Advent - Leaping for joy!

The desert will rejoice and flowers will bloom in the wastelands.

The desert will sing and shout for joy! Isaiah 35:1,2

Give strength to hands that are tired and to knees that tremble with weakness. Tell everyone who is discouraged, "Be strong and don't be afraid! God is coming to your rescue, coming to punish your enemies." Isaiah 35: 3,4

The blind will be able to see, and the deaf will hear.

The lame will leap and dance,

and those who cannot speak will shout for joy. Isaiah 35:5,6

There will be a highway there called "The Road of Holiness." No sinner will ever travel that road; no fools will mislead those who follow it. No lions will be there; no fierce animals will pass that way. Those whom the Lord has rescued will travel home by that road. They will reach Jerusalem with gladness, singing and shouting for joy. They will be happy forever, forever free from sorrow and grief. Isaiah 35: 8-10

A New World Coming

The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them.

The infant will play near the hole of the cobra,

and the young child put his hand into the viper's nest.

They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain,

for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord

as the waters cover the sea. Isaiah 11:6-9

Advent

The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him - the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord - and he will delight in the fear of the Lord.

He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears; but with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth.

He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked.

Isaiah 11:2-4

The Messiah: A Man of Justice

The Lord says, "Here is my servant, whom I strengthen - the one I have chosen, with whom I am pleased. I have filled him with my spirit, and he will bring justice to every nation...He will bring lasting justice to all; he will not falter or be discouraged till he establishes justice on earth.

He will not break off a bent reed nor put out a flickering lamp.

Isaiah 42:1-4

Righteous Rulers

See, a king will reign in righteousness and rulers will rule with justice.

Each of them will be like a shelter from the wind and a place to hide from storms.

They will be like streams flowing in a desert, like the shadow of a giant rock in a barren land.

Isaiah 32:1, 2

Origins of the Messiah

In his last words Jacob prophesied that a king would arise from the tribe of Judah:
Judah is like a lion... Judah will hold the royal scepter and his descendants will always rule. Nations will bring him tribute and bow in obedience before him.
Genesis 49:10

The king would come from the line of Jesse of the tribe of Judah. God told David, son of Jesse, I will make one of your sons king and will make his kingdom strong... I will make sure that his dynasty continues forever.

1 Chronicles 17:11

This king would arise after it seemed that the royal line had been cut off:

A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. The Spirit of the Lord will rest on Him...

Isaiah 11:1, 2

Advent

In December I'd like to blog the Old Testament prophecies about the coming of Jesus. I'll add more as the month progresses. Let's start at the beginning...
The first promise of the Saviour came immediately after the first man and woman caved in to the serpent's temptation to disobey God. God promised that a descendant of Eve would crush the serpent, but be hurt in the process.

God said to the serpent: I will make you and the woman hate each other; her offspring and yours will always be enemies. Her offspring will crush your head, and you will bite their heel. Genesis 3:15

God's promise to Abraham: I will give you many descendants and they will become a great nation. I will bless you and make your name famous, so that you will be a blessing... and through you I will bless all nations. Genesis 12:2, 3