From the Stump of Jesse

A stump is not a very inspiring image. It is dead, lifeless, and quite ugly. But sometimes stumps are not really dead. Isaiah 11 begins with the prophesy of someone great coming out of a stump. It reminds me also of people in the New Testament saying that nothing good could come out of Nazareth.

"A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him" (Is. 11:1-2a). The last part reminds me of the Spirit of the LORD coming to rest on Jesus like a dove when He was baptized (Luke 3:21-22).

Jesus showed deep compassion while He was on earth. Isaiah says, "He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears; but with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth" (Is. 11:3b-4a). Because Jesus is God, He can see into people's hearts. He knows the purposes of our actions and words.

The next parts of the chapter seem to reveal what will happen some day. "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...They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will by full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea" (Is. 11:6, 9). There is so much hatred and selfishness in this world. This verse encourages me and reminds me that someday Jesus' government of peace will rule.

And we will all be gathered together. Where there have been divisions unification will bring the broken pieces together. "In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for all the peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his place of rest will be glorious" (Is. 11:10). "United in Christ." Maybe someday we'll really understand what it means to be the body of Christ.