
Shoot from the stump of Jesse
Isaiah 11:1-10
In this part of Isaiah, there is explosion of details in the prophecies of the coming Messiah the Christ, especially to do with His earthly ministry and His Davidic kingdom and the seemingly utopian state of it.
Amidst the gloom of the then times, Isaiah is preoccupied with Christ and the things of Him:
I. His coming promise
V1. There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. (Isaiah 11:1, ESV)
All the other descendants of David were called the sons of David. Why "stump of Jesse" not stump of David?
This Saviour is not going to be another son of David, but another David. David is by far the greatest king of Israel. And this coming King is going to be the greater David.
Stump - the bottom part of a tree left projecting from the ground after most of the trunk has fallen or been cut down. (Oxford)
But why stump? It is a "shoot' that will come out of the stump of Jesse and will bear much fruit.
V.10 is a change of tone - from being a shoot to being the root. Meaning, this Saviour is the very root of Jesse, as much as He is the shoot - similar to His declaration of being the Alpha and Omega.
II. His work described
V2 And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD.
We need a king like this. We have had lots of kings or rulers who did possess one or two but not the others. But our King is the One who possesses them all!
V3 And his delight shall be in the fear of the LORD. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide disputes by what his ears hear,
The One who delights in the fear of the Lord. How can fear motivate delight? What really is this fear of the Lord that Isaiah was saying?
Proverbs 14:26, In the fear of the LORD one has strong confidence,
Psalms 2:1, Serve the LORD with fear and celebrate his rule with trembling.
Exodus 20:20, Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning.”
Being afraid of God's wrath and the fear of the Lord are different things. According to Michael Reeves' book "Rejoice and Tremble", the word "fear" invokes love and reverence not fear of punishment.
"Fear" is by far the most trembling, intense emotion that humans experience. Fearing the Lord is not some casual reverence or respect.
Christ delighted in the trembling love and respect that was owed to the Lord.
Do we know how grand, majestic and big our God is? If we should have just a hint of how unfathomably big He is and that He is for us, we will tremble and rejoice with love for Him!
III. His kingdom established
V6-9, The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together; and a little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall graze; their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. The nursing child shall play over the hole of the cobra, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder's den. They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.
This is the result of Messiah's ministry. The curse on the nature will be undone, paradise is restored.
How this will happen? "The earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters covers the sea."
When this will happen? The controversial question as Christians have different views. Regardless, we all believe that this day will happen.
IV. Banner raised
V.10, In that day the root of Jesse, who shall stand as a signal for the peoples-of him shall the nations inquire, and his resting place shall be glorious.
Banner is not so much something that Jesus holds up, but that the Banner is Jesus himself.
Someday, He will be lifted up. We come to this Banner and inquire of it and find rest for ourselves!