His Name is "Counselor"
- Rebecca Montrone
- 1 day ago
- 6 min read
This week I am excited to take us through one of the most famous Biblical passages we associate with the celebration of the Birth of Christ:
“For unto us a Child is born,
Unto us a Son is given;
And the government will be upon His shoulder.
And His name will be called
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of His government and peace
There will be no end,
Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom,
To order it and establish it with judgment and justice
From that time forward, even forever.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.”
Isaiah 9:6-7
This passage is just chock full to the brim of rich theology and wondrous, freeing, liberating, saving truth! Join me through the week as we take a closer look in my Daily Digs...
“And His name shall be called… Counselor.”
— Isaiah 9:6
Yesterday we saw that Isaiah gives a list of divine names — not one long hyphenated phrase.
So today - Day 3 in this 6-day series - we take only this one:
יוֹעֵץ — Yoʿetz — Counsel
Not “wonderful counselor”
Not “He gives great advice.”
Not “He’s comforting to talk to.”
Oh, no…The Divine Counselor revealed in Scripture is something far more profound.
Let's Dig Deeper!
The Hebrew Word: יוֹעֵץ — Yoʿetz
A yoʿetz is not a casual consultant or someone with good opinions.
In Scripture, a yoʿetz is:
• The king’s strategic adviser
• A master of discernment
• One who sees through complexity
• One who understands motives, roots, and outcomes
• One whose guidance saves nations, households, and souls
Where do we see this?
2 Samuel 16:23 calls Ahithophel’s counsel “as if one had inquired at the word of God.”
Proverbs repeatedly speaks of counsel (eitzah) as essential to life, wisdom, and survival.
Isaiah 28:29 calls the Lord “wonderful in counsel” — using counselor language of God Himself. (HERE is where wonderful and counselor are combined!)
But here, in 9:6, Isaiah does something breathtaking:
He gives Counselor as a Name — an identity — not a job description.
He IS Counsel.
Wisdom is not His skill — it is His essence.
How Jesus Exercises “Counsel” — His Divine Counseling Profile
Here is where this gets thrilling. When Christ is revealed in the Gospels, we see exactly what Isaiah meant.
Let’s look at His counseling properties:
He sees to "the root" instantly
Every counselor must uncover truth. People hide, deflect, mask, misinterpret their own hearts.
Jesus? He pierces directly to the center.
To the woman at the well:
“You have had five husbands…” - (John 4:16–18)
To Nathanael:
“I saw you under the fig tree.” - (John 1:48)
To the rich young ruler:
“One thing you lack…” - (Mark 10:21)
He doesn't guess.
He doesn't probe.
He knows.
His questions heal
Human counselors ask questions to gather information. For example, I might ask a new client:
"What is your daily diet like?"
"How well do you sleep?"
"Do you typically have cold hands and feet?"
"Do you experience heart palpitations?"
But Jesus asks questions to reveal hearts.
“Who do you say that I am?”
“Do you want to be well?”
“Why are you afraid?”
“What do you want Me to do for you?”
Every question He asks is a scalpel. Gentle, precise, life-giving.
His counsel brings order from chaos
When He speaks:
storms stop
minds clear
demons flee
shame dissolves
impossible decisions become simple
tangled lives unwind
The One whose Word made the world now speaks counsel into us.
He diagnoses perfectly and prescribes perfectly
To the paralytic: forgiveness first, healing second. (Mark 2:1–12)
To Martha: “One thing is needed.” (Luke 10:38–42)
To Peter: “I have prayed for you.” (Luke 22:31–32)
To Thomas: “Touch Me.” (John 20:24–29)
To Mary Magdalene: speaks her name. (John 20:11–18)
He never treats the wrong thing.
He never misreads a soul.
He never offers shallow comfort.
His counsel is always:
accurate
penetrating
tender
transformative
perfectly suited to the individual before Him (you and me!)
No human counselor can do this.
His counsel always leads to LIFE
Even His hardest words to
—the rich young ruler,
the Pharisees,
the disciples —
and you and me...
are invitations to life.
He wounds... to heal.
He exposes... to restore.
He confronts... to redeem.
His counsel never crushes except to rebuild.
Never shames except to cleanse.
Never corrects except to free.
This is divine counseling.
This is Isaiah’s Yoʿetz.
The NT Names That Confirm His Identity as “Counselor”
Though the Hebrew title appears in Isaiah, the New Testament shows us its fulfillment:
1. “In Him are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”
— Col. 2:3
2. “Christ… the wisdom of God.”
— 1 Cor. 1:24
3. “The Spirit will guide you… but He will take of Mine and declare it to you.” — John 16:13–15
The Holy Spirit is called παράκλητος (Paraklētos) — Helper, Advocate, Counselor.
But Jesus clarifies:
“I will send another Counselor.”
Meaning…He is the first. Counselor is not what He does. It is who He is.
Reflection & Journaling Prompt
Medidate on this Scripture: Psalm 119:97-105
"O how I love Your law!
It is my meditation all the day.
Your commandments make me wiser than my enemies,
For they are ever mine.
I have more insight than all my teachers,
For Your testimonies are my meditation.
I understand more than the aged,
Because I have observed Your precepts.
I have restrained my feet from every evil way,
That I may keep Your word.
I have not turned aside from Your ordinances,
For You Yourself have taught me.
How sweet are Your words to my taste!
Yes, sweeter than honey to my mouth!
From Your precepts I get understanding;
Therefore I hate every false way.
Your word is a lamp to my feet
And a light to my path."
As you meditate on this passage, let the psalmist’s words become your own prayer. Use these questions to draw the Counselor’s wisdom into the very places you need Him:
v. 97 — “Oh how I love Your law… it is my meditation all the day.”
What would it look like for God’s Word to become my steady meditation today?
Where might I invite Scripture to shape my thoughts rather than my circumstances or emotions?
vv. 98–100 — “Your commandments make me wiser… I have more understanding…”
Where do I most need the Lord’s wisdom right now—wisdom beyond my own insight?
In what area of my life do I feel unsure, and need Christ the Counselor to give understanding?
v. 101 — “I hold back my feet from every evil way…”
Is there a path I am tempted toward that His counsel is gently warning me to avoid?
Where is He calling me to step differently or more carefully?
v. 102 — “I do not turn aside… for You Yourself have taught me.”
Where do I sense the Lord Himself teaching me—through His Word, His Spirit, or His gentle conviction?
Am I resisting or receiving His instruction?
v. 103 — “How sweet are Your words…”
What word or truth from Scripture has been “sweet” to me lately—comforting, steadying, or healing?
How might I savor it again today?
v. 104 — “Through Your precepts I get understanding…”
What misunderstanding or confusion in my life might the Lord be inviting me to see through His eyes instead of my own?
v. 105 — “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”
Where do I need His light right now—clarity, direction, or next steps?
What is the very next small step His Word is illuminating for me?
Wow! Well...this has been a bit of a Wondrous Workout, hasn't it?
To close, please enjoy this beautiful rendition of a classic Advent Hymn...
and, yes, as we look forward to the SECOND coming of Christ,
let us pray "Even so, come, Lord Jesus!"
Interested in knowing how to enter into a personal relationship with God through faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ? Say a Salvation Prayer and Receive Jesus Christ Today. Of course, the saying of a prayer is the reflection of a monumental and life-changing heart decision, but this is a good guide.
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