Yahweh's Branch
Notes
Transcript
Handout
He reigns in righteousness and faithfulness
Last week, we covered the light of Yahweh’s reign. We continue with the theme of his reign as the Righteous Branch from the stump / the root of Jesse.
We want to continue to ponder God’s reign in our hearts.
We want to continue to ponder how we engage with him in his current and future reign.
Please turn to Isaiah 11:1. Here, we will look at the reign of Yahweh’s Branch.
1 There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit.
First, Jesse is the father of which king of Israel?
He is the father of David, so when talking about a branch from the roots, God creates a picture that this new king will reset the Davidic line of kings.
Who is this branch from Jesse?
Paul makes this clear in Romans 1:1-7, and John makes it clear in Jesus' own words in Revelation 22:16.
16 “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.”
Jesus, our Savior, is Yahweh’s branch from Jesse. He is not like David's other descendants who failed to rule Israel well. He is God incarnate who reigns in righteousness and faithfulness.
Isaiah 11:2-3. LXX
2 And God’s spirit will rest on him, a spirit of wisdom and intelligence, a spirit of counsel and strength, a spirit of knowledge and piety.
3 He will fill him with a spirit of the fear of God; he will not judge according to reputation or reprove according to speech.
Isaiah 11:4-5.
but with righteousness he shall judge the poor,
and decide with equity for the meek of the earth;
and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth,
and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked.
Righteousness shall be the belt of his waist,
and faithfulness the belt of his loins.
Each of Israel’s kings was to be anointed by the Spirit of God to equip them to rule well (1 Samuel 16:13). Many of them rebelled against the Spirit.
When did the Spirit of God rest on Jesus?
He rested on Jesus at his baptism, as all the Gospels record (Matthew 3:16-17; Mark 1:10-11; Luke 3:21-22; John 1:32-34).
16 And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him;
17 and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”
The LXX gives seven spirits or seven attributes of the Holy Spirit that will rest on Jesus. John picks up on this in Revelation 1:4; 3:1; 4:5; 5:6.
Revelation 3:1 is a good example.
1 “And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: ‘The words of him who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. “ ‘I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead.’
Jesus has the seven spirits of God or seven attributes of the Spirit to empower him to reign.
Six of the seven attributes are stated in parallel to emphasize the effectiveness of these abilities given by the Spirit
The first set is wisdom and intelligence.
The second set is counsel and strength.
The third set is knowledge and piety.
The seventh is the fear of God, which is not in parallel, but is essential to applying the other six, for if one does not have reverence and awe of God that moves him or her to obedience, then none of the other empowerments matter.
Jesus is fully equipped to reign. He is fully equipped to reign in our lives.
Will you allow him, the righteous branch, to reign in your life?
Will you allow him to reign in his wisdom and intelligence?
We must choose to trust his wisdom in our lives rather than the world's wisdom.
Will you allow him to reign in his counsel and strength?
Jesus not only has great counsel, but he also has the power to make his counsel work. He has the power to empower each of us, through the Holy Spirit, to apply his counsel. Oh, what a Mighty God we serve!
Will you allow him to reign in his knowledge and piety?
Jesus is one hundred percent committed to the Trinity. He is loyal to Yahweh and is working to make you loyal and committed to him as well. He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it, for he who called you is faithful. Please let him reign.
Will you allow him to reign in his fear of God?
Jesus wants to teach us obedience by his example (Hebrews 5:7-10). Paul says this in Philippians 2:5-8.
Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
Jesus is calling us all to obedience because the same Spirit that has rested on him indwells us who believe, empowering us to live the life God has called us to.
Will you let the Righteous Branch reign in your life?
He is coming in power to judge the living and the dead.
He will judge them in righteousness and faithfulness with the breath of his mouth.
I pray that he reigns in our hearts today so that we are ready for the day when he reigns in his fullness.
Isaiah 11:6-9.
6 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.
7 The cow and the bear shall graze; their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
8 The nursing child shall play over the hole of the cobra, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder’s den.
9 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 passage illustrates peace.
With Christ's reign in our lives comes a peace that surpasses all understanding (Philippians 4:4-7).
With Christ's future reign in the new heaven and earth comes a reversal of the curse of Genesis 3:14, for we and all creation groan for this day (Romans 8:22-25).
Lord, help us to have you, the Righteous Branch, reign in our hearts so that we will be ready when you reign in your fullness.
