Isaiah 11:1 And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots.
A Stem From a Humble Stump
It takes a grand oak tree about 200 years to reach full maturity. Sometimes it takes more, and sometimes less. There’s no doubt that a tree that’s given 200 years can reach great height and great strength, yet that same tree takes about 30 minutes to cut down. That’s the imagery that God uses against those that exalt themselves against Him. They are like a tree that is mighty and tall but can be very easily cut down to size. In Isaiah 9-11, God humbles two groups of people and sets the stage for the birth of Messiah.
First, God is able to humble His own people. In Isaiah 11:1 the Bible says, “And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots.” The Bible says that a stem (Messiah) will grow out of a stump (the people of God) that has been cut down to size. God’s people had raised themselves up against God. They were proud of their heritage, their religion, and their piety. God used a pagan empire to cut his own precious people down to size. So, a great tree, the Messiah, would grow out of the humble stump.
Ironically, the second group of people that God can cut down to size are the pagans, the wicked who don’t know God and boast themselves in their power, wealth, and might. The Bible tells us that the empire God used to humble his own people in turn boasted itself against God even though it was nothing but a tool in God’s hands. Isaiah 10:33 says, “Behold the Lord of hosts, the mighty God, shall lop the bough with terror; and the high ones of stature shall be hewn down, and the haughty shall be humbled, and he shall cut down the thickets of the forest with iron, and Lebanon shall fall by a mighty one.” God can accomplish His purpose through an arrogant empire, but He works in harmony with the consent of the humble.
The story of Messiah from start to finish is a story of how God resists the proud whether it be the imperial power and wealth of Rome, or the religious arrogance of the chief priests, scribes, and Pharisees. It doesn’t matter what kind of pride you have. God always resists pride, and God always gives grace to the humble. That’s why God sent his Son-not to a palace, but to the humblest region of a humble and oppressed people- to be an example of humility and the power that comes from it.