48. Rejoice, the LORD Reigns

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Hymn: RHC 217 Rejoice – the Lord Is King! 213 Welcome, Happy Morning 216 Jesus Shall Reign

Isaiah 11:1-16

1 And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: 2 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 of the fear of the LORD; 3 And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears: 4 But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked. 5 And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins. 6 The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. 7 And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. 8 And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice’ 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, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious. 11 And 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, which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea. 12 And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth. 13 The envy also of Ephraim shall depart, and the adversaries of Judah shall be cut off: Ephraim shall not envy Judah, and Judah shall not vex Ephraim. 14 But they shall fly upon the shoulders of the Philistines toward the west; they shall spoil them of the east together: they shall lay their hand upon Edom and Moab; and the children of Ammon shall obey them. 15 And the LORD shall utterly destroy the tongue of the Egyptian sea; and with his mighty wind shall he shake his hand over the river, and shall smite it in the seven streams, and make men go over dryshod. 16 And there shall be an highway for the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria; like as it was to Israel in the day that he came up out of the land of Egypt. (Isa. 11:1-16 KJV)

Rejoice, The LORD Reigns

OUTLINE

  • Glories of His First Coming (v1-5)
  • Glories of His Second Coming (v6-10)
  • Return of Israel to the Promised Land (v11-16)

INTRODUCTION

The LORD is for His people. He consoles and comforts the ailing hearts of His people that He is still on the throne, though the world around us seemed to be falling apart. The violence that we see on 7 October 2023 in Israel, as we see the worst of the wickedness of the human heart. This is the Hebrew word “hamas” translated “violence” first in Genesis 6:11 (KJV) The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.

Why did God instruct Noah to construct the ark and preach of the coming judgment?

Genesis 6:12 (KJV) And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.

Because the earth was reeling out of control – Genesis 6:5 (KJV) And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

The coming of the Assyrians was a judgment from God because God’s people living in sin were reeling out of control. And yet for the sake of a remnant in Judah, the LORD will deliver the remnant of Judah from the Assyrian invasion (Isaiah 34).

This chapter Isaiah 11 is connected with the preceding as part of the same general prophecy. In that, the prophet had described the invasion of Sennacherib, and had given the assurance that Jerusalem should be safe, notwithstanding the threatened invasion. The general design of that prophecy was “to console the people with the assurance of their deliverance from impending calamity.”

Just as Noah preached the message of repentance, he also built the ark that will save his family from the global deluge.

As it is today, our Lord showed us the coming day of judgment will be like the days of Noah when men and women are indifferent, oblivious of the coming judgment – Matthew 24:37-39 (KJV) But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

As we see the world moving into chaos, we realize that the Lord’s return is soon, even at the doors.

It was a general principle with the Hebrew prophets, and particularly with Isaiah, when “any” event tending to console the people, or to excite the nation’s gratitude, occurred, to east the eye forward to that great future deliverance which they anticipated under the Messiah.

The contemplation of “present” objects dies away; the mind fixes more intently on the glories of the Messiah’s reign; the prophetic vision ranges over the beauties of His person, and the glories of His kingdom, until the prophet seems to have forgotten the subject with which he commenced.

This was perfectly natural. It was by an obvious law of association in the mind, by which the mention of deliverance, in any form, however humble, would suggest that great deliverance on which the eye of every Jew would rest. It hence follows, that wherever the prophet begins, he usually ends with a glowing description of the reign of the Messiah.

This is the case here. Isaiah had commenced the prophecy with an account of the invasion of Sennacherib; Isaiah 10:5, … He had described the deliverance from that danger – Isaiah 10:33-34. The mention of this deliverance directs his thoughts to that far greater deliverance which would take place under the Messiah; and immediately Isaiah 11 he commences a glowing description of His coming and His reign.

The “language” with which he commenced the prophecy, is retained; the illustrations are drawn from the subject “before” under consideration; but the description pertains to the glories of the reign of the Messiah. Its general design is, to console the people by the prospect of a great future deliverance under the Messiah, and by a prospect of the glosses of His reign. [Barnes]

The span of the prophecy over the period of the first and second coming of Messiah. At the second coming of Christ, there would come true peace on earth, when the Edenic state would be restored on earth, there shall be no violence, sin will be kept in check when Messiah reigns – 6 The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. 7 And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. 8 And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice’ 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. 1

Today, God is pushed aside and the evil one threatens to overwhelm this world with his evil agenda inciting violence and war.

  • Glories of His First Coming (v1-5)

1 And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots:

Where is the hope for fallen men reeling under the dominion of his own evil heart? Messiah must come. He will create in us a new heart and renew a right spirit within us.

John 1:11-12 (KJV) He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

Romans 5:1-2 (KJV) Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

Isaiah predicted the Messiah of Israel will come from the family of Jessie, the father of David. Though the royal family of David has fallen unto decay, there would yet raise from that family an illustrious descendant.

Out of his roots – As a shoot starts up from the roots of a decayed tree.

The beauty of this description is apparent, for when the Messiah was born, the ancient and much honoured family of David had fallen into decay; that the mother of Jesus, though descended from that family, was poor, obscure, and unknown; and that, to all appearance, the glory of the family had departed.

Yet from that, as from a long-decayed root in the ground, He should spring who would restore the family to more than its ancient glory on the honoured name of Jesse.

The prophet Isaiah brings hope to God’s people. In the midst of the dark days of the Assyrian threat comes a word of assurance to the Messiah’s coming. Motyer said well, “Undated hope is a living, ever-present assurance for God’s people, it speaks to Isaiah’s time as it is to the church today.”

Borrowing his imagery from the fall of the Assyrian forest just as Isaiah predicted, he now represents a shoot as springing from the fallen, prostrate trunk of Jesse, or rather from his roots, and this root is depicted as filled by the Spirit of the LORD with all the necessary attributes of a righteous judge and ruler.

The Assyrian forest was to fall forever, but that of Jesse was to sprout again. And there shall come forth a twig (or shoot) from the stock (or stump) of Jesse, and a Branch from his roots shall grow.

That the Messiah should, in due time, arise out of the house of David, as that branch of the Lord which he had said should be excellent and glorious; the word is Netzer, which some think is referred to in Matthew 2:23, where it is said to be spoken by the prophets of the Messiah that he should be called a Nazarene.

Matthew 2:23 (KJV) And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene.

Whence this branch should arise-from Jesse. He should be the son of David, with whom the covenant of royalty was made, and to whom it was promised with an oath that of the fruit of his loins God would raise of Christ (Acts 2:30), the words of the Apostle Peter at the day of Pentecost.

Acts 2:30 (KJV) Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne;  

Acts 2:29 (KJV) Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day.

The meanness of His appearance. He is called a rod, and a branch; both the words here used signify a weak, small, tender product, a twig and a sprig (so some render them), such as is easily broken off.

The enemies of God’s church were just before compared to strong and stately boughs (Isaiah 10:33), which will not, without great labour, be hewn down, but Christ to a tender branch (Isaiah 53:2); yet he shall be victorious over them.

Isaiah 10:33 (KJV) Behold, the Lord, the LORD of hosts, shall lop the bough with terror: and the high ones of stature shall be hewn down, and the haughty shall be humbled.

Isaiah 53:2 (KJV) For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.

Isaiah 55:9 (KJV) For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

He is said to come out of Jesse rather than David, because Jesse lived and died in meanness and obscurity; his family was of small account (1 Samuel 18:18), and it was in a way of contempt and reproach that David was sometimes called the son of Jesse (1 Samuel 22:7).

1 Samuel 18:18 (KJV) And David said unto Saul, Who am I? and what is my life, or my father’s family in Israel, that I should be son in law to the king?

1 Samuel 22:7 (KJV) Then Saul said unto his servants that stood about him, Hear now, ye Benjamites; will the son of Jesse give every one of you fields and vineyards, and make you all captains of thousands, and captains of hundreds;

The house of David was reduced and brought very low at the time of Christ’s birth, witness the obscurity and poverty of Joseph and Mary. The Messiah was thus to begin His estate of humiliation, for submitting to which He should be highly exalted, and would thus give early notice that His kingdom was not of this world.

The Chaldee paraphrase reads this, “There shall come forth a King from the sons of Jesse, and the Messiah (or Christ) shall be anointed out of his sons’ sons.”

2 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 of the fear of the LORD;  3 And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears:

Messiah is equipped for the tremendous task of bringing peace upon earth. When WW II was still in progress, men spoke as though, once the war were concluded, they would be able to establish a just and lasting peace. That end has not been attained.

Not by might nor by power, not by human wisdom and means will it ever be achieved. Peace will come only by the One who issues forth from Jessie’s roots.

In the first part of Isaiah’s prophecy, Isaiah depicted this Messiah as Immanuel, the Prince of Peace.

Isaiah 7:14 (KJV) Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

Isaiah 9:6 (KJV) For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counseller, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

In the second part he sets forth the Messiah as the Suffering Servant and shows that this wondrous peace is to be obtained because the Servant suffered.

Isaiah 53:5 (KJV) But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

The thought of the suffering does not appear in the first portion of the prophecy, but only the lowly beginnings of the Messiah.

Upon this Messiah the Spirit of the LORD is to rest. [EJ Young]

That he should be every way qualified for that great work to which He was designed, that this tender branch should be so watered with the dews of heaven as to become a strong rod for a sceptre to rule (v2).

In general, the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him. The Holy Spirit, in all His gifts and graces, shall not only come, but rest and abide upon Him; He shall have the Spirit not by measure, but without measure, the fulness of the Godhead dwelling in Him.

Colossians 1:19 (KJV) For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell;

Colossians 2:9 (KJV) For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.

He began His preaching with this (Luke 4:18), Our Lord Jesus proclaimed “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me.”

Luke 4:18-19 (KJV) The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

In particular, the spirit of government, by which he should be every way fitted for that judgment which the Father has committed to him and given him authority to execute (John 5:22, 27), and not only so, but should be made the fountain and treasury of all grace to believers, that from His fulness they might all receive the Spirit of grace.  

John 5:22 (KJV) For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son:

John 5:27 (KJV) And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man.

He shall have the spirit of wisdom and understanding, of counsel and knowledge; he shall thoroughly understand the business he is to be employed in – No man knows the Father but the Son.

Matthew 11:27 (KJV) All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him.

He shall know how to administer the affairs of His spiritual kingdom in all the branches of it, so as effectually to answer the two great intentions of it, the glory of God and the welfare of the children of men.

The terms of the covenant shall be settled by Him, and ordinances instituted, in wisdom: treasures of wisdom shall be hid in Him; He shall be our counsellor, and shall be made of God to us wisdom.

The spirit of courage, or might, or fortitude. The undertaking was very great, abundance of difficulty must be broken through, and therefore it was necessary that he should be so endowed that he might not fail or be discouraged (Isaiah 42:4).

Isaiah 42:4 (KJV) He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he have set judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for his law.

He was known for courage in His teaching the way of God in truth, and not caring for any man.

Matthew 7:28-29 (KJV) And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine: For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.

The spirit of religion, or the fear of the Lord; not only He shall Himself have a reverent affection for His Father, as His servant (Isaiah 42:1), and He was heard in that He feared (Hebrews 5:7), but He shall have a zeal for religion, and shall design the advancement of it in his whole undertaking. Our faith in Christ was never designed to supersede and jostle out, but to increase and support, our fear of the Lord. [Matthew Henry]

Isaiah 42:1 (KJV) Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles.

Hebrews 5:7 (KJV) Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared;

To be continued…