Isa 11:2 2 And 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 the fear of the Lord. ESV
Jesus referred to Isaiah’s prophecy when He rose to speak in the synagogue:
Luke 4:18-19 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” ESV
Let’s look at these names that collectively identify the Spirit of the Lord:
The Spirit of wisdom and understanding, of counsel: By the Spirit, Jesus had everything He required to thoroughly understand what the Father had called Him to do; to make known to man the purpose and will of God.
The Spirit of might: Jesus was given a spirit of courage. He was courageous in His teaching of the truth of God without concern for man.
The Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord: This was Jesus’ reverence for His Father, which through the Spirit He displayed with zeal and great affection.
We also have been anointed with the same Spirit who lives in us, how can we walk in confusion, fear, worry, and anxiety? These same qualities were endowed upon Moses and David. In them we see the characteristics of a servant of the Lord as described by David McKenna in his work on the Book of Isaiah:
- Wisdom – Seeing things whole.
- Understanding – Sensitivity to relationships.
- Counsel – Willingness to listen and to advise
- Power – Ability to influence by example.
- Knowledge – Knowing the facts.
- Fear of the Lord – Centering upon the will of God.
In today’s world these leadership characteristics have been compromised for a charismatic personality. But as Jesus’ bride, we have His Spirit and with Him come these same qualities. Our challenge is not to use them to “puff” ourselves up. As Jesus’ ambassadors they are to keep us from becoming wise in our own eyes and failing to follow the example set by Jesus.
Remember that as leaders in His kingdom God has given us a special responsibility and accountability. We need to be mindful that He has given us His Spirit with the expectation that we will minister that responsibility.