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 might, the Spirit of the knowledge and 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.
The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them. The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox. The infant will play near the cobra’s den, and the young child will put its hand into the viper’s nest. They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.
In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his resting place will be glorious. In that day the Lord will reach out his hand a second time to reclaim the surviving remnant of his people...
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Isaiah 11 is a very strong passage revealing the promise of messiah. The shoot growing out of the stump of Jesse, is the prophet's poetic way of saying that a new leader will come from the kingly line of David, who is the son of Jesse. Why a stump? Because Israel will be cut down by Assyria. But from that which is left, from those who survive, the nation will rise again with Christ leading them.
Christ is Greek for "messiah". Both Christ and messiah mean "the anointed one". Anointed means to be set apart by God for His special service. Priests are anointed. Kings are anointed. But Jesus Christ is not only the anointed one, He is the one who anoints us with the Holy Spirit. The same spirit that makes him a banner over us, the same spirit that makes Jesus a rallying point for much of the world, is the same spirit that lives in believers.
Through Christ the kingdom of heaven is given to us. That kingdom is not of this earth, but Christ has established that kingdom here on earth through the church. We are the ones who pray, "Thy kingdom come."
Isaiah describes the kingdom and it's leader, the son of David. The kingdom will begin with the remnant of survivors. God will gather the Jews from Assyria, Egypt, Babylon and wherever they may have been taken. They will rally to the Christ. They will build a society of justice and righteousness. The poor will be cared for. Their society will be a light to the rest of the world. The nations will come to Jerusalem and rally to the Christ, God's anointed one.
The messiah will lead with knowledge, understanding, courage and deep reverence for God. He will be faithful to God's covenant with Israel. He will lead the people to keep the law of Moses. God will bless them with peace and plenty. And the world will marvel at this people and want to know their God. This has always been God's intention, to bless the world through a blessed nation that keeps his right ways and who honor Him in all they do or say.
The prophet describes life in the kingdom of Christ with poetic imagery. The wolf and lamb live in harmony. The baby plays with poisonous snakes. No harm comes to the child. The lamb need not fear the wolf. This peace between predator and prey, between human child and snake, is a way of pointing to a future peace between peoples on earth. Jerusalem is a symbol of that hoped for future. Christ is the light which shines upon us showing the way there. For by the witness of the church, living the blessed life anointed with the Spirit of Christ, the world will be filled with the knowledge of God.
Isaiah 11:9 NIV
They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.
Isaiah's prophecy came true. The Jews were gathered from the nations where God had scattered them. Their witness among the nations spread the knowledge of God. When Christ was born wise men from the east came to honor Him because exiled Jews had lived among them and they learned of the God of Abraham. Great cathedrals have been built to honor Christ. Countless millions over the millennia worship Him. And where Christ is honored fully and His Spirit heeded, peace prevails. Little pockets of His kingdom are scattered all over the globe. These are the churches of Jesus Christ.
Just as the Lord reached out to the exiles, He reaches out to you today, calling to to rally to the banner, Jesus Christ the king of kings. Do your part to spread the knowledge of God by living in Christ.
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