Isaiah (Quality: Good)

[0:00] Trusting once again in the help of the Lord, we will turn to the prophecy of Isaiah chapter 11 verse 2.

[0:17] The prophecy of Isaiah, the 11th chapter and the 2nd verse. 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 of the fear of the Lord.

[0:48] The prophecy of Isaiah chapter 11, the 2nd verse. Here the Lord commissions his prophet to speak of the qualifications of what the Lord will be qualified with when that promised Messiah shall come made of a woman made under the law.

[1:24] And amongst those many things that the prophet is commissioned by the Lord, undoubtedly for the help and the comfort and the teaching of his church, not only of course before the Lord came in the flesh, but also after he hath come, the church, my dear friends, will still desire and seek for those things which exalt a precious Christ in that great work that we trust.

[2:08] Which is twofold in this respect and that he hath done for his dear people and what we trust he hath done for us and what he hath worked in us.

[2:26] Now, what wonderful qualifications these are. Of course, the prophet was also commissioned in that way, in those previous chapters where he says this, Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son and shall call his name Emmanuel.

[2:54] and also the prophet was also commissioned for the instruction and the comfort and the blessing of the church to also speak of those things that we have read together and where he said, For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulder and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.

[3:38] And of the increase of his government and peace, there shall be no end. Well, dear friends, I do trust that in the introductory of this word that I desire to prayerfully and bring before you for a few moments, that we may be able to see the goodness of the Lord not only to the Old Testament saints, but come right down to you and I.

[4:15] For dear friends, what should we do if that dear second glorious person of the Trinity did not assume our nature and became the incarnate God for that one great purpose and end, to atone for the sins of his dear people and to shed his precious blood where his dear people may be cleansed from all their sins.

[4:47] Now, of course, undoubtedly, there has never been a work that had been set before anyone and that had lived on this earth like that great work that was the Lord Jesus and gave himself from all eternity.

[5:14] And that great work, my dear friends, was, as you all know, undoubtedly, in a greater all estimation, he came to seek and to save that soul that is lost.

[5:29] And he came to deliver his dear people from all their sins and he came to grant them that liberty and those new covenant blessings and at last that they should be found and clothed with that glorious robe of righteousness, cleansed from all their sins, whereby they may live and reign with the dear Lord throughout an endless eternity.

[6:02] Now we have, in this second verse, the qualifications that the Lord, that Jehovah, put upon his dear son for those great offices also, that he engaged himself to undertake for all his church and his dear people.

[6:26] And these have been made known in that way where I trust that we may be able to understand a little of the glory of Jesus.

[6:39] Because, my dear friends, how his dear name is so trodden underfoot. How his dear name is blasphemed and particularly in our poor, in our wicked day that our little lot is cast in.

[6:58] And I do desire him as an able to exalt exalt that precious Christ and lift him up on that goal, on that pole of the gospel that poor sinners may be able to look and in that look there may be there may be life and to view him in all that he is made to his dear people.

[7:30] First of all, then, we read, and the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him. Now, the dear apostle John, he tells us something of the spirit of the Lord and that shall rest upon him.

[7:51] He says this, For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God. Then he says this, For God giveth not the spirit by measure unto him.

[8:10] Now, first then, my dear friend of us, this prophecy and that the prophet Isaiah, was commissioned to write under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit that God would make known to his church in all ages and that the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him and that spirit shall rest upon him without measure.

[8:41] We would desire in our humble little way as faith is granted to you and I that we may view the person of the Lord Jesus equipped and qualified for that great work and that from eternity he engaged himself at the command of the Father to undertake for that people and that the Father chose chosen him and we would desire to view the dear Lord in this way whereby the spirit of the Lord without measure rested upon the dear Lord.

[9:28] You know, it's a wonderful thought this, my dear friend goodness concerning your salvation and my salvation in this respect.

[9:42] The Father as I've already just hinted or John hath hinted when he said for whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God that is God the Father sent his dear son and the son in the person of the incarnate God he came forth my dear friend in that way that was suited to equip and to qualify him for the complete redemption of his dear people from sin death and hell and also there was the fullness of the spirit look I love to trace the trinity in the salvation of souls and here we have it my dear friends in this meridian blaze and where in prophecy Jehovah commissioned the prophet

[10:45] Isaiah to say and the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him now we know that the spirit of the Lord rested upon him right from the very time he was born but there was an especial way when he went to John the Baptist to be baptized in the river Jordan and we read this I'll be as brief as I can and Jesus when he was baptized and went up straightway out of the water and lo the heavens were opened unto him and he saw the spirit of God descending like a dove and lightning upon him there the spirit descended like a dove lightning upon the

[11:48] Lord Jesus Christ again because we read also and lower voice from heaven saying this is my beloved son in whom I am in whom I am well pleased again dear friends the glorious trinity in the salvation of can we hope my dear friends it was for our souls your soul my soul that the trinity set before the church is there any other place where you and I have any hope for that salvation apart with looking unto the trinity especially as we look unto the incarnate God when he assumed our nature for this great purpose and the spirit of the Lord of the

[12:48] Lord rested upon him now Luke he reports that when Jesus and Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan and was led by the spirit into the wilderness mark the words here the dove descended upon him at his baptism as a spirit and now Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan and was led by the spirit into the wilderness and then we read after the devil tempted the Lord and we read and when the devil had ended all the temptation he departed from him for a season and Jesus returned in the power of the spirit into

[13:53] Galilee and there was a fame that went through him throughout all the region and he taught in their synagogues being glorified of all and when he came to Nazareth in the place where he was brought up as it was his custom he went on the Sabbath day and stood up to read and there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet he says and when he had opened the book and found that spot in the 61st chapter of the same prophecy and where it says the spirit of the Lord is upon me all dear friends what we owe in our salvation not my dear friends that I would detract from the glory of the Father or the glory of the

[14:56] Son not one iota I wouldn't but what I do desire which may be perhaps in some cases it may be overlooked the glory of the Holy Spirit which of course that blessed spirit is so essential in the church of God in all his teaching and his influences but we are speaking of that spirit resting upon the Lord Jesus Christ and in that portion that the Lord Jesus read on that Sabbath day in Nazareth which the prophet was commissioned again to inform the church he says this the spirit of the Lord God is upon me because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek oh dear friends one unspeakable mercy if you and

[16:02] I are one of these characters the meek ones because the spirit of the Lord was on the Lord Jesus Christ and let me just put this put this perhaps in and well it comes to the mind all of God's dear sent servants and they have a measure of that spirit according to the gift of God now let me just say this again concerning the Lord Jesus Christ he had that spirit without measure the fullness of the spirit and he said this because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tithing unto the meek he hath sent me to bind up the broken heart him to proclaim liberty to the captives and the opening of the prison to them that are bound oh dear friend could we just pause here just for one moment is this suited to you and

[17:12] I are we one of these characters that the spirit of the Lord rested upon the dear Lord Jesus to equip and to qualify him for this great office that he bears unto the church and those many blessings and benefits that flow from this eternal source and then he goes on to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord and the day of vengeance of my God to comfort all that morn to appoint unto them that morning's iron and to give unto them beautiful ashes and the oil of joy for mourning the garment of praise and for the spirit of heaviness that they might be called trees of righteousness the planting of the

[18:15] Lord then he comes my dear friends to this great point I can only just leave with you and where he says that he Jehovah Father Son and Holy Spirit might be glorified or one unspeakable mercy dear friends and that that salvation is in this way it rests on Jehovah being glorified well let's come then perhaps more more particularly to the words that I I I vote before you by way of text and the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him but there's just one more point that has come to my mind and that the dear apostle or John the Baptist speaks of when he says and John bear record saying

[19:18] I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove mark it and it abode upon him the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit on the person work and all the dear Lord engaged himself to bring forth that redemption and that salvation for such sinners as you and I John bear record and he says and I knew him not but he that sent me to baptize with water the same said unto me upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending and remaining mark these words my dear friend they are vital for and all faith and for the honor and the glory of God and remaining on him the same is he which baptizes with the Holy Ghost then dear

[20:21] John comes to this great point and I saw and bear record that this is the Son of God you want a religion like that don't you friend so do I that bears record of the person work blood and righteousness of the Son of God now now now in the in this in this in this prophecy that that I brought to your attention he said the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him it rests upon him in that in that measure the fullness of that measure as it did when he was here upon earth and and these are the characteristics of that Spirit of the Lord that rests upon that which

[21:21] John bear record the Son of God now first then he says the Spirit of Wisdom that's very suited to you isn't it poor friend that's suited to me I I want to look at the dear Lord as that spirit resting upon him as that spirit of wisdom we are so fearful that we err in the way of salvation the adversary brings so many temptations and insinuations but when we are enabled to look by precious faith at the qualifications or how the dear Lord is made known to his church in all ages as that spirit resting upon him and it rests upon him as the spirit of wisdom you are looking to him for that great work of salvation you fear there may be something you know how

[22:39] God speak dear people how the awful that cruel old adversary how often he has tempted me yes you may be all right and there may be much much that you may know and much that you may have been taught but when you come to die there will be something that will be vital that will be lacking well dear fenders left to ourselves this could equally be true but when faith is unable to look at that spirit of wisdom with that spirit of wisdom leave this poor soul and that is looking and crying unto the dear Lord for salvation and through that great work that he hath accomplished when he offered himself on the tree at Calvary to atone for the sins and shed his precious blood would that spirit my dear friends then neglect this soul at that very time he is most needed the spirit of wisdom my dear friends not the wisdom of man the wisdom of the spirit dear friends which rest upon the dear

[24:03] Lord Jesus and one unspeakable mercy dear friend when we are able to see this wisdom what what what of course has a wonderful hymn he says this nature with open volume stems to spread her maker's praise abroad and every labor of his hands show something worthy of a God then he comes to this point but in the grace that rescued man his brightest form of glory shines here on the cross his fairest door drawn in precious blood and crimson lines oh the sweet wonders of that cross where God the Saviour loved and died her noblest life my spirit draws from his dear wounds and bleeding sigh now dear brothers our text says in the spirit of the

[25:07] Lord shall rest upon him the spirit of wisdom a spirit my dear friends and that that is so apparent and when when we see those scribes and those Pharisees and the Sadducees trying to overthrow the dear Lord in so many aspects I can't go into them but undoubtedly you are familiar with the Gospels and those things that are laid in scriptures which point to the wisdom of the Lord where poor simple man was and tried to overthrow the wisdom of the Lord now what an unspeakable mercy dear friend another point that comes to the mind in respect to this wisdom where the dear apostle

[26:39] Paul write in the church at Corinth says but of him are ye in Christ Jesus oh you say this is far too high a language for me to even utter but this is what Paul says but of him, it's of him not of yourself, it's of him are ye in Christ Jesus who of God is made unto us wisdom, righteousness and sanctification and redemption all to be brought dear friends to this solid rock the rock Christ Jesus and see in him the wisdom of God the purposes of God and that the wisdom of God fully need because you see the next thing and that's the prophecy goes on to speak on he says the spirit of wisdom the spirit of understanding perhaps dear friend there's one here and very often goes dear people are in this place where they cannot understand themselves they're a mystery to themselves they know not as dear Job and he could not fathom where he was or what he was but he knew this that after the Lord had tried him he should come forth as gold you may not have such a faith as was granted to dear Job but what I can what I can lay before you trusting on the influence of that same spirit that same spirit may be may may enable you to see and and that the dear Lord without measure was filled not only with the fullness of wisdom but the fullness of understanding he knows

[28:56] I I was going to say this and I believe it's the truth he understands you he understands me far better than we do ourselves and and he he has that understanding of all things he understands and and and you see and wisdom on it on its own of course of course would be a very valuable thing whatever whatever sphere we we may we may look at and especially when we look at it in the salvation of our souls concerning the Lord Jesus Christ but but but wisdom on its own may of course have have have some some doubts or or there may be something that we fear but but when when wisdom and understanding and which of course in this particular instance and they are indissolvably joined together in that spirit of Christ and spirit of that spirit which rested upon Christ in the person of the Lord

[30:03] Jesus Christ what can we fear dear friends and when that when when he knows and understands the will of God who could who could understand God's will apart my dear friends from the Holy Spirit laid upon the Lord Jesus in this way whereby he was there in those in that covenant of peace and grace he he knows he knows he knows the mind of of God and and and he he understands all those things respecting the salvation of of of of their soul and and when when the dear Lord had completed and finished that great work of salvation the spirit of wisdom and understanding I believe could cry could cry with the dear Lord Jesus it is finished and he bowed his head complete salvation unto all those that believe and dear friends he knows about your unbelief he he knows he knows all about the temptation of the adversary he he knows all the infirmities of your flesh he he he knows all about you and I from from the from our head to our feet he understands you know the psalmist said this that that the Lord knew his his down sitting and his uprising and he says he knows me all together or you can I hear one or two more say this is that

[31:50] God I desire and seek for my salvation where there can be no possibility of any error or mistakes or or miscarriage here here is a full salvation as the prophet as the prophet puts forth the the spirit of the lord resting resting resting resting upon upon the lord the lord the lord jesus in the spirit of wisdom and understanding and then he goes I have to be brave then he then he goes he goes on to say not only the spirit of wisdom and understanding the spirit of counsel oh dear friends we need a counsel don't we we we we we cannot manage you cannot manage your affairs can you I no I can't manage my affairs and I would just say this to you younger friends in providence or in grace and you may be you may be brought that you cannot manage your affairs in the church of

[33:00] God and you you you you feel to be so dark and ignorant from time to time and these sort of things cast you down and of course the adversary will do all he can to overthrow that little faith but when faith is enabled to see this wonderful declaration that the prophet was commissioned by Jehovah to speak to the church in all ages that spirit that spirit that shall rest upon him and it is the spirit of counsel he counsel can I just put it in this way and very very briefly if any man sin we have an advocate with a father Jesus Christ the righteous there is one mediator between God and man the man

[34:03] Christ Jesus and look my dear friends of the church's comfort here and that spirit shall rest upon him the spirit of counsel is there something my dear friends that is troubling you whether it is it may be things in providence it may be things concerning this life but more particularly are those things concerning your never dying soul and the salvation or the safety or the security and you know not what to do now look as faith is unable to view the spirit of counsel resting upon that dear God man who is that one mediator between God and man will this soul then ever be left to perish in his or her sinners and where the counsel that counsel of God which shall stand in that covenant that he has made with his dear son it shall stand my dear friends and it can never be altered and that soul dear friends knows the safety and security not of any him that is in himself but that spirit resting upon him that's the spirit of counsel then very briefly the spirit of might oh how this suits you and I doesn't it poor friend you and I feel to be so weak so helpless if our tears could ever flow the hymn writer says they could not atone for one sin but here we have that spirit resting upon the Lord

[36:01] Jesus a spirit of might and is there a greater might my dear friends that was needed to cleanse such sinners as you and I and he was given a spirit without measure and that spirit of might cleanses dear people from all sin and he went to the end of the law for righteousness now look at the wonders of this spirit dear friends and where he says the spirit of counsel and of might you know he came to destroy the works of the devil and Paul tells us right in the Hebrews whatever power might we know that the power of the devil is mighty but what we also know is this that the spirit that rests upon the

[37:02] Lord and those works of the devil they will be overthrown at last my dear friends and what might could overthrow them apart from the spirit that rests upon him as was made known to the church as I said before in these Old Testament days and they are applicable also to you and I in this year almost at the year 2000 well and then he says I have to be very brief now the spirit of counsel and might the spirit of knowledge all to know that the dear Lord knows all about you and I all about those things and that that molest you those temptations he knows all about and he knows my dear friends also that the knowledge of the father who of course instigated and set up this way of salvation he knows every jot and dear for he could say and when when he came to almost the end of course he hadn't been crucified but he came almost the end of that great work of salvation he could lift up his eyes to heaven and say to the father father

[38:32] I have glorified thee on the earth I have finished the work that thou gavest me to do that's the salvation you want isn't it poor soul that's the salvation that I want and let others go after perhaps a salvation that may be more conformable and pleasing to the flesh but may the dear Lord open their eyes that they may see the error of anything that comes short of what I just briefly tried to lay before you where he says the spirit of knowledge that knowledge because he knows all things his eyes go and search throughout the whole length and breadth of the earth and he knows all about you he knows that affliction he knows that temptation he knows my dear friends he knows my dear friends also the atoning sacrifice of the dear Lord and that precious blood that he shed whereby whereby he accepted all these things and the spirit of knowledge that rested upon the dear Lord completed that wondrous way of salvation which we do desire the dear Lord would grant that living faith to believe and depend and rest alone upon him and then lastly the spirit of the fear of the

[40:10] Lord now here we have my dear friends and the Lord Jesus and we can see it throughout all the writings of the gospel whereby he referenced and honoured the name of the Father and because there was that filial fear of the Lord and he speaks of it in the Hebrews if I can just find it in the Hebrews where he says in respect to this fear of the Lord who in the days of his flesh when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death and was heard in that he feared the spirit of the fear of the

[41:20] Lord and was that fear my dear friends betrayed that fear my dear friends and was honoured by the Father and one poor sinner can lay these things very very briefly before you as that certain way of salvation in the blood and all the name the blood and the righteousness of our adorable Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ now there's just one thing that I want to just leave with you my dear friends trust him that in some humble measure you and I may be able to adopt in part or perhaps in hope in expectation the language of the church of old and where she speaks in the song of

[42:22] Solomon his mouth is most sweet to you and I dear friends his mouth is most sweet yea he is altogether lovely I cannot feel my dear friends that if they can view him in those brief things that I just laid before you I feel that he will be presented to us in that way and where perhaps words are not adequate for you and I to express but we can come in the church of old and say this is altogether lovely and then the church describes this this is my beloved and this is my friend of daughters of Jerusalem the Lord grant the offence that you and I may be able to adopt such beautiful language the honour and the glory of the

[43:31] God of our salvation whom we trust we have been brought to trust in Amen we close by singing hymn number 307 the tune is Haslingden 544 number 307 and must it Lord be so and must thy children bear such various kinds of woe such soul perplexing fear are these the blessings we expect is this the lot of God's elect hymn number 307 o'

[44:34] T o' Thank you.

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[48:20] Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

[48:32] Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

[48:45] I shall know in my servant in my home.

[49:05] Now may the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father, the fellowship and communion of God, the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, be with us now and forever and ever.

[49:23] Amen.