Peace at Last
February 21, 2020
Commentary
God’s kingdom will arise by a shoot coming up from the stump of Jesse (v. 1; 2 Sam. 7:16; Rev. 22:16). He will come directly from the line of David and will fulfill God’s promises in the Davidic Covenant. Isaiah wrote, “The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him – the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power.” (v. 2). Isaiah describes not only the birth of Christ, but also His millennial reign, the righteous kingdom which the Messiah will set up (vv. 3-9). The curse will be lifted, peace and harmony will be present, and wild animals will again be tame and harmless. Isaiah spoke of the Lord’s gathering the people of Israel and Judah from all over the world (vv. 10-16). He compared it to a second “Exodus,” about 700 years earlier.
Isaiah 12 is a hymn of praise. “Salvation” is the theme. The refrain is verse two, “The Lord, even Jehovah, is my strength and my song; He is also my salvation.” This was sung by the Red Sea after the Jews had been delivered from Egypt (Exo. 15:2) and at the rededication of the temple in Ezra’s day (Ps. 118:14). It will be sung again when the Jewish nation accepts Jesus Christ as its King. They will recognize Him as “the Holy One of Israel” and will willingly obey His word. In that day, God’s anger will no longer be directed toward the people of Judah (vv. 1-3). The remnant will thank the Lord and will call on each other to let the world know what God has done (vv. 4-6). All people will sing to Him because of His glorious deeds.
Application
Such peace and tranquility is possible only when Christ reigns over the earth.
Isaiah 11:1–12:6 (NET)
1 A shoot will grow out of Jesse’s root stock, a bud will sprout from his roots.
2 The Lord’s Spirit will rest on him — a Spirit that gives extraordinary wisdom, a Spirit that provides the ability to execute plans, a Spirit that produces absolute loyalty to the Lord.
3 He will take delight in obeying the Lord. He will not judge by mere appearances, or make decisions on the basis of hearsay.
4 He will treat the poor fairly, and make right decisions for the downtrodden of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and order the wicked to be executed.
5 Justice will be like a belt around his waist, integrity will be like a belt around his hips.
6 A wolf will reside with a lamb, and a leopard will lie down with a young goat; an ox and a young lion will graze together, as a small child leads them along.
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