Rod of Jesse/Key of David

O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free
Thine own from Satan’s tyranny;
From depths of hell Thy people save,
And give them victory over the grave

O come, Thou Key of David, come,
And open wide our heavenly home;
Make safe the way that leads on high,
And close the path to misery.

We’ve witnessed creation – a saved people/given the Law –destruction to their own desires, but hope yet remains…..

Why Jesse and David? Remember the Israelites after a few generations had looked around at their neighbors and realized all their neighbors had kings. They too wanted a king…but wait, they already had one. God was to be their king. He was to rule in their midst. When Samuel heard their demand – “Give us a king to rule us” – he was crushed. How awful! Samuel prayed to God. And God answered Samuel “Go ahead and do what they’re asking. They are not rejecting you. They’ve rejected me as their King. From the day I brought them out of Egypt until this very day they’ve been doing it to you. Let them have their own way. But warn them of what they’re in for. Tell them the way kings operate, just what they’re likely to get from a king.” (I Sam. 8)

Their first king didn’t work out. He chose not to follow God and went mad. Their second – David (Jesse’s son) - ushered in the “golden years” of Israel. Solomon amassed great wealth and glory for the nation, but he openly defied God and after him, the nation split in two. Both parts of the nation were plagued with a series of many bad, evil kings interspersed with a few good ones. The nation is divided; the northern tribes are conquered by the Assyrians and the southern tribes 120 years later are led off into captivity by Babylon. It is a miserable time in the history of Israel. Imagine your world ripped apart, your home taken, your family separated or killed and you are moved to another place to serve people of other gods.

But not all hope is to be lost. The imagery of a root, and a rod emerges. Although the “tree” has been cut down to a stump, there is yet hope. There will be a restoration and God, although He seems to have forsaken his people to their enemies, will call to himself a new and fruitful people. (Although in Jesus, it may not look like we think it would). The same is true with the imagery of the key. Though enemies have overrun Israel and they seem to be locked out of their home, God will raise up a Deliverer/King – “I will place the key of the house of David (a untied kingdom) on His shoulder; when he opens, no one will shut, when he shuts, no one will open…..and…. His dominion is vast and forever peaceful, from David’s throne and over His kingdom, which he confirms and sustains by judgment and justice, both now and forever.” (Is. 22:22 and 9:6)