Isaiah 4:2-6 NIV
In that day the Branch of the Lord will be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the land will be the pride and glory of the survivors in Israel. Those who are left in Zion, who remain in Jerusalem, will be called holy, all who are recorded among the living in Jerusalem.
The Lord will wash away the filth of the women of Zion; he will cleanse the bloodstains from Jerusalem by a spirit of judgment and a spirit of fire.
Then the Lord will create over all of Mount Zion and over those who assemble there a cloud of smoke by day and a glow of flaming fire by night; over everything the glory will be a canopy. It will be a shelter and shade from the heat of the day, and a refuge and hiding place from the storm and rain.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Whereas Isaiah 3 was almost completely confrontation, Isaiah 4 is almost completely consolation. As part of the same oracle chapter 4 is a response to chapter 3. It's a word of hope to those who survive the destruction of Jerusalem by the armies of Babylon.
The passage begins by mentioning the Branch of the Lord. It's a curious phrase. The NIV capitalizes the word branch to signify its importance. Latter parts of Isaiah will speak of a holy branch, or the root of Jesse. This is messianic language. This is hope in a redeeming king who will lead Israel in faithfulness to God. In this instance, however, the branch of the Lord is more likely referring to the surviving remnant of Israelites who live in Jerusalem. After having survived the chastisement of the Lord the remnant will be considered holy.
To be holy is to be purified and consecrated, set apart solely for God's purposes. The remnant will be purified of Israel's sin through the removal of the flirting, seductive women of the wealthy nobles and courtiers. They along with the unfaithful and idolatrous leading men will be taken into exile, leaving a faithful portion of the righteous behind.
This purging of Israel through military and political means is God's use of Babylon's war machine for God's own purposes. Anything religiously unclean is removed from Jerusalem so that the entire city and its populace are made holy. Isaiah infers menstrual fluids, which makes for uncleanness in the law of Moses, as a way of speaking to the sins mentioned in previous chapters. God is washing away the filth of idol worship, greed, adultery, vanity, and the like. He will put in place holy and godly leadership for the remnant and they will serve the Lord in righteousness. Then Jerusalem will shine with the glory of the Lord and the nations will be drawn to the holy city to worship the God of Israel. Refer to Isaiah 2:1-5 to see the vision God has for Jerusalem.
Isaiah speaks of the return of covenant faithfulness and law obedience by using a memorable image from the days of Moses in the wilderness with the first tabernacle. In those days Israel was lead by God appearing as a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. This cloud represents the glorious presence of the Lord. This image implied that Israel has returned to covenant faithfulness and God has returned to dwelling among them and blessing the nation. Just as the firmament, or sky dome, God created in Genesis 1 protected the earth from the dark waters of chaos, God's glory will be a protective canopy over Jerusalem.
What a beautiful image! How I long to live under God's glory and protection from all evil! The church today is a branch of the Lord too. We are those who acknowledge Jesus as the messiah, the deliverer king. We are made holy by the sacrifice of His blood. We are the branches connected to the vine who is Christ. (John 15:5) We are surrounded by His glory.
May the church be continually cleansed of impurity by the glory of God, by His spirit of judgement and fire. May the moral filth that has crept into our hearts, minds, and lives be purged by whatever means God finds appropriate. May the church of Jesus Christ shine with holiness, dedicated completely to the love of God and His mission to bring holy community to the earth through followers of Christ. May my heart be cleansed of filth and purged of evil that I too may dwell under the canopy of God's glory. Then my life and the life of the church will shine for Christ and others will be drawn to the Lord.
In that day the Branch of the Lord will be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the land will be the pride and glory of the survivors in Israel. Those who are left in Zion, who remain in Jerusalem, will be called holy, all who are recorded among the living in Jerusalem.
The Lord will wash away the filth of the women of Zion; he will cleanse the bloodstains from Jerusalem by a spirit of judgment and a spirit of fire.
Then the Lord will create over all of Mount Zion and over those who assemble there a cloud of smoke by day and a glow of flaming fire by night; over everything the glory will be a canopy. It will be a shelter and shade from the heat of the day, and a refuge and hiding place from the storm and rain.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Whereas Isaiah 3 was almost completely confrontation, Isaiah 4 is almost completely consolation. As part of the same oracle chapter 4 is a response to chapter 3. It's a word of hope to those who survive the destruction of Jerusalem by the armies of Babylon.
The passage begins by mentioning the Branch of the Lord. It's a curious phrase. The NIV capitalizes the word branch to signify its importance. Latter parts of Isaiah will speak of a holy branch, or the root of Jesse. This is messianic language. This is hope in a redeeming king who will lead Israel in faithfulness to God. In this instance, however, the branch of the Lord is more likely referring to the surviving remnant of Israelites who live in Jerusalem. After having survived the chastisement of the Lord the remnant will be considered holy.
To be holy is to be purified and consecrated, set apart solely for God's purposes. The remnant will be purified of Israel's sin through the removal of the flirting, seductive women of the wealthy nobles and courtiers. They along with the unfaithful and idolatrous leading men will be taken into exile, leaving a faithful portion of the righteous behind.
This purging of Israel through military and political means is God's use of Babylon's war machine for God's own purposes. Anything religiously unclean is removed from Jerusalem so that the entire city and its populace are made holy. Isaiah infers menstrual fluids, which makes for uncleanness in the law of Moses, as a way of speaking to the sins mentioned in previous chapters. God is washing away the filth of idol worship, greed, adultery, vanity, and the like. He will put in place holy and godly leadership for the remnant and they will serve the Lord in righteousness. Then Jerusalem will shine with the glory of the Lord and the nations will be drawn to the holy city to worship the God of Israel. Refer to Isaiah 2:1-5 to see the vision God has for Jerusalem.
Isaiah speaks of the return of covenant faithfulness and law obedience by using a memorable image from the days of Moses in the wilderness with the first tabernacle. In those days Israel was lead by God appearing as a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. This cloud represents the glorious presence of the Lord. This image implied that Israel has returned to covenant faithfulness and God has returned to dwelling among them and blessing the nation. Just as the firmament, or sky dome, God created in Genesis 1 protected the earth from the dark waters of chaos, God's glory will be a protective canopy over Jerusalem.
What a beautiful image! How I long to live under God's glory and protection from all evil! The church today is a branch of the Lord too. We are those who acknowledge Jesus as the messiah, the deliverer king. We are made holy by the sacrifice of His blood. We are the branches connected to the vine who is Christ. (John 15:5) We are surrounded by His glory.
May the church be continually cleansed of impurity by the glory of God, by His spirit of judgement and fire. May the moral filth that has crept into our hearts, minds, and lives be purged by whatever means God finds appropriate. May the church of Jesus Christ shine with holiness, dedicated completely to the love of God and His mission to bring holy community to the earth through followers of Christ. May my heart be cleansed of filth and purged of evil that I too may dwell under the canopy of God's glory. Then my life and the life of the church will shine for Christ and others will be drawn to the Lord.
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