What makes this section of Isaiah profound is that Ahaz’s example as the worst possible king is followed by 5 chapters of God promising the best possible king and kingdom--it is here we find our particular passage. When the nation of Israel (and all its promises) are felled like a great tree due to its own sins and the sins of its king, God promises resurrection for the broken and burnt stump through a shoot of new growth. An impossible reality, but one God intended to ultimately bring about through the life and ministry of Jesus. 

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