Isaiah 11: 10-16

Here are three things about the Messiah who is to come:

  • He will be a ‘magnet’ (10, 12a; see also Rev.22:13, 16): ”In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples…He will raise a banner for the nations…” He will be a rallying point, drawing to Himself people from all over the globe. The Apostle Paul quotes (10) to show that God intended the Gentiles to put their hope in Christ. The Messiah would come into the world not only for Jews (Romans 15:12; see also Acts 4:12). ”For God so loved the world…” (Verse 11 may refer to the remnant of Israel and Judah that would return from captivity. Some scholars believe Isaiah is referring to the Jewish remnant that was dispersed throughout the earth following the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D.70,and their restoration in and around the time of Christ’s second coming.)
  • He will be a unifier (12 – 14): He will ”gather…the scattered…” (12). The divided kingdoms of Israel and Judah (1 Kings 11:9-13) will one day be brought together under the reign of the Messiah. Where they were at each other’s throats in hostility, they will once again be by each other’s side in battle. There will be a great family reunion. Jesus reconciles people to God and to each other.
  • He will be a liberator (15, 16): In these verses a second and greater exodus is envisaged. This theme will be developed more fully in later chapters, e.g. 35:1-10; 48:20, 21. The captives will return. But the Messiah will release people not just from physical chains but also spiritual bondage.

Prayer: Thank you Lord Jesus for all that you are, and all you have done, and do, in my life.