Isaiah 9:6b – “And the government shall be upon His shoulder…”
Exodus 28:12 And you shall put the two stones on the shoulders of the ephod as memorial stones for the sons of Israel. So Aaron shall bear their names before the LORD on his two shoulders as a memorial.
In a world wearied by the failures of men, Isaiah 9:6 offers a startling promise of hope and strength: “The government shall be upon His shoulder.” This is not the language of politics as we know it — it’s the language of divine dominion. The Hebrew word for “government” here is misrah (מִשְׂרָה), a word so unique it appears only in these two verses—Isaiah 9:6 and 9:7. Unlike more common Hebrew words for government — mamlachah or memshalah, misrah speaks of a rare and elevated rule—divinely ordained, gentle in character, and eternal in scope. This is a government not imposed, but carried. Not tyrannical, but righteous and restorative.
The phrase “upon His shoulder” evokes the ancient image of Israel’s high priest, who bore the names of the twelve tribes on his shoulders as he ministered before the Lord (Exodus 28:12). This is no coincidence. The Messiah comes not only as a King but as a Priest—one who bears His people with intercession and mercy. Isaiah gives us a glimpse of the King-Priest, a role foreshadowed by Melchizedek, the mysterious figure in Genesis 14 who was both King of Salem and Priest of God Most High. Psalm 110 confirms this lineage: “You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.” Yeshua’s rule is not political maneuvering—it is a holy reign, rooted in righteousness and mercy.
As Priest, He carries our names into the Holy Place. As King, He establishes justice and peace. Unlike earthly rulers who rise by force and fall by scandal, His authority is unshakable. His shoulders bore the weight of the cross before they bore the scepter of the Kingdom. And now, risen and exalted, He bears the rule of the cosmos with nail-scarred hands. His misrah government is personal, global, and eternal. His leadership does not control—it restores. His throne is not built on manipulation—it is upheld by the zeal of the LORD of hosts (Isaiah 9:7).
So what does this mean for you today? It means the burdens you’re carrying—your anxieties, your unknowns, your attempts to control outcomes—were never meant to rest on your shoulders. There are meant to be upon His. The One who upholds all things by the word of His power (Hebrews 1:3) invites you to surrender control, not out of fear, but in faith. His shoulder is strong enough to carry your world, yet tender enough to carry your heart.
So arise, and fix your eyes on the One whose shoulders carry both the weight of heaven’s authority and the burden of earth’s redemption. The crown belongs to Him. The cross was endured by Him. And now, the government rests securely upon Him. Surrender to His reign, and find your rest beneath His righteous rule. Cast every anxious care upon His capable shoulders—the very shoulders that bore the crushing beam of the cross and now bear the keys of the kingdom. Maranatha — our King is coming! And until He does, let His shoulders carry you.
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[worthy_plugins_devotion_single_body]Charles Spurgeon wrote “Prayer pulls the rope below and the great bell rings above in the ears of God. Some scarcely stir the bell, for they pray so languidly. Others give but an occasional pluck at the rope. But he who wins with heaven is the man who grasps the rope boldly and pulls continuously, with all his might.”
Caesarea Phillipi, where Yeshua (Jesus) revealed himself as Messiah to His disciples, was home to the Temple of Pan, a place so demonic that many of the rituals performed there are too horrible to mention in a daily devotion…
This groundbreaking conversation took place at Caesarea Phillipi, which lies today in the modern day reserve of the Banias in the Golan Heights region of Israel. The city was established by Ptolemaic Greeks, a Hellenistic community where the worship of the god Pan was centered. Reviled by the Jews of Yeshua’s time and considered by them the most idolatrous place in the entire Galilee, to this day it remains a place of nature worship and deep paganism…
David’s faith and courage in volunteering to fight Goliath was an embarrassment to his big brother Eliab, an officer in King Saul’s army. I imagine his thinking went something like this; “If my little brother wins everybody will ask, ‘How come you didn’t go out and fight him?’” The Bible records that Eliab “burned with anger at David and asked, ‘Why have you come down here? And with whom did you leave those few sheep in the desert? I know how conceited you are and how wicked your heart is…’” These are devastating words from an older brother. Before David could defeat Goliath he first had to overcome the attitudes, accusations and words, of those close around him.
The noted English architect Sir Christopher Wren was supervising the construction of a magnificent cathedral in London. A journalist thought it would be interesting to interview some of the workers, so he chose three and asked them this question, “What are you doing?” The first replied, “I’m cutting stone for a shabby 10 shillings a day.” The next answered, “I’m putting in 13 hard hours a day on this job.” But the last said, “I’m helping Sir Christopher Wren construct one of London’s greatest cathedrals.”
It is among popular “Christian” belief that an abundance of material and other blessings follow those whose hearts are truly after God and that those who seem to consistently struggle to that end, cannot possibly be in God’s perfect will. I want to submit to you a realization I had about this very thing. I think we might have it all backwards.
A National Geographic article published a few years describing a real celestial event which took place at the time of the birth of Jesus reminded me of Risto Santala’s explanation in his book, “The Messiah in the New Testament in the Light of Rabbinical Writings”. He wrote about a conjunction of major planets that took place which could have led the wise men from the east, to Israel.