Isaiah 11

A shoot will come out of the stock of Jesse, a branch out of his roots will bear fruit. Wesley: the anointed of 10:27 explained. Stump—Messiah born of David’s house when it was cut down, nothing left but a root. Jesse, not David: the royal family reduced to a private man’s obscurity.

Shared christology—this is Christ, not Hezekiah. Jesse after Lebanon fell (10:34). The stump is still David’s, and the shoot still comes.

Calvin: solely Christ. Not Hezekiah, Josiah, or Zerubbabel, who never reached this height. After the forest of 10:33–34, consolation begins here. Jesse, not David: the rank had sunk to a peasant’s. From a dry trunk a branch more excellent than all the forests. His beginning was mean; he grew like a large tree from a feeble seed.

“Shoot”—the same Christ from the same cut house. Both traditions agree: shoot, stump of Jesse, branch, roots, fruit.

The LORD’s Spirit will rest on him: wisdom and understanding, counsel and might, knowledge and the fear of the LORD. Wesley: qualifications for a governor and a teacher; perfect knowledge for his people’s good; prudence to counsel and courage to execute; knowledge of God’s whole will and of men’s hearts; fear of reverence.

The Spirit stays. This King is Spirit-anointed, the child of 9:6 now grown from Jesse.

Calvin: he now speaks of Christ without a figure. The spiritual kingdom consists in the gifts of the Spirit. This refers to His human nature, that we might be partakers; out of His fullness we draw (John 1:16). The anointing from which He is called Christ, which He imparts. Not the Papists’ sevenfold grace: six kinds here, and more elsewhere. Those barren and dry have no interest in Christ and falsely glory in His name. True faith makes us partakers. Ask all blessings from Christ alone.

The gifts are in Him to be communicated. Spirit of the Lord, wisdom, understanding, counsel, might, knowledge, fear of the Lord.

His delight will be in the fear of the LORD. He will not judge by the sight of his eyes, neither decide by the hearing of his ears hear. Wesley: not rashly or partially, but as the fear of God obliges judges. Not according to outward appearance; not by rumours.

“Delight”—a deep fear in the King, and a refusal of surface judgment. Hearts are still His to search.

Calvin: smell—so shrewd He need not learn from seeing or hearing. Fear of the Lord as the rule of judging. Outward mask of holiness is of no avail. He thoroughly knows inmost thoughts (John 2:25). None are true worshippers but those He approves, and they must offer a pure mind.

He smells what eyes miss. Agreed on both sides: delight in the fear of the Lord, not by eyes, not by ears.

With righteousness he will judge the poor with righteousness, and decide with equity for the humble of the earth; he will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; and with the breath of his lips he will kill the wicked. Wesley: defend and deliver the poor; condemn their malicious enemies. The rod of his mouth—His word, His scepter, sharper than a sword (Heb 4:12); by preaching He subdued the world and will destroy His enemies (2 Thess 2:8). This he adds to declare that Christ’s kingdom is not of this world.

Shared—this King rules by the word, not a sword of steel. The poor are still defended.

Calvin: guardian of the poor or meek—those humbled by a conviction of their poverty who have laid aside proud dispositions. Not all men: those who know they are poor. Implied contrast: He does not rule over the rich, those swelled with a false opinion of themselves. The poor alone allow themselves to be governed. If we want His protection, put on meekness. Rod of His mouth: a scepter of words; a mere breath is enough. The gospel wounds elect and reprobate differently. Paul: He will consume the Wicked with the breath of His mouth (2 Thess 2:8). Ministers’ lips as His. He does not wear a golden crown or earthly armor; where the gospel is preached in purity, Christ reigns.

“Rod”—the same word; the poor who submit. Common to both: righteousness, poor, meek, rod of his mouth, breath of his lips, kill the wicked.

Righteousness will be the belt around his waist, and faithfulness the belt around his waist. Wesley: it shall adorn Him and be the glory of His government, as a girdle was an ornament and ensign of power, and shall constantly cleave to Him in all His administrations.

The King wears justice, not purple.

Calvin: belt as royal emblem, like the scepter. Righteousness and truth: He shall not appear like kings in purple, but righteousness and truth shall shine. Not confined to Him: He comes girded, then imparts by the Spirit. Faithfulness: He never disappoints; He continues like Himself.

What He wears He gives. Held in common: righteousness, belt, faithfulness, loins.

The wolf will live with the lamb, and the leopard will lie down with the young goat, the calf, the young lion, and the fattened calf together; and a little child will lead them. Wesley: the creatures restored to innocency before the fall; and men of fierce dispositions so transformed by the grace of Christ that they become gentle. A child—they will submit their rebellious wills to the meanest who speak in Christ’s name.

“Wolf”—both the figure and the men. They still submit.

Calvin: the character of those who have submitted to Christ. He looks beyond: restoration of the world, the order before apostasy; cruelty of brutes from sin. Christ came to reconcile. Chiefly he means the people of Christ will have no disposition to do injury: formerly lions, now sheep. From the less to the greater: if brutes into peace, much more brotherly harmony. He does not mean any are mild by nature before they are renewed. Little child: ministers of the word, who have no civil government. All are untamed till Christ subdues them by the gospel. Where the Spirit of Christ is not, no true meekness.

“Wolf”—the same peace in the same people. Common ground: wolf, lamb, leopard, goat, calf, lion, little child.

The cow and the bear will graze. Their young ones will lie down together. The lion will eat straw like the ox. Wesley: together without danger; straw—the grass of the earth as at first; they shall not devour other living creatures.

The predator’s mouth changed. Same King as v. 4.

Calvin: if sin had not polluted the world, no animal addicted to prey; the fruits of the earth would have sufficed (Gen 1:30). Under these figures: those who were like savage beasts will be mild, satisfied with ordinary food, abstaining from injury.

“Straw”—the diet of a new people. Both traditions agree: cow, bear, young, lion, straw, ox.

The nursing child will play near a cobra’s hole, and the weaned child will put his hand on the viper’s den. The smallest near the worst, unhurt.

The venomous no longer kill. Holy mountain (v. 9). They still play because the King still reigns by His word.

Calvin: when brought into favor and cleansed by the Spirit of regeneration, free from every hurtful disposition. Animals injure even children because the race is stained from the womb. Those who carried malice like poison will do no harm even to little children. Safety even for those with no protection.

The child can play because the hidden poison is gone. Both traditions agree: nursing child, cobra, weaned child, adder's den.

They will not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea. Wesley: my holy mountain—in Zion, in my church. The sea—the channel of the sea.

The church as the mountain. Knowledge is why the wolf lies down.

Calvin: men having laid aside depravity, inclined to do right. Believers regenerated; hypocrites mixed in will be cast out. Distinguishing mark of genuine members: free from desire of injury. This blessing flows from the knowledge of God, which abases flesh and teaches the same Father (Mal 2:10). Self-love otherwise. Christ’s government rests on faith and the gospel. Fullness of knowledge compared with the slender taste under the law (Jer 31:34). If we do not immediately possess full knowledge, we must advance, and fruit must spring from that root.

Knowledge that frees from malice. Not hurt, not destroy, holy mountain, earth full of the knowledge of the Lord, waters cover the sea.