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]Some of the wealthiest individuals in the United States are real estate developers. They make their money by buying a piece of property that is terribly run down, seemingly useless, without any value to the naked eye and reforming it completely, making it look brand new! These businessmen are not as much interested in what is on the property as they are interested in the land it’s on!
A sailor who was shipwrecked on a desert island was captured by some of the natives of that island. They carried him off on their shoulders to their village, where he was sure he would end up being the main course. But instead, they put a crown on his head and made him king. He was enjoying all the attention he was receiving but was growing a little suspicious. He started making inquiries and discovered that their custom was to crown a stranger king for a year and at the end of that year the crowned king would be sent to a deserted island where he was allowed to starve to death.
With war drums beating even more intensely in Iran and Syria, we’ve received numerous phone calls and emails expressing their concerns — and understandably so! Nevertheless, even in this climate of anxiety, we are preparing to enter into Shabbat (the Hebrew word for Sabbath) this afternoon. And as we do, we are remembering again, the deep lesson of God’s entering into His rest following the six creation days.
This is one of my favorite promises in the Bible — that God turns mourning into dancing! He takes away the anguish of being clothed in sadness and replaces it with gladness. However, notice what God doesn’t do — simply stop your mourning and make it disappear. No, He transforms it…into joy!
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In the late 1800s, an awakening in South Africa led by Andrew Murray was a powerful move of God. Studying that revival yields essential insights concerning the events occurring now throughout the United States. As the spirit of God began to move in Cape Town, Murray compared the SA revival with past experiences of revivals in Europe. He decided that the intense “emotionalism” was a false experience of God and charged in to break up the meeting. Stepping out of the church, he encountered his father standing and weeping. His father rebuked Andrew, “How dare you stop something that I have prayed to happen for 30 years!”