The remnant is a small group of people who remain faithful to God. When foreign armies threatened to invade, and people feared being taken away from their homeland, the idea of the remnant was a source of hope for God's people (see Micah 2:12–13; 4:6–8). The exile of the Israelites to Babylon was God's judgment on his people. But God showed he would not destroy them completely (see Hosea 11:8–11). Preserving a remnant showed God's mercy and faithfulness.
The idea of a remnant was central to the prophet Isaiah's message. One of his sons was named Shear-jashub, which means "a remnant will return" (Isaiah 7:3; see 10:21). Isaiah prophesied that when God judged his people with destruction, he would save the remnant to be the starting point of a new beginning. This destruction happened when the Babylonians attacked from 605 to 586 BC.
Because the population of Judah would be greatly reduced (as the northern kingdom of Israel had been already), this remnant would be a very small beginning. Isaiah describes the remnant as:
a "Branch" (4:2),
a "stump" (6:13),
a community of the "poor" and "needy" (25:4), and
grain that "will be gathered one by one" (27:12–13).
This remnant was to trust in God while waiting for him to establish his rule and reward them (see 3:10; 40:10). God promised that this small group would grow into a large crowd from both Israel and other nations (27:6; 60:3).
In fulfillment of prophecy, a remnant of God's people were allowed to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple during King Cyrus of Persia's rule (Ezra 1:2–4). Ezra the priest saw this preservation of a remnant as an act of God's grace. He also knew this grace could be put at risk if the people followed their ancestors in disobedience (Ezra 9:5–15).
The idea of the remnant encourages people to remain faithful to God, even when others are not. For Israel and Judah, this faithfulness would restore their land and bring the blessings God promised his people.
Passages for Further Study
2 Kings 19:31; 2 Chronicles 36:20; Ezra 9:14; Isaiah 1:8–9; 4:1–3; 6:13; 10:19–22; 11:10–16; 27:12–13; 28:5; 37:31–32; 46:3–4; Jeremiah 6:9; 23:3–4; 31:7–8; Amos 5:15; Micah 2:12; 4:6–7; 5:7–8; 7:18; Zephaniah 3:11–13