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| "Consolator" - Carl Heinrich Bloch |
TO CHEW ON: "The Lord God has given Me
The tongue of the learned,
That I should know how to speak
A word in season to him who is weary.
He awakens me morning by morning
He awakens My ear
to hear as the learned." Isaiah 50:6
It's easy to identify the Servant in Isaiah 50 as Jesus. Compare today's focus verse with this bit from yesterday's reading about the 12-year-old Jesus: "And all who heard Him were astonished at His understanding and answers" - Luke 2:47. He already had 'the tongue of the learned' at 12. His wisdom was above and beyond what someone His age would usually have. It was God's wisdom.
Isaiah 50:6 contains at least four aspects of God's wisdom evident in Jesus:
1. His wisdom was from God, a manifestation of deity come in flesh: "The Lord God has given Me / The tongue of the learned…"
2. Jesus' wisdom showed itself in what He communicated - "…That I should know how to speak…"
3. Wise words are words of comfort and encouragement - "… A word in season to him who is weary…" We can't help but think of Jesus' words: "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest… etc." - Matthew 11:28-30.
4. Jesus got His wisdom by spending time with His Father - "…He awakens me morning by morning / He awakens My ear / To hear as the learned." The gospels are full of examples. He met with God early in the morning (Mark 1:35), through the night (Luke 6:12), after a full day (Mark 6:46), off by Himself (Luke 5:26). And I love how He left Himself open to interruption (Luke 9:18).
There is much about godly wisdom here for us to apply:
- We can ask for wisdom - James 1:5.
- Whether or not we are wise shows by what we communicate, in word and action - James 3:13-18.
- We can grow in wisdom as we consistently meet with God, in the same way that Jesus did, having ears that are awake to listen and learn. We do this "morning by morning" (or whenever we schedule that meeting time), assimilating into our lives His "Precept upon precept, precept upon precept, / Line upon line, line upon line, / Here a little, there a little…" - Isaiah 28:13.
PRAYER: Dear God, how desperately I need Your wisdom. Help me to really listen and put into practice what You tell me. I especially need the wisdom of tender-heartedness toward the discouraged and broken. Amen.
MORE: Handel's Messiah Alert
Words from Isaiah 50:6 are part of Chorus 23 from Handel's Messiah. This video includes a graphic modern interpretation of that bloody scene.
He Gave His Back to the Smiters
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The Holy Bible, New King James Version Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. - Used with permission.
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