FROM HUMBLE BEGINNINGS

Isaiah 11:1-2 A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots, a Branch will bear fruit. The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord.

It is not difficult for us to see that this is a clear prediction of the Lord Jesus. Here in these opening verses is a hint that the Messiah will appear in history in a very obscure way. This is suggested by this word, A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse. Like a great tree that has been cut down, the ancestry of Jesus represented in David and his father Jesse has been reduced to obscurity and insignificance.

But out of that lowly stump will arise a shoot, a single sprout, a man who will, as the prophet goes on to say, be filled with the Spirit of God and who will do great work in the land. When our Lord is referred to as the son of David in the gospels, it is always in terms of royal glory, but when he is called the stump of Jesse, it is a reference to his humble beginnings.

The prophet does not only see the ancestry of Jesus, but he sees him in his Spirit-filled ministry. The Spirit of the Lord shall rest on him, he says. That Spirit consists of three pairs of characteristics that described Jesus. The spirit of wisdom and knowledge, speaks of his amazing insight into human affairs. Wisdom is the knowledge of the nature of things, while understanding is the awareness of the differences between them. How clearly Jesus reflected these in his ministry! One of the symbols of our age is the therapist. But our Lord never used a couch for he never had to ask questions. John's gospel tells us that Jesus didn't need any man to tell him what was in man because he knew men.

The spirit of counsel and might, speak of authority.  This is described even more fully in the words in verse three, He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide by what his ears hear... What a wonderful description of Jesus as he met with people. He spoke of truth that you can never find out by human powers. He described how the angels live, what happens after death, how prayer works, how the devil works. These he described with full authority. He did not have to study reference books but rather spoke so that men hearing him said, No man ever spoke like this man. (John 7:46)

The spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord, speak of our Lord's intimate relationship to the Father.  He is never taken by surprise. He always seems to be master of the occasion. This grows out of his full awareness of the mind of God. He said on one occasion, You do not know Him, but I know Him, (John 8:55). He came to reveal to us the mind of the Father, the graciousness, compassion, truthfulness, and faithfulness of God. All grew out of his knowledge of the Lord and his fear of the Lord.

In profoundly awesome humility Jesus came as one of us to make us one with Him. Are we learning that His power is perfected in our weakness?

Prayer: Gracious Father, I thank you for these amazing words from this ancient book. How accurately they picture One who has come to mean more than all else to me. I thank you for the confirmation of the Spirit to my own heart that these words can be fulfilled in me as well.

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The Lady Evangelist Kim

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