Saturday
A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him – the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord – and he will delight in the fear of the Lord.
He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears; but with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth.
He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked. Righteousness will be his belt and faithfulness the sash around his waist.
(Isaiah 11:1-5, NIV)
Yesterday’s verses announce the birth of a royal son who will reign on King David’s throne and will establish and uphold justice and righteousness (Is. 9:2-7). The prophet Isaiah then pronounces God’s judgment on the Assyrian empire (10:5-19), a judgment that came to pass in 701 B.C. Although Judah is not conquered by the Babylonians, the victors over the Assyrians, for more than 100 years (586 B.C.), Isaiah also predicts the fall of Jerusalem and exile of its people.
Despite the disastrous future that lay ahead for the Jews, Isaiah finds a message of hope. Out of the Babylonian captivity, Isaiah foresees a “shoot” from the “stump” of Jesse, who was King David’s father. This Messiah, a branch from Jesse, will be empowered by the Holy Spirit.
Unlike the unjust and idolatrous rulers of Judah in Isaiah’s time, the promised Messiah will be different. He will rule with righteousness and justice, helping the poor and needy, the wounded “sheep” that the “shepherds” have forgotten about because of their preoccupation with feeding themselves. The reign of Christ will lead to a Kingdom of shalom, ruled by a king who wears righteousness as a “belt” and “faithfulness” as a sash around his waist. To a people soon to be conquered and exiled, what a promise of hope in dark days! What a joyful expectation that someday a King will come and God’s people will experience righteous political and spiritual rule!
Prayer
Giver of hope in dark days, we praise you for your faithfulness to us – even when we have been unfaithful to you. We anxiously await the day when Jesus our King returns in his glory so that we can experience the full splendor of his just rule. Amen.