#994 Isaiah 32 Righteousness and Peace

 

Behold, a king will reign in righteousness,

and princes will rule in justice.

2 Each will be like a hiding place from the wind,

a shelter from the storm,

like streams of water in a dry place,

like the shade of a great rock in a weary land.

3 Then the eyes of those who see will not be closed,

and the ears of those who hear will give attention.

4 The heart of the hasty will understand and know,

and the tongue of the stammerers will hasten to speak distinctly.

5 The fool will no more be called noble,

nor the scoundrel said to be honorable.

6 For the fool speaks folly,

and his heart is busy with iniquity,

to practice ungodliness,

to utter error concerning the Lord,

to leave the craving of the hungry unsatisfied,

and to deprive the thirsty of drink.

7 As for the scoundrel—his devices are evil;

he plans wicked schemes

to ruin the poor with lying words,

even when the plea of the needy is right.

8 But he who is noble plans noble things,

and on noble things he stands.

Complacent Women Warned of Disaster

9 Rise up, you women who are at ease, hear my voice;

you complacent daughters, give ear to my speech.

10 In little more than a year

you will shudder, you complacent women;

for the grape harvest fails,

the fruit harvest will not come.

11 Tremble, you women who are at ease,

shudder, you complacent ones;

strip, and make yourselves bare,

and tie sackcloth around your waist.

12 Beat your breasts for the pleasant fields,

for the fruitful vine,

13 for the soil of my people

growing up in thorns and briers,

yes, for all the joyous houses

in the exultant city.

14 For the palace is forsaken,

the populous city deserted;

the hill and the watchtower

will become dens forever,

a joy of wild donkeys,

a pasture of flocks;

15 until the Spirit is poured upon us from on high,

and the wilderness becomes a fruitful field,

and the fruitful field is deemed a forest.

16 Then justice will dwell in the wilderness,

and righteousness abide in the fruitful field.

17 And the effect of righteousness will be peace,

and the result of righteousness, quietness and trust forever.

18 My people will abide in a peaceful habitation,

in secure dwellings, and in quiet resting places.

19 And it will hail when the forest falls down,

and the city will be utterly laid low.

20 Happy are you who sow beside all waters,

who let the feet of the ox and the donkey range free. Isaiah 32 ESV

Isaiah 32 A king will reign in righteousness.

…5Hezekiah trusted in the LORD, the God of Israel. No king of Judah was like him, either before him or after him. 6He remained faithful to the LORD and did not turn from following Him; he kept the commandments that the LORD had given Moses.7And the LORD was with Hezekiah, and he prospered wherever he went. He rebelled against the king of Assyria and refused to serve him.… 2 Kings 18: 5-7

1-8. A king will reign in righteousness - Hezekiah was a good king who sought advisement from God's prophet Isaiah. He led many reforms in Judah including the tearing down of the high places, brought water into the city, was a good manager, but imperfect as all shadows are. People say we are ever only a generation away from losing our freedom, and this certainly came about with his son. 

“This seems to have been delivered in the time of Ahaz, and to speak of Hezekiah, and of his righteousness and happy government. But withal, as Hezekiah and his reign was an eminent type of Christ and of his kingdom; so this prophecy looks through Hezekiah unto Christ.” (Poole)

And princes will rule in justice - A good king, a good manager, picks good leaders and advisers to rule under him and where he cannot be. You have the country, state, county and city, the Intelligence agencies and military, advisers on health and economics, but Hezekiah has one more advantage, the spiritual advice not only of priests, but also of Isaiah, whose integrity always points to God. 

…27“Look,” Peter replied, “we have left everything to follow You. What then will there be for us?” 28 Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, in the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on His glorious throne, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for the sake of My name will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life.… Matthew 19: 27-29

…9And they sang a new song: “Worthy are You to take the scroll and open its seals, because You were slain, and by Your blood You purchased for God those from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. 10 You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign upon the earth. 11Then I looked, and I heard the voices of many angels and living creatures and elders encircling the throne, and their number was myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands.… Revelation 5: 9-11

Like streams of water in a dry place - Good leadership is a relief to any place.

The eyes of those who see will not be closed - Seeing they could not see, and hearing they could not understand. It is one thing to see physically, but another to perceive spiritually. It is one thing to hear and even memorize and repeat, but quite another to listen, understand and apply.

And the ears of those who hear will give attention - No longer there for the ritual of reading or hearing, but alive unto listening, wisdom is no longer just a noise. They are intent upon finding her.

…4Such confidence before God is ours through Christ. 5Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim that anything comes from us, but our competence comes from God. 6And He has qualified us as ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.… 2 Corinthians 3: 4-6

…11Nevertheless, some from Asher, Manasseh, and Zebulun humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem. 12Moreover, the power of God was on the people in Judah to give them one heart to obey the command of the king and his officials according to the word of the LORD. 2 Chronicles 30: 11-12

…16Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by My Father in heaven. 18And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it.… Matthew 16: 16-18

Heart of the hasty and tongue of the stammerers - Hasty in some translations is "rash", which both would point to making decisions without careful consideration of the implications - knee jerking. Proud men do this often and then stand by such decisions or place the blame of the consequences elsewhere. Stammerers, possibly unconvinced, drunk, but broken in their speech, will now give clear instruction and expectation. I have seen men do this when they are searching for what is culturally acceptable to say, rather than just speaking the truth, they feel out and play to the audience. I don't think it is a physical impairment here, like a stutter, but rather a lack of integrity. Others can speak very clearly, with great conviction, seem quite sincere, but be sincerely wrong.

1When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. 2For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.… 1 Corinthians 2: 1-2

…12We have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. 13And this is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom, but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words. 14The natural man does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God. For they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.… 1 Corinthians 2: 12-14

The fool will no more be called noble - No more buying titles such as noble or "the honorable", people in those positions will have actions that match up with their words, and their words will be right.

To utter error concerning the Lord - Fools are set upon ungodliness, but they are still quick to claim a relationship with God, or that they are doing or speaking in the name of the Lord. There are 100's of thousands of pretenders in our day, claiming to be spiritual, mishandling God's word, and blaspheming the Holy Spirit by attributing to Him things contrary to His own word.

…23At that time, if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There He is!’ do not believe it. 24For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders that would deceive even the elect, if that were possible. 25See, I have told you in advance.… Matthew 24: 23-25

…13“Ah, Lord GOD!” I replied, “Look, the prophets are telling them, ‘You will not see the sword or suffer famine, but I will give you lasting peace in this place.’ ” 14“The prophets are prophesying lies in My name,” replied the LORD. “I did not send them or appoint them or speak to them. They are prophesying to you a false vision, a worthless divination, the futility and delusion of their own minds.15Therefore this is what the LORD says about the prophets who prophesy in My name: I did not send them, yet they say, ‘No sword or famine will touch this land.’ By sword and famine these very prophets will meet their end!… Jeremiah 14: 13-15

To leave the craving of the hungry unsatisfied - It was not real food; and those starving for spiritual growth are left even more bankrupt with their cupboards empty. He giveth living water so I thirst no more.

To ruin the poor with lying words - The poor are stepping stones to the scoundrel. They are there at his disposal for his delight, and he will lead them to the slaughtering house. In free countries people lie to the poor for their vote, only to elevate themselves. Others down the poor rather than show them the way out. In many third world countries they are cheap labor, or promised a better place elsewhere and then sex trafficked to perverts from all over. Oh, that I could say I don't know this first hand, but I have paid girls in strip clubs to dance. I consoled myself that it was consensual and that there were lines that I would not cross, but the line kept moving all the time and I could no longer see the line I had drawn only a few years back. God's line never moved; He is unchanging, and but for His grace I would never see it. If not for His grace I would never turn to it. I have no boast, and there is nothing noble about me unless He puts it there. And what mercy it is, that at that line, the realization of my guilt, the hopelessness of my debt, there is the cross, and I cling to it.

9-20. You complacent daughters - There is nothing wrong with times of prosperity, times of ease, what is wrong comes from the hearts perception of these. Our hope must be in God; we should love the Giver more than the gifts.

“At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish and five were wise. 3 The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. 4 The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. 5 The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep.

6 “At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’

7 “Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. 8 The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’

9 “‘No,’ they replied, ‘there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’

10 “But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut.

11 “Later the others also came. ‘Lord, Lord,’ they said, ‘open the door for us!’

12 “But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I don’t know you.’

13 “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour. Matthew 25: 1-13

And tie sackcloth around your waist - This is a time of mourning of self denial, and not to be left off in the time of plenty. They were self absorbed, self righteous and unprepared for the hour that was coming.

Beat your breasts for the pleasant fields - It was coming, and God is kind to warn them of it's approach, and even though Assyria would be turned back from Jerusalem, it would be under siege. The surrounding cities, vineyards and farmlands would be ravished. This will bring humility, and they will cry out.

Until the spirit is poured out upon us from on high - Only when God pours out His Spirit upon them can they be healed, and the fruit of it is extensive. Men may lament their physical condition, losses, but only the Spirit gives true life and meaning to it, only He can bring true revival.

And the effect of righteousness will be peace - Peace pursued without righteousness never results in lasting peace, only compromise that leaves some without.