Isaiah 11: The Branch & his work

• v.1-5 The Branch
• v.6-9 The Peace he will bring
• v.10-12 The Gathered People
• v.13-16 Establishing Peace over the Region

[Preliminary Comment: For a moment Isaiah lifts us out of his own day. There are in Isaiah, a number of Messianic references. The first one had been in 7:14, a son called Immanuel, perhaps not fully recognized in the Messianic context until New Testament times, then in 9:1,2 there is the bright light in Galilee reference. Now in this chapter there comes the anointed ‘Branch’, [v.1-3] the clearest Messianic reference yet, a ruler beyond human rulers who will bring peace by his mouth [v.4] heralding an era of peace, [v.4-9] that is worldwide. It will also be a time of restoration of Israel [v.10-12], although verse 10 may be chronologically after the restoration verses 11 & 12, also a time of triumph for Israel [v.13-16]. Whether it happens in stages with gaps or all at one time, only time will tell.]

v.1-5 The Branch

v.1  A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.

v.2 The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him— the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord—

v.3 and he will delight in the fear of the Lord. He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes or decide by what he hears with his ears;

v.4 but with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked.

v.5 Righteousness will be his belt and faithfulness the sash around his waist.

[Notes: ‘The Branch’ comes from the household of David and he will express the Spirit’s life, bringing justice and judgment and righteousness displaying the Lord’ s faithfulness.]

v.6-9 The Peace he will bring

v.6 The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them.

v.7 The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox.

v.8 The infant will play near the cobra’s den, and the young child will put its hand into the viper’s nest.

v.9 They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.

[Notes: In his ultimate kingdom, wild and domestic animals will live together in harmony demonstrating peace on earth, so children will never fear wild creatures. Thus peace and security will abound with the knowledge of the Lord’s presence.]

v.10-12 The Gathered People

v.10 In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his resting place will be glorious.

v.11 In that day the Lord will reach out his hand a second time to reclaim the surviving remnant of his people from Assyria, from Lower Egypt, from Upper Egypt, from Cush, from Elam, from Babylonia, from Hamath and from the islands of the Mediterranean.

[Notes: This will be for all peoples of the earth, and his scattered people will be gathered from around the world and be returned to their Promised Land.]

v.12 He will raise a banner for the nations and gather the exiles of Israel; he will assemble the scattered people of Judah from the four quarters of the earth.

v.13-16 Establishing Peace over the Region

v.13 Ephraim’s jealousy will vanish, and Judah’s enemies will be destroyed; Ephraim will not be jealous of Judah, nor Judah hostile toward Ephraim.

v.14 They will swoop down on the slopes of Philistia to the west; together they will plunder the people to the east. They will subdue Edom and Moab, and the Ammonites will be subject to them.

v.15 The Lord will dry up the gulf of the Egyptian sea; with a scorching wind he will sweep his hand over the Euphrates River. He will break it up into seven streams so that anyone can cross over in sandals.

v.16 There will be a highway for the remnant of his people that is left from Assyria, as there was for Israel when they came up from Egypt.

[Notes: There will be no more war or local hostility, for enemies will be dealt with, barriers will be removed, and the way home will be made open.]

For those who may wish to make a study of this chapter, to perhaps think some more about what you have been reading, use the link below: