Isaiah 11:1-2
There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse,
and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit.
And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him,
the Spirit of wisdom and understanding,
the Spirit of counsel and might,
the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.
Devotion
I feel like I've always been encouraged to reminisce about the past, even about events that happened long before I was born. History class practically celebrated it, encouraging debates over who was the best president: Lincoln or Washington. Even my heroes on Star Wars lived a long time ago in a galaxy far far away.
Looking to our past heroes isn't something new.
In ancient Judah and Israel, people remembered King David longingly. He was the legendary son of Jesse. He presided over a golden age of military and spiritual victories. Someone might quip to her neighbor, "I wish we had a king like David again."
People knew that he hadn't been perfect - they could see it right there in the biblical histories about him. But those same histories told how God had promised David that his offspring would always sit on the throne. Maybe that meant someone special, not just the half-corrupt kings of later Judah whose line ended in invasion and death.
That's who the prophet Isaiah is talking about: a shoot from the stump of Jesse, a descendant from a line that seems like it's ended. There will be a new king, a descendant of David. He wouldn't just rest in God - God's Spirit would rest in him.
He wouldn't be born for centuries after Isaiah, but when he was, he was named Jesus.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, God's wisdom, strength, and righteousness rest in you. That makes you better than Lincoln, better than Washington, better than Princess Leia. Thank you that you came among us, and thank you that you are our king. Amen.
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