By Karen Y. Stevens

 

My dear friend, Stephanie, brought me a present this week.  It is a pillow with “Jesus is the reason for the season” written on it.  The card had Jesus is the “gift” of the season.  Inside the card, the scripture Isaiah 9:6, was written out – “For to us a child is born, to us, a son is given, and the government will be on His shoulders.  And He will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

I love that scripture, but I have never noticed the words “and the government will be on His shoulders” so I started doing some research.

When you look at the word for government, in the Hebrew, you find the word is Sarah, which only has some obscure use as government.  In its Semitic root, Sarah really has the idea of protecting someone or fighting for someone.

In a sense, I suppose that is the purpose of a government.

The phrase Sarah (government) being upon one’s shoulder is an expression that is used in the East, in the climax of a marriage ceremony.  In a Jewish wedding ceremony, a veil is always used to cover the face of the bride.

Removing the veil is the most dramatic moment of the wedding.  It is the climax, and probably the most romantic part of the wedding ceremony.  She circles her bridegroom three times, as the circle is the picture of eternity, and thus she is declaring that she will be betrothed to him forever, to demonstrate what God promised to us in Hosea 2:21, that He will be betrothed to us forever.  Then the bridegroom will remove the veil from the bride’s face and throw it over his shoulder.  In this gesture, the groom is making a public declaration that the government of his, be upon his shoulder.  In other words, it will be his honor and privilege, to now be her protector, and provider.

I believe that is what Isaiah 9:6 is conveying to us, not that the Messiah will have a difficult time with the governments of the earth, but that He will throw the veil of His bride over His shoulder, signifying that He will be the protector and provider for His bride, which is us, His church.

This verse starts with His birth (a child is born) and ends with who He is (Prince of Peace).  His birth allows Him to remove that veil from our face and throw it over His shoulder signifying that He will protect our hearts and love us for all eternity.

“The government will rest on His shoulders” affirms His lordship.

I’m so glad God tucked all these little nuggets into His word for us to find, and know that He sent His son, for our beginning to our end, and our protector in between.

Jesus is the gift, and truly the reason for the season!

 

Karen Y. Stevens is the founder of Orange County Christian Writers Guild