BRANCH OF THE LORD

The background described in chapter 3 is dark indeed. The immediate prospect for the kingdom of Judah is wrapped in sorrow. Righteous rule has been destroyed, vv. 1-8, sin is openly displayed, vv. 9-11, headship is denied, vv. 12-15, and womanhood is debased, vv. 16-26. The immediate judgment from the Lord of Hosts was felt in the reign of Ahaz, suspended during the reign of Hezekiah, continued during the reign of Manasseh and after the death of Josiah. In a coming day of tribulation for Israel these features will be experienced to the full.

Sin is the cause of this. Often the Lord had warned them and encouraged them to turn back to Him and honour Him, but the lesson that sin, no matter how attractive it might appear, brings a cost, had not been learned. What hope is there?

In chapter 4, Isaiah now looks forward to a day when the great tree of the Davidic monarchy will have fallen, lying like a dead thing. But from that’dead’ stock a branch, a little shoot, will come, seemingly too fragile to have any power.

This, however, is the Branch of the Lord. He will be beautiful in His splendour, glorious in His impressive dignity, excellent in His majesty and comely in His splendour. From such a small shoot will grow the One who will be ‘for them that are escaped of Israel’, for the remnant who are waiting for Him on that day yet to be.

He did come as a little shoot, born into humble circumstances, brought up in a modest home, tender in his meekness, devoid of pride and full of compassion. When He comes again in His powerful glory the world will see what came from that little shoot.

There is a lesson for us in these verses. No matter how dark the circumstances through which we are passing, no matter how difficult the way and how low are the storm clouds, He is the one who has the power to take us through. And we, who trust Him, wait for Him. Rapture day awaits the church and the day of glory awaits the world. Until then it is possible to enjoy Him and contemplate the beauty, glory, excellence and comeliness of Him who came from the Lord as the Branch, the tender shoot.