Isaiah 11: Righteousness From The Root

Have you ever seen a tree sprouting from what looks like a dead stump?  Isaiah gives us the picture of a shoot rising up from the "root of Jesse."  Just when all hope appears gone, God promises to send a descendant of David (Jesse's son) to bring righteousness to the earth.

Story time: while it doesn't involve a stump, I did once have a similar encounter that saved my skin!  My young wife and I were living in our first parsonage in Louisville.  Somewhere along the way, we had acquired a beautiful rose bush that graced the side of our house.  It was Debbie's favorite feature in our yard.

This was also about the time that I got my hands on my first weed-whacker.  I discovered that weed-whackers can come with a lot of power - and they don't necessarily just whack weeds.  They also can whack good plants that you want to keep around, like beautiful rose bushes.  Yes, it's true.  In my exuberance with my new toy, I accidentally weed-whacked the rose bush!

And I whacked it good.  I mean, I took it right down to its nub.  Debbie was rather distraught, but she understood that I hadn't meant to do it.  Fortunately for both of us, we learned firsthand how rose bushes can come back from a serious weed-whacking.  After a few months, the bush came back, stronger than ever, apparently no worse off for the pruning it received.  (But I learned my lesson - I steered way clear of that rose bush with my weed whacker from then on!)

I tell that story because Israel suffers a serious pruning with the large empires that are circling around her like sharks.  Assyrians.  Babylonians.  Someday Persians and Greeks and Romans.  It's enough to lead us to believe that Israel is just a dead stump from which there is no return.  But God promises to breathe new life into that root of Jesse and raise up righteousness from it.  Twice, the prophet declares, "with righteousness he will judge the needy" and "righteousness will be his belt, and faithfulness the sash around his waist" (vs. 4 and 5).

This personage who is full of the Spirit and called the "Root of Jesse" (vs. 10) will usher in a time of spiritual well-being for Israel and her exiles.  Another picture of the Messiah as one who will lead the people in a restored relationship with God.   Another reason Christians hold Jesus to be the Promised Messiah!