August 25

Today's Reading: Isaiah 11:1-18

Since I didn't take time to do it yesterday, let me provide a brief introduction to the ministry of Isaiah. His ministry spanned the reigns of four kings of Judah from 739-681 BC. He brought God's word to a nation that had turned a deaf ear to the Lord. The book of Isaiah provides us with the most comprehensive prophetic picture of Jesus Christ in the entire Old Testament. It includes the full scope of His life: the announcement of His coming (Isaiah 40:3–5), His virgin birth (7:14), His proclamation of the good news (61:1), His sacrificial death (52:13–53:12), and His return to claim His own (60:2–3).

In this chapter, Isaiah prophesies that the Messiah will come from the lineage of David ("a shoot from the stump of Jesse"). Just as we saw yesterday, most of this prophecy has yet to be fulfilled. It is also noteworthy that some of these prophecies only apply to Israel. So we need to remember that God is not done with Israel yet and the church has not replaced Israel.