Slices
Prepare
When politicians get caught out doing something they shouldn’t, their defence is sometimes ‘I have the right to a private life’ – that is, their private behaviour is irrelevant to their public role. Do you agree?
Bible passage
The branch from Jesse
11 A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse;
from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.
2 The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him –
the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
the Spirit of counsel and of might,
the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord –
3 and he will delight in the fear of the Lord.
He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes,
or decide by what he hears with his ears;
4 but with righteousness he will judge the needy,
with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth.
He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth;
with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked.
5 Righteousness will be his belt
and faithfulness the sash round his waist.
6 The wolf will live with the lamb,
the leopard will lie down with the goat,
the calf and the lion and the yearling together;
and a little child will lead them.
7 The cow will feed with the bear,
their young will lie down together,
and the lion will eat straw like the ox.
8 The infant will play near the cobra’s den,
and the young child will put its hand into the viper’s nest.
9 They will neither harm nor destroy
on all my holy mountain,
for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord
as the waters cover the sea.
Explore
In 2023 the famous ‘Sycamore Gap’ tree in Northumberland, England was vandalised and cut down; all that remains is the stump. Sadly, this may be the end for the famous sycamore because when a tree is chopped down, the stump is little more than a trip hazard.
The leaders of Israel had led God’s people astray instead of in God’s way. For that, they faced God’s justice, laid out in the song of the vineyard in chapter 5. Now there was little more than a stump where once there was a thriving tree (v 1).
Yet for God this is not a problem. From this dry, dead stump will come a ‘shoot’ that will ‘bear fruit’ (v 1): a leader unlike any other. His character will be formed by God’s Spirit (v 2). He will be truly discerning, full of joy and respect for God (v 3), righteous and just (v 4) and faithful (v 5). And he will usher in a period of peace that fills not only Israel but the whole world (vs 6–9).
Respond
Do you struggle to pray, to think and speak godly things, to walk his way and not ‘your’ way? Even God’s perfect leader – Jesus – needed the Spirit to live in obedience to God. Ask God to fill you afresh with his Spirit today.
Bible in a year
Read the Bible in a year: 2 Corinthians 12; Psalms 149,150
Pray for Scripture Union
A few months ago, the South West team took 24 hours away to pray, plan and give thanks for all the work they are supporting in the south west (which is seeing young lives changed as a direct result of their support of Faith Guides). Join the team in giving thanks for God’s guidance and what they see him doing.
