Isaiah 11

As we hear God’s word, we should take a moment periodically to consider that our hope is in the King of the Jews. Our Messiah is a descendant of the Old Testament Patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. His heritage has become our heritage, for we have been adopted into His family. This is a great honor for Gentiles who were so far away from God. But the story of Jesus Christ is even better than this.

In earlier chapters God had revealed through Isaiah that the hope for His remnant people would be the gift of “Immanuel” – God-with-us. This hope of Israel will be a descendant of King David. David’s father was Jesse, and so this great gift of a Savior will be “a shoot from the stump of Jesse,” and we are told that he “shall bear fruit.” We who have found peace with God through faith in Jesus Christ are the fruit of this righteous King.

We do not expect to find such great new life coming from a stump. Still, it is one thing to have a shoot come out of a stump, it is quite another to have God the Son born from the line of Kings in Judah. The story of those rulers is full of sin and confusion. Yet God is able to have this great Messiah King to be born from the line of David.

What will He be like, this man who will be born hundreds of years after the prophet Isaiah wrote these words? He will be full of the Spirit of God. Incidentally our own destiny is to have this great gift of the Spirit in much fuller measure. From the Son of God, we will be given good gifts. Though He will not save himself, ignoring the taunting words of his enemies, he will save the beloved remnant of the Father.

This prophetic chapter gives us insights into the character of Christ as King. Power corrupts, we are told, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. But this most powerful of all kings will make righteous judgments, deciding disputes with justice. The qualities of righteousness and faithfulness will be so clearly attributed to Him that they can be called the belt of his waist and the belt of his loins. He will one day bring the frightening vengeance of God against the wicked.

Yet we read of the peace that this Prince of Peace will accomplish, and it is described in words that are idyllic. His sway over all things would change fierce predators and their prey into happy inhabitants of His kingdom. Can a little child be safely sent out to play over a cobra’s hole? But in the Day of Jesus the King, all those who are His, will have perfect security. This will not be a blessing restricted to the lands of Israel and Judah. “The earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.” Through the knowledge of Christ, peace will be extended far beyond the borders of Israel.

This great people of peace which is His church, will not escape the notice of foreign nations. God will call His people out of their captivity, and will overwhelm any adversaries, and the people of the Lord will come home. Once again, the language of the day of Isaiah, the conflicts with neighboring nations, and the challenge of foreign powers who eye her from afar are referred to in discussing the blessings of the New Testament church and of heaven. Christ, the root of Jesse, will stand as a signal for all the peoples of the world. In Him we will find resurrection life and victory over sin and death.

This is something we experience in part even now. Though we face many trials in this age, we will not turn from the One who holds us in His secure embrace. We experience peace with God through Him even now, and the church is called to live out the life of divine peace, even showing love for enemies in the face of persecution. But there is a far fuller day of peace and blessing that we will experience in the age to come. The same root of Jesse who is yet a descendant of David will bless us with things that no eye has seen or ear has heard.

Since we have such a secure and bountiful salvation in Jesus Christ, it would be a great gift from God if we could turn away from all foolish rebellion and sin today, serving the Lord with gladness despite the tribulations that we face in this world. Our present joys and our eternal bliss would be unavailable to us without the love of Christ. Let us walk then in sincere faith and love, and let us hold firmly to a hope that shall not disappoint.