SUMMARY
This text depicts “ZionZion originally referred to a mountain near Jerusalem where David conquered a Jebusite stronghold. Later the term came to mean a number of other things like the Temple, Jerusalem, and even the Promised Land. More” (Jerusalem) in a time of restoration. But that restoration only comes after a painful season of judgment.
ANALYSIS
“In that day” is language that is used for a future day when God acts decisively. When the text refers to the “branch of the Lord,” it echoes the agricultural imagery that is common across the book. This imagery is supple enough that it can be used to depict God’s works of both salvationSalvation can mean saved from something (deliverance) or for something (redemption). Paul preached that salvation comes through the death of Christ on the cross which redeemed sinners from death and for a grace-filled life. More and judgment.
The imagined future is colored by the tragedy of defeat and destruction. The text refers to the “survivors” of Israel (v. 2) and whoever is “left” (v. 3) as a remnant who will now receive the blessingBlessing is the asking for or the giving of God's favor. Isaac was tricked into blessing Jacob instead of his firstborn Esau. At the Last Supper Jesus offered a blessing over bread and wine. To be blessed is to be favored by God. More and protection of God. For many texts within IsaiahIsaiah, son of Amoz, who prophesied in Jerusalem, is included among the prophets of the eighth century BCE (along with Amos, Hosea, and Micah)--preachers who boldly proclaimed God's word of judgment against the economic, social, and religious disorders of their time. More, Israel’s future depends on the survival of a portion of the people, not on the people as a whole. Through judgment and fire, this remnant is somehow purified.
Not surprisingly, Isaiah 4: 2-6 imagines all of this happening in Jerusalem—God’s holyHoly is a term that originally meant set apart for the worship or service of God. While the term may refer to people, objects, time, or places, holiness in Judaism and Christianity primarily denotes the realm of the divine More city. The presence, power, and manifestation of God can be found in Zion (an alternative name for Jerusalem)
