# 47 2024 Dev. Isa.4.2.The Branch! “Read all of chapter four first. We invite you into God’s space, to read His Word, to think on and interact with. This is God’s Story. Do you believe that this may also be part of our story, in our time? All passages are taken from the NIV.
Isa.4:2 “In that day the Branch of the Lord will be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the land will be the pride and glory of the survivors in Israel.”
Isaiah 4 continues the vision of chapters 2 and 3 the encouragement of the “Mountain of the Lord”, the vision of the future Church in the last days that began with Jesus’ birth and “the judgment on Jerusalem and Judah.” And now also restoration.
V.1 Ends the judgment on Jerusalem. The results of judgment is highlighted in vs. 18-26 in Chapter 3. There is devastation of the land, removal of all the finery they are used to, there is war, “Your men have fallen by the sword.” The problem was that they worshiped, they sacrificed as the law required in those days but their hearts were far from God. It was a pretense, worship was insincere, they had confidence in themselves, in their possessions. With the disruption of war and so many men killed, normal life was no longer possible.
What about today? How do you see worship and church attendance? Is our country subject to judgment?
Vs.2-6 “The Branch of the Lord”. “In that day the Branch of the Lord will be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the land will be the pride and glory of the survivors in Israel.” There will be a cleansing. “The Lord will wash away…” every stain “by a (the) Spirit of judgment and a (the) Spirit of fire.” Who or what is the “Branch” Zachariah 6:9-14 “Tell him this is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Here is the man whose name is the Branch, and he will branch out from his place and build the temple of the Lord.” This foreshadows Jesus, the two men mentioned in Zachariah are named Josiah, meaning God heals and Joshua, meaning God is salvation. Jesus’ name means God saves.
Verse 5 defines God’s grace; “Then the Lord will create over all of Mount Zion and over those who assemble there a cloud of smoke by day and a glow of flaming fire by night; over everything the glory[c] will be a canopy.” This harks back to God’s people coming out of Egypt and traveling in the desert. God led them and protected them, Jesus was and is in the cloud and in the fire. It is the glory of heaven, the power of the Holy Spirit that hovers over the church today, those who are the true followers of Jesus. Amen! Praise be to God.
© cgvanwyk, all rights reserved
Heavenhigh 