Oh The Possibilities

I invite you to do some Advent pondering on the extremely unlikely picture Isaiah— 11:1-10 — paints for that ancient world of turmoil.

A Shoot shall come out of the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of its roots. 

The shoot, of the dead stump, came into being with an insight that perceive the way the world is suppose to be.

Over 2000 years ago God came to earth as an innocent baby boy.

The tiny seed of God’s original design for the world he created.

The angel announced it with great glory telling all who would listen: 

“Unto us is born this day a Savior who Christ the Lord.” 

“Emmanuel,”

    
               “The Word became flesh, and lived among us.” 

…he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth,

   and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked. 

⁵ Righteousness shall be the belt around his waist,

   and faithfulness the belt around his loins. 

⁶ The wolf shall live with the lamb,

   the leopard shall lie down with the kid,

the calf and the lion and the fatling together,

   and a little child shall lead them. 

⁷ The cow and the bear shall graze,

   their young shall lie down together;

   and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. 

⁸ The nursing child shall play over the hole of the asp,

   and the weaned child shall put its hand on the adder’s den. 

⁹ They will not hurt or destroy

   on all my holy mountain;

for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord

   as the waters cover the sea.

Just take a good long moment to think about what Isaiah is saying here.

It prompts me to wonder:  Who in this world today can even begin to imagine such a possibility?

It is like the best of all dreams.

                                               God's Dream

A shoot shall come out from the stock of Jesse,

   and a branch shall grow out of his roots. 

² 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. 

³ His delight shall be in the fear of the Lord. 

He shall not judge by what his eyes see,

   or decide by what his ears hear; 

⁴ but with righteousness he shall judge the poor,

   and decide with equity for the meek of the earth;

he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth,

   and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked. 

⁵ Righteousness shall be the belt around his waist,

   and faithfulness the belt around his loins. 

⁶ The wolf shall live with the lamb,

   the leopard shall lie down with the kid,

the calf and the lion and the fatling together,

   and a little child shall lead them. 

⁷ The cow and the bear shall graze,

   their young shall lie down together;

   and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. 

⁸ The nursing child shall play over the hole of the asp,

   and the weaned child shall put its hand on the adder’s den. 

⁹ They will not hurt or destroy

   on all my holy mountain;

for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord

   as the waters cover the sea.(Isaiah 11)