(The
objective of these ‘Frameworks' is to provide an easy-to-read
layout of the text in order then to use these individual verses
for verse-by-verse study or meditation. To focus each
verse we have also added in italic a description of what is happening)
FRAMEWORKS:
Isaiah 11: The Branch & his work
For
structure & preliminaries, see chapter 1
v.1-5
The Branch
v.6-9
The Peace he will bring
v.10-12
The Gathered People
v.13-16
Establishing Peace over the Region
v.1-5
The Branch
v.1
(‘the Branch' comes from
the household of David) A shoot
will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a
Branch will bear fruit.
v.2,3 (he
will express the Spirit's life) The
Spirit of the Lord will rest on him— the Spirit of wisdom
and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might,
the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord — and
he will delight in the fear of the Lord . He will not judge by
what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his
ears;
v.4 (he
will bring justice and judgment) but
with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice
he will give decisions for the poor of the earth. He will strike
the earth with the rod of his mouth; with the breath of
his lips he will slay the wicked.
v.5 (and
righteousness displaying the Lord' s faithfulness) Righteousness
will be his belt and faithfulness the sash around his waist.
v.6-9
The Peace he will bring
v.6,7
(in his ultimate kingdom
wild and domestic animals will live together in harmony)
The wolf will live with the lamb,
the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the
lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them.
The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together,
and the lion will eat straw like the ox.
v.8 (children
will never fear wild creatures) The
infant will play near the cobra's den, and the young child
will put its hand into the viper's nest.
v.9 (for
peace and security will abound with the knowledge of the Lord's
presence) They will neither
harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth
will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as
the waters cover the sea.
v.10-12
The Gathered People
v.10
(this will be for all
peoples of the earth) In that
day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples;
the nations will rally to him, and his resting place will be glorious.
v.11
(his scattered people
will be gathered from around the world) In
that day the Lord will reach out his hand a second time to reclaim
the surviving remnant of his people from Assyria, from Lower Egypt,
from Upper Egypt, from Cush, from Elam, from Babylonia, from Hamath
and from the islands of the Mediterranean.
v.12
(and be returned to their
Promised Land) He will raise
a banner for the nations and gather the exiles of Israel;
he will assemble the scattered people of Judah from the
four quarters of the earth.
v.13-16
Establishing Peace over the Region
v.13
(no more war or local
hostility) Ephraim's jealousy
will vanish, and Judah's enemies will be destroyed; Ephraim will
not be jealous of Judah, nor Judah hostile toward Ephraim.
v.14 (enemies
will be dealt with) They will
swoop down on the slopes of Philistia to the west; together they
will plunder the people to the east. They will subdue Edom and
Moab, and the Ammonites will be subject to them.
v.15 (barriers
will be removed) The Lord will
dry up the gulf of the Egyptian sea; with a scorching wind
he will sweep his hand over the Euphrates River. He will break
it up into seven streams so that anyone can cross over in
sandals.
v.16 (the
way home will be made open) There
will be a highway for the remnant of his people that is
left from Assyria, as there was for Israel when they came up from
Egypt.
Continue
to Chapter 12