Dwell in the Word: Isaiah 32:1-8

Think on these questions as you dwell in Isaiah 32:1-8:

1. How does this passage point to both an earthly king who would rule justly and the ultimate fulfillment in Jesus Christ as the righteous King?

2. What imagery is used in the passage to convey the contrast between the righteous King and those who plan wicked schemes? How does this imagery help us understand the message?

3. How can we apply the concept of living nobly and righteously in contrast to the ways of the world in our own lives as followers of Jesus?

Transcript:

I've got to say, that was a good job out of my tongue to get tied up on the words, the tongue of the stammerers. That was rather humorous. I thought about re-recording it and editing that out, but that's too good not to share with you. I hope you get a kick out of my stumbling over tongue of the stammerers. Anyway, here we are in verses 1-8 of chapter 32, and it is a little bit different here, isn't it? We do not have the strong words of judgment. There is definitely this sense of the righteousness of God and those who are opposed to Him, but it's not quite the strong language that we have been used to. Instead, we have a prophetic word of a King that will reign in righteousness. Now, there's something important that we need to understand. Yes, this is pointing forward to the Messiah. Absolutely. But also there's this idea that there's going to be a double fulfillment here, that there will be one who is ultimately this, but there is one who is coming, who is going to rule over the people of Israel in a just way. But we ultimately understand that that happened and was fully fulfilled in the person and work of Jesus Christ, and is actually fulfilled right now as Jesus is at the father's right-hand, interceding for us with the Father, in our very own flesh.

We not only look at this as a prophetic word to Israel and a King that would rule justly, but also to the King, Jesus Christ. We're going to see that this does fit who he is. We know that there could be an earthly King like this, but the ultimate fulfillment of this is going to be in the Messiah. We see these words here, behold, the King will reign in righteousness and prince's will rule in justice. In other words, the things that we've been seeing, the injustice, the unrighteousness that has been taking place that these words of judgment have been coming against, someone's going to come is going to set that right. They're going to be doing things differently. And so we also read here. 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. Again, great imagery for us to understand. We know what it's like to get out of the wind, that feeling of the wind coming against you, that you're walking against it. And maybe you get behind some shelter and you just feel the relief from everything, from the stress against your body to the wind in your ears, that pressure that you feel, that feels good.

We know what it's like to get water when we have been desiring it, when our mouths have been dry. We know what it's like to have shade when we're weary. We see here in verse 3, that the eyes of those who see will not be closed. In other words, if you understand the righteousness of God, if you understand the justice of God, your eyes aren't going to be closed, and the ears of those who hear will give attention. In other words, if you have understood these things, you're going to see that the time is at hand. You're going to understand that things are happening differently, that someone is working in a way that this injustice was not. There's going to be a clear contrast to the way someone who is righteous is doing things and the way that they were being done. We get this as the passage continues, and we see these different imageries that we really can wrap our minds around. Verse seven, As for the scoundrel, whose devices are evil, that goes without saying, He plans wicked schemes to ruin the poor with lying words, even when the plea of the need is right.

Then we immediately get this contrast of this king, this righteous one, but he was noble plans, noble things, and on noble things, he stands. The contrast couldn't be any greater. As we think about this passage, as we consider some application for us, we need to remember that, yes, we look to Jesus. We understand that He is the one who is ultimately righteous, but He also shows us how we respond to His righteousness, how we live our lives in light of the righteousness that he has given us. As we think about this, we know that Jesus is a contrast to the world. If we are His people, if we're united to Him, our lives should also be a contrast to the world. When we see the evil in the world, we should be desiring to be to plan noble things, and to stand on noble things. We don't just rest on Jesus for our salvation. We rest and live in that salvation. Absolutely. But we also say, not only am I desiring to receive the gift of Your Grace, but I'm desiring to shape my life after who You are and what you stand for. Jesus, you are noble.

And so because you have saved me by Your Grace, I will desire to be noble in gratitude for what you have done, I will live my life in such a way that it will bring honor and glory to you. And so as we think about this nobleness of God and what He has done for us in His mercy and how His ways stand in contrast to the ways of the world, may we desire to follow those ways. May we desire to be righteous? May we desire to be noble that our lives might be a witness to the grace of God that has been shown to us in Christ.