God’s Word for You
Isaiah 4:2 Snug as a bug in a rug
by Pastor Timothy Smith on Monday, December 23, 2024
2 In that day the Branch of the LORD will be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the land will be the beauty and glory of the survivors of Israel.
Here again, “that day” refers to the coming of the Savior; the coming of Christ into the world. There are two of these advents. The first is his coming as an infant at Bethlehem to live and die in the place of mankind, to rescue all from their sins; all who put their faith in him. The second is his return on judgment day to raise the dead and to judge mankind before bringing the righteous to heaven as the condemned are sent to hell forever. There is no additional, intermediate appearance of Christ as some teach. Here both of these comings are seen by the prophet at the same time, like a man looking at two mountains, one behind the other. To the observer on one end, they look very close to one another. But to anyone who sees the two peaks from between them knows that they are really very far apart. Here, “Branch” suggests his fist coming, but “survivors” suggests the second coming. This is a common point of view in the prophets.
“Branch” can be seen in a restorative sense, since with the coming of the Savior the curse is lifted. Weeds and thorns give way to new growth and blessing, and the Branch reminds us of this. Abundant harvests are a sign of the blessings Christ brings in Paradise, “when the reaper will be overtaken by the plowman and the planter by the one treading grapes” (Amos 9:13). And again, “they will rejoice in the bounty of the Lord—the grain, the new wine and the oil, the young of the flocks and herds. They will be like a well-watered garden, and they will sorrow no more” (Jeremiah 31:12).
However, “Branch” is more than a mere sign of the Savior. It is one of his titles. As such, this is the earliest use of Branch (צֶמַח, which also occurs in Jeremiah 23:5 and 33:15 and in Zechariah 3:8 and 6:12). It is best explained with “Branch” and another term, “shoot,” by Isaiah: “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). The word emphasizes Christ’s human ancestry, a line from King David that had all but died out.
The Branch himself is “beautiful and glorious.” David says, “One thing I ask is that I may gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and seek him in his temple” (Psalm 27:4). And while Christ on earth “had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him” (Isaiah 53:2), he himself “will be a glorious crown, a beautiful wreath for the remnant of his people” (Isaiah 28:5).
And more than this, Isaiah says that “the fruit of the land will be the beauty and glory of the survivors of Israel.” That is to say, the wonderful blessings that come from Christ will be what beautifies and glorifies the people of God. For the survivors of Israel are the true Israel, that Paul the Apostle calls “the Israel of God” (Galatians 6:15). That is, the Holy Christian Church.
Perhaps this verse does not settle the matter, often argued even today, as to whether there will be food in abundance in Paradise, but I would not object to its inclusion in a study of the matter one day. Yet “the fruit of the land” also includes those other things that the world produces for the joy and use of mankind, such as wood and flowers and soft green grass; even stones and other things could be the fruit of the land, that blesses and never harms, in eternity.
When I was a boy, mom would be waiting for me when I finally came inside after hours of playing and burrowing around in the deep snowbanks. I would be soaking wet, smiling, sniffling, happy, and usually hungry. She would tell me how long before supper was ready, but sometimes if things were timed just right she would have a towel, fresh and hot out of the dryer for me, and some hot chocolate. It was a little touch of love that I think I had forgotten all about until just now. I was blessed with her little loving acts. O, but imagine! To be blessed with the best of God’s great gifts! Forever! This is what awaits us in heaven, all on account of the love of Jesus our Lord. We trust in him, and he will welcome us home to eternity with him. Safe, warm, happy, and loved. As mom would say, “Snug as a bug in a rug.”
In Christ,
Pastor Timothy Smith
Pastor Smith serves St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in New Ulm, Minnesota. To receive God’s Word for You via e-mail, please visit the St. Paul’s Lutheran Church website.