Peaceable Kingdom – Isaiah 11:1-9

It is such a famous painting! Worcesterart.com gives this description of the painter and the meaning of the painting:

“Hicks painted over a hundred versions of his now-famous Peaceable Kingdom between 1820 and his death. His artistic endeavors provided modest support for his activities as a Quaker preacher in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. The theme of this painting, drawn from chapter 11 of Isaiah, was undoubtedly attractive to Hicks and fellow Quakers not only for its appealing imagery but also for its message of peace. Into many versions, including the Worcester painting, Hicks incorporated a vignette of William Penn’s treaty with the Indians. Hicks may have viewed parallels in the two parts of the composition, inasmuch as Penn, who had introduced Quakerism into Pennsylvania, had also brought about a measure of the peaceable kingdom on earth.”

I guess we are all responsible for trying to bring about this kingdom on earth, but it will only ultimately be Jesus who can do that.

There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. 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 the fear of the LORD.

And his delight shall be in the fear of the LORD. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide disputes by what his ears hear, but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked. Righteousness shall be the belt of his waist, and faithfulness the belt of his loins.

The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together; and a little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall graze; their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. The nursing child shall play over the hole of the cobra, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder’s den. They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea. (Isaiah 11:1-9 ESV)

Here is another prophecy of the end times following a word of judgment.  Isaiah’s imagery is of a tree that has been cut down but a new shoot springs from it.  Israel was supposed to be ruled by the house of David, whose father was Jesse.  His rule is being viewed as cut down but not without life.  Yahweh will bring about his rule once again, the Holy Spirit empowering this Davidic king (the Messiah) to rule righteously and judge equitably, unlike some of David’s descendants did and that led to Israel’s judgment.

The results of the Messiah’s rule will be an unprecedented peace in which even animal predators will cozy up to their former prey.  Israel’s children will play without fear of any harm because the knowledge of Yahweh will be universal.  This is God’s ultimate anticipation for earth.  His rule over all nations will result in the peaceable garden of Eden that He originally intended.

Jesus, of course, is the offspring of David as to his human nature and the rightful heir to David’s throne. Empowered by the Holy Spirit when he was here on earth the first time, he demonstrated exactly how a king or anyone who knows God can and should live out the ideals of the kingdom. And he is coming again to fulfill this prophecy of the peaceable kingdom. I can’t wait.

Discussion Questions

1. What have you experienced in regard to something that you thought had died only to find it coming back, and were you glad or sad?
2. What have you experienced of a spiritual nature that seemed dead only to find it revived, and were you glad or sad?
3. Jesus is this stump of Jesse upon whom the Spirit of Yahweh rests.  What do you like about the description of him in that second paragraph?
4. What is your emotional reaction to the description of the peaceable kingdom over which Jesus will reign?
5. Do you think the peaceable kingdom is near or far off?