Isaiah 11 1-2 Advent Song Service 2005

Advent Song Service Devotion

Isaiah 11: 1-2

December 18, 2005

“The King Comes”

And there shall come forth a Rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots; 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 of the fear of the Lord. Is. 11:1, 2

            From a wide-spreading, noble family tree that covered all Israel with its branches, the kingly house of David, son of Jesse, had withered and decayed to an insignificant little stem at the time of our Savior's birth. All its former power and splendor had disappeared. Its few remaining descendants were poor and common folk. Joseph, the foster father of our Lord, was a hard-working carpenter, and his espoused wife, the Virgin Mary, a lowly, humble virgin. So poor were Mary and Joseph that they could not obtain a night's lodging at Bethlehem when they came there to be taxed, but had to find shelter in a stable.

            Here came forth the tender Branch out of the withered stem of Jesse; here Jesus, the Son of David, was born. But in that lowly Babe of Bethlehem dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. In Him God was made manifest in the flesh. On Him rested the Spirit of God without measure, all the rich treasures of the wisdom and knowledge of God. He revealed the hidden counsels of God formed from the beginning of the world and taught man the way back to the heart of God, the way of the cross. On Him rested the Spirit of counsel and might.

            When mankind lay hopelessly and helplessly lost in the power of sin and death, He took counsel and devised help and carried out the plan of our salvation in divine power and might. In Him we now have the redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins. Through His blessed Gospel He pours out on the nations the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of God and thus proves Himself to be the God-ordained Savior of the human race.

            From the Stomp of Jesse and the branch of kingly David comes the greater king – the King of kings and the Lord of Glory, whose origins are from eternity who concealed Himself in the flesh of a human child.

            The Angel said to Mary, “You will be with child and give birth to a Son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the most High. The Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David, and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever; His kingdom will never end.”  

Oh, blest the land, the city blest,

Where Christ the Ruler is confessedl 0 happy hearts and happy homes

To whom this King in triumph comes! The cloudless Sun of joy He is,

Who bringeth pure delight and bliss. We praise Thee, Spirit, now,

Our Comforter art Thou!