From the local and temporary national deliverance the prophet now speaks of the everlasting deliverance under Messiah’s reign, not merely His first coming, but chiefly His second coming. The language and illustrations are still drawn from the temporary national subject, with whom he began, but the glories described pertain to Messiah’s reign. Hezekiah cannot, as some think, be the subject; for he was already come, whereas the “stem of Jesse” was future. See also Micah 4:11; 5:1-2; Jeremiah 23:5-6; 33:15, 16; Romans 15:12.

1. The Branch of God from Israel (vs. 1)

A twig shall come from the stem of Jesse and a Branch shall be fruitful out of his stumps. See 6:3 – “the holy seed shall be its stump”. There is going to be left in Israel a tree with just its trunk, but it is an oak. A cedar never has shoots. When you cut it down it rots. See Ezekiel 31:3 – Lebanon. When Israel is cut down it will give forth a shoot. We can expect Messiah to come again as Israel “rots”.

2. Anointed with the Spirit of God (vs. 2)

It was at Christ’s baptism that He was anointed by the Holy Spirit. This was a fulfilment of Isaiah 61:6f. The Spirit of the Lord is to rest upon Him like Noah’s dove, which could not rest upon the earth because it was wicked and so the Spirit rests upon Him. Jesus alone was exclusively qualified of all men to receive the Holy Spirit of God.

• “The Spirit of wisdom and understanding” – This is Christ’s intellectual life. It was spotless and pure.
• “The Spirit of counsel and of might” – His practical life.
• “The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord” – His spiritual life.

3. The rule of the Messiah King (vs. 3-5)

The Messiah delights in the fear of the Lord and does not judge by His senses but by His power. See 2 Thessalonians 2:8f. As a belt holds all the wear’s clothes together in proper place, so God’s standard of holiness will be the constant and unifying force in Messiah’s rule.

4. The realm (Kingdom) of the King (vs. 6-9)

These verses are to be taken literally. When the Messiah reigns, nature will be transformed. No longer will there be predators among the animals, and seemingly all animals will be only herbivores. The animal kingdom will be at peace like paradise in the beginning. See Romans 8:18-25. Not only will the way animals relate to each other be changed, but the way they relate to humans will be changed. The creation suffers because we suffer. We are the head of creation and have an impact on it.

5. Gentiles shall be brought to that Kingdom (vs. 10)

The banner was used before to call the nations to judgment against Israel (Isaiah 5:26). Now the banner calls the nations to the blessings of the Messiah.

6. The Jews will return to their own land and live there after many years as prisoners in other lands (vs. 11-16)

In the reign of the Messiah, there will be another Exodus of the Jewish people, delivering them not only from Egypt, but from all nations where they have been dispersed.

Categories: Isaiah