June 27, 2026 - Isaiah 4-6

Beautiful prophecies of Messiah are found in the book of Isaiah.  The prophet uses various designations to speak of the One to come, among them the title “the branch of the Lord.”  In chapter 11, Isaiah describes the Branch as a shoot coming forth from Jesse, i.e., a descendant of David.  Here in chapter 4, Isaiah prophesies, “In that day the branch of the LORD shall be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the land shall be the pride and honor of the survivors of Israel” (4:2).  He speaks to a people who will lose everything as they go into exile but who will, in the latter days, see their Messiah and be glad.  All this has me thinking about this coming Sunday’s sermon I am scheduled to preach from Psalm 22, a psalm that Jesus quoted from while hanging on the cross:  “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Psalm 22:1).  The Bible, over and over again, looks forward to Messiah and his ministry, looks back, following the cross, and looks forward to his return.  Isaiah 2, as well as Psalm 22, look to the future, a glorious future because of Messiah.  Isaiah 2 foresees a “beautiful and glorious time,” and Psalm 2 declares that, one day, “All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the LORD, and all the families of the nations shall worship before you” (Psalm 22:27).  What an amazing story is ours as we rest in the Savior and look for his return!

Christ is the world’s true light,

its Captain of salvation,

the Daystar clear and bright

of every land and nation;

new life, new hope awakes,

for all who own his sway:

freedom her bondage breaks,

and night is turned to day.

In Christ all races meet,

their ancient feuds forgetting,

the whole round world complete,

from sunrise to its setting:

when Christ is throned as Lord,

all shall forsake their fear,

to plough-share beat the sword,

to pruning hook the spear.   -- G. W. Briggs (1931)