of God and His counsel that he desires to bring for people. Point number one for you this morning. Is this. Don’t become distant from the wonderful counsel of God. Use this as an opportunity in the midst of the holiday season to say, hey, life is busy, but what Jesus has to say is far more important than anything else. Don’t become distant from the wonderful counsel of God. I mean, if we were to trace the nation of Israel, of how they’ve got to the point that they are in which they’re so weak and and crying out for mercy and looking for other nations to supply their need above and beyond God, it’s because somewhere along the way, they just started to forget about their relationship with the Lord. Number two is this. I think we’ll all agree with this this morning.
We would say if Jesus is such a wonderful counselor, of course. Of course. We’re not going to ignore that. But when I look at the text, I look at the history of Israel. I would say this I don’t think their problem, and I don’t think our problem is that we are trying to ignore Christ. Our problem. Is that we just don’t plan to listen to him. See the subtle difference. None of us would look at Jesus and say, I hate you. None of us would look at Jesus and say, forget you. But I think. In our lives. We just don’t take time to to meet with them. See the council of his worth in us. We’ll throw it on the back burner and just slowly forget. Us, the nation of Israel. And he said, hey, are you going to ignore God? They would say, no, no, of course not. We’re going to ignore God. But if we said, but are you spending time with him? Oh. The point is this. Spend time. Stop ignoring the wonderful counsel of God and spend time. Doesn’t matter how wonderful Jesus’s council is, you think about when you come before a counselor. It doesn’t matter how much you pay a counselor if you’re not willing to listen, his counsel is worthless. But if you listen to the right counselor. And his words are true. The possibilities of what can happen in your life. Through him are endless. Seek him in his face.