The Major Prophets
Lesson 8
ISAIAH AND THE KING WHO IS “A SHOOT FROM THE STUMP”
1. “Comfort, comfort my people.” This is in keeping with the prophet’s message of grace through judgment: from sinfulness, through judgment, to comfort.
a. Isa. 40:1-2
b. Isa. 49:13-16
c. Isa. 51:3
2. “Your eyes will behold the king in his beauty.” The promised transformation from grief to gladness is to be wrought by the arrival of their king.
a. Isa. 33:17-22
b. Isa. 32:1-2
c. Isa. 16:4-5; 55:3
3. “A remnant shall return.” How could there be any hope of a king who could work any such transformation while it looked as if the nation was being destroyed? Because God would preserve for himself a remnant.
a. Isa. 1:9
b. Isa. 37:31-32
c. Isa. 10:20-22
4. “There shall come forth a shoot from the stump.” From the unimpressive and inglorious beginning of that remnant would come “the branch of the LORD,” and his triumph would be glorious and beautiful.
a. Isa. 10:33-11:1
b. Isa. 6:13
c. Isa. 4:2-6
i. “The branch of the LORD” is the Messiah. (Cf. Jer. 23:5; 33:15)
ii. The Messiah is the shoot growing from the stump remaining after God’s judgment. (v. 2; see also 53:2)
iii. All citizens of his city will be called holy. (v. 3-4)
(1) They will have been recorded for life.
(2) The Lord will have washed their filth away.
iv. The whole city will be under the canopy of his care. (v. 5)
v. Abundant life will be enjoyed there. (v. 6)
5. “The virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” Expectation of abundant life under the shade of the beautiful and glorious branch would wane as the people passed through the desert of sorrow and sin. God, therefore, provided a sign–a transforming event that would result from an even more unlikely beginning than the remnant’s return.
a. The ungodly character of Ahaz, king of Judah. (cf. 2 Kings 16:1-5)
b. His faithless response to the threat of the league between the king of Syria and the king of Israel. (Cf. Isa. 7:1-2; 2 Kings 16:7-8, 10)
c. The LORD sent Isaiah to Ahaz with his word regarding the intentions of Syria and Israel to set up a king. (Isa. 7:4-9)
d. Ahaz was offered any sign he might choose to guarantee that promise, but the hypocritical king declined. (Isa. 7:10-11)
e. Isaiah 7:13-14 says that the LORD himself therefore declared a sign of his own choosing to the house of David.
i. The nature of his birth would be in keeping with the nature of his being.
ii. The significance of “virgin” in LXX and Matt. 1:23.
iii. Some think the time it would take him to know good and evil had a more immediate application to Ahaz.
6. “Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end.” The rule of the Messiah over his kingdom would be brought about by the zeal of the LORD of hosts and would be for the benefit of all nations, Isaiah 9:1-7.
a. The Messiah would dispel the spiritual gloom, starting from Galilee of the nations. (2:5; 5:30; 8:22-9:1; Matt. 4:12-16)
b. A great light would shine on those who dwelt in deep darkness. (9:2; 42:6; 49:6; Jn. 1:5; 3:19-20)
c. The nation would be multiplied, with the joy of a great harvest or a mighty victory (v. 3; 29:15; 49:20-21; 54:1-5; then 29:19; 35:10; 61:7).
i. The yoke of oppression would be broken off as had been done in the days of Gideon (v. 4).
ii. Enmity and conflict will themselves be put away (v. 5).
iii. The rule will be given to the Son who is perfectly qualified to exercise it because of who he is (v. 6).
(1) Wonderful Counselor
(2) Mighty God
(3) Everlasting Father
(4) Prince of Peace
d. The LORD will give him an unending spiritual kingdom (v. 7). (Notice the emphasis upon these things being the work of “the zeal of the LORD of hosts” here and in 37:32; 42:13; 59:15-19; and 63:15. This is God’s work, not man’s.)
e. The characteristics of his kingdom will be peace, justice, and righteousness (v. 7).
7. “For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.” In his grace through judgment, God will, through the glorious King’s exercise of his authority in righteousness and faithfulness, have brought together his covenant promises, his place as the only Judge and Savior, and his compassion for all men, Isaiah 11:1-9.
a. The Messiah will bear fruit that will transform the world (v. 1).
b. The Spirit of the LORD will rest upon him (v. 2; Matt. 3:16-17).
c. He will delight in God, do right by people, and rule with the truth of his word (v. 3-4)
d. He will be fully prepared and equipped for his work (v. 5; for this concept of his armor, see also 52:7 and 59:17).
e. Through his rule, the knowledge of the LORD will be extended, resulting in unity and wholeness where there had been hurt and destruction (v. 6-9; Eph. 1:10; Col. 1:15-20).
8. “Who shall stand as a signal for the peoples.”
a. God had raised up “a signal for the nations afar off” to come against Jerusalem for judgment (5:26).
b. The Messiah was to become “a signal for the nations” to return for his blessings (11:11-12; 49:22; 62:10)
c. Paul used this very image to describe his ambition to reach the Gentiles with the gospel and to give every person the opportunity to choose a response to the day of salvation (Rom. 15:12).
“On this mountain the LORD of hosts will make for all peoples a feast....
And he will swallow up on this mountain the covering that is cast over all peoples, the veil that is spread over all nations.
He will swallow up death forever; and the LORD will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth,
for the LORD has spoken.
It will be said on that day,
“Behold, this is our God; we have waited for him, that he might save us.
This is the LORD; we have waited for him;
let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.”
Isaiah 25:6a, 7-9