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In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple.

There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse,
And a Branch shall grow out of his roots.
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.

—From Isaiah 6:1; 11:1–2 (NKJV)

In those days Hezekiah was sick and near death. And Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, went to him and said to him, “Thus says the Lord: ‘Set your house in order, for you shall die, and not live.’”

Then he turned his face toward the wall, and prayed to the Lord, saying, “Remember now, O Lord, I pray, how I have walked before You in truth and with a loyal heart, and have done what was good in Your sight.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly.

And it happened, before Isaiah had gone out into the middle court, that the word of the Lord came to him, saying, “Return and tell Hezekiah the leader of My people, ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of David your father: “I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; surely I will heal you. On the third day you shall go up to the house of the Lord. And I will add to your days fifteen years. I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city for My own sake, and for the sake of My servant David.”’”

And Hezekiah said to Isaiah, “What is the sign that the Lord will heal me, and that I shall go up to the house of the Lord the third day?”

Then Isaiah said, “This is the sign to you from the Lord, that the Lord will do the thing which He has spoken: shall the shadow go forward ten degrees or go backward ten degrees?”

And Hezekiah answered, “It is an easy thing for the shadow to go down ten degrees; no, but let the shadow go backward ten degrees.”

So Isaiah the prophet cried out to the Lord, and He brought the shadow ten degrees backward, by which it had gone down on the sundial of Ahaz.

At that time Berodach-Baladan the son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and a present to Hezekiah, for he heard that Hezekiah had been sick. And Hezekiah was attentive to them, and showed them all the house of his treasures—the silver and gold, the spices and precious ointment, and all his armory—all that was found among his treasures. There was nothing in his house or in all his dominion that Hezekiah did not show them.

Then Isaiah the prophet went to King Hezekiah, and said to him, “What did these men say, and from where did they come to you?”

So Hezekiah said, “They came from a far country, from Babylon.”

And he said, “What have they seen in your house?”

So Hezekiah answered, “They have seen all that is in my house; there is nothing among my treasures that I have not shown them.”

Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, “Hear the word of the Lord: ‘Behold, the days are coming when all that is in your house, and what your fathers have accumulated until this day, shall be carried to Babylon; nothing shall be left,’ says the Lord. ‘And they shall take away some of your sons who will descend from you, whom you will beget; and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.’ ”

So Hezekiah said to Isaiah, “The word of the Lord which you have spoken is good!” For he said, “Will there not be peace and truth at least in my days?”

—From 2 Kings 20:1–6, 8–19 (NKJV)

Meditation

The kingdom of Israel had long since split in two. One king reigned over the ten Northern tribes, while another ruled in the South, over the tribes of Judah and Benjamin. The Northern kingdom saw a succession of wicked rulers, and by the time of Isaiah had been in captivity for around 130 years.

“In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord,” begins the iconic vision and calling of Isaiah. There he saw a powerful vision of God robed in power and might.

Isaiah ministered to Judah throughout the reigns of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah. It is during the second king’s reign that Isaiah wrote a prophecy that has ignited artists and theologians, and upon which this very resource is based.

“There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, And a Branch shall grow out of his roots” (Isa. 11:1). 

The king at the time of Isaiah’s writing was Ahaz. If there were pageant of Worst Kings of the Bible, Ahaz would be in the final lineup. Under his reign, foreign alliances caused him to desecrate the temple, idol worship was rampant—he even created a cult and sacrificed his own children.  

In response to his wickedness, Isaiah foretold that the line of Jesse—including David and the kings of Judah including Ahaz—would be chopped down to a stump. But Isaiah also promised that a shoot would one day rise from that stump. Hope foretold!

Ahaz’s son and the next king of Judah, Hezekiah, was likely seen as fulfillment of the prophecy. His reign was a strong contrast to the evil of his predecessor, for he served God faithfully, tearing down his father’s idols. On his deathbed, when he begged for healing, he received fifteen more years to live and rule. And, as if God’s promise of healing weren’t enough, God proved his power by making the shadows of the sun step backward. 

Hezekiah was so awed by God’s power and grace that when the king of Babylon’s son came to visit, Hezekiah couldn’t help but tell him all about …

His riches.

His storehouses.

All his earthly treasures.

Hezekiah also was cut down, another in the line of Jesse. And after another seven kings, the tree of Jesse’s rule was at last felled altogether. 

They’re interesting things, stumps. As long as the soil is healthy, as long as there are roots, life continues. If nurtured, a new shoot can grow from something long considered lost.

By the time of Mary’s betrothal to Joseph, the kings of old were distant memories. Being of the line of David may have brought a certain prestige, as being an ancestor of George Washington might give bragging rights to an American. But bragging rights brought no real privilege—it certainly didn’t pay the rent.

Yet beneath the earth, in the belly of a woman, the first stirrings of the shoot from the stump of Jesse began to take hold. It rooted into her womb, grew a tendril of umbilicus as it drew life from humanity, and flourished in the rich soil of God’s grace and Mary’s willing heart.

Inspiration

Music

Enjoy this version of O Come, O Come Emmanuel in the original Latin (English subtitles). This hymn was first chanted in monasteries as early as the 8th century—more than 1,200 years ago and is based on the O Antiphons discussed below. Reflect on the people’s long wait for Emmanuel.

In Dulci Jubilo dates back to the early 1300s and was a precursor to the more well-known, Good Christian Men Rejoice. As we sing of “sweet rejoicing,” let us remember the coming child, and the reason for his coming.

Visit our Joy of Advent YouTube playlist for featured videos, our Ultimate Christmas playlist for all our favorite carols, or our sing-along carols to enjoy karaoke style.

Reflection

“Why not, if there will be peace and security in my days?” (2 Kings 20:19 RSV) For all Hezekiah’s faithfulness, his final defining attribute is his shortsightedness. Some say that it takes only one generation for the faith to be lost, but it did not take long for the kings of old to turn from God. Hezekiah demolished the idols set up by his father, and he witnessed the miraculous defeat of armies. Yet at end of his life, after all God showed him, he grasped onto earthly things instead of onto God. Reflect today on your hope. On to what will you grasp?

Prayer

Beginning December 17 of each Advent season, and for the next seven days, a special antiphon (a short chant sung as a refrain) known as an O Antiphon is read during evening prayer. Each of the seven antiphons begins by addressing Jesus using an Old Testament title for the Messiah. Notice that the O Antiphons correlate to the stanzas of O Come, O Come Emmanuel, although not always in sequence depending on which version of the hymn is sung.

O Wisdom, O holy Word of God, you govern all creation with your strong yet tender care.

My soul magnifies the Lord
And my spirit rejoices in God my Savior;
Because He has regarded the lowliness of His handmaid;
For behold, henceforth all generations shall call me blessed;
Because He who is mighty has done great things for me,
and holy is His name;
And His mercy is from generation to generation
on those who fear Him.
He has shown might with His arm,
He has scattered the proud in the conceit of their heart.
He has put down the mighty from their thrones,
and has exalted the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich He has sent away empty.
He has given help to Israel, his servant, mindful of His mercy
Even as He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his posterity forever.

Family Celebration 

In your child’s favorite Children’s Bible, read the story of Isaiah’s prophecy.

Say: Isaiah told about things that would someday happen. That’s called prophecy. He warned kings to honor God and obey. But many of the kings did not honor God, and they did not obey. In fact, so many kings were bad that God said they were like a tree that He would chop down. He promised that many years later, a new tree would grow from the old stump. That’s why a shoot from a stump is our symbol today. Jesus was the new branch from that old stump of kings.

Especially for Toddlers and PreK

Resources

• Watch another stunning performance of The Cherry Tree Song.

• Enjoy a printable coloring page of Hezekiah.

• Would you like to make Jesse Tree ornaments to accompany your readings? Find tutorials and ideas from simple to advanced at our Jesse Tree Ornaments Pinterest board.

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