The word “counsel” means: to advise, consult, give counsel, counsel, purpose, devise, plan. Would you dare take the counsel of someone who did not know what they are doing? The Song of Moses found in Deuteronomy Chapter 32 provides us with perspective concerning the foolishness of Israel:
28 “For they are a nation void of counsel,
Nor is there any understanding in them.
29 Oh, that they were wise, that they understood this,
That they would consider their latter end!
Israel chose not to follow THE LORD and were Divinely judged accordingly. Once we have determined to follow man’s wisdom and counsel we have misplaced our trust and future which only leads toward death and destruction. Those who worship idols have effectively placed their trust in the “created” rather than the Creator. What foolishness!
Psalm 1:1 Blessed is the man
Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,
Nor stands in the path of sinners,
Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;
:2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
And in His law he meditates day and night.
:3 He shall be like a tree
Planted by the rivers of water,
That brings forth its fruit in its season,
Whose leaf also shall not wither;
And whatever he does shall prosper.
What better counsel to receive than the WORD of Our Heavenly Father! We need counsel in both Spirit and Truth, wrapped in Love. When someone Loves you, they will give you their best counsel and advice for they mean you no harm. What happens as a result of counsel by the ungodly? Psalm 1 answers that question:
4 The ungodly are not so,But are like the chaff which the wind drives away.
5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment,Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
6 For the LORD knows the way of the righteous,But the way of the ungodly shall perish.
The Apostle John, the Beloved Disciple, wrote the first Gospel (in my view). His Gospel viewed the Good News from the beginning rather than starting in a later time period. He began the good news with:
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 He was in the beginning with God.
3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.
4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.
Who better to counsel us than the ONE who created Heaven and earth. Is there any issue, situation, or condition that HIS counsel won’t resolve? As Jesus Christ is the WORD made manifest, His counsel is available to us as we walk IN HIM. Paul communicated this precious reality in Ephesians 1:
10 that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth—in Him.
11 In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will.
The “counsel” of His will is the purpose, design, or plan. We are the inheritors as we walk in HIS counsel or purpose. It is critical for us to understand the connection of counsel to “Spirit”. Without the Spirit, the letter of the Word brings forth death. It is the Spirit that quickens or add life to the Word. When Jesus was led to the wilderness by the SPIRIT and was tempted, He replied:
Matthew 4:4 But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’ ”
When tempted, Jesus received counsel when He heard His FATHER’S Word by way of the SPIRIT. As a result, He overcame the adversary’s attempts to redirect Him away from His mandate. We too should respond in like manner when tempted by the adversary. Our Heavenly Father will only Divinely enable those who receive HIS counsel. HE is not obligated or inclined to respond to any other demand for action other than allowing judgment to proceed for purposes of correction. The Spirit of Counsel is accessible to us and we should expect and believe we will be given HIS counsel in time of need.