“…and the government shall be upon His shoulder.” Isaiah 9:6-7
So far we have read that there is to be a human child born for a people. The child to be born is a son, or rather, the Son of God. This child will be “given” as a free gift. Immediately Isaiah, inspired by the Spirit of God, shows us what this child is destined to be: a Ruler. When you read a phrase like “the government shall be upon His shoulder” it means exactly what it says it means: He will carry the government on His shoulder. This child, this son, this gift will be in charge of the government. He will rule. He will reign. Edward Young, in his commentary on Isaiah, wrote:
"Upon this Child the government with all its responsibilities lies. Like a burden it rests upon His shoulders…the entire responsibility for the good administration of the government is said to rest upon His shoulders. The Child is to be a King, a Ruler, a Sovereign.
This government is the kingdom of grace, but also in widest extent the kingdom of nature and power. All the world is subject to the rule of this Child. ‘All power in heaven and in earth is given unto me” (Matthew 28:18; 11:27; John 5:22). World powers were threatening the very existence of the people of God; the government of the Child is a spiritual rule, but for that very reason more embracing and world-wide. ‘My kingdom is not of this world” (John 18:36)."
Wow! This isn’t just any other child. This isn’t just any other son. This child is the Son of God who will reign over every power imaginable. “All the world is subject to the rule of this Child.” Wise men from the East came to worship this child. The angels of heaven broke out into glorious praise when He was born. King Herod could not outsmart the hand of Almighty God in carrying out His perfect plan.
Praise be to this Child! The government shall be upon His shoulder!
So far we have read that there is to be a human child born for a people. The child to be born is a son, or rather, the Son of God. This child will be “given” as a free gift. Immediately Isaiah, inspired by the Spirit of God, shows us what this child is destined to be: a Ruler. When you read a phrase like “the government shall be upon His shoulder” it means exactly what it says it means: He will carry the government on His shoulder. This child, this son, this gift will be in charge of the government. He will rule. He will reign. Edward Young, in his commentary on Isaiah, wrote:
"Upon this Child the government with all its responsibilities lies. Like a burden it rests upon His shoulders…the entire responsibility for the good administration of the government is said to rest upon His shoulders. The Child is to be a King, a Ruler, a Sovereign.
This government is the kingdom of grace, but also in widest extent the kingdom of nature and power. All the world is subject to the rule of this Child. ‘All power in heaven and in earth is given unto me” (Matthew 28:18; 11:27; John 5:22). World powers were threatening the very existence of the people of God; the government of the Child is a spiritual rule, but for that very reason more embracing and world-wide. ‘My kingdom is not of this world” (John 18:36)."
Wow! This isn’t just any other child. This isn’t just any other son. This child is the Son of God who will reign over every power imaginable. “All the world is subject to the rule of this Child.” Wise men from the East came to worship this child. The angels of heaven broke out into glorious praise when He was born. King Herod could not outsmart the hand of Almighty God in carrying out His perfect plan.
Praise be to this Child! The government shall be upon His shoulder!
1 comment:
Thank you. When this has always been read as part of the Christmas tradition, I always thought it meant He would be oppressed by the government. This makes sense when taken in context in Isaiah.
Post a Comment