ISAIAH

Isaiah 11:6-10

quote:

“"And the wolf will dwell with the lamb, And the leopard will lie down with the young goat, And the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; And a little boy will lead them. 7 Also the cow and the bear will graze, Their young will lie down together, And the lion will eat straw like the ox. 8 The nursing child will play by the hole of the cobra, And the weaned child will put his hand on the viper's den. 9 They will not hurt or destroy in all My holy mountain, For the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD As the waters cover the sea. Then in that day The nations will resort to the root of Jesse, Who will stand as a signal for the peoples; And His resting place will be glorious."

Out of the root of Jesse comes the Messiah who is truly the restorer of the Davidic kingdom. His kingdom will also mean a restored creation. Once again nature will enjoy the harmony it enjoyed before sin entered the world. Each animal is coupled with one which is its natural prey. This is the kingdom of the Messiah described as no other kingdom. Enmity between beasts, between men and beasts, and among men will disappear. Hostile relationships will be removed.

God's holy mountain is Zion, the symbol of His Presence. In the future Zion will be the dwelling place of God's people and He will be in their midst. This root of the Messiah becomes a visible trunk that is lifted up to become the ensign or banner that all men may gather around.

Jeremiah 3:17
"At that time they will call Jerusalem 'The Throne of the LORD,' and all the nations will be gathered to it, to Jerusalem, for the name of the LORD; nor will they walk anymore after the stubbornness of their evil heart."

Exactly when this change is to occur is uncertain. Isaiah emphasizes that the Messiah is the Prince of Peace, who has introduced peace into the hearts of men. This harmony will not be realized in its fullness until the earth is covered with the knowledge of the Lord. Before there can be peace there must first be knowledge. Men will know the Lord in that they will know that He truly exists, and they will act upon that knowledge by giving Him all their love, obedience and devotion. He will be their God and they will be His people.

The Messiah's place of rest, where He has settled down to rule is glory itself. "Kavod!" Glory! Though the translation is "glorious", Isaiah used the noun for emphasis. His resting place will be one of honor and splendor.

Though Jesus sits on the throne, this complete peace has not yet arrived. Let us do our part to fill the earth with the knowledge of God, giving Him our love, obedience and devotion, and promoting peace that does not do any harm to another. In this way we will be an example for others to follow our risen King.