Isaiah #3
Jesus: The Branch
Isaiah 11:1-16
SCRIPTURE READING: Isaiah 11:1-9
INTRODUCTION:
(background to ch. 11 and the concept of comparing Jesus to a Branch)
So far we have looked at the introduction to Isaiah including chapter 1 of Isaiah, and we have examined Isaiah’s call by God in Chapter 6. From now on we will look at the many ways Isaiah chooses to describe the Messiah in his prophetic book. The first word picture we will examine is Isaiah’s description of Messiah as a “branch” or “shoot.”
To understand this word picture we first need to understand that the Bible pictures Israel, the nation, with the symbol of a grape vine or an olive tree. Both of these pictures were used throughout the Bible and are still in use today in the nation of Israel. If you visit there sometime keep your eye out for those symbols and you will find them frequently. Why those symbols? Most likely it is because both symbols represent plants that must be tended by a care taker in order to be fruitful. Even though a grape vine can grow wild, the most productive grape vines with the most delicious grapes must have the attention of a vine dresser
Isaiah includes this picture in chapter 5 often called the “Song of the vineyard.” Though we don’t have time to deal with chapter 5 today, I will point out that the message of the parable of the vineyard is that the chosen vine must produce fruit or else it will be cut down. Israel had focused on their privilege and had forgotten their purpose. Therefore, because they were barren as a grape vine, they were about to be cut out and rooted up.
We don’t always know why disaster comes our way, but in the case of Isaiah’s prophecies he goes into detail about the sins of Israel. He explains in some detail why the Assyrians and later on the Babylonians would be used as a tool to root out Israel’s evils. The choice vine in Isaiah 5 is dug up and left to die.
And at any rate, by the end of Isaiah chapter 10 both Israel and Assyria lie on the ground like felled trees, but the promise is given that the tree of Israel will sprout again. The purpose of this word picture is to show that the Messiah will have a small and humble beginning (shoot, branch, rod, root ) like a cutting taken off of a dying plant, but after a humble start he will grow into the mightiest ruler the world has ever known.
The Symbol of the Root, is also found in the New Testament three times :
Rom. 5:12 And again, Isaiah says, “The Root of Jesse will spring up, one who will arise to rule over the nations; the Gentiles will hope in him.”
Rev. 5:5, Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.”
16“I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star.”
The branch is seen as a live sprout (4:2) in Hebrew it is called a “Nehtzer” And in Isaiah 53 we notice the symbol of a “root out of dry ground” At first so humble (Nazarine) Matt. 2:23, but filled with the 7-fold Spirit of the Lord (wisdom, understanding, might, counsel, knowledge etc.)
1. HIS ROOTS: ISAIAH 11:1-3
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 --- the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD --- and he will delight in the fear of the LORD.
(The ROOT – source – of this Messiah is the SPIRIT OF THE LORD. Jesus is both the ROOT and the BRANCH because he is God who came to earth as Messiah)
The comparison here is with the barren vine of Israel which is cut down and uprooted. But from the stump of Jesse (humble beginnings from David’s father who was a humble sheep herder) comes a branch (shoot) that will take root and fill all the world with fruit (With the coming of the Messiah we will discover that what Israel could not or would not accomplish, the coming Messiah will fulfill)
Most of chapter 11 of Isaiah is about the empowerment of the Messiah as Millennial ruler.
He is endowed and empowered with the 7 fold ministry of the Spirit of God (John 1:33 designates Jesus as the one chosen of God) And from Vs. 2-3 of Isaiah 11 we know that the “fear of the Lord” is the foundation of sound government.
Some may wonder why it says, “from the stump of Jesse.”? Why not mention David, the great king who was the son of Jesse? The most likely reason is that Jesse, David’s father, was a humble sheep herder. Jesse was unlikely root-stock for a great king, let alone, the greatest king who will ever rule on the earth. The “shoot from the stump of Jesse” is evidence of God’s handiwork, and reveals just like the apostle Paul said in 1 Cor. 1: 27But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are,
The picture of the shoot coming up from the stump of Jesse lets us in on the way God often chooses to work. He allows things to start small from seemingly weak and inauspicious beginnings. From these small beginnings great things are built by the intervention of the mighty God. This way no one can boast in the fleshly effort of any puny human. Jesus alluded to this principle when he said that the kingdom of Heaven is like a mustard seed that starts out almost microscopic in size but grows into a tree big enough for birds to perch in. (Matt 13:31-32) It pleases God to do mighty things using seemingly small tools, and the shoot from the stump of Jesse is the sign of new life coming from the ruins of the Nation of Israel. Those who were about to be carried away into captivity needed to know that God was not through with his chosen people. Though they had sinned, God still had wonderful plans for the righteous remnant among them.
2. HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS: ISAIAH 11:3-5
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. He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked. Righteousness will be his belt and faithfulness the sash around his waist.
(The BRANCH rules in perfect Righteousness)
Vs. 3-5 The Character of Messiah’s rule (Justice, righteousness, faithfulness). His powerful rod (vs. 4) is used to strike down the wicked. (Rev. 19:15)
Every four years or so we are reminded that we are a democracy because we go through elections where we hear politicians making promises they rarely keep, and berating the opposing party as though they were a plague and a blight upon our nation. The main thing we notice is that no matter who wins the election, we never seem to arrive at the utopian dream the politicians paint before Election Day. Let’s face it, no political regime up till now has figured everything out or solved all our problems.
We do hear, however, that when Messiah rules he will rule in perfect righteousness, perfect justice, and perfect faithfulness. That is good to know when we watch corrupt politicians getting booted out of office for impropriety and “moral turpitude” like we saw in our fair city recently.
When Messiah takes over the millennial kingdom he won’t be judging on the basis of what he sees with his eyes or hears with his ears, but on the basis of perfect knowledge and wisdom. In other words, the King of Kings will be able to read between the lines. That is important for those who have learned the hard way that justice is hard to come by here in this world. All kinds of unfair things happen, wrongs are seldom righted, and if someone attempts to do so they just wind up wronging someone else. (Like affirmative action in which someone is still bypassed for a place in a school or a position for a job, it’s just that our wise government has chosen to find new people to mistreat, and somehow that makes it all fair.)
3. HIS REIGN: ISAIAH 11:6-9
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. The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox. The infant will play near the hole of the cobra, and the young child put his hand into the viper’s nest. They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.
(His Reign pictures the Millenium – Heaven – What it’s like when the Righteous Ruler Reigns)
Vs. 6-9 The Conditions during the Millennial reign: Unparalleled peace and safety – a return to paradise where even infants and children are safe (Isaiah 65:20-25) Vs. 9 is the transition from animals back to man where we see that evil and corruption will not be tolerated in the future age. The whole earth will know the Lord and what he requires.
The statements about wild animals and tame animals living together along with little children in complete harmony, the carnivores becoming herbivores, may sound idyllic, but allows us to know what God’s plan was from the beginning, and what kind of power the King of Kings will actually have in the millennial kingdom. The situation between animals and animals, between animals and mankind, and within mankind will be a vast improvement over the status quo. The ability to live in a world of peace, tranquility and safety sounds too good to be true, but we have never experienced life under the King of Kings yet. After mankind has had millennia to attempt to do things his way, God will finally intervene and do what humans could never accomplish no matter how much effort they put into it. It may sound too good to be true for many, but I am anxious to see Messiah prove that it can be done. I say, bring it on!
4. HIS REMNANT: ISAIAH 11:10-16
In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his place of rest will be glorious.
In that day the Lord will reach out his hand a second time to reclaim the remnant that is left 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 sea.
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. (vs. 10-12)
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 men can cross over in sandals. 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. (vs. 15-16)
(The Remnant --- those who remain true to God --- will be drawn to the Branch like to a Banner.)
Vs. 10-16 shows how the people will be gathered to the “Holy Mountain” Where Messiah will rule. Both Gentiles (vs. 10) and Jews (11-16) will be gathered together.
The “root” is lifted up as a banner to all nations and gentiles are invited to participate in the kingdom (Is. 2:2-4) And in verse 11 we see the remnant coming from all four directions and the phrase “second time” seen as a gathering after a scattering possibly pointing to how Israel has been re-gathered in the past 50 years or so.
Is. 9:21 shows a Genuine Unity in Israel, Instead of war between northern and southern kingdoms as in 8th century b.c. there will be genuine unity. And in 9:12 we see victory instead of defeat.
We also see the political domination of Israel in Isaiah 60:12, and in vs. 15-16 the return of the remnant. The Euphrates river dried up for the construction of a Highway to Jerusalem (Rev. 16:2, Is. 57:14, Is. 62:10)
All of this lets us know how glorious the kingdom of the great king will be. Some of what is said in these last verse of chapter 11 are rather hard to figure out. I’m not sure what the significance is of the drying up of the Euphrates river to make a highway, although I do know that the Medes and Persions dammed up and diverted the Euphrates River in order to come under the walls of Babylon in order to defeat Darias and the Babylonians. Whether this is a prophecy concerning that event I cannot say.
I can, however, say that this will be a glorious time for the Jews and all who are servants of the great king. The root of Jesse will lift up his own banner and draw all mankind to himself. Meanwhile, the banner lifted up today by the root of Jesse is the banner of the cross. Jesus, dying on the cross, was his own banner. And lifted up on the cross, he draws men and women from every nation unto himself. Jesus himself is our banner; we don’t need any other.
CONCLUSION:
Jesus is the Branch. We are called to be like Jesus, so it shouldn’t surprise us that we also are compared to Branches.
Abiding in the Vine - John 15:1-17
Not only is Jesus our banner, As the branch or shoot or root from the stump of Jesse, Jesus has now become (to us) the vine. The symbol that represented Israel in the Old Testament now represents the Messiah himself. He is the great vine that grew as a tender shoot from the stump of Jesse. And as the great vine he let us know in John 15 that we are the branches in that same vine. As we stay connected to that vine we derive life, health, and fruitfulness. Abiding in the vine gives us life; apart from him we are nothing.
Jesus encourages us to stay connected to him because that connection brings to us life. Otherwise we are cut off, discarded and burned. Jesus is the branch from the stump of Jesse that has grown into a lush vine. Are you connected and staying connected to that vine? That is your purpose as branches.
