"The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon Him..."
Text: Isaiah 11:2
A SIGNIFICANT SERIES OF PROPHETIC UTTERANCES
One of the most significant series of prophetic statements concerning the Holy Spirit revolves around the Messiah. Isaiah offered important insight about how the Spirit of the Lord would impact the life and ministry of the Messiah.
“The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon Him,
The Spirit of wisdom and understanding,
The Spirit of counsel and might,
The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD.”
Isaiah 11:2
THE SEVEN-FOLD SPIRIT OF THE LORD
There are seven features of the Holy Spirit described in this text. The Messiah would be given the fullness of the Spirit of God so that He would be able to fulfil the monumental work that He would be entrusted with.
1. “The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon Him”
a) The word “rest” was used to signify the following:-
i) He will alight on the Messiah.
ii) He will abide in Him.
iii) He will always have the continuing Presence of the LORD with Him.
b) “The Spirit of the LORD”
i) The Messiah will fully reflect the LORD God Himself (Hebrews 1:1-2).
ii) The Spirit of the LORD will enable the Messiah to reflect the glory of the LORD.
2. “The Spirit of wisdom”
a) Wisdom is the virtue gloriously extolled in the Book of Proverbs.
b) It is to be greatly desired and pursued throughout life.
c) But what is wisdom?
i) It is the ability to comprehend the meaning of one’s life on earth.
ii) It is the skill of being able to live significantly in a world that is complex.
iii) It involves making the right choices to live in a righteous manner free from the blight of sin.
iv) It certainly involves a right and strong relationship with the LORD God.
v) Wisdom encompasses all aspects of life.
vi) The Messiah would possess this rare gift of total wisdom to live for the LORD in the most meaningful way.
vii) The beginning of true wisdom is the possession of “the fear of the LORD” (Proverbs 1:7).