Advent: Peace (week 2)

He will Come from the Stump of Jesse v1

The use of the word stump here is interesting you have to go back to the last 2 verses of chapter 10 to understand what he is talking about here. It says:

Isaiah 10:33–34 ESV

33 Behold, the Lord God of hosts will lop the boughs with terrifying power; the great in height will be hewn down, and the lofty will be brought low. 34 He will cut down the thickets of the forest with an axe, and Lebanon will fall by the Majestic One.

This is talking about when the Jews will be taken into captivity and there will be nothing left of there home land.

By saying that Christ will come from the root of Jesse rather than saying the root or house of David God is humbling the house of David

By saying it this way God is putting the Holiness back into the house of David.

David was very much flawed in his personal life and in his reign as king.

by saying that the shoot will come from the stump of Jesse God is going back before all those flaws came out.

What we see here is why so many people missed who Christ was the first time he came to earth: they were not looking for a commoner but a great king and conquer

He Will Have a Great Mind v2-3a

Isaiah 1–39 (4) The Reign of a Righteous King (11:1–16)

The wisdom, strength, and Spirit of the LORD will empower this new king (11:1–4); he will not arrogantly depend on his own wisdom and strength as did the haughty king of Assyria. God’s people will no longer be weak and under a foreign yoke (10:10–11, 24–27), but will be powerful and free of domination (11:10–16).

Three things define the Spirits impact on the character and abilities of this person.

1.) the Spirit’s influence will affect the mental abilities of wisdom and understanding as well as the moral ability to make right choices in judicial decisions

2.) the Spirit of God will equip leaders with gifts related to the practical accomplishment of tasks.

3.) God will grant this person experiential knowledge of God that will be characterized by a fear of God

When a king “enjoys, delights in” his close relationship with God, he has a source of moral direction derived from a divine perspective on judicial affairs.

He will Show a Great Sense of Justice v3b-4

This reign of justice will require the condemnation of wickedness, the imposition of penalties on the wicked, and the removal of God’s enemies

He Will Usher In a Great Peace v6-9

Not only will there be a physical peace but there will be a peace from sin a temptation.

The future kingdom is described as something similar to a paradise with peace and security, even the removal of the original curse on the relationship between man and the animals

Natural enemies in the animal kingdom will live together, feed together, and play together

Fear and danger will disappear and they will be replaced with harmony and peaceful relationships. Formerly dangerous animals (like the wolf, lion, or cobra) will not even harm the most vulnerable children

This rather idyllic picture points to a future kingdom when there will be no evil, conflict, or death on God’s holy mountain. This is a reference to what we studied last week in Isaiah 2:2

This is true meaning of Peace in this passage.

Its not a Peace accord between 2 countries that still don’t like each other but don’t want to go to war, this is an inner peace that will take away all the human and animal agression that we have toward others and situations.

During this time all the people on the Earth will be Holy, The earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord.

This is what true Peace is, to be filled with the Lords great knowledge and know what true peace is like.

He Will Bring A Great Vision v10

The vision here is that the people coming to God will be of all nations.

The first readers of this verse were startled by it. They never thought of the Gentiles as a matter of concern to God.

In the midst of one of the Jews greatest books, is this promise that the Gentiles will come to acknowledge the God of Israel.

Preaching and Worshiping in Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany - eBook [ePub]: Years A, B, and C Prayers for Worship

BENEDICTION

Prophets of old put forth bold and broad dreams of the coming of God. So too may we, here and now, imagine unlikely and precious life—possible once more as the Divine draws near. The opportunity is ours to be faithful and courageous in our commitment to that incarnation.

(MARTHA BRUNELL)