 | Isaiah 11:2 "And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD..."
In the darkness of Isaiah 10, we see God's rod of chastening upon the children of Israel. But the tone changes in chapter 11, where God reveals a different type of rod, one of hope and restoration. Verse 1 says, "And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots." This rod that would come forth wouldn't be a branch broken off from the tree; it would be the tree itself. The rod that Isaiah was speaking of in this passage is none other than the Messiah Himself, Jesus Christ! The verses that follow are fascinating to me.
Verse 2 says, "And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him...." This verse tells us that Jesus Himself was filled with the Spirit! I don't claim to understand everything about that truth; in fact, it's rather mind-boggling to me. But what a wonderful truth it is that Jesus leads us by example in every area, even in the area of being Spirit-filled.
How do you know when someone is filled with the Spirit? Well, certain fruits will be evident in that person's life. Let's look back at verse 2: Jesus had "the spirit of wisdom and understanding...." Can that be said of you? Today, as you go about your work, will you demonstrate wisdom and understanding in the decisions you make?
Let's keep going: Jesus also had "the spirit of counsel and might...." He used that wisdom and understanding to help those around him and meet their needs. I have an easier time giving counsel to others than I do in giving counsel to myself! But both are true of one living in the Spirit.
There's more: He had "the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD...." One who is filled with the Spirit has knowledge that comes from God but also realizes that this knowledge comes from the hand of God. Even Jesus, the God of heaven, lived in the fear of the LORD. How much more should we follow His example?
As we keep reading, verse 3 says the Spirit "shall make him of quick understanding...." How we need to be people of quick understanding! Unfortunately, many times the Lord has to teach and correct us many times before we gain the understanding that He wants us to have. "Quick understanding" means getting it the first time.
How did Christ gain this quick understanding? Notice the rest of the verse: "He shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears." One who is filled with the Spirit does not understand based upon what he sees and hears; he does not depend upon his flesh. A Spirit-filled person's understanding is supernatural; it is only given by the Spirit to those who depend upon Him.
Verse 10 continues to speak of the "root of Jesse," the Messiah, when it says that "his rest shall be glorious." All of these fruits found in the example of Jesus Christ cannot be mustered up or lived out in our own strength. Try as we might, none of us could ever live up to his example. But when we turn from ourselves and depend upon the Spirit, we will truly find that it is the resting that gives the power. If our Messiah, Jesus Christ, was filled with the Spirit, don't you think we should be too? May we know by experience that "his rest is glorious."
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