And seven women shall take hold of one man in that day, saying, “We will eat our own bread and wear our own clothes, only let us be called by your name; take away our reproach.”
The Branch of the Lord Glorified
2 In that day the branch of the Lord shall be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the land shall be the pride and honor of the survivors of Israel. 3 And he who is left in Zion and remains in Jerusalem will be called holy, everyone who has been recorded for life in Jerusalem, 4 when the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion and cleansed the bloodstains of Jerusalem from its midst by a spirit of judgment and by a spirit of burning. 5 Then the Lord will create over the whole site of Mount Zion and over her assemblies a cloud by day, and smoke and the shining of a flaming fire by night; for over all the glory there will be a canopy. 6 There will be a booth for shade by day from the heat, and for a refuge and a shelter from the storm and rain. Isaiah 4 ESV
Isaiah 4 The Branch
1. This chapter starts in a strange place, but if we look back prior in chapter 3, we see this as the result of the promised wars. I don't see any reason for allegory here; these are natural responses to a horrific time.
…24 Instead of fragrance there will be a stench; instead of a belt, a rope; instead of styled hair, baldness; instead of fine clothing, sackcloth; instead of beauty, shame. 25 Your men will fall by the sword, and your warriors in battle.26 And the gates of Zion will lament and mourn; destitute, she will sit on the ground.… Isaiah 3: 24-26
And seven women shall take hold of one man in that day - There are so few men left, physically at this point, it could be argued spiritually even now, but in these days of judgment there is such a shortage that 7 women will pursue one man. The proud daughters of Zion from chapter 3 seem to respond in temporal, secular fashion like Lot's daughters. Lot's daughters' husbands were killed in the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, their mother died outside, looking back. These women seem to share the same earnest of continuation of the line or survival of the species.
30 Lot and his two daughters left Zoar and settled in the mountains—for he was afraid to stay in Zoar—where they lived in a cave. 31 One day the older daughter said to the younger, “Our father is old, and there is no man in the land to sleep with us, as is the custom over all the earth.32 Come, let us get our father drunk with wine so we can sleep with him and preserve his line.”… Genesis 19: 30-32
We will eat our own bread and wear our own clothes - They assure the men they entreat that they only want a sire and not a father. Maybe they want some protection as well, but mostly legacy and release from destitution. Men have received specific direction from God, in His word, on what relationships should be, what a man is, but these women would put all that aside, faithfulness and provision, just to have reproduction, continuance, community. It's the ideal that most fallen men would readily subscribe to, but Isaiah has already warned against putting hope in man.
…7 Give these instructions to the believers, so that they will be above reproach. 8 If anyone does not provide for his own, and especially his own household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. 9 A widow should be enrolled if she is at least sixty years old, the wife of one man,… 1 Timothy 5: 7-9
…5 But Jesus told them, “Moses wrote this commandment for you because of your hardness of heart. 6 However, from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’ 7‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife,…
8 and the two will become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two, but one flesh. 9 Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.”… Mark 10: 5-9
Take away our reproach - In ancient times childlessness was considered a reproach, ie. the barren womb. In these seemingly post-apocalyptic circumstances it would mean loneliness, no children to care for you in your old age, some may see less chance for survival alone. The punishment for our excesses cannot always by itself bring the remedy. Some get a ticket for speeding and slow down, while others by radar detectors. Isaac or Ishmael, what did God say?
1 Now Abram’s wife Sarai had borne him no children, but she had an Egyptian maidservant named Hagar. 2 So Sarai said to Abram, “Look now, the LORD has prevented me from bearing children. Please go to my maidservant; perhaps I can build a family by her.” And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai. 3 So after he had lived in Canaan for ten years, his wife Sarai took her Egyptian maidservant Hagar and gave her to Abram to be his wife.… Genesis 6:1-3
…24 After these days, his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion. She declared, 25 “The Lord has done this for me. In these days He has shown me favor and taken away my disgrace among the people. Luke 1: 24-25
1 When Rachel saw that she was not bearing any children for Jacob, she envied her sister. “Give me children, or I will die!” she said to Jacob.2 Jacob became angry with Rachel and said, “Am I in the place of God, who has withheld children from you?”… Genesis 30: 1-2
2-6. In that day the branch of the Lord will be beautiful and glorious -
By the foregoing threatenings Jerusalem is brought into a very deplorable condition: every thing looks melancholy. But here the sun breaks out from behind the cloud. Many exceedingly great and precious promises we have in these verses, giving assurance of comfort which may be discerned through the troubles, and of happy days which shall come after them, and these certainly point at the kingdom of the Messiah, and the great redemption to be wrought out by him, under the figure and type of the restoration of Judah and Jerusalem by the reforming reign of Hezekiah after Ahaz and the return out of their captivity in Babylon; to both these events the passage may have some reference, but chiefly to Christ. It is here promised, as the issue of all these troubles,I. That God will raise up a righteous branch, which shall produce fruits of righteousness (v. 2): In that day, that same day, at that very time, when Jerusalem shall be destroyed and the Jewish nation extirpated and dispersed, the kingdom of the Messiah shall be set up; and then shall be the reviving of the church, when every one shall fear the utter ruin of it.1. Christ himself shall be exalted. - Matthew Henry
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine dresser. 2 Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3 Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. 7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. 9 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. 10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. 11 These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.
12 “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command you. 15 No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. 17 These things I command you, so that you will love one another. John 15: 1-17
…4 I will raise up shepherds over them who will tend them, and they will no longer be afraid or dismayed, nor will any go missing, declares the LORD. 5 Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and He will reign wisely as King and will administer justice and righteousness in the land.6 In His days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is His name by which He will be called: The LORD Our Righteousness.… Jeremiah 23: 4-6
And he who is left in Zion and remains in Jerusalem will be called holy, everyone who has been recorded for life in Jerusalem - There will be a remnant that survives this tribulation.
…4 And what was the divine reply to him? “I have reserved for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” 5 In the same way, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace. 6 And if it is by grace, then it is no longer by works. Otherwise, grace would no longer be grace.… Romans 11: 4-6
1“At that time Michael, the great prince who stands watch over your people, will rise up. There will be a time of distress, the likes of which will not have occurred from the beginning of nations until that time. But at that time your people— everyone whose name is found written in the book— will be delivered.2 And many who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake, some to everlasting life, but others to shame and everlasting contempt.… Daniel 12: 1-2
…4 But you do have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their garments, and because they are worthy, they will walk with Me in white. 5 Like them, he who overcomes will be dressed in white. And I will never blot out his name from the Book of Life, but I will confess his name before My Father and His angels. 6 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.… Revelation 3: 4-6
…25 Its gates will never be shut at the end of the day, because there will be no night there. 26 And into the city will be brought the glory and honor of the nations. 27 But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who practices an abomination or a lie, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.… Revelation 21: 25-27
When the Lord shall have washed away the filth - "If we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." We may still suffer for our sins while here, but saying it is not sin, claiming that we are good, justifying are actions rather than repenting of them, is to no avail. We know that whom the Lord loves he chastens, by His Spirit He so thoroughly convinces the creature of its inability, humbles and draws us to the cross. If He has started a good work in you, then be sure that He is also faithful to complete it. God is holy so a call to Him is a call to holiness as well.
…29 For those God foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those He predestined, He also called; those He called, He also justified; those He justified, He also glorified. 31 What then shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?… Romans 8: 29-31
…10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor verbal abusers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. 1 Corinthians 6: 10-11
And cleansed the blood stains - Many of the prophets and faithful were martyred in Jerusalem.
…15 because they have done evil in My sight and have provoked Me to anger from the day their fathers came out of Egypt until this day.’ ” 16 Moreover, Manasseh shed so much innocent blood that he filled Jerusalem from end to end, in addition to the sin that he had caused Judah to commit, doing evil in the sight of the LORD.17 As for the rest of the acts of Manasseh, along with all his accomplishments and the sin that he committed, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah?… 2 Kings 21: 15-17
36 Truly I tell you, all these things will come upon this generation. 37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those sent to her, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were unwilling! 38 Look, your house is left to you desolate.… Matthew 23: 36-38
Then the Lord will create over the whole site of Mount Zion - After His cleansing judgment of Jerusalem He will provide shelter and safety. The Shekinah glory will return.
…6 Therefore let all the godly pray to You while You may be found. Surely when great waters rise, they will not come near. 7 You are my hiding place. You protect me from trouble; You surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah 8 I will instruct you and teach you the way you should go; I will give you counsel and watch over you.… Psalm 32: 6-8
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