ISAIAH - Chapter 32 - THE MESSIAH KING AND HIS KINGDOM
ISAIAH – Chapter 32
THE MESSIAH KING AND HIS KINGDOM
Tuesday Morning Bible Study
April 15, 2014, the Year of Our Lord
Pastor Carolyn Sissom
We have now come to some chapters with the Good News. Chapters 32-35 deal with Messiah-King and His Kingdom.
In verses 1-8, King Jesus’ earthly rule is described. Isaiah describes the reign of our King in the establishment of order, creation; and of refuge and refreshment for all in distress. Men will know violence and call it by its right name. We now know that name to be “terror”.
True nobility will be recognized.
The spiritual state of the woman in verses 9-14 is indicative and a barometer of the moral state of any nation. It is also indicative of passivity of a nation prior to judgment.
The Lord placed righteousness upon the woman. If women do not hold themselves in righteousness, then a nation slides into depravity.
The Righteous King
Isa. 32: 1-4: “Behold, a king shall reign in righteousness, and princes shall rule in judgment. A man shall be as a hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest; as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land. The eyes of them that see shall not be dim, and the ears of them that hear shall hearken. The heart also of the rash shall understand knowledge, and the tongue of the stammerers shall be ready to speak plainly.”
This is the standard for all rulers who reign in righteousness. If they prove willing to live up to this responsibility, they would provide every benefit to their citizens and at the same time restrain evil in society.
Public servants should do their duty. This is the standard of accountability to all civil servants as well as servants in the Kingdom of God. Ministers must first expound and preach the Gospel of the Kingdom; only then will the civil magistrates execute it judiciously and faithfully. Only then will the bad be made good and the good be made better.
The meaning is dualistic describing the righteous state of the Kingdom of God.
The blessings of serving the King of Kings in his Kingdom are without number. Isaiah here lists ten of those blessings:
- He shall be as a hiding place from the wind.
- As a cover from the tempest.
- As rivers in a dry place.
- As the shadow of a great rock in a weary (or hot desert) land.
- He shall heal the eyes of the blind.
- Open the ears of the deaf.
- Give knowledge to the hasty.
- Heal the stammerers.
- Strip the vile (impious) person of his honor and position.
- Strip the churl (miserly) of his standing.
32: 5-8: “The vile person shall be no more called liberal, nor the churl said to be bountiful. For the vile person will speak villainy, and his heart will work iniquity, to practice hypocrisy, and to utter error against the Lord, to make empty the soul of the hungry, and he will cause the drink of the thirsty to fail. The instruments also of the churl are evil: he devises wicked devices to destroy the poor with lying words, even when the needy speak right. But the liberal devises liberal things; and by liberal things shall he stand.”
Liberal means noble, willing heart, princely, generous, of a ready spirit. This evidently refers to the honorable, generous, noble, benevolent, public-spirited men and women who devote themselves to the welfare of their country and fellowmen. When they rule, the noble things they stand for will be established.
This points to the Kingdom of God which is marked by honesty and transparency.
Because of the Liberal Wing of the Democratic Party of the United States, liberal has taken on a negative meaning in the 21st Century. It is my hope that those who identify themselves as Liberals will arise with nobility of heart and take on the liberal nature of the Kings of Kings.
In verses 9-14, the interim sins and sufferings of Israel are outlined. This is prior to the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
Isa. 32: 9-14: “Rise up, ye women that are at ease; hear my voice, ye careless daughters; give ear unto my speech. Many days and years shall ye be troubled, ye careless women; for the vintage will fail, the gathering shall come. Tremble, ye women that are at ease; be troubled, ye carless ones; strip you, and make you bare, and gird sackcloth upon your loins. They shall lament for the teats, for the pleasant fields, for the fruitful vine. Upon the land of my people shall come up thorns and briers; yea, upon all the houses of joy in the joyous city. Because the palaces shall be forsaken; the multitudes of the city shall be left; the forts and towers shall be for dens for ever, a joy of wild asses, a pasture of flocks.”
The time of disaster for Judah, though long lasting, was not to be permanent. It is God’s promise that eventually conditions of utter peace and wonderful prosperity shall bless His people, and even the animal kingdom will benefit.
For many days and years, Israel will be troubled and the land will be made waste---until the Spirit be poured out from on high. Then the wilderness shall be fruitful. The Holy Spirit was poured out at Pentecost. Israel has been restored to her own land and having just been there when the hills and mountains were green, with beautiful flowers, vineyards, and lush trees, there are no thorns and briers. The thorns and briers are metaphorical of the curse. Every curse was broken at the Cross. However, it must be appropriated by Faith, the Holy Spirit and the Blood of Jesus.
There is still the threat of daily bombings of the terrorists of those who hate Israel, but the people of the 21st century in Israel are blessed with security and prosperity. I did not discern fear among the people. If terrorists cannot make you afraid, then they have lost the power of their “terror”.
Isaiah 32: 15-18: “”Until the Spirit is poured upon us from on high, and the wilderness be a fruitful field, and the fruitful field be counted for a forest. Then judgment shall dwell in the wilderness, and righteousness remains in the fruitful field. The work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect or righteousness quietness and assurance for ever. My people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places.”
The Holy Spirit was poured out in Jerusalem and has covered the whole earth with the Glory of God. All of us who have been baptized in the Holy Spirit know this joy unspeakable and full of glory. Christians freely walk, pray and worship throughout Israel. They continue to bless the land and the people with the blessings of the King of Kings and His glorious Kingdom.
As is often in Isaiah, the most prominent theme is neither peace nor prosperity, but righteousness. The Kingdom of God is righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. It is only through the Baptism of the Holy Spirit that we are able to enter into this blessed Kingdom of our King. Through Jesus’ Blood we are saved, and we are “born again” into the Kingdom through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ is the King of Righteousness and the King of Peace. The Kingdom of the Messiah was ushered in and set up by the pouring out of the Spirit. Once we have received the baptism of the Holy Spirit, our desire is to live and move with our King in His righteousness, peace and the ultimate result will be great joy.
Inward peace follows upon the indwelling of righteousness. The effect of it is quietness and assurance forever, that is, a holy serenity and security of mind. Those are the quiet and peaceable lives that are spent in all godliness and honesty. In the doing of our duty we shall find true happiness. Though the work of righteousness may be toilsome and expose us to contempt, yet it is peace. Those who live in this “state-of-being” are bold and have no fear.
No human king will or can he inaugurate this blessed state of being. The agent of blessing is through the life, death, resurrection, ascension of Jesus and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost and perpetually to al who will receive Him.
In the Old Testament, the operation of the Spirit was chiefly to empower leaders chosen by the Lord, and to inspire prophetic spokesman. There are numerous times in the Old Testament where men of God were filled with the Spirit as well as had the Spirit outpoured. We have the Holy Spirit indwelling.
Here, Isaiah is prophesying and revealing the great blessing of our time when the Holy Spirit is poured out upon all God’s people.
32: 19-20: “When it shall hail, coming down on the forest; and the city shall be low in a low place. Blessed are ye that sow beside all waters that send forth thither the feet of the ox and the ass.”
These two verses seem out of place, but as we are learning to follow the words given to the prophet, we learn how to interpret with as much light as the Lord allows for this time.
Verse 19 speaks of the defeat and overthrow of the enemies of Israel and the Kingdom of God. The NEB offers this translation of this verse:
“It will be cool on the slopes of the forest then, and cities will be peaceful in the plain.”
Verse 20 speaks of ministry and the many streams and waters of humanity as well as the waters and streams of the Body of Christ. These are those who send forth (ministries-apostles-evangelists-prophets-pastors-teachers-intercessors). To send forth the feet of the “ox” (the burden-bearer, and the one who treads out the Word of God); the ass speaks of the husbandmen, who went forth to sow their seed (Matt. 13:3) beside all waters.
When God sends these happy times blessed are those that improve them in doing good and with what they have, and sow beside all waters the seed of the Kingdom of God.
This is another reason why we bring into our church a variety and diversity of ministers and ministries from the many streams of the Body of Christ.
Carolyn Sissom, Pastor
Eastgate Ministries, Inc.
Scripture from K.J.V.