A shoot shall come out from the stock of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots.The spirit of the Lord shall rest on him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.His delight shall be in the fear of the Lord.He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide by what his ears hear;but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth;he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked.Righteousness shall be the belt around his waist, and faithfulness the belt around his loins.The wolf shall live with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the kid, the calf and the lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them.The cow and the bear shall graze, their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.The nursing child shall play over the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put its hand on the adder’s den.They will not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain; for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.On that day the root of Jesse shall stand as a signal to the peoples; the nations shall inquire of him, and his dwelling shall be glorious.On that day the Lord will extend his hand yet a second time to recover the remnant that is left of his people, from Assyria, from Egypt, from Pathros, from Ethiopia, from Elam, from Shinar, from Hamath, and from the coastlands of the sea.
The previous chapter has announced the destruction of Jerusalem by the Assyrians. The prophet speaks out against those who prescribe evil laws (10:1), wealth and the exploitation of the little ones in the land. It is because of this that the chapter ends with the announcement of the fall of those of “high stature” and that the “highest will be brought low.” Majestic Lebanon falls – the cedar can no longer stand.
So this prepares us for the conversion and the word of hope given in chapter 11. After all this destruction, God is going to make something new. Even though long years of exile lie ahead for the people, they will leave with a word that gives life.
The promise here is that God will remain faithful to the house of David. The great cedar of Lebanon has fallen, but here a branch – probably very fragile – will grow from the stock of Jesse, David’s father, whose roots remain firmly in place. And it is God who chooses him, who puts his Spirit on him as before. And he is beautiful, he will have everything he needs to re-establish the reign of God. The people live in expectation.
The last verses give us a picture of immense peace. Peace in creation between animals, between people and animals, between people and God. It is the little ones – the little boy and the infant, the young child, who will play important roles in this new life. A reconciliation between traditional enemies, a reversal of the balance of power and then God’s welcome of peace for all on his holy mountain. These are all things that together bring us closer to God, that allow us to enter into his intimacy.
In the complexities of our lives, whether personal, family, community, society or Church, where do I see hope? What words of hope have I received recently? Give thanks. Our hope and expectation turns us towards Jesus. In vv1-5, what links do I see with Jesus? What beauty do I discover in him? Who are these little ones who are leading me towards a knowledge of God? How can I bring together those parts of myself that are often at war with each other?