There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. 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. And his delight shall be in the fear of the LORD ...
(Isaiah 11.1–3, ESV)
The opening chapters of Isaiah make for sobering reading. While there are the great prophecies that we treasure and read at Christmas – the virgin birth of chapter seven, or the ‘Wonderful Counsellor’ of chapter nine – Israel is largely challenged by God for her lack of attention to him and his ways.
Isaiah prophesies that other nations will overpower Israel as a result of her sin, and yet, studded amidst the calamitous prophecies of judgement, there is always hope. The nations surrounding Israel will likewise too be brought low eventually, their leadership judged for its pride and self-reliance: ‘See, the Lord, the LORD Almighty, will lop off the boughs with great power. The lofty trees will be felled ...’ (Isaiah 10.33, NIV). What comes next? How will God’s people recover? These timeless words are what follows: ‘A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit’ (Isaiah 11.1, NIV).
Renewal is coming! And note, it is not a brand-new plan, but rather the restoration and true recovery of an old one. A righteous ruler filled with the Spirit of God (verses 2–5), who will lead Israel into the glorious future that God has planned for his people (verses 6–9).
As we have seen over the last week, the Old Testament had its fair share of Spirit-anointed leaders. The Holy Spirit tended to empower particular people for particular things, and these famous characters manifested some of the attributes of true spiritual maturity found in verse 2: Solomon had the Spirit of wisdom and understanding; Samson had the Spirit of might (though definitely not of counsel), David excelled in the knowledge and fear of the LORD. But none of them had the lot.
Until now. Someone new was coming. Someone who would possess all these qualities, and more; whose judgements would protect the poor and needy, and hold the wicked to account; who would be known for faithfulness; and ultimately who would usher in an era of peace and harmony.
God’s people had to wait 700 years for this person: Jesus, the true and righteous king. And while his gentle rule continues to extend into human hearts across the world, we too ache with longing for the final reign of peace promised in this remarkable chapter. It will come, as surely as the dawn. But for now we wait, and pray, and try to copy Jesus’ example as best we can: growing in wisdom and understanding, delighting in God, and seeking the peace and justice of this world.
The shoot promised by Isaiah has become a great tree, and we are branches grafted in. Today, filled with the same Spirit that rested on Jesus, let us pray that our branches bear similar fruit.
Heavenly Father, thank you for your Holy Spirit dwelling in us and enabling us to live fruitful lives. Help us to grow in wisdom and understanding, fully acknowledging you and delighting in you, seeking peace and acting justly; help us to follow in the footsteps of Jesus and become more like him.
These Pentecost reflections were written by Revd Matt Trendall, a minister working in Milton Keynes. Check out his blog at www.dailyinspiration.org.uk.
Read the Bible 
Processing...