Wonderful Counselor

What if the world you lived in was without God? We are talking total darkness. Everywhere you turn, it's as though everyone has forgotten God. The prophet Isaiah must have felt that way when he spoke to the Israelites about the coming King, the Messiah, the Prince of Peace, Mighty God.

“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.” Isaiah 9:6 (NIV)

So many times in Old Testament, we read about how the Israelites found God again, followed Him and then generations later forgot and had to be reminded. This is what Isaiah was doing. Don't forget. This is what He was saying. Repent. Turn back to the Lord your God. He is still here with us.

Just for vocabulary sake, I'd like to share what is the difference between the name Emmanuel and Immanuel. In Hebrew, the word is Immanuel, translated into Greek, it is Emmanuel, but no matter what, the meaning is still the same. God is with us and He knows us better than we know ourselves.

“You have searched me, LORD, and you know me. 
You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. 
You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. 
Before a word is on my tongue you, LORD, know it completely. 
You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me. 
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain. ” Psalm 139:1-6 (NIV)

He knew we needed a Savior. We had forgotten Him and we were separated from God

“But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished—he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.” Romans 3:21-26

God provided that Savior through the gift of His Only Son

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16 (NIV)

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23 (NIV)

“God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” 2 Corinthians 5:21 (NIV)

Jesus Christ came to be the Wonderful Counselor, the Prince of Peace.