Many times, during this Advent Season we have reflected, as a Spiritual Family, on the prophetic words of the Old Testament Prophet, Isaiah. Today we continue with reflective time on his prophesy of “A Branch from David’s Line”. Isaiah tells us that this “Branch” will grow as a shoot out of the stump of David’s family, and that it will be “a new Branch bearing fruit from the old root.” The cut down stump represents David’s obscurity as the ancestral line of the Messiah. It is fitting that out of this lowly stump a single shoot will rise, and “the Spirit of the LORD will rest on Him”. We are comforted that this “Shoot” or “Branch” is Jesus.
Isaiah not only saw the lineage of the Messiah, but he also saw how the Spirit would guide Him throughout His life and in His ministry. He describes the Spirt as wisdom, counsel, and knowledge. The Spirit is what directly connects us to Christ, and since that “Branch” lives within us let’s dive deeper into the Word for more Truth:
Spirit of Wisdom – when the Apostle Paul was writing to the church in Ephesus he prayed for their spiritual wisdom. We need that same prayer because divine wisdom is what must guide our every step, thought, word, and overall life. So, we must be “asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God.” (Ephesians 1:17)
Spirit of Counsel – the Apostle Paul speaks of Jesus’s Great Counsel when he wrote to the Romans. He says, “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them.” (Romans 8:28) This Truth helps us to understand that the wisest counsel within our lives isn’t a “human person”, but rather it is the Holy Messiah who works everything out for good within our lives as we call on Him, and Him alone, not this world.
Spirit of Knowledge – In Matthew 11, Jesus prays a prayer of thanksgiving. He reminds us that: “My Father has entrusted everything to me. No one truly knows the Son except the Father, and no one truly knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him.” (Matthew 11:27)
Matthew reminds us that Jesus came to reveal the Father to us, because He is within the Father. With this knowledge, and through the gift of our acceptance of salvation, we stand in awe of the Lord.
Isaiah continues, in our passage today, to give a clear description of who he saw the Messiah to be. We must seek to hold onto this same description for our own lives, because Jesus lives in us.
Isaiah 11:1-9 (NLT)
A Branch from David’s Line
1 Out of the stump of David’s family will grow a shoot—
yes, a new Branch bearing fruit from the old root.
2 And the Spirit of the Lord will 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.
3 He will delight in obeying the Lord.
He will not judge by appearance
nor make a decision based on hearsay.
4 He will give justice to the poor
and make fair decisions for the exploited.
The earth will shake at the force of his word,
and one breath from his mouth will destroy the wicked.
5 He will wear righteousness like a belt
and truth like an undergarment.
Prayer: Jesus, Thank You for coming that we might be saved. Please grow Your spirit of wisdom, counsel, and knowledge within us today. We long for Your return! In the meantime, please grow us closer and closer to You. I ask all of this in Your Precious and Holy Name, Jesus. Amen.
Written by: Jennifer Auer, Pastor Mary Haley’s Assistant