The rebellion of one Davidic king, Ahaz, would result in the defeat and dispersion of God's people (8:6-8), but the righteousness of another Davidic king, Messiah, would result in their revival and return to God and the Promised Land.
11:10 "In that day"points to the time when Messiah would rule (vv. 1-9). Then the Gentile nations would seek out the king who would represent His people, the Jews. This rules out the return from Babylonian exile as the fulfillment, and the rallying of all sorts of people around Christ as preached in the church age does not fit the picture either.137It must refer to a future worldwide turning to Messiah in which the Jews will be prominent (cf. Rom. 11). No resting place of Messiah was especially glorious during His first advent, but when He returns Jerusalem will become a glory because He will rule there.
The title "root of Jesse"presents the Messiah as the source of the Davidic line (cf. Gen. 3:15; 17:6), not just the product of that line (v. 1).
11:11 Then there will be a second regathering of the Israelites to the Promised Land from all over the world. The first regathering happened under Zerubbabel, Nehemiah, and Ezra.138Assyrian and Babylonian sovereigns might defeat and disperse the Jews, but the ultimate sovereign, Messiah, will restore and reassemble them.
11:12 The standard He lifts up for the nations is the flag of His kingdom; His will be an earthly kingdom. He will assemble under this banner a remnant of Jews from both the Northern and the Southern Kingdoms who will live all over the earth then.139
11:13-14 Internal strife among the tribes will cease. Instead of fighting among themselves the Israelites will subdue their common enemies and gain the whole Promised Land. Evidently this conflict will precede the peace pictured in verses 6-9.
11:15-16 God will defeat Israel's ancient enemies, Egypt and Babylonia. His judgments on them will involve the drying up of major barriers, the Red Sea and the Euphrates River (cf. Exod. 14:21; Rev. 16:12). This judgment will allow the Jews to return to the Promised Land from those parts of the world unhindered. They will be able to leave the territory of Assyria, where God had said He would send them captive, as easily as their forefathers left Egypt and crossed the Red Sea in the Exodus. Breaking the Euphrates into seven streams may connote a perfect and complete re-creation by God.
Thus this section of the book dealing with the hope of God's deliverance (10:5-11:16) culminates in the reign of Messiah on the earth. Israel will regather in the Promised Land from all over the world trusting in God. The Gentiles too will acknowledge His sovereignty, which both they and His own people have forever resisted.
