Isaiah 11:1–10 — Living with Anticipation

Last week the USA played Iran in the World Cup in a do or die match to see if they would advance out of the Group stage. It happened in the middle of a very busy day for me, and so I didn’t get a chance to watch it live. But I was really excited to try to find a way to watch the whole game later on. I was avoiding finding out what happened. Background, I’m a former soccer player, and born in England, and so this has some special meaning to me. Right before I start to head home, I get a text from my Dad asking if I’ve watched the game. I said, ‘No, not yet. But tonight I plan on watching it.’ He responds with, ‘Well I won’t ruin it for you, but you’re gonna love the game.’ The problem with that text, is that it communicated to me that America won the game, because I wouldn’t love the game if America hadn’t won. So he ruined it, in a way. As it turns out, knowing how it all ends, still makes the game exciting to watch. I was able to watch an abbreviated version of the game. The whole time I knew America won. Even in the last twenty minutes when Iran was breathing down our necks, I knew America was going to win. The question I was asking when the game was getting pretty tight at the end was, ‘How does America hold them off.’ The exhiliration was not, ‘Will America hold them off?’ but rather ‘How do they hold them off?’

Personal

As Christians, we also know the end of the story. History is going somewhere. It is on a linear trajectory towards an end that God has established. There is nothing, no power on this planet, that can possibly derail God’s plans. And so as those watching the events unfold in realtime, the question we are asking is never ‘Will God’s promises prove true?’ We know the end of the story, God wins. But rather with open wide-eyed curiosity we ask, ‘I can’t wait to see how God’s going to do it?’ And there is something deeply moving to the heart of a Christian to live with that kind of Anticipation.

Context

Today, we begin a three week Advent series in which we prepare our hearts to celebrate the incarnation of Jesus Christ. In the midst of the sentimentality and the shopping of the season, there is the birth of a child on a starry night. Advent at its heart is about celebrating the birth of the most important child ever born, the birth of Jesus Christ, both for who he is, and what he has accomplished. Today we are going to look at the significance of the birth of Christ through the theme of Anticipation. And so we will be in the prophet Isaiah. Isaiah is full of references to a savior, what the Jews in the Old Testament called a Messiah. A person who would come and set things right. He would restore God’s order. It was this messiah that the people of God anticipated, waited for, longed for. Like the Jews of the Old Testament we live also live with a sort of Anticipation. On the one hand we live in the days of fulfilment. Christ has come. He has established his Kingdom. His Church is alive and on the move. On the other hand we recognize that all is not finished. As Christians we hold this tension of the Already and the Not Yet. Today we’ll answer three questions around the theme of anticipation.

Who Did They Anticipate?

The first question we can ask, ‘Who did they anticipate?

Isaiah 11:1-5 “1 There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. 2 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 the fear of the Lord. 3 And his delight shall be in the fear of the Lord. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide disputes by what his ears hear, 4 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. 5 Righteousness shall be the belt of his waist, and faithfulness the belt of his loins.”

Immediately in verse 1 we are brought into common imagery used by Isaiah. Prophets tended to have favorite metaphors and illustrations that they returned to regularly. Isaiah regularly utilized tree imagery. We are told in verse 1 that there shall come forth shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. This text is clearly messianic, and we know that because it’s talking about a stump from Jesse. Jesse is David’s father, as in King David from the Old Testament’s, father. And so this text says that one is coming through the lineage of King David.

Descendent of David on the Throne

This would have been such hopeful language for a very specific reason. Israel had been given a promise that a descendent of David would always sit on the throne of Israel. But for Isaiah’s first recipients, it had been some time since a descendent of David would sit on the throne. This verse would become the basis of the hope of God’s people. For the next 700 years of Israel’s history, they would cling to this verse, anticipating the day when a shoot from teh stump of Jesse, a descendent of David will rise again to take the throne.

Compare the Shoot to the Destruction of Assyria

Additionally, we must see that this is a verse of comparison. In the preceding chapter, chapter 10, Isaiah has been prophesying against the nation of Assyria. Assyria were the enemies of Israel at the time. At the end of chapter 10 we read that God will in the end, utterly annihilate the Assyrians for their sins. Referring to Assyria he says,

Isaiah 10:33-34 “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.”

These verses depict Assyria as a tree that has been utterly lopped down. It’s over. Assyria will collapse into oblivion, not a trace will ever resurrect. God will have his final judgment over that pagan nation. But with Israel, with the people of God, it will be different. They too have broken God’s laws. They too will be like a tree that has been lopped down because God will bring judgment upon them for their sins. But unlike Assyria, the people of God would have a resurrection of sorts. From the stump, life would emerge. A shoot will come from the stump and bear fruit.

1 The Spirit of the Lord (v. 2)

Who would this descendent of Jesse be? What would he be like? Verse 2 begins a series of statements about this this branch. We must be careful here because people often read this verse and see the word spirit and immediately think that it is a reference to the Holy Spirit. While it might be, that is not necessarily how Isaiah intended to use the word. The term Spirit in Hebrew is ruach, it means: breath, wind, spirit. So in verse 2 when we see the Spirit of the Lord, certainly we can speak of the Holy Spirit, and yet there is a sense that the idea being communicated is the breath of God, the Word of God, the heart of God. The promise in verse 2 is that this branch of David would live out the very breath of God.

2 He Will Lead & Govern Perfectly (v. 2)

Next we see three separate pairs of ideas, ways in which the spirit of God manifests itself in the Branches reign. This branch will be a true leader. He will have the Spirit of wisdom and understanding. This signifies that the branch will be leadership, administrative leadership, governmental leadership. Perhaps you think of Isaiah 9:6 where we read that the government will be on his shoulders. Secondly we see he will have the Spirit of counsel and might. This is language used for war. He will rule from strength and might. No force will be able to reckon with his rule. Thirdly he will have the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. This is language for spiritual leadership. He will know God’s Word, and He will be love and worship God the Father.

3 He Will Execute Justice Fairly (v. 3-5)

In verses 3-5 we read about his judgments. He will be a good judge. He will hold God’s standard of judgment. In those days, the poor had no justice in a court of law. The courts were not fair, the were partial. If you had money you could you buy off the judge, or the arresting officer. The general life expecation was that those without had very little voice in society, and no voice to stand up for themselves against those with power. With righteousness he will judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the Earth. He is a fair judge. Your standing before Him as a faithful judge is not dependent on your strength or your money. The standard he judges by is righteousness. His justice will be complete. it will not lean towards the rich nor towards the poor. It will judge with equity. And in that perfect judgment, that perfect standard he will ultimately slay the wicked with the breath of his mouth. When the branch speaks, God’s will will be done. Under his rule and his reign, ultimate justice will be had, evil will finally be expunged.

Jesus’ Baptism

This passage gave the Old Testament saints a sense of Anticipation that one day, a descendent of David would be born who would rule, and govern, and judge righteously. He would restore things to the way they ought to be. The Jews of the Old Testament held onto passages like these with a hopeful anticipation. Then one day in Israel, after 400 years of prophetic silence, a new prophet appeared on Israel’s scene, John the Baptist, claiming to be preparing the way for the messiah. Then one day, Jesus came to John the Baptist as he was baptizing people in the Jordan River. John baptized Jesus and then we read what happened,

Matthew 3:16-17 “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.””

This passage from Matthew is a direct fulfillment of Isaiah 11:2 that says the Spirit of the lord will rest upon him. The one whom the people of God had waited for, for 700 years, had arrived, but in the most curious of ways. They expected a conquering hero, not a child in a manger. They expected crown of gold, not a crown of thorns.

—>The Branch: Jesus the Nazarene<—

‌When he was older, he took the name Jesus the Nazarene. Many think that this title has to do with the region that he was from, the region of Nazereth. But I don’t think that is right. The Hebrew term in our passage today for the word branch is Nazar. I believe Jesus took on himself the title Jesus the Branch in fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecies, that a branch from jesse’s roots shall bear fruit.

What effects did they anticipate?

Before we reconcile these ideas, we must first ask another question. We have asked about the character of the messiah. We now ask about the fruit of the Messiah’s reign. We read in verses 6-9

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.”

There are two primary themes that are developed from these verses. The first in verses 6-8 is this idea of physical peace & prosperity, what the Hebrews called shalom. The second, in verse 9, is the idea of the knowledg of the Lord. Let us examine both.

The Peace of Eden

In verses 6-8 we have a sense that this messiah would usher in an age of such peace that even the animal kingdom would cease killing and harming. This reads in a sense like an Eden like experience would be restored to the planet Earth. Under the messiah’s reign, both humans and animals alike would be restored to their original design in Eden. There will be such peace and safety and security that even a child could play with a cobra and not a person would have the slightest fear.

Questions: children in heaven? What is this referring to? How literally or symbolically are we to read this verse?

The Knowledge of God

The reason no one would fear in the slightest is because the knowledge of God restored. By knowledge of God we refer to man’s full awareness of God. We refer to the way mankind sees and understands reality. Again, this is a return to what Adam had in the garden. Adam’s knowledge in the garden was perfectly in line with God. He saw the world as it truly is, as God sees it. His knowledge was not perfect, like God’s in the sense that Adam was not omniscient. But in what he knew, he knew it perfectly with no sin. Every part of creation was seen as under God’s reign. Adam thought no sinful thoughts. The idea could not even naturally enter his mind. It would take a satanic influence to do that.

Review: Anticipation

Let us review for a moment. What a hope this must have been. What a treasure to hold onto. Imagine these Israelites going through captivity in Babylon holding onto this promise. Imagine the hardship of the Roman conquering of Jerusalem holding onto this promise. Over all the years, centuries even, they held on hope, that one day a branch would arise, that would fulfill God’s promises. One day He who brings peace would break forth into the human experience and return us to an Eden like wonder.

What purpose/end did they anticipate?

But to fully understand this anticipation we need to ask a third question. What purpose or end did they anticipate? We read in verse 10,

Isaiah 11:10 “10 In that day the root of Jesse, who shall stand as a signal for the peoples—of him shall the nations inquire, and his resting place shall be glorious.”

A Signal—Progressive Rollout

We see that the root of Jesse will Himself be the signal for the peoples, or for the nations. What is a signal? A signal is a favorite word of Isaiah’s. He uses this phrase 8 times in the book of Isaiah. It can mean flag, or banner, or symbol. It is always used in relation to the nations, to the people’s of the world. A signal functions as two things. On the one hand, it is a declaration of victory. When you put the flag in the ground, it declares this is our turf. To those who are on the side of the victor, it is a rallying call, to come find rest and strength in the victor. On the other hand, To those who have been defeated. It is a warning sign that judgment is coming. And so, in this little verse, we see hinted this idea of a progressive rollout of Christ’s Kingdom. The signal will be established, and then, as that signal stands, over time the nations will join. This is the great purpose—to gather the nations, people from every tribe! The full number of all the redeemed, to join in His glorious rest. Imagine the hope they lived with? Imagine the Anticipation!? As the people of God waited for centuries for this to be fulfilled.

The Birth of Christ—> He is the Signal to the Nations

Then, on one starry night, on the northern outskirts of Israel in a little town called Bethlehem, a miraculous child was born to a descendent of King David. His father was a carpenter. His mother was an ordinary woman. They had no wealth. A child was born on a starry night and laid in a manger. It was reported by shepherds in a field that the angels knew exactly who had been born, as they saw an entire choir singing in the skies above the field. But this child would be the cause of the fall and rise of many. Because in order for the signal to be raised, in order for the nations to come in to God’s rest, this shoot from the stump of Jesse would first need to make a way for entrance into His Kingdom. This child was born to die. The Word of God reveals that the sins of the nations would be held in judgment by God, because He is just, He is righteous. But God sent Christ first to go underneath the wrath of God on our behalf. He suffered in our place. In His resurrection He defeated sin and the power of sin over the nations. Right now, in His Resurrection Jesus stands as a signal to the nations. Those who receive Him—He has made a way into His rest. To those who reject Him, the signal stands as a warning for the judgment still to come.

A Helpful Tool: Mountain Peaks of Prophecy

Whenever I preach on prophetic passages there are two ideas I think are very helpful. One is called the Mountain Peaks of Prophecy. When we read the prophets of the Old Testament, especially when they spoke about the coming of the Messiah, they often saw all that the Messiah would fulfill scrunched into one moment of time. Its a bit like looking at a mountain range from one angle, it just looks like one mountain, but when you look from the side you realize there are multiple peaks and great valleys in between. From the prophets vision they often saw the events of Christ 1st and 2nd coming from the angle that looked like they were all bunched together. Which, if you can imagine, was why so many people were so confused by prophecy. You had some prophecies saying the messiah would be crucified and killed, and others saying he would rule forever. How can both be true? The Mountain Peaks visual helps us a little here.

Already & Not Yet

This tool helps us to consider the second idea. And it is in this second idea where I hope to foster a sense of Anticipation in us this Advent. That is around the language of Already & Not Yet. Like the people of God of the OT, we live in a day of Anticipation. Christ has already accomplished much of what was promised. And yet, we too wait and cling to the promises that are not yet complete.

Already

Christ has come. He is the signal that has been raised. He governs right now with the spirit of wisdom and understanding. This is why the Apostle Paul would quote this passage from Isaiah as fulfilled, in Romans 15. The shoot from teh stump of Jesse has come. He has the (governance), with the spirit of counsel and might (war), and teh spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord (spiritual leadership). Right now, as he rules and reigns he is judging the nations and the peoples, often through very real world circumstances. In a very real way, he is restoring what was lost in Eden, not in its final form, but also not in a way that is to be diminished. Because when you believe in Jesus, your sinful mind begins to get transformed with real knowledge of God. Its tainted still by sins effects, but nevertheless, the Christian filled by the Spirit begins to think in new godly ways. We must see from this passage what God is doing now. Our King is ruling and reigning in fulfilment of this passage right now, and he does much of his governance through the Church. As the fragrant aroma of Christ spreads to the nations, He not only expanding the presence of peace, the power of His Kingdom, but He is gathering for Himself all of his people, from all of the nations.

Not Yet (We Don’t Yet Fully “see” Reality)

And yet, we know that there is still an eager child like ancitipation that the Christian lives with, much like the people of old. We long for the day when Christ returns. Like the people of God under the Old Testament we are to hungrily desire that day. For when he returns he will not come as infant born to die, but as a conquering King bringing in the final judgment.

Hebrews 2:8 “8 putting everything in subjection under his feet.” Now in putting everything in subjection to him, he left nothing outside his control. At present, we do not yet see everything in subjection to him.”

Christian—may Advent resurrect a hunger for Christ’s return. When you look out at the brokenness that still exists in this world, may you find rest in the reality, that Christ will have his day in judgment. The King of Kings, will come at just the right time and if you are in Him, if you are underneath His signal, his banner, you are...

Closing: His ‘Resting Place’ Will be Glorious

Our text ends by saying that when all the nations have been gathered. When all those who have been elected from all the nations have been gathered into Christ’s Kingdom. When this Church Age is complete, his Resting Place will be glorious. Advent ought to accomplish three things in our hearts. It must force us to look backwards to how Christ has already fulfilled the long awaited anticipation of the Jews. It must force us to look forwards, to what we still anticipate, as we wait with eager longing for Christ’s return. And it must force us to be aware of what God is doing right now, in this age, today, as we move forward towards that final end. We know the end of the story.

We know who wins the game. The question we are asking is not ‘Will this work towards Christ’s agenda?’ but rather ‘How does He do it?’ That’s the hunger for Christ that Advent sould form in us. A childlike curiosity to see the world through what Christ is doing in it right now.

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