THE ROOT OF JESSE

In the previous verses in this chapter the prophet has been bringing to the attention of the reader the righteous character of the rule of the coming One, and the blessings which will be enjoyed on earth as a result. The land of Israel will be the centre of His administration which will have authority over the whole earth. At the beginning of that 1,000 year reign, all who are left on earth will be believers, having placed their trust and faith in the King. Opposition to Him will not be allowed to flourish and, therefore, the sorrow and sadness that comes as a result of disobeying Him will not be known.

But Isaiah has more to tell us regarding the One who is the centre of this glory. He is the root of Jesse! It has already been observed in verse 1 that He is the shoot or, that which would come from the ‘stump’ of Jesse, the twig from which the branch will grow, but more than that is indicated here. He is also the root from which that twig received its sustenance. Without the root there would have been no life in the broken stump.

As the last king of Judah was taken away as a captive to Babylon, it must have appeared to many that the great tree had been cut down, never to rise again. But there was life in the root. The sap to sustain this was present as it quietly and in a hidden way kept life in the apparently lifeless stump. So over the years the family quietly continued and the seed of David went on, generation after generation, until a child was born in a manger in Bethlehem.

God’s ways may seem strange and, to many, appear to be hopeless. His declared purposes may be said to have come to nothing and the prophecies of Scripture incapable of fulfilment. But let not the believer listen to the sceptical man of the world. Quietly, but surely, He is working out all for His glory. Every promise will be honoured, every prophecy fulfilled and every claim vindicated. To the natural eye it may appear that nothing is happening to this end, but all is dependent on the Lord Jesus and His coming to rapture the church and then later to display His glory. That day will reveal that God has always been on the throne.