The Remnant’s Branch of Righteousness

Isaiah 11:1-16 

1 There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse,
And a Branch shall grow out of his roots.

2 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 of the fear of the LORD.

3 His delight is in the fear of the LORD,
And He shall not judge by the sight of His eyes,
Nor decide by the hearing of His ears;
4 But with righteousness He shall judge the poor,
And decide with equity for the meek of the earth;
He shall strike the earth with the rod of His mouth,
And with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked.

5 Righteousness shall be the belt of His loins,
And faithfulness the belt of His waist.

6 "The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb,
The leopard shall lie down with the young goat,
The calf and the young lion and the fatling together;
And a little child shall lead them.

7 The cow and the bear shall graze;
Their young ones shall lie down together;
And the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
8 The nursing child shall play by the cobra's hole,
And the weaned child shall put his hand in the viper's den.

9 They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain,
For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD
As the waters cover the sea.

10 "And in that day there shall be a Root of Jesse,
Who shall stand as a banner to the people;
For the Gentiles shall seek Him,
And His resting place shall be glorious."

11 It shall come to pass in that day
That the Lord shall set His hand again the second time
To recover the remnant of His people who are left,
From Assyria and Egypt,
From Pathros and Cush,
From Elam and Shinar,
From Hamath and the islands of the sea.

12 He will set up a banner for the nations,
And will assemble the outcasts of Israel,
And gather together the dispersed of Judah
From the four corners of the earth.

13 Also the envy of Ephraim shall depart,
And the adversaries of Judah shall be cut off;
Ephraim shall not envy Judah,
And Judah shall not harass Ephraim.

14 But they shall fly down upon the shoulder of the Philistines toward the west;
Together they shall plunder the people of the East;
They shall lay their hand on Edom and Moab;
And the people of Ammon shall obey them.

15 The LORD will utterly destroy the tongue of the Sea of Egypt;
With His mighty wind He will shake His fist over the River,
And strike it in the seven streams,
And make men cross over dry-shod.

16 There will be a highway for the remnant of His people
Who will be left from Assyria,
As it was for Israel
In the day that he came up from the land of Egypt.

As Isaiah 9:1–7 foretold of the coming Messiah, here it continues as the Branch of the rod from Jesse as the son of David.  He would have the Spirit of God on Him as Jesus when baptized by John, He would have wisdom, understanding, counsel, power, and bring the knowledge and fear of the Lord with Him to His people.  We see all these attributes fulfilled in Jesus the Christ of that same lineage of Jesse spoken here.  He is the Branch of God’s promise fulfilled who was born of a virgin as promised and who brings righteousness to the remnant of His people who are called and chosen for Himself, first of Israel and then from out of all nations as promised to Abraham (Genesis 17:5, Romans 4:16-17).  He judges rightly because He knows our hearts and upholds the meek while judging the wicked who have rejected His righteousness and forgiveness in the Anointed One.  He has only to speak a word and they are judged or released from judgment with everlasting atonement.  He is clothed with righteousness and faithfulness, meaning that we can trust Him to be true to every word of promise because there is no sin found in Him (2 Corinthians 5:21, 1 Peter 2:22).  Ultimately He will being peace with Him and each other in the fullness of time, in the resurrection.  All the hate and destruction will vanish away as the knowledge of Him permeates the earth and all who remain in it as it is made new.  This root of the promise of Jesse is our banner whom we follow in victory (1 Corinthians 15:57) over sin, death, and hell of deserved eternal punishment.  Resting in Him is ever so glorious!  He has recovered His remnant of Israel and now has added in the remnant of the few who are called out of every nation, people, and tongue for His promises to fulfill.  He will destroy those opposed in disbelief and who reject His promised Branch but has provided a highway to heaven for we who He calls to the narrow path through the gate of His Son to escape bondage to sin as Israel was led out of their enslavement in Egypt.  He is the remnant’s Branch of righteousness who rules with a rod of iron (Revelation 2:27, 19:15) as Lord of all, just as promised.  Yes, we find all the promises of God in Jesus Christ answered as yes and amen (2 Corinthians 1:20), certain and true.  Praise and thanks be to God who has done all these things!