I know I said I’d go to the Psalms, but as I thought about it, I realized those verses would be better exegeted when we got to the NT. Of course, it’s my blog so I have the right to change my mind. Rest assured readers, I will do my best to make it good. Tonight, we’ll be looking at Isaiah 9:6. Here’s our text!
6 For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
I like what Ravi Zacharias says about this passage to begin with. He makes a note that in speaking about the messiah that the child is born, but the son is given. What makes the difference? The incarnation, the child, had a beginning in time. The Son, the very one who fully partakes of the nature of deity, does not. He is given.
Let’s go through the names that are given to the Son here.
The first one is Wonderful. If you remember from not too long ago, we discussed how the Angel of the Lord appeared to the parents of Samson. What did I ask you to keep in mind at that point? Think back on it.
I hope some of you remember that it was the name of the angel. The angel said his name was Wonderful. It was beyond understanding. Wanna guess where I’m going?
That’s right. It’s the same word used here. This child, I believe, is the same one that appeared in the form of the Angel of the Lord to speak to Samson’s parents.
The child will be Wonderful in his Wisdom as he serves as a counselor. His wisdom will be divine because he is divine. This very name speaks of his deity and the Jew would most likely catch the reference to the Angel of the Lord figure as well.
Mighty God. This is one the JWs like to use to show that Jesus is a mighty god. He is not the Almighty God though. The problem is that this same term is used in Isaiah 10:21 and there, the Jehovah’s Witnesses say it applies to Jehovah. Lo and behold, in their New World Translation, they have “Jehovah” in Isaiah 10:21, but they don’t do that in Isaiah 9:6. Bias anyone? What this name means is that not only is the Messiah going to have divine wisdom, he will be divine in his might as well.
Everlasting Father. Now what is this? Do the modalists have a point? Is Jesus the Father? Well, no. We’ve already been told he’s the son and the Jew would have realized that. This must be telling us something else. Indeed it is. This is referring not to his position but his character. He is paternal in his character. He will be as a father to his children. Keep that concept in mind.
Finally, the Prince of Peace. Now that we know of his might and wisdom and his paternal nature, we are told what kind of reign he will have. He will be one who brings in peace with his reign. All of this together points to the divine nature of this Messiah.
Tomorrow, we shall look further into Isaiah.
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