Day 21: Isaiah 11:6
The wolf will dwell with the lamb,
and the leopard will lie down with the goat.
The calf, the young lion, and the fattened calf will be together,
and a child will lead them.
Isaiah 9:6
From the moment Adam and Eve took a bite of the fruit in the garden the pangs of sin and death were felt. Not only do we see how divisive and destructive rebellion against God is throughout Scripture in stories like Cain and Abel or David and Bathsheba, we also see it throughout the rest of history as well — war, genocide, murder, natural disaster, separation of families, and death of loved ones. We also feel it acutely in our own lives. On a daily basis we struggle to love our neighbour or say no to the temptation of sin. All of this is the result of man’s rebellion against the perfect God. But in God’s mercy he made a way for sinners to be reconciled to God. He made a way for peace to reign.
Isaiah 11:6-9 says,
The wolf will dwell with the lamb,
and the leopard will lie down with the goat.
The calf, the young lion, and the fattened calf will be together,
and a child will lead them.
The cow and the bear will graze,
their young ones will lie down together,
and the lion will eat straw like cattle.
An infant will play beside the cobra’s pit,
and a toddler will put his hand into a snake’s den.
They will not harm or destroy each other
on my entire holy mountain,
for the land will be as full
of the knowledge of the LORD
as the sea is filled with water.
This a prophecy of Isaiah to the people of Israel who had rejected God and delighted in their sin and idolatry. And because of this, God would judge them at the hands of the Assyrian army. But Isaiah prophecies of a holy seed that will remain. He says, “then a shoot will grow from the stump of Jesse and a branch from his roots will bear fruit” (Isaiah 11:1). The offspring of Jesse would remain and the Spirit of the Lord would rest on him. Through him peace would come to the world.
The imagery of a wolf and lamb lying down together is stark. Verse 9 says, “They will not harm or destroy each other on my entire holy mountain.” Imagine that! No longer will there be death or destruction. No longer will we experience depression and grief. No longer will we know anxiety and fear. No longer will there be conflict and fighting. No longer will we be tempted by sin. All because of Christ’s death on the cross. “Upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace and with his wounds we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5).
Instead of experiencing the brokenness of the world, the day that peace reigns will be the day that we stand before the Lord face to face. He will be the light and the world will be full of knowledge of him! On that day, the dwelling place of God will be with man.
Though we still feel the pangs of death this day, hope in the day when the wolf will lay with the lamb. Hope in the day when we will see Christ and know peace.
Written by Beth Lane
A Thought to Remember: Jesus will bring true and lasting peace.
A Bit More to Read: Isaiah 11, Revelation 21:1-4
A Question to Ask: Where are you looking for peace today?
A Song to Sing: We Long for That Day
A Picture for the kids: Lion & Lamb