Day 3

Isaiah 11: 1-2

A shoot shall come out from the stock of Jesse,

   and a branch shall grow out of his roots.

The spirit of the Lord shall 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.

Unfinished Business

The tree at Sycamore Gap on Hadrian’s Wall is one of the most famous in the UK, not least since vandals chopped it down last year.  However, in August this year, it was discovered that the stump was still alive and had even put out half a dozen new shoots.  These will take some 150 years to reach maturity, but the fact is that all was not lost and there is hope!

Using a similar image,  Isaiah is prophesying at a time when all seemed desolate and hopeless.  The Assyrians had invaded and were in charge, but even here God was at work.  Isaiah’s prophecy was initially assumed to have been fulfilled in King Hezekiah who was a wise reforming King who pointed the people of God back to their roots.  However, God wasn’t finished there, and in the person of Jesus this prophecy found its ultimate fulfilment.

In an uncertain world, may we be those who pray for wise and godly leadership in our day, even as we look forward to the day when Jesus will return and God will finally make all things new.

Richard