Read Isaiah 32
The Kingdom of Righteousness
32 See, a king will reign in righteousness
and rulers will rule with justice.
2 Each one will be like a shelter from the wind
and a refuge from the storm,
like streams of water in the desert
and the shadow of a great rock in a thirsty land.
3 Then the eyes of those who see will no longer be closed,
and the ears of those who hear will listen.
4 The fearful heart will know and understand,
and the stammering tongue will be fluent and clear.
5 No longer will the fool be called noble
nor the scoundrel be highly respected.
6 For fools speak folly,
their hearts are bent on evil:
They practice ungodliness
and spread error concerning the Lord;
the hungry they leave empty
and from the thirsty they withhold water.
7 Scoundrels use wicked methods,
they make up evil schemes
to destroy the poor with lies,
even when the plea of the needy is just.
8 But the noble make noble plans,
and by noble deeds they stand.
The Women of Jerusalem
9 You women who are so complacent,
rise up and listen to me;
you daughters who feel secure,
hear what I have to say!
10 In little more than a year
you who feel secure will tremble;
the grape harvest will fail,
and the harvest of fruit will not come.
11 Tremble, you complacent women;
shudder, you daughters who feel secure!
Strip off your fine clothes
and wrap yourselves in rags.
12 Beat your breasts for the pleasant fields,
for the fruitful vines
13 and for the land of my people,
a land overgrown with thorns and briers—
yes, mourn for all houses of merriment
and for this city of revelry.
14 The fortress will be abandoned,
the noisy city deserted;
citadel and watchtower will become a wasteland forever,
the delight of donkeys, a pasture for flocks,
15 till the Spirit is poured on us from on high,
and the desert becomes a fertile field,
and the fertile field seems like a forest.
16 The Lord’s justice will dwell in the desert,
his righteousness live in the fertile field.
17 The fruit of that righteousness will be peace;
its effect will be quietness and confidence forever.
18 My people will live in peaceful dwelling places,
in secure homes,
in undisturbed places of rest.
19 Though hail flattens the forest
and the city is leveled completely,
20 how blessed you will be,
sowing your seed by every stream,
and letting your cattle and donkeys range free.
Go Deeper
Jesus Christ is the Messiah, the Savior of the world. He is the Good News. Because of His sacrifice on the cross, our sins are forgiven, and we can have an eternal relationship with our Heavenly Father. The promise of a coming Messiah can be found throughout Old Testament scriptures.
The prophet Isaiah describes the Messiah in detail, with Isaiah 32 revealing aspects of Jesus’s reign on earth. Although the prophet Isaiah may have been speaking about the reign of Hezekiah, a king who did “what was good and right and faithful before the Lord his God” (2 Chronicles 31:20), it is believed that Isaiah’s words point to the King of Kings, Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world.
Isaiah foretells of a king who reigns in righteousness. Jesus is that king of righteousness, and His followers are the princes who rule with justice. Jesus coming as the Messiah provides us shelter from the storm (Isaiah 4:6) and a spiritual awakening. It is through our trust in Jesus that when we look, we see; when we listen, we hear. The blessings He brings are plentiful, including a changed heart. Inviting Jesus into our lives and becoming a Christ-follower frees us from the consequences of sin, making us grow in righteousness because of the king of righteousness Himself.
Isaiah calls the people to prepare for the righteous king by repenting and being ready to trust in Him. He commands the people to turn from their inward, selfish focus and look instead outward to the coming Messiah. It is through the Messiah that the Spirit of God will “pour upon His people from high.” Through God’s outpouring of love and goodness, He gave His only son, Jesus Christ, to die in our place. And we stay forever and always connected to God with the Holy Spirit living in us. What a gift of grace and mercy from a loving Father. A Father who through His Son makes beauty and peace, justice and righteousness.
We have the assurance of life everlasting when we put our faith in God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit: three in one. The Messiah gives us life eternal.
Questions
- Jesus is the king of righteousness, and the pursuit of God’s righteousness means putting Him at the center of our lives. How do you ensure He is at the center of your life?
- Isaiah calls the people to repent and be ready for the Messiah. Is there something you should repent to draw closer to God today?
- Have you thanked God recently for the gift of His Son and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in your life?
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4 thoughts on “Isaiah 32”
We’ve had the privilege of viewing The Chosen as it’s been created and watched the latest released episodes of Season 3 in the theater last night. What a gift! I read Isaiah 32 with fresh eyes this morning. That humble Savior who came once as a babe in a manger, will one day return as a righteous King who will rule with justice. His light will illuminate the darkest corners of our hearts. “And his righteousness will bring peace. Quietness and confidence will fill the land forever” (v17). I long for this! My life has been radically changed because of Jesus who gives me ears to hear and eyes to see. Take a listen to “The In Between” by Matt Maher that was the opening to season 3 of The Chosen.
https://youtu.be/zSSM9o85Qzg
Righteousness is the right relationship with God. When we turn to Christ as sinners and trust in Him, we receive the gift of righteousness, that is where TRUE peace is found. Peace in our hearts and peace with one another. Romans 5:1 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. James 3:13-17 is about wisdom, vs 17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. Isaiah is telling about the King that will reign, we are learning about how great our God is and was. God has planned our future to perfection if only we trust in Him. Let the peace of God rule Phil 4:7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Colossians 3:15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.
God I thank You for Your Peace!!! I claim Your peace over my household and all who enter in my home can know and feel that peace that is from You, here in this place. God Thank You for loving us so much that You created such an intricate plan for each of us. God thank You for listening ears to hear You and eyes to see what You would have us to do to be more and more Kingdom minded so that we are Kingdom Living in Jesus name amen
WOOHOO!!!
My initial thought was that this chapter is such study in contrasts. “This BUT that; this THEN that.”
One can almost hear the implied “but God.”
Clearly everything of human origin—efforts, authority, and achievements—will be dismantled and destroyed. God allows such false security to be pulled away from his people— and acknowledges that this will be a painful, difficult process. But only then will they see, know and rest secure in full understanding that He alone is the source of all they (we!) need, have and enjoy.
There was a specific word that jumped out of me from V. 9, “complacent.” (“You women are SO complacent,” emphasis added mine.) Strong’s Concordance defines it as “secure in a bad sense; haughty.” (Here complacency is contrasted with the kind of security that comes from being tranquil and at ease.) The implication is one of prideful smugness. According to Miriam Webster, the word usually means “self-satisfied, especially when accompanied by unawareness of actual dangers or deficiencies.”
SELF-SATISFACTION.
That says it all.
It is foolhardy and dangerous to seek satisfaction in ourselves, planting our lives on anything and everything we would secure by ourselves, for ourselves.
Thankfully, God is faithful to remove such false gods, particularly the “god of self.” Such idol-smashing” is noisy and chaotic, messy and distressing. But only when such things are reduced to rubble will our lives be cleared to kneel before the one true, sovereign God.
To God be the glory!
Evans speaks this morning on faith—the link to the supernatural to help connect us to the realm we cannot see, (so we can see) and to trust. Making Christ at home in your life is through faith. Ephesians 3:17 “Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him (through faith). Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong.”