The previous chapter ended with a prophecy of judgment coming upon the wealthy, prominent women of Judah. At the start of Isaiah 4, this horrible picture is completed. By the time the Assyrian forces have finished their bloodshed, raping, and pillaging, some of the women will be so humiliated they will end up throwing themselves at any Jewish male available in the desperate hope for refuge and home. But the slaughter of males will be so terrible that there will not be enough to go around (v 1). It’s an awful thought, but it’s not the end of the story. What God “took away” from His people (3:1, 18) He promises to restore. God will preserve a faithful remnant, a few “survivors of Israel” (v 2; see 1:9) who will know even greater blessing in the future than what had been sinfully thrown away in the past. Now the prophet tells us more about the wonderful hope of “the latter days” (2:2-4)—when not only the nations flow toward God’s people, but God Himself will visit them! “In that day the branch of the LORD shall be beautiful and glorious” (v 2). At first it may sound strange, but other prophets also used this image. Imagine a small twig slowly growing from the trunk of a great tree. As Isaiah will later make clear, this is a picture of the promised Messiah. Jesus Christ is the Branch, and He comes from the stump of Jesse’s house (11:1). The Branch is an offshoot of David, with whom God had made an everlasting covenant. So just when it appears that all hope is lost for the descendants of David, this Branch will finally emerge from the decaying tree. Born as a real human, He will be “the fruit of the land,” and “the pride and honor” of God’s people. Unlike the failures of 3:6-7, this is the King who will take responsibility, establish justice, and never let us down (v 2). Those who inhabit His kingdom will know unprecedented blessing. They will stand out as holy, washed, and spiritually cleansed through the fires of divine discipline (v 3-4). And using language that calls to mind their exodus from Egypt, God promises to guide His people and protect them from harm (v 5-6). The presence of the LORD is now our constant experience, never to depart. Beyond anything known by those who followed the miraculous pillar of cloud and pillar of fire through the wilderness, we have seen God’s glory manifest in the person of His own Son, Jesus. He is our strong Redeemer, and we are forever safe and at rest under the shield of His protective care. For further meditation: