#139. The Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Prince of Peace Every Mom Needs: Isaiah 9-12 and 2 Chronicles 27

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This is The Dwelling Place from Entrusted Ministries.

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I'm Stephanie Hickox, and today

we're walking through 2 Chronicles

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27 and Isaiah 9 through 12.

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There will be some beautiful, familiar

Messianic prophecies, and it'll feel

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a little bit like Christmas in July.

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I had tears in my eyes as I reread

about the promise of who Jesus would be.

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I wanna give a quick logistical note

about a change you've probably noticed.

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Initially, it was my goal to keep every

episode under 10 minutes, because I

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know how valuable your time is as a mom.

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I wanted to ensure this could fit

into a predictable routine of yours.

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But as I've gotten into some of these

lesser-known stories that certainly

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didn't come up in your typical Sunday

school classroom, I felt it was

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important to give them a little bit more

attention so we could better understand

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the meta-narrative of Scripture.

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That means the overarching

story of what God was doing.

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If we camp on the highlights of Abraham

and Moses and David, and then skip

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ahead to the time of Jesus, we're

missing much of the patience that God

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exhibited I want us to walk with these

historical figures to know what they

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tell us about the character of God.

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And secondly, I've found that whenever

we're starting a new book of the

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Bible, it's really hard to get all

of that content in under 10 minutes.

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In order to honor God's Word, I've

chosen to extend the timeline a little

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bit when it's a lesser-known portion of

Scripture or when we have a book intro.

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I hope that's working out okay for you.

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And I appreciate your grace as I'm

figuring out how to best point to

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the perfection of Jesus Christ.

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Beginning in 2 Chronicles 27,

we'll learn a little bit more

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about Uzziah's son, Jotham.

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Jotham became co-regent with his father

Uzziah at that abominable temple moment

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when his father was struck with leprosy.

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And when Uzziah passed

away, Jotham became king.

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He was 25 at that point and reigned for

16 years The verse that I could not

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forget from Uzziah's life was 2 Chronicles

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grew proud to his destruction, for he

was unfaithful to the Lord his God."

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And I'm encouraged to read that

Jotham seems to have learned

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from his father's example.

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After he continues in construction

endeavors like Uzziah, and is given

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victory over the nations, in 27:6 we read,

" So Jotham became mighty, because he

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ordered his ways before the Lord his God."

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What a great prayer.

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You won't be surprised that the epitaph

on his life in verse two is, "And

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he did what was right in the eyes of

the Lord according to all that his

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father Uzziah had done, except he did

not enter the temple of the Lord."

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But unfortunately, what follows

is, "But the people still

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followed corrupt practices."

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We can conclude that Jotham himself

is faithful to the Lord, but that

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his reign didn't produce a revival

in the nation, yet another king in

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the Davidic line that falls short.

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Now let's skip over to the beautiful words

of prophecy in Isaiah beginning in 9:2.

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" The people who walked in

darkness have seen a great light.

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those who dwelt in a land of deep

darkness, on them has light shone.

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You have multiplied the nation.

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You have increased its joy.

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They rejoice before you as with

joy at the harvest, as they are

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glad when they divide the spoil."

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For the yoke of his burden and the staff

of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor

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you have broken as on the day of Midian.

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For every boot of the trampling warrior in

battle tumult, and every garment rolled in

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blood will be burned as fuel for the fire.

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For to us a child is born, to us

a son is given, and the government

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shall be upon his shoulder.

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And his name shall be called

Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

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Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace

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Of the increase of his government and

of peace there will be no end, on the

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throne of David and over his kingdom,

to establish it and to uphold it

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with justice and with righteousness

from this time forth and forevermore.

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The zeal of the Lord of Hosts will do this

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it so clearly points to Jesus Christ,

the only one who could faithfully

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fulfill and embody the promises

of this future Messianic King.

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But you can understand

why the Jewish people were

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expecting a victorious warrior.

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One day Jesus will return

for a different battle.

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But first, he came to defeat the

enemy of death and sin As I read these

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descriptions of Him, I'm reminded He

is everything that you and I need.

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This Messiah is skillful in

decision-making, and also

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He's a wonder of a counselor

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And let's make sure that we're thinking

about that word wonderful with a biblical

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connotation, wonderful is full of wonder,

meaning His capacity is miraculous.

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Not only is this the God able to

lead in all wisdom, He's able to

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accomplish everything needed to

bring about His glory and purposes.

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When I think back about motherhood

and the elements that have been

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most stressful to me, without a

doubt, it's the decision-making.

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It's presented itself in medical

decisions and food selections

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and educational choices.

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But this wonderful counselor is everything

that you and I need to guide us each day.

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Next, he's an everlasting Father.

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This is another way for us To

think about the eminence of God

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and the transcendence of God.

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He is near.

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He is present.

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He cares deeply for us.

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But let's not be mistaken and think

that He's here for us, because we have

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the honor and privilege of serving this

king who always was and always will be.

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Next, He is the Prince of Peace.

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Because He has authority over all

things, He is able to bring about

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a level of unsurpassed peace.

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And while we wait for eternity, we can

have what Philippians reminds us of,

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a peace that surpasses understanding.

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You might look at circumstances and think,

"How could I possibly be without worry?"

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But you can be because you have a God

able to do wonderful miracles, willing

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to counsel you into all wisdom, a God

who always was and always will be,

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and therefore knows exactly how to

lead and protect you for His glory.

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He's a Father that cares deeply about His

children and a Prince who is reigning to

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bring about the peace that we long for I

have several friends that are dealing with

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truly painful conflict in their families.

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It seems they've done nothing

wrong, and yet there's been extreme

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tension and undeserved walls put up.

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We long for the day that Jesus will

bring peace in the nations, in our

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families, and in our anxious hearts

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When we read that the government will

be upon his shoulders, maybe it makes

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you think back to Exodus when we

studied the garments of the high priest,

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the names of the 12 tribes of Israel

were on the high priest's shoulders.

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It feels impossible to not recognize

Jesus as our high priest in these

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passages, and he's the only one that

could fulfill the role of king and priest

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Uzziah was tempted to do

so, but only Jesus can

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Moving on to verse 12, you'll recognize

a phrase from Amos, " For all this

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his anger has not turned away and

his hand is stretched out still."

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And the chapter ends with

that phrase, but there's hope.

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Just wait.

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In chapter 10 verse five, God says

something surprising, " Woe to

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Assyria, the rod of my anger, the

staff in their hands is my fury.

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Against a godless nation I sent

him, and against the people

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of my wrath I command him."

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He continues in verse 12, " When the

Lord has finished all his work on

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Mount Zion and on Jerusalem, he will

punish the speech of the arrogant

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heart of the king of Assyria and

the boastful look in his eyes.

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For he says, ' By the strength of

my hand I have done it, and by my

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wisdom, for I have understanding.'"

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God is saying, " Yes, Assyria,

I am using you to accomplish my

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purposes, but don't think that your

wickedness will not receive judgment."

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Assyria's victory has only come through

the Lord, and one day they will know it

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as much judgment as may come, the

Lord always spares a remnant of

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those that are faithful to him.

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In 10:20, " In that day, the remnant

of Israel and the survivors of the

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house of Jacob will no more lean on him

who struck them, but will lean on the

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Lord, the Holy One of Israel, in truth.

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A remnant will return, the remnant

of Jacob to the Mighty God."

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Therefore thus says the Lord God of

hosts, " O my people who dwell in Zion,

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be not afraid of the Assyrians when

they strike with a rod and lift up their

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staff against you as the Egyptians did.

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For in a very little while, my fury

will come to an end, and my anger

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will be directed to their destruction."

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Chapter 10 ends with Isaiah

writing about the majestic

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heights of the cedars of Lebanon.

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If you recall, this is what

Solomon used to build God's temple.

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in contrast with that mighty image,

chapter 11 begins, " There shall come

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forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and

a branch from his roots shall bear fruit."

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The Lord often uses what is weak

in this world to shame the mighty

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And continuing to point us to

the hope of Christ, this root of

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Jesse, " And the Spirit of the Lord

shall rest upon him, the Spirit of

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wisdom and understanding, the Spirit

of counsel and might, the Spirit of

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knowledge and the fear of the Lord.

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And his delight shall be

in the fear of the Lord.

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He shall not judge by what his eyes

see or decide disputes by what his

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ears hear, but with righteousness he

shall judge the poor and decide with

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equity for the meek of the earth.

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then we have these verses about

the level of peace that this

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Messiah will finally bring.

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The wolf shall dwell with the lamb,

and the leopard shall lie down with

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the young goat, and the calf and the

lion and the fattened calf together,

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and a little child shall lead them.

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The cow and the bear shall graze, their

young shall lie down together, and

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the lion shall eat straw like the ox.

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The nursing child shall play over the

hole of the cobra, and the weaned child

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shall put his hand on the adder's den.

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They shall not hurt or destroy in all my

holy mountain, for the earth will be full

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of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters

cover the sea In that day the root of

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Jesse, who shall stand as a signal for the

peoples, of him shall the nations inquire,

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and his resting place shall be glorious.

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Next we read that the hand

of the Lord will one day be

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extended for a different purpose.

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In that day, the Lord will extend his

hand yet a second time to recover the

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remnant that remains of his people from

Assyria, from Egypt, from Pathros, from

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Cush, from Elam, from Shinar, from Hamath,

and from the coastlands of the sea.

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He will raise a signal for the nations

and will assemble the banished of

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Israel and gather the dispersed of

Judah from the four corners of the earth

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Though the probabilities seemed slim

and the circumstances were utterly dim

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God's people can confidently

hope and rely on the Lord

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even when it seems like all hope has

been cut off and only a stump remains

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We can be reminded of this shoot

of Jesse this is why many people

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use a Jesse tree at Christmas.

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It reminds us that when all

hope seems to be lost, Jesus

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came to fulfill every promise

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And that's why we can say some of my

favorite verses that come from Isaiah 12.

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" Behold, God is my salvation.

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I will trust and not be afraid.

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For the Lord God is my strength and my

song, and He has become my salvation.

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With joy you will draw water from

the wells of salvation, and you

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will say in that day, ' Give thanks

to the Lord, call upon His name.

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Make known His deeds among the people.

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Proclaim that His name is exalted.

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Sing praises to the Lord,

for He has done gloriously.'"

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Heavenly Father, we give you

praise for the way that you

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have brought about our salvation

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In times where it seems our hope

was cut off, we thank You that

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You are the God of all hope.

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We rejoice in our wonderful counselor,

mighty God and Prince of Peace, the

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one who has defeated sin and death.

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And is seated on the throne now

and will reign for eternity.

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Father, make our families more

and more like Your righteous Son.

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May our delight also be in You May we

not judge by what we see or hear, but

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rather seeking equity for the meek

and walking in faithfulness to you.

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We pray for our children that they would

be like Jotham, becoming mighty because

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they order their ways before you, As

mothers who love our children so deeply we

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confess that we're often given to anxiety

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Cover us with Your peace, that it

would rule in our hearts and our minds

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because we are so deeply convinced of

the love and goodness of our Savior.

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Jesus, it's in Your name that we pray.

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Amen