Isaiah 11

Isaiah 11:1, 3 NIV

A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse;
from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.

and he will delight in the fear of the Lord.
He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes,
or decide by what he hears with his ears;

Three thoughts struck me as I read through this chapter. First is the fact that God will keep his word to Abraham by fulfilling the Abrahamic Covenant. God promised Abraham, in Genesis 12, that he would bless all the nations of the earth through him. That is exactly what we see being done in this chapter through this "shoot" from the "stump of Jesse." Not only will he keep his word to Abraham, but he will also keep his word to David. In the Davidic Covenant God promised that there would be a descendant of David that would sit on his throne forever. That is this "shoot" referenced in the first verse. God will keep his promises.

Secondly, this "shoot" of Jesse will "delight in the fear of the Lord." The scriptures talk about the fear of the Lord. Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. We are to live and walk in the fear of the Lord. But, it's not often that you hear the phrase "delight in the fear of the Lord." Clearly fear is not dread. This statement raises all kinds of practical and theological questions, but perhaps the most significant for this discussion is the question of whether I delight in the fear of the Lord.

The third thought that occurred to me while reading this chapter is that this "shoot" of Jesse will not judge by what he sees or hears, but with righteousness and justice. What we see and hear can be misunderstood. The more interpersonal conflict I deal with the more I realize the truth of that statement. Righteous  judgment begins with fear of the Lord. Righteous judgment is not based on personal observation or emotional response, but on the Spirit of the Lord who is described in this manner:

Isaiah 11:2 NIV

The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—
the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
the Spirit of counsel and of might,
the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord—

Father, your promises are sure. In light of those promises may I live, walk and minister led by your Spirit, the Spirit of wisdom, and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and fear of the Lord.

By His grace,
Rick Weinert
District Superintendent
EFCA Northern Mtn District