Isaiah 11:3b-4 Not by appearance shall he judge, nor by hearsay shall he decide, but he shall judge the poor with justice, and decide aright for the land’s afflicted.
After the first few chapters of Isaiah pointing to doom and gloom, this chapter is very refreshing. Of course we all know this chapter is pointing towards Jesus coming, because we know he did come to the earth. For the Israelites, this would have brought great hope. And for us, this message should still bring great Even today, in the midst of conflict and confusion in our own country, in the world as well, we know that Jesus is our counsel and strength. He will judge those who have wronged his people. And again this message should remind us that is doesn’t matter what we look like on the outside (appearance) or what rumors people spread about us (hearsay), Jesus knows what is in our hearts. And that is how he will decide.
This message would have been one I would have loved to learn as a teen girl. Kids are mean. I wasn’t “bullied” like people see today, but I had glasses, braces, and acne all at the same time. And I was one of the “nerds.” So I got picked on and laughed at a bit. This is a very narrowed look at this chapter, but it would still show a youth blossoming that the prophecy pointed to something better, and that if we keep our hearts high, we would find it. And that those who made the ugly remarks didn’t have nice hearts, but that instead of hating them, we should pray for them. Their hearts were empty and needing fulfillment just as much as ours need fixing.
Lord, I praise you for giving your only son to our world, so that we may one day come home with you. I pray that my heart can be as understanding as Jesus, and I don’t fall under the worldly schemes of judging others. I also pray that my children can learn this true love as they grow spiritually and show it to others.
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