April 11

The Sevenfold Work Of God's Spirit

The Spirit of the LORD will rest on Him—the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and strength, the Spirit of knowledge and fear of the LORD. — Isa 11:2 BSB

This chapter gives us a remarkable glimpse into the person and work of our Savior, providing perhaps the clearest depiction in the Old Testament of the sevenfold work of the Holy Spirit. The family tree of Jesse may have seemed cut down to its roots, but it would still bring forth the Messiah. The mother of our Lord was so poor that she could only offer the humblest of offerings at His birth, yet He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and anointed by the same Spirit at His baptism for His ministry.

Notice the beautiful rendering of Isaiah 11:3 in the Revised Version: “His delight shall be in the fear of the Lord.” The margin tells us that “delight” can be translated as “scent,” meaning our Savior lived and breathed in the reverence of the Lord. Despite living in this world, He was never tainted by the evil around Him. We too are called to live like this—in the world, but not of it. Just as we can sense the foul air in certain places, we must seek to breathe in the pure air of Scripture and prayer, especially if we are surrounded by the pressures and pollutants of a busy life.

The Holy Spirit anoints us for service, descending upon us and building within us His sixfold grace. We need wisdom and understanding, counsel and might, knowledge of God, and reverence. Why not seek each of these specifically from the Holy Spirit, who gives generously to those who surrender their lives to His guidance (Galatians 5:22)? Then, as the Spirit works in us, all of creation will respond, and we will see new beauty in heaven and earth, a glimpse of the new creation that will come when our Savior returns to bring peace and joy.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, who lives within our hearts, fill us with Your Holy Spirit and prepare us for that time when all evil will be conquered, and the knowledge of Your redeeming love will cover the world as the waters cover the sea. Amen.