The Restored Kingdom - Isaiah 11

©February 27th, 2022 by Rev. Rick Goettsche SERIES: Isaiah

One of the fun parts of living in the Midwest is that we have four distinct seasons. We get to experience winter, spring, summer, and fall (sometimes in the span of a day or two!) Each of these seasons has its own beauty. After a while of winter, however, we tend to be ready for spring to come. Spring brings with it a warm-up, but we also get the chance to see our world, which has been gray and dreary for months, show signs of life once more. The grass goes from its dormant yellow/brown color to a verdant green. The fields get planted and soon go from empty to filled with crops. The trees that have been merely sticks for months are suddenly filled with leaves and fruits and flowers once more. Part of the reason we love spring so much is the new life we see after a time when it seemed there was little.

In our passage this morning, the prophet Isaiah told the people of Israel that spring is coming for them. After all the hardships they have faced, there is coming a time when there will be new life, one so great that it will make the people forget about the times of hardship in their past.

The good news for us is that the promise Isaiah holds out to Israel in Isaiah 11 applies to us as well. In the times that seem dark and hopeless, we have the hope of a glorious future in Jesus. We’ll unpack what Isaiah says about that future this morning.

The New Branch

Isaiah opens chapter 11 by telling the Israelites that a new king will rise.

1 Out of the stump of David’s family will grow a shoot—yes, a new Branch bearing fruit from the old root. 2 And the Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. 3 He will delight in obeying the Lord. He will not judge by appearance nor make a decision based on hearsay. 4 He will give justice to the poor and make fair decisions for the exploited. The earth will shake at the force of his word, and one breath from his mouth will destroy the wicked. 5 He will wear righteousness like a belt and truth like an undergarment. (Isaiah 11:1-5 NLT)

Isaiah says that out of the stump of David’s family will come a shoot that will grow into a new, fruit-bearing branch. If you recall, David was the second king of Israel and God had promised David that his family line would rule forever. In previous chapters, Isaiah used the analogy of a forest being leveled by an axe to describe what was going to happen. God would cut down all these kingdoms (including Israel) that thought they were so great, leaving only stumps as far as the eye could see. Now he uses this image to describe the rising of a new king from the line of David. Out of one of these stumps, a new tree will grow. He says that God will fulfill His promise by bringing up a new king from David’s family line.

The people of Israel rightly understood this to be a messianic prophecy—a prophecy that gave information about the promised Messiah. They believed this passage promised that God would raise up a great deliverer and that this person would come out of the family line of David. But they thought this king would rule an earthly kingdom and set up Israel as a world power.

We can understand how they reached this conclusion based on this passage, but that isn’t what Isaiah was promising. Though he does say that this new leader would come from the family line of David, everything else in the passage shows us this kingdom will be different than any human kingdom. It will be far greater. Let’s look at what Isaiah says about this new king.

The Spirit of the Lord would rest on him. Isaiah says this Spirit would grant the new king wisdom and understanding, counsel and might, and knowledge and fear of the Lord. This new king would rule with a supernatural wisdom and understanding. The Lord would be upon this new ruler, and He would stand in stark contrast to all the leaders before Him.

He would delight in obeying the Lord. In Israel’s history, few kings obeyed the Lord. Many of Israel’s kings lived in outright defiance of the Lord. Isaiah tells us here that this new king would not only obey God’s commands, He would delight in doing so. Verse 5 says that he would wear righteousness like a belt and truth as an undergarment. This is a poetic way of saying that this king would be righteous to his core. He would not do what was right merely for show or political gain, He would do what is right because it is His character to do so.

He would be just to everyone. Isaiah continues this idea of righteousness and says this king will ensure justice, even for the poor and exploited. He would not rule based on who was most powerful, who told the best story, or who could most help his prospects. This new king would rule justly and would see things for how they really are. He would not be swayed by things that sway human kings.

He would destroy the wicked. This king would have a supernatural power. When he speaks the earth will tremble, and with a single breath, He will destroy the wicked. This King would have a power no other king has had—but He will use it to eradicate evil.

These descriptions sound like the absolutely perfect King! This is the kind of leader we all desire. The people of Israel were excited by the prospect that such a king would one day come.

So who is this king? It is Jesus! Jesus is the one who clearly fulfills these promises. Jesus is the King who is above all other kings. He was not the leader the people of Israel imagined; He is a far greater King than they would have dared to dream.

A Kingdom of Peace

After describing the kind of King who would rise up from David’s family line, Isaiah describes what His new kingdom will be like.

6 In that day the wolf and the lamb will live together; the leopard will lie down with the baby goat. The calf and the yearling will be safe with the lion, and a little child will lead them all. 7 The cow will graze near the bear. The cub and the calf will lie down together. The lion will eat hay like a cow. 8 The baby will play safely near the hole of a cobra. Yes, a little child will put its hand in a nest of deadly snakes without harm. 9 Nothing will hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain, for as the waters fill the sea, so the earth will be filled with people who know the Lord. (Isaiah 11:6-9, NLT)

The description of the new kingdom in these verses is shocking because it is so different than the world we are used to. Isaiah says this new kingdom will have a peace that goes far beyond simply rest from war. This peace will exist among all creatures in the kingdom—not just human beings, but even among the animals as well!

Isaiah describes predators and prey lying down together without fear. He says children will play with cobras without fear or danger. Lions will no longer eat meat but will eat hay like cows. This is a stunning picture of a supernatural kind of peace.

People have wrestled with how to properly understand what Isaiah is saying. If Isaiah is speaking literally here, then there will have to be a massive supernatural intervention and change in our world for this to happen. Take the lions for example. Lions do not have stomachs like cows have. Their entire biology is designed to consume and digest meat. They cannot subsist on hay like a cow does in their current state. We can imagine that God could somehow create peace amongst the other animals (like how He shut the mouths of the lions when Daniel was thrown into their den), but some of these things would require changes at the biological level.

For this reason, others have understood what Isaiah is saying as merely poetic, stating these descriptions are intended to give us a sense of how pervasive this peace will be. It will be such a profound change that everything will be nearly unrecognizable from the world in which we currently live.

I’m not sure which way is the correct way to understand this description. Clearly, Isaiah is describing a peace so pervasive that it touches every aspect of our lives and affects every aspect of creation. But I have no problem believing God could effect such profound changes in creatures to make it so there are no longer predators either. God created the animals with a word, He could change them with a word as well.

I think the bigger question is when will this peace arrive? The King who was promised in the opening verses of chapter 11 has already arrived, so why hasn’t this peace arrived as well?

The answer is that even though Jesus has come onto the scene and sits rightfully upon His throne, He has not brought the fullness of His kingdom into place yet. Christ has not yet destroyed wickedness, and therefore this kind of peace does not yet exist. Why has God not inaugurated his kingdom fully yet? Initiating this peace means destroying wickedness once and for all, which also means punishing and banishing all wicked people from this kingdom. Only those who trust in Christ will enjoy this kingdom and this peace. The rest will be excluded. So, the Bible tells us that God is waiting for the proper time to bring the fullness of this prophecy to pass so everyone has a chance. In the New Testament, Peter writes these words,

9 The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent. (2 Peter 3:9, NLT)

The sad reality is that not every person will turn to Christ. But God has a plan, and once all those whom God has planned to save have turned to Him, the end will come. Peter goes on to give us the practical application associated with this truth.

10 But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief. Then the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and the very elements themselves will disappear in fire, and the earth and everything on it will be found to deserve judgment.

11 Since everything around us is going to be destroyed like this, what holy and godly lives you should live, 12 looking forward to the day of God and hurrying it along. On that day, he will set the heavens on fire, and the elements will melt away in the flames. 13 But we are looking forward to the new heavens and new earth he has promised, a world filled with God’s righteousness.

14 And so, dear friends, while you are waiting for these things to happen, make every effort to be found living peaceful lives that are pure and blameless in his sight. (2 Peter 3:10-14, NLT)

Peter’s conclusion is this: we don’t know when Christ will return, so we should ensure we are ready for the time when He does. We should strive for righteousness and live with Him on the throne of our lives now. If we are ready for His return, then we need not fear, because we know the kind of inheritance that awaits—a world with a glorious peace we can hardly even imagine.

A Kingdom for All People

The last part of Isaiah’s prophecy talks about how this King will not just be a king for the people of Israel, but He will be the King for people of all nations.

10 In that day the heir to David’s throne will be a banner of salvation to all the world. The nations will rally to him, and the land where he lives will be a glorious place. 11 In that day the Lord will reach out his hand a second time to bring back the remnant of his people—those who remain in Assyria and northern Egypt; in southern Egypt, Ethiopia, and Elam; in Babylonia, Hamath, and all the distant coastlands. 12 He will raise a flag among the nations and assemble the exiles of Israel. He will gather the scattered people of Judah from the ends of the earth. 13 Then at last the jealousy between Israel and Judah will end. They will not be rivals anymore. 14 They will join forces to swoop down on Philistia to the west. Together they will attack and plunder the nations to the east. They will occupy the lands of Edom and Moab, and Ammon will obey them. 15 The Lord will make a dry path through the gulf of the Red Sea. He will wave his hand over the Euphrates River, sending a mighty wind to divide it into seven streams so it can easily be crossed on foot. 16 He will make a highway for the remnant of his people, the remnant coming from Assyria, just as he did for Israel long ago when they returned from Egypt. (Isaiah 11:10-16, NLT)

Isaiah again uses poetic language to describe what this new king will be like. He says He will be a banner of salvation to all the world! People from all over the earth will rally to Him and faithful people from every nation will come to live in His kingdom.

Though this prophecy has not come to its fullness yet either, we see glimpses of it even now. When Jesus came into the world, He did not come only to save the people of Israel (as Gentiles, we should be eternally grateful for this fact!), but He came as the only means of salvation for everyone in every place. Even now, people from all over the world have come to Christ. God’s plan extends beyond just the nation of Israel. This fact reminds us of several important truths.

First, Jesus is the only means of salvation.God did not have to provide a way for people to be saved from their sin. He could have simply destroyed us as we deserve. But thankfully, He provided a way for us to be forgiven and be saved from the punishment of our sin. That way was Jesus. There is no other way for us to be saved. While some people balk at the idea that there is only one way of salvation, they are missing an extremely important point: there is a way! Those who are unwilling to submit to Christ or who demand that God comes to them on their terms will suffer the just penalty for their sin. They will be banished from His kingdom forever. To enjoy the inheritance Isaiah promises, we must come to Jesus.

Second, this salvation is for anyone who will come. Much of the time, we feel like we aren’t good enough to enjoy the blessings others have. So we imagine we are not welcome in the kingdom of God. But this passage reminds us that God makes this kingdom available to everyone, regardless of who you are or where you are from. Notice the places Isaiah says will be welcome in this kingdom—people from Assyria, Egypt, and Babylon. These places were enemies of God. But God says people will come even from these evil nations. The door is open to anyone who will place their trust in Jesus as their King and their savior. That means the door is open to you.

Third, we must welcome others with open arms.We do not get to exclude people because we think they don’t deserve forgiveness or don’t fit our vision of what a Christian looks like. That’s not our decision to make. We don’t deserve forgiveness either! We should welcome as equal brothers and sisters anyone who is willing to put their faith in Jesus. It doesn’t matter what earthly things divide us—because what unites us is greater. The King of kings unites us in His kingdom.

Conclusion

Isaiah was giving hope to the people of Israel who were about to undergo significant trials in their lives. Isaiah promised there was a glorious future ahead for those who remain faithful to the Lord. That message should encourage us still today. The promised King has come to earth, and some day soon He will usher in His kingdom. Knowing that is true, I think there are a few takeaways.

First, you must ensure you are ready. Isaiah promises that when the time comes for Jesus to inaugurate His kingdom, He will destroy wickedness, and bring peace to all who are loyal to Him. This means we must each examine our hearts to see whether we are followers of Jesus or not. If you are playing at your faith, if you have not chosen to follow Jesus wholeheartedly, you are playing a dangerous game. We don’t know when Christ will return or when our time on earth will be up, so I challenge you to make sure you deal with the most important issue now. If you have never trusted in Christ before, I invite you to do so today.

Second, see the urgency in evangelism. If you are a follower of Christ already, then I challenge you to think about the people in your life who are not. Unless something changes, when Christ returns, those people will be destroyed and will be excluded from the glorious inheritance Isaiah describes for those who trust in Jesus. This should motivate us in our efforts at reaching others with the gospel message. We don’t know how much time any person has left before they are called to account before the Lord. This means we should feel an urgency to make sure our friends and families know how their futures can be secured through Jesus. We are not being loving by keeping silent.

Finally, we should live in such a way that the Lord will be pleased when He returns. Peter said we should make every effort to be found living peaceful lives that are pure and blameless in His sight. If we knew that Christ was coming back tomorrow or next week, I suspect our priorities would change. We don’t know exactly when Christ will return, but we know He is coming soon. We should endeavor to live in ways that we know are pleasing to Him so that when He comes He will be pleased with what He sees in us.

Isaiah’s promise of Christ’s coming kingdom is wonderful. It should give us great hope in a world that is often hopeless. We can remember that Christ is on the throne, no matter what is going on in the world around us. But it should also remind us of what is most important. Knowing this should drive us to serve Him faithfully with honor, humility, and all the energy we can muster.

©February 27th, 2022 by Rev. Rick Goettsche SERIES: Isaiah