These are the original teaching notes from this passage.
- The Tool…
- Woe unto Assyria – because they were just the TOOL in the hands of the Lord…
- They were the ROD He used to punish rebellious Israel and Judah…
- The staff in His hands that He used to bring them back to Him…
- But the King of Assyria [Sennacherib] said in his heart – I have done this…
- Should the HAMMER or the AXE boast against the one who is using them…
- Therefore – God would send a FIRE – an angel of LIGHT – that would destroy them in a DAY…
- Their army of 185 THOUSAND would be wiped out by ONE angel – II Kings 19:32
- The Remnant…
- Israel had been as many as the sand of the sea – but only a REMNANT would survive…
- Yet that REMNANT – would never again lean on ASSYRIA…
- They learned NOT to fear the armies of MEN – because they had the LORD of Hosts on their side…
- Though God did wait till the very LAST minute to save them…
- The rest of Judah had fallen – only Jerusalem still stood [up to the neck] – Isaiah 8:8
- But in His perfect time – the Lord saved His people – Isaiah 55:8
- 1st – Rod of Jesse… vs. 1-5
- 1st – The Branch… vs. 1
- New life…
- There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse – a Branch shall grow out of his roots!
- Israel had been a GREAT nation – a world power under David and Solomon…
- But centuries of wicked leaders had led the nation to civil war – and moral decline…
- So that by the time of the Assyrian empire – NOT much was left…
- But like a TREE that had been CUT down – leaving only the STUMP behind…
- God would bring [sequential] new LIFE from the DEAD ruins!
- When God asked Ezekiel if the valley of dry bones [Israel] could live – Ezekiel 37:3
- The obvious answer was NO [dry bones] – but NOTHING is impossible for God…
- Even a nation that had been DEAD for two thousand years – could be REBORN [1948]
- God loves to let things DIE – so that He can show His power to RESURRECT!
- Line of David…
- Isaiah used TWO words to describe this NEW life…
- TWIG [חֹטֶר] – that would grow out of the TRUNK [גֶּזַע] of Jesse…
- SPROUT [נֵצֶר] – that would grow [future] from the ROOTS [שֶׁרֶשׁ] of Israel…
- Therefore from nation of Israel [root] – the tribe of JUDAH and the family of JESSE [trunk]
- The LORD used JESSE and not King DAVID – to emphasize humble origins…
- From him would come the PROMISED Messiah [מָשִׁיחַ] – the savior of the world!
- When David desired to build a HOUSE for the LORD – God told him NO [man of war]
- But because of his HEART – the Lord would instead build Him a house…
- God would set his SON [Messiah] on the throne FOREVER – II Samuel 7:13
- 2nd – The Spirit… vs. 2
- Filled…
- The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon Him!
- The SPIRIT [רוּחַ] of the LORD [יְהוָה] would REST [permanently] upon the MESSIAH…
- In the Hebrew [and Greek] – the word SPIRIT is the same as the word WIND…
- Something that we CANNOT touch – but we can SEE the effects of it…
- So although we do NOT see the SPIRIT – we do SEE what He does!
- When Jesus was BAPTIZED – the Holy Spirit came up Him – Matthew 3:16
- The Father in heaven then said – this was His BELOVED Son…
- Jesus would also state this as He began His public ministry!
- Luke 4:18 – “The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me.” [Isaiah 61:1]
- WISDOM…
- The Spirit of wisdom and understanding. The Spirit of counsel and might.
- The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD!
- There were THREE sets of effects of the Holy Spirit coming upon Jesus [Messiah]
- FRIST – the Spirit gave Him WISDOM [חָכְמָה] – so [וּ] He had DISCERNMENT [בִּינָה]
- SECOND – the Spirit gave Him COUNSEL [עֵצָה] – that [וּ] made Him MIGHTY [גְּבוּרָה]
- THIRD – the Spirit gave him KNOWLEDGE [דַּעַת] – so [וּ] He only FEARED the LORD!
- Time after time Jesus was able DISCERN the hearts of the people…
- He always had POWERFUL answers – to every question…
- No matter what the religious leaders did – He never FEARED them…
- And the reason why He was so effective – was the work of the Holy Spirit!
- We have the same access to the same Holy Spirit – Luke 11:13
- All we have to do is [present] ASK – and the Spirit will FILL us – Matthew 7:7
- So that we can have DISCERNMENT – POWER – and NOT fear men!
- 3rd – The Justice… vs. 3-5
- Fear of the Lord… vs. 3
- His delight is in the fear of the LORD.
- And He shall not judge by the sight of His eyes – nor decide by the hearing of His ears!
- The MESSIAH will be a fair JUDGE [שָׁפַט]
- Because He will DELIGHT in the FEAR of the LORD…
- DELIGHT [רִיחַ] – meaning to SMELL – like putting on cologne [fragrance]
- The picture being He is covered in the FEAR of the LORD [defined by it]
- Therefore – He will [imperfect] NOT [לֹא] judge [שָׁפַט] the way MEN do…
- Drawing assumptions based on what they SEE and HEAR!
- Equity… vs. 4
- With righteousness He shall judge the poor – 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 slay the wicked!
- [וּ] Instead – He will JUDGE [שָׁפַט] in RIGHTEOUSNESS [צֶדֶק]
- The MESSIAH will look at the HEART – the true measure of WHO a person is…
- For those who are POOR [in spirit] – Matthew 5:3
- The HUMBLE [עָנָו] – He will CORRECT [יָכַח] to lead them onto the STRAIGHT path [מִישׁוֹר]
- But to the WICKED [רָשָׁע] – He will strike and slay them with His Word [breath]!
- Everyone will have to one day stand before Jesus – John 5:22
- We call it the GREAT White Throne Judgement – Revelation 20:12
- And Jesus will JUDGE not just our ACTIONS – but our WORDS – and THOUGHTS!
- Hebrews 4:13 – “No creature hidden from His sight – but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.”
- The ONLY question is – are we POOR and HUMBLE – or WICKED…
- The POOR man is the one who realizes they are NOT good…
- And cries out in HUMILITY to the God who died to save them…
- The WICKED – is everyone else who rejects the ONLY way to be forgiven – John 14:6
- Right and true… vs. 5
- Righteousness shall be the belt of His loins – and faithfulness the belt of His waist!
- Like a BELT that supports clothing [2x for emphasis]
- The rule of the MESSIAH will be defined by TWO things…
- Everything He does will be RIGHT [צֶדֶק]
- And whatever He says will always be TRUE [אֱמוּנָה]!
- We are called to STAND in the same way as Jesus…
- We do NOT judge people based on what we SEE and HEAR…
- We make sure that we are supported [belt] by the TRUTH [Word] – John 17:17
- Because then we know we will make the RIGHT choices!
- Ephesians 6:14 – “Stand therefore – having girded your waist with truth – having put on the breastplate of righteousness.”
- 1st – The Branch… vs. 1
- 2nd – Millennial Kingdom… vs. 6-10
- 1st – Thousand years…
- Isaiah gives incredible insights into the Millennial Kingdom…
- NO other prophet in Bible gives us as much detail [including John in the NT]
- He is unmatched in the length – richness – and clarity when it comes to describing it…
- If we want to KNOW how the STORY will end – Isaiah tells us in vivid detail!
- EVERY nation will come to worship in Zion – Isaiah 2:3
- During the 1000 year REIGN of the Messiah [Jesus] in Jerusalem – Isaiah 9:7
- When PEACE will define His reign over the world – Isaiah 11:6
- Until the END – when He will fold up this world like old clothing – Isaiah 51:6
- And then God will created a NEW heaven and NEW earth – Isaiah 66:22
- 2nd – Peace on earth… vs. 6-9
- Four ways…
- When the ROD of Jesse comes – the one whose rule will be RIGHTEOUS and FAITHFUL…
- He will come out of Heaven on a white horse [King of Kings] – Revelation 19:16
- And will establish His MILLENNIAL [1000 year] Kingdom – Revelation 20:1-4
- It will usher in a time of unprecedented PEACE – defined in FOUR ways!
- No fighting… vs. 6
- The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb. The leopard shall lie down with the young goat.
- The calf and the young lion and the fatling together – a little child shall lead them!
- FIRST – there will be no more FIGHTING…
- Isaiah uses the illustration of animals who are ENEMIES…
- The WOLF and the LAMB – the LEOPARD and the GOAT – the LION and the CALF…
- The only time you see these together today – is if one is eating the other…
- But during the MILLENNIAL kingdom – they will be FRIENDS…
- And a YOUNG boy will be the shepherd who is leading them!
- Often when I sit down with a people who are FIGHTING…
- The root cause of the problem – is that they are being SELFISH…
- If are living for ourselves – and others are ALSO living for themselves…
- Then whenever our lives touch – we will find we are at WAR!
- James 4:2 – “You lust and do not have – murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war.”
- No carnivores… vs. 7
- The cow and the bear shall graze. Their young ones shall lie down together.
- And the lion shall eat straw like the ox!
- SECOND – the COW and the BEAR shall eat [רָעָה] together…
- Which might NOT seem impossible as bears are omnivores…
- But the LION will also eat STRAW like an OX [lion are strictly carnivores]!
- This takes us back to the GARDEN of EDEN…
- Before the FALL – everything [including dinosaurs] were VEGETARIAN…
- Because in the world God created everything lived in HARMONY!
- We look at the world around us – and all we see is CONFLICT…
- In our hearts we can tell that we LOST something…
- And people try all kinds of thing chasing after what was LOST…
- They will try MONEY – RELATIONSHIPS – POWER – even DIETS [vegetarian]
- But the only way to have HARMONY in life – is to go back to the GARDEN…
- When man walked DAILY with their MAKER [Jesus]!
- No fear… vs. 8
- The nursing child shall play by the cobras hole.
- And the weaned child shall put his hand in the vipers den!
- THIRD – a mother will let her nursing infant PLAY [piel] by hole of a COBRA [פֶּתֶן]
- And will NOT fear when a child puts his hand into the den of a VIPER [צֶפַע]
- Nether a cobra [פֶּתֶן] or a viper [צֶפַע] – could EAT a child…
- But PLAYING loudly near their den would cause them to attack!
- We live in a world that has MANY dangers [especially for our kids]
- We would NOT leave our young children ALONE to play in the street…
- We know there are BAD people [snakes] – who want to do BAD things…
- But that will NOT be the case in the Millennial Kingdom…
- People will have NOTHING to fear – because the LORD is sitting on His THRONE!
- No evil… vs. 9
- They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain!
- FOURTH – people NO [לֹא] longer do [hiphil] EVIL [רָעַע] things…
- NO [לֹא] one will go around trying to [hiphil] CORRUPT [שָׁחַת] others!
- During the Millennial Kingdom people will be GOOD…
- Because all of the SAINTS [Old Testament – New Testament – Raptured]
- They will have their GLORIFIED bodies – Philippians 3:21
- And we will be ruling along with Jesus over the people on earth – Revelation 2:26
- People talk a LOT about wanting PEACE on earth…
- But there will NEVER be PEACE until Jesus comes back…
- Only then will there be NO more fighting – perfect HARMONY…
- NO more FEAR – and NO more evil – there will finally be PEACE on earth!
- 2nd – Know God… vs. 9-10
- Water of sea… vs. 9
- For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD As the waters cover the sea!
- The reason for PEACE – is the KNOWLEDGE of the LORD…
- Just as [כַּ] WATER covers two thirds of the earth – and RAIN falls everywhere else…
- People EVERYWHERE will KNOW about Jesus!
- The banner… vs. 10
- And in that day there shall be a Root of Jesse who shall stand as a banner to the people!
- In that DAY [בַּיּוֹם] – when the ROOT of Jesse [Messiah] rules over the earth…
- He will be the BANNER [נֵס] for the people of Israel!
- When Israel was in the WILDERNESS for forty years…
- They began to COMPLAIN – so God sent deadly SERPENTS [שָׂרָף] – Numbers 21:8
- But when the people REPENTED – God told Moses to put up a BANNER [נֵס]
- And anyone who looked to it – even if bitten by the SERPENT – would live…
- Jesus picked up on this when Nicodemus came to Him at night – John 3:14
- Like the BANNER in the wilderness – He would be lifted up [cross]
- And anyone who looked to Him – even if bitten by SIN [serpent] – would LIVE…
- When Jesus comes the SECOND time – riding out of the CLOUDS…
- Israel will look up and see the one whom they PIERCED – Zechariah 12:10
- And all of them [who make it through the Tribulation] will be saved – Romans 11:26
- We have all been bitten by that same SERPENT – and are going to DIE…
- But the same answer from the Old Testament – was true in the New Testament…
- And will be the same answer when Jesus comes the SECOND time…
- All we need to do is look to the BANNER [cross] – and we will LIVE!
- The rest… vs. 10
- For the Gentiles shall seek Him – and His resting place shall be glorious!
- Jesus will also be a BANNER to the NATIONS [גּוֹיִם]
- To all those who will [imperfect] SEEK to find REST [מְנוּחָה]
- The root for REST comes from the word NOAH [נוּחַ]!
- Just as the ARK kept those who obeyed the Lord safe from the FLOOD…
- There will be GENTILES who do NOT take the mark [Tribulation] – Revelation 13:16
- Those who are NOT executed for their faith – who are looking for an end the Tribulation…
- When Jesus returns – they will find glorious REST!
- If we are looking for REST in the midst of our TRIBULATION…
- The ONLY way is to look to Jesus – who gives us GLORIOUS rest!
- Hebrews 4:11 – “Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest.”
- 1st – Thousand years…
- 3rd – Rebirth of Israel… vs. 11-16
- 1st – The Remnant… vs. 11-12
- Second time… vs. 11
- It shall come to pass in that day that the Lord shall set His hand again the second time.
- To recover the remnant of His people who are left. From Assyria and Egypt.
- From Pathros and Cush. From Elam and Shinar. From Hamath and the islands of the sea!
- In that DAY [בַּיּוֹם] – when the ROOT of Jesse [Messiah] rules over the earth…
- The Lord [אֲדֹנָי] will gather [hiphil] a REMNANT of His people for a SECOND time…
- The FIRST time He gathered them was the EXODUS [out of Egypt]
- But this SECOND time He will gather those who are LEFT [third] – Zechariah 13:8
- They would come back from the LANDS where they had been SCATTERED…
- Assyria [Iraq] – Egypt – Pathros [southern Egypt] – Cush [Sudan]
- Elam [Iran] – Shinar [Babylon] – Hamath [Syria] – and the Islands [Greece]!
- For almost THREE thousand years the Jews have been in DIASPORA [722 B.C.]
- Where there have been more Jews living outside of Israel – than inside…
- Since 1948 over three MILLION Jews have returned to Israel…
- And in 2020 – Israel became the nation with the most Jews on earth!
- Diaspora… vs. 12
- He will set up a banner for the nations and will assemble the outcasts of Israel.
- And gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth!
- He will set up His BANNER [נֵס] – to gather the NATIONS [גּוֹיִם]
- Together with the DIASPORA – the outcasts of Judah…
- That He will bring back from the FOUR corners of the EARTH!
- I have met many FILIPINOS who live in the United States…
- And have noted – the second generation still hold to SOME traditions…
- But by the THIRD generation – very little of the FILIPINO culture remains!
- No nation has every survived more than a few generations without a HOMELAND…
- They are quickly assimilated into other cultures – and lose their IDENTITY…
- The only exception [in all of history] is the Jewish people…
- For almost TWO thousand years [70 A.D.] they have NOT had a HOMELAND…
- Yet they maintained their LANGUAGE – CULTURE – and FAITH…
- Holding onto the HOPE – that next year they would be in JERUSALEM…
- But they were NOT successful because of ANYTHING they did…
- They were PRESERVED by God – because He still has a plan for His people!
- 2nd – United… vs. 13-14
- Israel and Judah… vs. 13
- Also the envy of Ephraim shall depart and the adversaries of Judah shall be cut off.
- Ephraim shall not envy Judah – and Judah shall not harass Ephraim!
- In that DAY [בַּיּוֹם] – when the ROOT of Jesse [Messiah] rules over the earth…
- There will NO longer be a DIVIDED kingdom in Israel!
- After the death of Solomon – the Kingdom of Israel was DIVIDED – I Kings 12:16
- The TEN northern tribes [often called Ephraim] followed Jeroboam…
- And TWO southern tribes [Judah and Benjamin] followed Rehoboam [son of Solomon]
- But Ephraim was always envious of Judah [they had Jerusalem and the Temple]
- And the kingdom remained divided all the way up until 1948!
- Ezekiel 37:22 – “I will make them one nation in the land… and one king shall be king over them all. They shall no longer be two nations nor shall they ever be divided into two kingdoms again.”
- Victory… vs. 14
- But they shall fly down upon the shoulder of the Philistines toward the west.
- Together they shall plunder the people of the East.
- They shall lay their hand on Edom and Moab and the people of Ammon shall obey them!
- [וְ] AND – when Israel is UNITED again – God will give them VICTORY…
- Over ALL of their historical ENEMIES – Philistines [west]
- EDOM [descendent of Esau] – MOAB and AMMON [descendants of Lot]!
- Satan loves to try and DIVIDE us – get us to attack each other…
- Because he knows that a house divided – CANNOT stand – Matthew 12:25
- But when the BODY of Christ is UNITED – nothing can stop us!
- 3rd – The Highway… vs. 15-16
- Dried up… vs. 15
- The LORD will utterly destroy the tongue of the Sea of Egypt.
- With His mighty wind He will shake His fist over the River.
- And strike it in the seven streams – and make men cross over dryshod!
- In that DAY [בַּיּוֹם] – when the ROOT of Jesse [Messiah] rules over the earth…
- God will REPEAT one of the most famous miracles in the Bible…
- He will [hiphil] DRY up [Targum] TWO rivers to allow His people to come HOME…
- The Red Sea will dry up [the tongue of Egypt]
- And He will cause [hiphil] the WIND to shake the RIVER [Euphrates]
- So that the people can walk across it on DRY ground!
- Coming home… vs. 16
- There will be a highway for the remnant of His people who will be left from Assyria.
- As it was for Israel in the day that he came up from the land of Egypt!
- God will prepare for the REMNANT of Israel a HIGHWAY…
- So that they can come home from the land of ASSYRIA…
- Just as they did back in the days when Moses brought them out of EGYPT – Exodus 14:22
- Jews today cannot tell you what tribe they are from…
- That knowledge has been THREE thousand years of being scattered among the nations…
- In particular the TEN tribes who were conquered by Assyria were completely LOST…
- Yet God knows EXACTLY who they are – and where they are…
- Because during the TRIBULATION – He seals TWELVE thousand from all TWELVE tribes!
- Revelation 7:4 – “One hundred and forty-four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel.”
- A people who have defied the ODDS – and survived for MILLENIA without a homeland…
- Have been brought back – from the FOUR corners of the earth…
- An EXODUS that is unparalleled since the days of Moses…
- No longer DIVIDED – they are once again UNITED…
- When we look at this – it should make us stop and consider…
- Because these verse are talking about the MILLENNIAL kingdom…
- So seeing these things take place in our TIME – means we are CLOSE!
- Luke 21:28 – “When these things begin to happen look up… because your redemption draws near.”
- 1st – The Remnant… vs. 11-12
- 4th – Hymn of Praise… vs. 1-6
- 1st – God my Salvation… vs. 1-3
- Comfort… vs. 1
- In that day you will say: O LORD I will praise You.
- Though You were angry with me – Your anger is turned away – and You comfort me!
- In that DAY [בַּיּוֹם] – the THIRD time we see this in our study [2x in chapter 11]
- Isaiah tells the people of Israel – they will SAY [sequential]
- I [personal] will PRAISE [hiphil] the LORD – because He turned His anger away…
- And instead chose to COMFORT [piel] me [personally]
- Not afraid… vs. 2
- Behold God is my salvation – I will trust and not be afraid.
- For YAH – the LORD – is my strength and song. He also has become my salvation!
- LOOK [הִנֵּה] – God [אֵל] is my SALVATION [יְשׁוּעָה]
- Quoting from the song Miriam sang after the Red Sea – Exodus 15:2
- I will put my FAITH [בָּטַח] in Him – and NOT be afraid – because YAH [יָהּ] is the LORD [יְהוָה]
- The name [יְהוָה] comes from the root verb [הָיָה] – to BECOME…
- God has BECOME [play on words] my SALVATION [יְשׁוּעָה] – Jesus!
- Satisfied… vs. 3
- Therefore with joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation!
- AND [sequential] – I will draw water with JOY from the WELL of His SALVATION [יְשׁוּעָה]
- When Jesus met the Samaritan women at the well…
- He offered her LIVING water – so she would NEVER be thirsty again!
- John 4:14 – “Whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.”
- What our hearts long for above all else – is to see Jesus…
- And when that day comes – and He rules on His throne in Jerusalem…
- We will PRAISE and NEVER have to fear again…
- Because our SALVATION – Jesus – will be living there with us!
- 2nd – Good News… vs. 4-6
- Spread the Word… vs. 4
- In that day you will say: Praise the LORD – call upon His name.
- Declare His deeds among the peoples – make mention that His name is exalted!
- In that DAY [בַּיּוֹם] – the FOURTH and final time we see this in our study…
- Isaiah tells the people of Israel – again they will SAY [sequential]
- We MUST [imperative] give our [hiphil] PRAISE to the LORD…
- We MUST [imperative] call upon His name [Jesus]
- We MUST [imperative] declare [יָדַע] His works to the people…
- We MUST [imperative] remember – He has exalted His name!
- Praise the Lord… vs. 5-6
- Sing to the LORD for He has done excellent things. This is known in all the earth.
- Cry out and shout O inhabitant of Zion – for great is the Holy One of Israel in your midst!
- Because when we SING [imperative] about the AMAZING things the LORD has done…
- We make this KNOWN [hophal] in all the earth…
- Therefore CRY and SHOUT [imperative] those who live in ZION [Jerusalem]
- Because great [גָּדוֹל] is the HOLY one living among you!
- Jesus might not YET be ruling from His throne in Jerusalem…
- But He is RULING on the throne of our hearts…
- And knowing we have God with us – it should cause us to PRAISE…
- Lets to and DECLARE what He has done to the whole world…
- Because there is only ONE salvation – our God who SAVES [יְשׁוּעָה]
- 1st – God my Salvation… vs. 1-3