11 In that day the Lord will extend his hand yet a second time to recover the remnant that remains of his people, from Assyria, from Egypt, from Pathros, from Cush, from Elam, from Shinar, from Hamath, and from the coastlands of the sea.
12 He will raise a signal for the nations
and will assemble the banished of Israel,
and gather the dispersed of Judah
from the four corners of the earth.
13 The jealousy of Ephraim shall depart,
and those who harass Judah shall be cut off;
Ephraim shall not be jealous of Judah,
and Judah shall not harass Ephraim.
14 But they shall swoop down on the shoulder of the Philistines in the west,
and together they shall plunder the people of the east.
They shall put out their hand against Edom and Moab,
and the Ammonites shall obey them.
15 And the Lord will utterly destroy
the tongue of the Sea of Egypt,
and will wave his hand over the River
with his scorching breath,
and strike it into seven channels,
and he will lead people across in sandals.
16 And there will be a highway from Assyria
for the remnant that remains of his people,
as there was for Israel
when they came up from the land of Egypt. – Isaiah 11:11-16 ESV
Isaiah has been speaking of a day to come and has referred to it as “that day.” He has told of an individual, someone he refers to as “the root of Jesse” who will show up on that future date, during that as-yet-to-happen timeframe. He will be a descendant of Jesse, who was the father of King David. And, according to verse 10, this rightful heir to David’s throne is one “who shall stand as a signal for the peoples—of him shall the nations inquire, and his resting place shall be glorious.”
Jesus was the fulfillment of that prophecy. He alone met the requirements and possessed the DNA that made Him a legal heir to David’s kingdom. In his gospel account, Matthew describes Jesus as the son of David.
The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. – Matthew 1:1 ESV
Later on, when the angel appeared to Joseph, who was betrothed to Mary, he told him:
“Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” – Matthew 1:20-21 ESV
Joseph was a legal heir to David. Which is why the apostle Paul would later describe Jesus as “descended from David according to the flesh” (Romans 1:3 ESV). And Luke reports that, when a decree was made by Caesar Augustus, requiring everyone living within the Roman Empire to return to their town of origin to register for a tax. And Joseph, being of the house of David, returned to Bethlehem, the hometown of David.
Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David… – Luke 2:4 ESV
But we know from the Matthew passage above, that Joseph was not the physical father of Jesus. Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit, which is why the angel told Mary:
“He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” – Luke 1:32-33 ESV
Jesus became the adopted son of Joseph and, as such, inherited the same rights held by Joseph. He became a legal heir to the Davidic throne. He was the Son of the Most High and the Son of David. He was the God-Man.
And, in that day, when Jesus begins to reign over the house of Jacob, God will do some incredible things for His people. Isaiah reports that God will recover and restore a remnant of His people, returning them to the land of promise. There they will enjoy the righteous reign of the Son of David, the long-awaited king who will sit on the throne of the once-great king of Israel.
Isaiah tells the rebellious people of Judah that a day is coming when God “will assemble the banished of Israel, and gather the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth” (Isaiah 11:12 ESV). Not only that, God will end the civil strife that had plagued the nation of Israel since the kingdom had been split after Solomon’s reign. The northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah will be reunited, solidifying the 12 tribes of Israel once again. And together, they will defeat their common enemies.
All of this speaks of a time that has not yet happened. It promises the earthly reign of Jesus, the Son of David, who will occupy the throne in Jerusalem and rule in perfect righteousness over the nation of Israel. All of this will be in fulfillment to the promise God had made to David centuries earlier.
“…your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever.” – 2 Samuel 7:16 ESV
Years later, Solomon, after his father’s death and his own ascension to the throne, prayed a prayer at the dedication of the temple. He reminded God of His promise to David.
“Now therefore, O Lord, God of Israel, keep for your servant David my father what you have promised him, saying, ‘You shall not lack a man to sit before me on the throne of Israel, if only your sons pay close attention to their way, to walk in my law as you have walked before me.’ Now therefore, O Lord, God of Israel, let your word be confirmed, which you have spoken to your servant David.” – 2 Chronicles 6:16-17 ESV
But Solomon would prove unfaithful, failing to walk in the ways of his father, David. And God would end up splitting his kingdom in half, creating the kingdom of Israel, comprised of the nine northern tribes of Israel, and the kingdom of Judah, made up of the two southern tribes of Judah and Benjamin. The tribe of Levi, made up of the Levitical priests, remained independent. And while there was a series of kings who sat on the throne of David in the southern kingdom, none of them fulfilled the prophecy found in Isaiah 11. In fact, the day came when God sent the southern kingdom of Judah into captivity in Babylon, leaving no king on the throne. And to this day, there is no king in Israel or Judah.
But in “that day” things will be different. God will send His Son to rule and reign. The first time He came to earth, He did so as the Savior. But He will return a second time, and on that occasion, He will come as the Sovereign, the King of kings and the Lord of lords. And later on in the book of Isaiah, there is yet another promise made by God concerning “that day.”
“The Redeemer will come to Jerusalem
to buy back those in Israel
who have turned from their sins,”
says the Lord.
“And this is my covenant with them,” says the Lord. “My Spirit will not leave them, and neither will these words I have given you. They will be on your lips and on the lips of your children and your children’s children forever. I, the Lord, have spoken!” – Isaiah 59:20-21 NLT
That day has not yet come, but it will. God has promised to send His Son as the king of Israel. But His reign will not be restricted to a single geographic area. He will be the king of the universe. He will rule and reign over all. But He will restore the fortunes of the people of Israel. He will redeem a remnant of the descendants of Abraham and shower them with His covenant blessings. Not because they deserve it, but because He has promised to do it. And the apostle John gives us a glimpse into a future time when God will make all things new. He will create a new heaven and a new earth. He will make a new Jerusalem.
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” – Revelation 21:1-4 ESV
In the midst of Judah’s rebellion, God reminds them of His covenant blessings. They will reject Him and He will be forced to punish them. But one day, in “that day,” He will keep His promise to restore them.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
The Message (MSG)
Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson
