Sunday, July 3, 2011

Three Spiritual Gifts

 1aAnd there shall come forth a brod out of the cstem of dJesse, and a eBranch shall grow out of his roots: 2And the aspirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit ofbwisdom and cunderstanding, the spirit of dcounsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord;
- Isaiah 11:1-2
The three gifts are ones that we can earnestly seek after. Note that these gifts come in pairs. 
This prophesy by Isaiah specifically refers to the Lord, Jesus Christ, who would be born of the lineage of King David. The spiritual gifts given him from "the spirit of the LORD" were exemplified in his life and still continue as he judges the earth.
  • Wisdom and Understanding
  • Counsel and Might
  • Knowledge and the fear of the Lord
How do these pairings complement each other? Let's look at them individually, and apply them to the situations we face in our day.
Wisdom and Understanding
The Lord blessed Solomon "with wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and largeness of heart, even as the sand that is on the sea shore." (1 Kings 4:29)
To fully magnify the blessing of wisdom and understanding, one must have largeness of heart. They must have pity and empathy for their fellow man. They must not seek their own glory, but to reach out to help others. Understanding the context of a person's situation allows empathy to grow. Wisdom comes from placing in context information and understanding, and making choices that do not require the heartbreak of unfortunate experience.
There are times where we are called to pass through trials for our own understanding. These help us to gain context for learning. Then we can apply this learning to the next time we come across a similar context. Then it becomes wisdom.
Can we see wisdom in our day? Certainly not in the bloated tide of popular culture. It sweeps everything in its path that is not firmly rooted to that which is unchangeable. Pillars of wisdom and understanding on not publicized, but we all know someone who fits this description.
Counsel and Might
Where one is put in a position of influence and power, there comes with that the responsibility of counsel. Power is not given for self-aggrandizement, though that is the example most often seen. Power is given to help others from that position. Often the power given is not public power, though the expectation is still the same - help those who stand in need of your help.
Where good counsel is given, there comes a spirit of power. If a person tells truth and gives honest opinion without posturing for their own position, there comes to them a power, a steadiness of character, that cannot be shaken from without.
It is rare in this age to see counsel and might coupled together. The person who exhibits these two traits together clearly defines themselves as a person to be trusted. Their word is good. In a world where one idle word can make a man into a pariah, knowing that a person's word is good is priceless.
Knowledge and the fear of the Lord
There is more knowledge on the earth right now than at any time before in its history. There are very intelligent people alive today. There have been knowledgeable people in every age. The New Testament describes the deterioriating situation in the last days, our days, as follows:
"Ever learning, and never able to come to a knowledge of the truth."
(2 Timothy 3:7)
Why can men not obtain a knowledge of the truth? In these days where information is available like never before, why do men not learn? It is because of the second part of this coupled gift - the fear of the Lord.
Fear means respect. Do men respect the Lord? Do men acknowledge God, in whose image they are created? Is there reverence in the public square? Is anything sacred anymore?
Where there is piety, there will be knowledge. If a man respects God, no matter what his level of education, he will have knowledge that matters. Life is simple. The world is complex. Truth is not merely the gospel, but all truth that can be obtained through learning.
Secure in its own power, the world is not going to change. If we want to see change, it must first happen within us. These three coupled spiritual gifts are things we can earnestly seek after. They will come to us in the time of the Lord, as we are diligent. Diligence is key. If we want these gifts, which come in pairs in their most powerful manifestations, we must consistently move forward. Incremental improvement is our goal. Incremental eternal improvement.