KJV Isaiah 11:1-3 And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: (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; (3) And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD…”
NASB Isaiah 11:1-3 Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse, And a branch from his roots will bear fruit. (2) The Spirit of the LORD will rest on Him, The Spirit of wisdom and understanding, The Spirit of counsel and strength, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD. (3) And He will delight in the fear of the LORD…”
Isaiah 11 contains another of Isaiah’s prophetic views of Christ. It prophesied of His coming to the nation in a future day and the blessing that will result. His credentials, character, and capability are all presented for the nation to examine. He has the right pedigree and the right parents, and He will be born in the right place (as per Micah) and marked by purity (as per Isa 7:14).
A seven-fold description of the Spirit of God is provided, introduced by the title, the Spirit of the Lord. Then, in a series of three couplets, the character of the Spirit of God that rested upon Him is described. He was conceived by the Spirit, filled with the Spirit, and anointed by the Spirit. All that He did was done in harmony and fellowship with the Spirit. When He returned from His initial “successful” ministry throughout Galilee to Nazareth (Luke 4:16), He ascribed everything to the Spirit of God (v 18). He was selfless and self-effacing.
According to Isaiah, the result of the Spirit of God is that He would be marked by “quick understanding in the fear of the Lord.” The marginal reading is insightful here and reads, “of quick scent.” He always knew what would please God. He was never in doubt as to what would please God; it was never a difficulty for Him.
Moment by moment, He moved in full consciousness of what was the right thing to do. He is never seen praying for enlightenment. He never requests others to pray for Him, in contrast even to the apostle Paul. He instinctively knew what would please His Father. As a result, without exaggeration or fear of contradiction, He could say, “I do always those things that please Him” (John 8:29).
Can you conceive of a life so lived that every moment of every day was marked not only by serving God and bringing Him pleasure, but by nothing other than pleasure? There were no downtimes, no “me” time in His life. There were no sins of omission; no day ended with a sense of having missed an opportunity or feeling a need for confession. He always knew what would please His Father.
But He not only knew what would be pleasing to God, but He did it in the manner that would please and honour Him. Compassion, kindness, gentleness, and goodness suffused His every deed. He reflected the heart of God to men in all its fullness and beauty.
Add to that the truth that He did it with the purest and highest possible motive—the pleasure, honour, and glory of His Father—and the only response a redeemed heart can express is one of worship.
Consider:
Think of the implications of Hebrews 9:14: “Who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself …” Would this reinforce the will of God, pleasure of God, glory of God, in His offering?