Isaiah 11:1-5
“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 might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord— 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; 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.”
Isaiah 11:1-5 NIV
It is not difficult for us to see that this is a clear prediction of the Lord Jesus. Here in these opening verses is a hint that the Messiah will appear in history in a very obscure way. That is suggested by this word, “A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse.” Like a great tree that has been cut down, the ancestry of Jesus represented in David and his father Jesse has been reduced to obscurity and insignificance. But out of that lowly stump will arise a shoot, a single sprout, a man who will, as the prophet goes on to say, be filled with the Spirit of God and who will do a great work in the land. When our Lord is referred to as “the son of David” in the gospels, it is always in terms of royal glory, but when he is called the “stump of Jesse,” it is a reference to his humble beginnings. We long for a leader. We want someone to care for us, show us what we’re supposed to be like, tell us what to do, cast a vision, inspire us, and lead the way. But we’re usually disappointed in our leaders. As kids, we look up to our parents, but as we grow older, their imperfections become obvious. In school, we emulate the cool kids, but their coolness does not translate into adulthood. At work, we’re perpetually frustrated with our bosses. As citizens, we get excited about our candidate, but their presidency is inevitably flawed. There is a reason we long for a leader we can’t seem to find. C S Lewis wrote that we are only born with desires for which satisfaction exists. Babies desire food, food exists. Ducklings desire to swim, water exists. We desire a perfect leader, a perfect leader exists. Have you been around people that just made you feel good to be in their presence. There was something about them, a spirit of some kind that was healthy, uplifting and maybe even joyful. You come away from time spent with them feeling filled. I wonder if that may not have been what it was like to spend time with Jesus. Look at what these scriptures says about Him. The Spirit of the Lord was on Him. The Spirit of wisdom and understanding, counsel and might, knowledge and the fear of God. Jesus must have been someone who listened and understood. He must have given honest yet helpful answers when asked. It must have been evident from the moment you met Him that He possessed knowledge beyond His years. His authority came because of who He was and the Spirit that rested upon Him made Him distinct. When Jesus left the earth He sent a Helper, The Spirit to abide within the hearts of those who trusted in Jesus for salvation. That same Spirit abides in those of us today who accept Jesus as Lord. Therefore, wisdom, knowledge, understanding, and counsel are all there for us as we as we fear God and walk in His ways. What a great gift!!!
Father thank You for this day and we thank You that You not only inspired the words of Your prophets of old through the Holy Spirit but that You also sent Jesus as the living Word, full of your Spirit and in union with You. Lord pour out Your abundant blessings upon my friend and family today. Lord thank You for this indescribable gift. Eternal Light, shine into our hearts, Eternal Goodness, deliver us from evil, Eternal Power, be our support, Eternal Wisdom, scatter the darkness of our ignorance, Eternal Pity, have mercy upon us that with all our hearts and minds and souls and strengths we may seek thy face and be brought by thine infinite mercy to thy Holy presence. Lord use my friend to be the salt and light of Your Word to all today. Daddy we love You amen. Be a blessing. Love ya !!
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