Once again in Isaiah we will cover some Scripture that applies to our future because, while it may have been fulfilled “in type” during the reconstruction of Jerusalem in Nehemiah's day, we understand from other portions of Isaiah that this “King” is “the King”. The nature of His rule is unique in purity.
Behold,a king will reign in righteousness, and princes will rule in justice. 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. Then the eyes of those who see will not be closed, and the ears of those who hear will give attention. The heart of the hasty will understand and know, and the tongue of the stammerers will hasten to speak distinctly. The fool will no more be called noble, nor the scoundrel said to be honorable. Forthe 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. 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. But he who is noble plans noble things, and on noble things he stands.
Isaiah 32:1-8
The King's rule is characterized by righteousness and justice. Motyer points out that the “Each” should be understood to be “Each man”. Remember that you are “ a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into f his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.(1 Peter 2:9-10). Each man is called to be a shelter from wind and storms and refreshment in a dry place and shade in a weary land. Living in Georgia you may forget the way you can desperately seek shade. I've just returned from 2 days at the spot with arguably the least shade in the country; the Bonneville Salt Flats. I saw a young man without the use of his legs, strapped on a high speed 3 wheel “motorcycle” looking for shade. We managed to get him a bit of shade till his friends returned and later he ran his machine about 115 mph. There was no flowing water out there but it is special for refreshment in a dry place rather than a pool of stagnant hot water. Flowing water is for refreshment and not just a minimum need for survival.
God's Holy Spirit has multiple impacts upon mankind. He makes eyes see, ears hear, minds understand, and corrects our speech so that we say true things. Our society calls rebellious foolish men noble. In other words men who do not know God and say things untrue about God are listened to as if they are wise and full of wisdom. We do this with celebrities all the time. Why would a rational person give extra credence to the political views who makes their living pretending to be someone else? We do it all the time when an actor or actress has a special stage to speak on politics. It shouldn't matter if they happen to agree with you. It is important to note that scoundrels are not men that the world calls scoundrels. These are people who are climbing the social ladder and are considered successful by worldly standards. These are hard nosed business me who will takes advantage of other people to be successful. It may be legal but if it does not honor God then it is best to move away from it.
Isaiah points out that the rebellious and foolish man is busy with foolish things. So he speaks foolishness. His heart is busy with godless pursuits and he says false things about God. So speech and understanding are flawed. The social climbing scoundrel plans evil things and has schemes to benefit himself and ruin the poor with deception.
A man who is noble has a God focused life. He moves in an opposite manner from the fool and scoundrel because his life is focused on serving God and serving others. His eyes and ears are open providing correct information for a mind that understands rightly and he speaks correctly as God's Holy Spirit leads in Grace. He is truly noble because he says right things about God as revealed in Scripture and shares right things and truth with others. The is the nobility that God gives us and we give to others.
Rise up, you womenwho are at ease, hear my voice; you complacent daughters, give ear to my speech. In little more than a year you will shudder, you complacent women; for the grape harvest fails, the fruit harvest will not come. Tremble, you womenwho are at ease, shudder, you complacent ones; strip, and make yourselves bare, and tie sackcloth around your waist. Beat your breasts for the pleasant fields, for the fruitful vine, for the soil of my people growing up in thorns and briers, yes, for all the joyous houses in the exultant city. 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; untilthe Spirit is poured upon us from on high, and the wilderness becomes a fruitful field, and the fruitful field is deemed a forest. Then justice will dwell in the wilderness, and righteousness abide in the fruitful field. And the effect of righteousness will be peace, and the result of righteousness, quietness and trust forever. My people will abide in a peaceful habitation, in secure dwellings, and in quiet resting places. And it will hail when the forest falls down, and the city will be utterly laid low. Happy are you who sow beside all waters, who let the feet of the ox and the donkey range free.
Isaiah 32:9-20
These verses reminded me a bit of Jesus contrast of the wise and foolish virgins since some of those young women took enough oil for the long night and others didn't. The siege in those days was psychologically difficult for those inside the walls. In Isaiah's day the people were not responding to the word God was giving to Jerusalem but once the siege starts they would see the crops outside the wall being destroyed. Isaiah's command to “strip, and make yourselves bare” is a signal that they would be hostages. This didn't indicate they were mourning for sin but rather how they would be dressed for captivity. It was as if Isaiah was telling them to dress like POWs right now and be ready for exile. But Isaiah, as Isaiah often does, shows that God will redeem and says “ until the Spirit is poured upon us” when we will have justice and righteousness. Isaiah is “telescoping” or “pancaking” time. I think that it is important to see this fulfillment ultimately as part of Pentecost. That is when the outpouring of the Spirit began and the wilderness did become a fruitful field and the Gospel began to spread. The wilderness of gentile nations became a fruitful field. Isaiah says that justice, righteousness, and peace will produce righteousness, quietness, and trust forever. That is the Gospel. In the Gospel, justice and righteousness were fulfilled by the works of Christ and then, in us, the Gospel produces righteousness as our sins are paid by Christ and His righteousness is imputed to us giving us quietness and trust forever. So these verses have a fulfillment in part and in type with Nehemiah's day but point to the fullness that only Christ could bring. Isaiah says a bad time is coming for Jerusalem but that God will restore and redeem. God certainly has restored and redeemed as the Gospel has spread around the world but He also restored and redeemed in Nehemiah's day.
Ah, you destroyer, who yourself have not been destroyed, you traitor, whom none has betrayed! When you have ceased to destroy, you will be destroyed; and when you have finished betraying, they will betray you. O Lord, be gracious to us;we wait for you. Be our arm every morning, our salvation in the time of trouble. At the tumultuous noise peoples flee; when you lift yourself up, nations are scattered, and your spoil is gathered as the caterpillar gathers; as locusts leap, it is leapt upon. The Lord is exalted, for he dwells on high; he will fillZion with justice and righteousness, and he will be the stability of your times, abundance of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge; the fear of the Lord is Zion’streasure. Behold, their heroes cry in the streets; the envoys of peace weep bitterly. The highways lie waste; the traveler ceases. Covenants are broken; cities are despised; there is no regard for man. Theland mourns and languishes; Lebanon is confounded and withers away; Sharon is like a desert, and Bashan and Carmel shake off their leaves.
Isaiah 33:1-9
First Isaiah makes a statement that would have direct application to Assyria and Sennacherib. Assyria was destroyed by the hand of the Lord and Sennacherib was betrayed and assassinated by his own sons.
Then Isaiah includes a prayer for those facing a great enemy. This is a tremendous prayer and one you can pray for yourselves. I'll pray a version of it when we end class today. I really like the knowledge that “the fear of the Lord is Zion's treasure”. That treasure is hidden in the remnant and despised and rejected by men. It was demonstrated and perfected in the life Christ lived on earth and He was despised and rejected by men. All the things men value such as heroes, peace plans, commerce, treaties, society, and land are lost but the treasure remains hidden and protected by God.
“ Now I will arise,” says the Lord, “now I will lift myself up; now I will be exalted. You conceive chaff; you give birth to stubble; your breath isa fire that will consume you. And the peoples will be as if burned to lime, like thorns cut down, that are burned in the fire.” Hear, you who are far off, what I have done; and you who are near, acknowledge my might. The sinners in Zion are afraid; trembling has seized the godless: “Who among us can dwellwith the consuming fire? Who among us can dwell with everlasting burnings?” He who walks righteously and speaks uprightly, who despises the gain of oppressions, who shakes his hands, lest they hold a bribe, who stops his ears from hearing of bloodshed and shuts his eyes from looking on evil, he will dwell on the heights; his place of defense will be the fortresses of rocks; his bread will be given him; his water will be sure.
Isaiah 33:10-16
The holiness of God is a terrifying thing and apart from the righteousness we stand in, we would be toasted like burned thorns. A knowledge of God's holiness is naturally paired with a fear of God. His holiness causes our unrighteousness come into our mind as it did in Isaiah's mind when he cried out that he was a man of unclean lips. We need a savior who can walk righteously and speak uprightly. Thanks to God, we have a savior who can both pay the price for our sin and cover us in His righteousness.
Your eyes will behold the king in his beauty; they will see a land that stretches afar. Your heart will muse on the terror: “ Where is he who counted, where ishe who weighed the tribute? Where ishe who counted the towers?” You will see no more the insolent people, the peopleof an obscure speech that you cannot comprehend, stammering in a tongue that you cannot understand. Behold Zion, the city of our appointed feasts! Your eyes will see Jerusalem, an untroubled habitation, animmovable tent, whose stakes will never be plucked up, nor will any of its cords be broken. But there the Lord in majesty will be for us a place ofbroad rivers and streams, where no galley with oars can go, nor majestic ship can pass.
Isaiah 17-21
Again Isaiah telescopes time, the Assyrians will be gone as God removes them. But then we will someday have that heavenly Jerusalem, the dwelling place of the redeemed, and we will be untroubled and immovable as God is our provider and keeper and no ship of war can threaten the peace.
For the Lord is ourjudge; the Lord is ourlawgiver; the Lord is ourking; he will save us. Your cords hang loose; they cannot hold the mast firm in its place or keep the sail spread out. Then prey and spoil in abundance will be divided; eventhe lame will take the prey. And no inhabitant will say, “I am sick”; the people who dwell there will be forgiven their iniquity.
Isaiah 33:22-24
And God will be our only Government. He will be Judge, Lawgiver, King, and Savior. The “ship of state” for Zion is crippled with faulty rigging but the victory will be won by another and God will provide and sins will be forgiven. Grace is sometimes defined as “unmerited favor” sometimes “undeserved blessings” but God demonstrates what Grace is over and over in Scripture. Here we see a people who are rebellious and stubborn who “will be forgiven their iniquity” by God's power and work and not by their own.
Let's pray:
Lord, I pray You will show Grace to us in the future as You surely shown us Grace in the past. Please teach our hearts to wait on You and look to You. Please be our arm every morning as we look for strength in You and be our salvation in all our trials and difficulties. Father we know You are the sovereign God and no one can stand against Your will. Father we praise You for who You are, for Your gifts of justice and righteousness, for Your stability in our lives, and for Your salvation, wisdom, and knowledge. I pray we would always remember that our treasure is a fear of You and convict us of our sin right now if we treasure men, money, or society in Your place. Amen.
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