Isaiah: The Wolf and The Lamb
Isaiah 11:1-9
A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse;
from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.
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;
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.
Righteousness will be his belt
and faithfulness the sash around his waist.
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.
The infant will play near the cobra’s den,
and the young child will put its hand into the viper’s nest.
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.
In this passage Isaiah describes the kind of ruler Jesus will be and the kind of peace that he will bring. Read the first two paragraphs again slowly, paying attention to the characteristics of Jesus’ reign. Wisdom, righteousness, justice, gentleness, faithfulness. These are characteristics of Jesus, but Isaiah also tells us that these characteristics come because the Spirit of the Lord rests on him. God’s Spirit also rests within each of Jesus’ followers and so these characteristics of Christ should also be characteristics of Christians. Are we marked by a life of wisdom, righteousness, justice, gentleness and faithfulness?
Those characteristics are not merely inward personality traits, they are evidenced in the world. Under the reign of Christ enemies become friends, children experience true safety, and there is no more pain. This is the world that we are waiting for, but it is also the world that we participate in bringing about. As we choose to live a life marked by the Spirit of God, we cultivate spaces of peace, safety and healing. What role do wisdom, righteousness, justice, gentleness and faithfulness play in your life? What is the fruit of those characteristics? And how might God be calling you deeper into the kind of life marked by these characteristics of Christ’s reign?
Prayer:
Thank God for Jesus’ reign and the example that he sets for us. Thank God for this promise of a world to come that will be marked by peace, safety and healing. Share with God any thoughts that came up for you as you reflected on how your life demonstrates Christ’s reign - confess, ask for support, or express your gratitude as appropriate.