One Shoot from Jesse Stump

Dem don cut one forest down. Notin remain except stumps, grey and dead. But look one of dem well. Right for di edge of di old wood, something small and green dey push comot.

Di prophet Isaiah live for Jerusalem about seven hundred years before Jesus. E don warn say di strong Assyrian army go sweep through di land like person wey dey cut wood for forest. Just before chapter eleven, e describe God imself as e dey cut di big trees, di proud and di powerful, until dem fall. And Isaiah know say even di royal family of David no go escape judgment. One day dem go cut di big tree of David kingdom down too. So e no talk about am as David tree, but as Jesse stump. Jesse na David papa, one farmer for di small town of Bethlehem. E be like say di family don go back to where dem start: small, ordinary, almost notin.

But listen. “One shoot go comot from di stump of Jesse, and one branch from im roots go bear fruit.” Life from stump. One new king from di old family. And how e go be? “Di Spirit of di Lord go rest on top am: di spirit of wisdom and understanding, di spirit of counsel and power, di spirit of knowledge and of di fear of di Lord.” No be just small of God Spirit, but God Spirit go rest on top am, stay with am, full am. Wise. Strong. E know God and e love to honour am. Im joy go dey for di fear of di Lord.

Isaiah describe how dis king go rule. E no go judge by wetin im eye see, and e no go decide by wetin im ear hear. Wetin e mean be say, appearance or rumour no go fool am. E go see di truth. “But with righteousness e go judge di poor, and e go decide with fairness for di humble people of di earth.” Di people wey dem dey always push aside go get justice from am. Righteousness go be di belt for im waist, and faithfulness di belt for im hips. E dey wear goodness di way worker dey wear belt, ready for work.

And then Isaiah paint one of di finest pictures for di whole Bible. “Wolf go live with lamb, and leopard go lie down with young goat; di calf, di young lion, and di fat calf go dey together; and one small pikin go lead dem.” Cow and bear dey chop grass side by side. Lion dey chop straw like cow. Baby dey play near cobra hole, and nobody wound. “Dem no go hurt or destroy for all my holy mountain; because di knowledge of di Lord go full di earth, as water dey cover di sea.” And di nations? Dem go come dey find am. Di root of Jesse go stand like flag for di peoples, and di place where e dey rest go dey glorious. Hundreds of years after, one baby born for Jesse town, Bethlehem, inside David family, wey by dat time no get throne at all. One green shoot from one stump.

Dis passage inspire one of di sweetest Christmas carols. Di German song Es ist ein Ros entsprungen, for English Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming, dem print am for one hymn book for Speyer for fifteen ninety-nine. Im words talk about one tender shoot wey spring from Jesse line, just as Isaiah talk before. Di composer Michael Praetorius publish di harmony wey most choirs still dey sing for sixteen hundred and nine.

One shoot from Jesse stump. You go find am for Isaiah chapter eleven, verse one reach ten. When everytin be like say dem don cut am down and e don finish, God promise new life and one King of peace. So see one question wey you go carry dey go. Something dey for your life wey be like dead stump, where you fit ask God for new growth?