Exploring the Scripture
The Old Testament scripture passage for the second Sunday of Advent begins with anointing a new king from the lineage of David and Jesse. It continues with an emphasis on the kingdom of God.
Messiah means “the anointed one” in Hebrew. (In Greek, “anointed” is Christos, and in English, Christ.) During the histories of the kingdoms of Israel and Judah, all kings were hailed as Messiah, the anointed one. Historical accounts praised David, who united the 12 tribes into one nation. Second Samuel 7:9–16 records a promise God made to David: “I will make for you a great name…” and “your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me….”
When Isaiah first wrote the words of Isaiah 11:1–5, he probably was expressing praise and hope for a living king, who was soon to be crowned—possibly Hezekiah. In his idealized vision, this future king will be endowed with gifts of the Spirit: wisdom, understanding, counsel, might (strength), knowledge, and the fear (awe) of the Lord. The king will bring justice to the poor, equality for the oppressed, and faithfulness to God. If Isaiah was writing of Hezekiah, his hopes were not realized. These are traits the Israelites hoped for in every ruler descended from David, but their expectations were always unfulfilled. When the last Davidic king died, the writings were reinterpreted as a prophecy for future fulfillment.
Christians consider Christ as the center of history. Before Jesus’ time, the world prepared for his coming. Since his death and resurrection, his followers have been devoted to fulfilling God’s new covenant in Christ. We interpret the Old Testament scriptures as prophetic expressions that point toward Christ. From our perspective, we wonder why the Jews didn’t recognize Jesus as the Messiah. We must remember there were different descriptions of the expected Messiah from different prophets. Isaiah’s words helped the ancient Jews understand about the coming Messiah, but Isaiah presented only one image among many. Although the Gospel writers affirm that Jesus was a descendant of David, he did not fit the image of the king the Jews expected.
Verses 6 to 9 expand praise for the king into a hope for the kingdom of God. A new age of cos- mic peace will restore balance and nonviolence to all of creation. Animals will no longer kill one another. Even helpless babies and toddlers will be safe from harm. Here we find the lion, the lamb, and the little child—the basis of our church emblem. Finally, in verse 10, the vision of God’s peaceable kingdom is coupled with the future king of the lineage of David in the hope that all nations will come willingly to Zion and be united.
The vision of God’s kingdom loses its meaning if it is merely an abstract ideal, with no basis in the real world. The peaceable kingdom becomes a reality only when we unite our efforts with God’s initiative. As we strive to live the teachings of Christ and the will of God in our time and place, the kingdom of God breaks into our everyday existence. The kingdom transforms and heals us with peace and justice. In the teachings of Jesus and his ministry among those who were poor and marginalized, we find the beginning of that reality. God’s reign continues to provide hope and promise each Advent season as we prepare expectantly for the coming of Christ.
Faith Unfiltered Podcast
Hosts Karin Peter and Blake Smith consider how this week's scripture connects to our lives today.
Central Ideas
- Isaiah expresses a vision of a king for Israel endowed with gifts of the Spirit: wisdom, understanding, counsel, might (strength), knowledge, and the fear (awe) of the Lord.
- Isaiah thought the king would bring justice to the poor, equality for the oppressed, and faithfulness to God.
- Along with Isaiah’s image of the future king, he describes the peaceable kingdom as a vision for God’s kingdom on Earth.
- While we might understand Isaiah’s words as pointing toward the coming of the Messiah, Jews did not necessarily see Jesus as fulfilling this prophecy.
Questions to Consider
- How would you describe the qualities of a king? How does this compare to Isaiah’s de- scription?
- How might we go about making Isaiah’s vision of the peaceable kingdom a reality?
- What is your understanding of the church seal (lion, lamb, and child) as a symbol? Why is this important to you? To the church?
- What preparations are you making for the Messiah to come into your life this Advent season?