Christ will give the redeemed the most wonderful blessings imaginable when He returns to earth. But we must always remember this sad fact: not everyone is going to receive these blessings.
Look, a righteous king is coming,
with honest princes! 2He will shelter Israel from the storm and
wind. He will refresh her as a river in the desert and as the cooling shadow of
a mighty rock within a hot and weary land. 3Then at last the eyes of
Israel will open wide to God; his people will listen to his voice. 4Even
the hotheads among them will be full of sense and understanding, and those who
stammer in uncertainty will speak out plainly.
5In those days the
ungodly, the atheists, will not be heroes! Wealthy cheaters will not be spoken
of as generous, outstanding men! 6Everyone will recognize an evil
man when he sees him, and hypocrites will fool no one at all. Their lies about
God and their cheating of the hungry will be plain for all to see. 7The
smooth tricks of evil men will be exposed, as will all the lies they use to
oppress the poor in the courts. 8But good men will be generous to
others and will be blessed of God for all they do.
9Listen, you women who
loll around in lazy ease; listen to me and I will tell you your reward: 10In
a short time—in just a little more than a year—suddenly you’ll care, O careless
ones. For the crops of fruit will fail; the harvest will not take place. 11Tremble,
O women of ease; throw off your unconcern. Strip off your pretty clothes—wear
sackcloth for your grief. 12Beat your breasts in sorrow for those
bountiful farms of yours that will soon be gone, and for those fruitful vines
of other years. 13For your lands will thrive with thorns and briars;
your joyous homes and happy cities will be gone. 14Palaces and
mansions will all be deserted, the crowded cities empty. Wild herds of donkeys
and goats will graze upon the mountains where the watchtowers are, 15until
at last the Spirit is poured down on us from heaven. Then once again enormous
crops will come. 16Then justice will rule through all the land, 17and
out of justice, peace. Quietness and confidence will reign forever more.
18My people will live in safety, quietly at home, 19but the Assyriansa will be destroyed and their cities laid low. 20And God will greatly bless his people. Wherever they plant, bountiful crops will spring up, and their flocks and herds will graze in green pastures.[1] (Isaiah32:1–20 TLB)
God made a wonderful promise
to those who repented: they would triumph over all their enemies through
the leadership of a coming king. This is a clear reference to the promised
descendant of David, the promised Messiah-King who will establish God’s kingdom
on earth. Jesus Christ is the Messiah-King who will return to earth to set up
God’s kingdom (Is. 7:14; 9:6–7; 11:1–12:6; 16:5; 28:16; 33:17, 22;).
Note that Isaiah refers to the promised king as “a king” (32:1), then as “the king” (33:17), and finally as “our king” (33:22). Warren Wiersbe points out that it is not enough to claim that Jesus Christ is “a king” or “the king.”1 We must open our hearts to the Lord Jesus Christ and allow Him to be our king—the king of our lives.
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OUTLINE |
SCRIPTURE |
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3. God’s
promise of triumph: A coming king, Jesus Christ a. His righteous kingdom |
Behold, a king shall reign in righteousness, and
princes shall rule in judgment. |
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1) He will set up just leaders 2) He will protect & provide for the people • Shelter them from trouble • Water their thirsty souls • Cast His shadow over the afflicted &
dying 3) He will enable everyone to see &
hear the truth • The spiritually blind & deaf: The hard-hearted • The rash: The careless, reckless, &
scornful • The stammerers: The hesitant, the uncertain |
2 And a man shall be as an 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.3 And the eyes of them
that see shall not be dim, and the ears of them that hear shall hearken. 4 The heart also of the rash shall understand
knowledge, and the tongue of the stammerers shall be ready to speak plainly. |
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4) He will right all wrongs: Fools & scoundrels will no longer be respected |
5 The vile person shall be no more called
liberal, nor the churl said to be
bountiful. |
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• Because they talk about & focus on evil • Because they live ungodly lives &
spread error about the Lord • Because they ignore the needs of others • Because they use evil methods to take advantage of
people: Scheming & lying to get their way &
to fulfill their desires |
6 For the vile person will speak villany, and
his heart will work iniquity, to practise 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. 7 The instruments also of the churl are evil: he deviseth wicked devices
to destroy the poor with lying words, even when the needy speaketh right. |
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5) He will allow only the noble & generous to stand &
live in His kingdom |
8 But the liberal deviseth liberal things; and
by liberal things shall he stand. |
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b. His coming kingdom stands as a warning to
complacent, careless women, 3:16–4:1 1) They must listen |
9 Rise up, ye women that are at ease; hear my
voice, ye careless daughters; give ear unto my speech. |
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• Because judgment is to begin soon: Within a year |
10 Many days and years shall ye be troubled, ye
careless women: for the vintage shall fail, the gathering shall not come. |
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• Because their security is false: A day of siege &
famine is coming |
11 Tremble, ye women that are at ease; be
troubled, ye careless ones: strip you, and make you bare, and gird sackcloth upon your loins. |
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2) They will tremble & mourn |
12 They shall lament for the teats, for the
pleasant fields, for the fruitful vine. |
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• Because the land will be devastated &
overgrown with thorns & briars |
13 Upon the land of my people shall come up
thorns and briers; yea, upon all
the houses of joy in the joyous
city: |
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• Because their happy homes & city revelry will
be destroyed • Because the palace & the noisy, bustling
capital will be deserted |
14 Because the palaces shall be forsaken; the
multitude 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; |
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• Because the cities of Judah will become nothing
but dens for animals |
15 Until the spirit be poured upon us from on
high, and the wilderness be a fruitful field, and the fruitful field be
counted for a forest. |
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c. His coming kingdom will bring great blessings: A picture of the Millennium 1) His Spirit,
44:3; Eze. 36:21–27; 39:29; Joel 2:28; Zec. 12:10 2) A restored, fruitful land 3) Justice & righteousness 4) Peace, quietness, & assurance |
16 Then judgment shall dwell in the wilderness,
and righteousness remain in the fruitful field. 17 And the work of righteousness shall be
peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever. |
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5) Secure homes—undisturbed & free from trouble |
18 And my people shall dwell in a peaceable
habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places; |
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6) A restored land & city—restored from utter
devastation |
19 When it shall hail, coming down on the
forest; and the city shall be low in a low place. |
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• Will have abundant farmland & water • Will allow animals to roam freely |
20 Blessed are
ye that sow beside all waters, that send forth thither the feet of the ox and the ass. |
a. The coming king will establish a righteous kingdom on earth. In contrast to the corrupt rulers of Isaiah’s day—rulers who oppressed the people through unjust laws and greed—the promised king (the Messiah) will rule in righteousness and justice (vv. 1–8, 16; 9:7; 11:3–5; 16:5; 28:16–17; 33:5).
1) The promised king will be a good, noble ruler who will establish His government on the basic principle of righteousness. Moreover, all His officials—from those at the highest levels of government down to the most minor—will rule in true justice (v. 1). In the society of the coming king, the standard of all behavior will be the perfect righteousness and justice of the Messiah. He will fill all the positions of leadership throughout the land with good, noble, and just leaders.
2) The promised king will protect and provide for the people (v. 2). When the storm of trial or hardship strikes His people, the Messiah will be a shelter and refuge for them. When they become thirsty, either physically or spiritually, He will provide water for their bodies or souls. When they suffer under the scorching sun of affliction, He will cast His shadow over them like the shade of a huge rock.
3) The promised king will make radical changes when He establishes His kingdom on earth. He will enable everyone to see and hear the truth (vs. 3–4). He will open the eyes and ears of the spiritually blind and deaf. He will make the hearts of the insensitive and stubborn soft and tender, open to receive the Word of God. Those who have stammering tongues—who are uncertain and hesitant to confess and speak up for the Lord—will be bold, fluent, and clear in bearing strong testimony to Him. Even the rash—those who are reckless in their relationship with God and sometimes mock the Lord and His people—will know and understand the truth in that day.
4) The promised king will right all wrongs that have taken place down through history (vs. 5–7). Worldly society often honors the fools and scoundrels of society, people who live wicked, evil, and godless lives. They receive honor because they are famous, powerful, or wealthy. But the day is coming when wealth, power, and fame will not matter. The only thing that will matter will be what God values, and all fools and scoundrels—all who ignored, denied, and defamed the Lord’s name, living sinful lives—will no longer be respected or honored.
Isaiah gives four reasons for
the judgment that is coming upon fools and scoundrels:
Ø
They talked about and focused their minds on
evil (v. 6).
Ø
They lived ungodly lives and misled others
concerning the Lord (v. 6).
Ø
They ignored the needs of others, even when
people were suffering desperately (v. 6).
Ø They used evil methods to take advantage of people, scheming and lying to get their way and to fulfill their own lusts (v. 7).
Fools and scoundrels often oppress people to increase their own wealth, positions, authority, power, or fame. Sometimes they even lie, steal, or cheat the poor and needy in order to satisfy their selfish lust for more and more. All that is going to change.
5) The promised King will ensure that only the noble and generous will stand in His kingdom (v. 8). Noble does not refer only to those in positions of leadership and authority. It includes all who trust and acknowledge the Lord, all who live godly and righteous lives.
b. The coming King will establish His kingdom as a warning to complacent, careless women (3:16–4:1). In Isaiah’s day many women were living in wealth and luxury; they had become indifferent to sin and were ignoring the warnings of God. They were living at ease, enjoying the pleasures of the moment, not giving any thought to the Lord or the fact that things might change. Spiritual concerns seldom if ever crossed their minds. A spirit of lethargy and complacency gripped them. Isaiah issued a strong warning to these women:
1) They must arise and heed the warning of God because judgment would soon fall upon them (vs. 9–10). Note that Isaiah predicted the time frame in which the judgment would come: within a year. Although they were living in pleasure and luxury with plenty of everything they wanted, their feelings of security were based upon a false premise. A day of siege and famine was coming, a day of utter disaster. Very soon they would have nothing, not even food.
2) Within the year the invading forces would make them tremble
and mourn (vs. 11–14). Therefore, the women should strip off their clothes,
put on sackcloth, mourn, and prepare to suffer the consequences of their sins.
These complacent, lethargic women who had ignored the Lord and His warning of
judgment would soon find themselves in dire circumstances:
Ø
The land would be devastated and overgrown with
thorns and briars (vs. 12–13a).
Ø
Their houses and cities—the central places of their joy and revelry—would be
destroyed (v. 13).
Ø The palace and the noisy, bustling capital of Jerusalem would be deserted (v. 14).
Note that this prediction is a reference to the Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem in 586 B.C., which took place 115 years after Isaiah made this prophecy. Although the Assyrian invasion and destruction of Judah’s other cities would take place within a year, the Lord was warning the people of the future judgment that would fall upon the capital under the Babylonians. In that day the city of Jerusalem would become a wasteland inhabited only by animals.
c. When the promised king establishes His kingdom on earth, He will pour blessing after blessing upon its citizens. These blessings will be entirely different from the blessings of salvation described in chapter 30. This is a clear picture of the Messiah’s kingdom and what life will be like when Christ rules upon the earth during His millennial reign (vs. 15–20). He will give the believers in His kingdom six of the most glorious blessings imaginable.
1) The Messiah will pour out His spirit upon all believers (v. 15; 44:3; Eze. 36:26–27; 39:29; Joel 2:28; Zec. 12:10). God’s Spirit will teach and lead the redeemed, guiding them as they walk day by day serving the Messiah. The redeemed will have a strong desire in their hearts to obey the Lord, a longing to accomplish the task He assigns them to do. Due to the Messiah’s presence on earth, the work of the Spirit will flow far more freely and be far more evident than it is today. He will demonstrate His power much more clearly.
2) In the Messiah’s kingdom the land itself will be transformed. The desert will become fertile, and the fertile fields will seem like forests (v. 15). Nature itself will be redeemed, brought completely under control by the Messiah. The earth will become another “Garden of Eden.”
3) Justice and righteousness will sweep the earth from one end to the other (v. 16). People will live righteously, obeying both the commandments of God and the laws of the land. No longer will lawlessness, immorality, and violence blanket the earth. To the contrary, people will rejoice in righteousness and justice and hold great respect for God and His commandments and the rights of others.
4) Due to the rule of righteousness and justice, peace will descend on earth (v. 17). All the redeemed in the Messiah’s kingdom will experience a spirit of quietness, assurance, and security. No longer will a spirit of restlessness, insecurity, fear, anxiety, and purposelessness grip the souls of people. Instead, people’s hearts will be filled with a deep sense of serenity and confidence.
5) The Messiah will provide a secure dwelling place for all the redeemed in His kingdom (v. 18). All people will live in their own homes undisturbed and completely free from trouble.
6) In the Messiah’s kingdom both the cities and countries will be transformed (vs. 19–20). Though the cities were leveled to the ground in the past and all the lands completely ruined, they will not remain so. Even in this present evil world both can be devastated, but the day is coming when both will be restored and transformed. In that day there will be an abundance of farmland and water for every citizen. The land will be so fruitful that the animals will be allowed to roam freely.
Thought 1. The Word of God assures us: Christ will give the redeemed the most wonderful blessings imaginable when He returns to earth. But we must always remember this sad fact: not everyone is going to receive these blessings. People who reject the Lord and refuse to obey His commandments will be cut off from God. He will not bless them. Because they rejected Him, He will reject them. But again, this will not be the fate of the redeemed, the people who truly follow the Lord and seek to obey His holy commandments. They will be blessed beyond measure when Christ returns.
V
“But lay
up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth
corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal” (Mt. 6:20).
V
“Let not
your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s
house are many mansions: if it were
not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you” (Jn. 14:1–2).
V
“The
Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so
be that we suffer with him, that we
may be also glorified together. For I reckon that the sufferings of this
present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which
shall be revealed in us” (Ro.
8:16–18).
V
“So when
this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put
on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death
is swallowed up in victory” (1
Co. 15:54).
V
“For we
know that if our earthly house of this
tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with
hands, eternal in the heavens” (2
Co. 5:1).
V
“For our
conversation [citizenship] is in heaven; from whence also we look for the
Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall change our vile body, that it may be
fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is
able even to subdue all things unto himself” (Ph. 3:20–21).
V
“When
Christ, who is our life, shall
appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory” (Col. 3:4).
V
“And the
Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all
men, even as we do toward you: To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable
in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ
with all His saints” (1 Th.
3:12–13).
V
“For the
Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the
archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
Then we which are alive and remain
shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the
air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with
these words” (1 Th. 4:16–18).
V
“Henceforth
there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous
judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also
that love his appearing” (2 Ti.
4:8).
V
“By
faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after
receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he
went. By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob,
the heirs with him of the same promise: For he looked for a city which hath
foundations, whose builder and maker is
God” (He. 11:8–10).
V
“These
all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar
off, and were persuaded of them, and
embraced them, and confessed that
they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For they that say such things
declare plainly that they seek a country. And truly, if they had been mindful
of that country from whence they came
out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. But now they desire a
better country, that is, an heavenly:
wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for
them a city” (He. 11:13–16).
V
“Blessed
be the God and Father of our Lord
Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto
a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an
inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in
heaven for you, Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation
ready to be revealed in the last time” (1 Pe. 1:3–5).
V
“And
when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that
fadeth not away” (1 Pe. 5:4).
V
“Beloved,
now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we
know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as
he is” (1 Jn. 3:2).
V
“They
shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on
them, nor any heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed
them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe
away all tears from their eyes” (Re.
7:16–17).
V “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away” (Re. 21:4).[2]
a 32:19
but the Assyrians, implied.
[1] Taylor, Kenneth Nathaniel. 1997. The Living Bible,
Paraphrased. Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House.
1 Warren
Wiersbe. Be Comforted, p. 82.
[2] Leadership Ministries Worldwide. 2005. Isaiah (Chapters 1–35). Vol. I. The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible. Chattanooga, TN: Leadership Ministries Worldwide.
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