"Behold, a King shall reign in righteousness; And princes shall rule with equity: And the Man shall be as a covert from the storm, as a refuge from the flood; As canals of waters in a dry place; As the shadow of a great rock in the land fainting with heat: And Him the eyes of those, that see, shall regard; And the ears of those, that hear, shall hearken. Even the heart of the rash shall consider, and acquire knowledge; And the stammering tongue shall speak readily and plainly. The fool shall no longer be called honorable; And the niggard shall no more be called liberal: For the fool will still utter folly; And his heart will devise iniquity: Practicing hypocrisy, and speaking wrongfully against Jehovah; To exhaust the soul of the hungry, And to deprive the thirsty of drink. As for the niggard, his instruments are evil: He plots mischievous devices; To entangle the humble with lying words; And to defeat the assertions of the poor in judgment. But the generous will devise generous things; And he by his generous purposes shall be stablished. O you women, that sit at ease, arise, hear my voice! O you daughters, that dwell in security, give ear unto my speech! Years upon years shall you be disquieted, O you careless women: For the vintage has failed, the gathering of the fruits shall not come. Tremble, O you that are at ease; be disquieted, O you careless ones! Strip yourself, make yourself bare; and gird yourself with sackcloth Upon your loins, upon your breasts; Mourn for the pleasant field, for the fruitful vine. Over the land of my people the thorn and the brier shall come up; Yea, over all the joyous houses, over the exulting city. For the palace is deserted, the populous city is left desolate; Ophel and the watch-tower shall for a long time be a den, A joy of wild asses, a pasture for the flocks: Till the Spirit from on high be poured out upon us; And the wilderness become a fruitful field; And the fruitful field be esteemed a forest: And judgment shall dwell in the wilderness; And in the fruitful field shall reside righteousness. And the work of righteousness shall be peace; And the effect of righteousness perpetual quiet and security. And my people shall dwell in a peaceful mansion, And in habitations secure, And in resting places undisturbed. But the hail shall fall, and the forest be brought down; And the city shall be laid level with the plain. Blessed are you, who sow your seed in every well-watered place; Who send forth the foot of the ox and the ass.
Kings and Princes
"Behold, a King shall reign in righteousness." (Isaiah 32:1)
What need to ask who this King is, who reigns in righteousness? Jesus Christ! He it is of whom the Lord says: "I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. In His days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is His name whereby He shall be called, the lord our righteousness." (Jeremiah 23:5-6)
He is supreme, but He reigns not alone, for it has pleased Him that others shall share His high state. He is "King of kings and Lord of lords." (Revelation 19:16)
With Him, "princes shall rule in judgment;" (Isaiah 32:1) for the Father has bestowed this love upon us, that we should also be called the sons of God, even as He himself is. "Behold, what manner of love the Father has bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knows us not, because it knew Him not. 2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God," (1 John 3:1) "And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ." (Romans 8:17) "[He has] loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood, And has made us kings and priests unto God and His Father." (Revelation 1:5-6)
Yea, He has made us alive from our death in trespasses and sins, "And you has He quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; ... And has raised us up together, and made us to sit together [with Him (Colossians 2:12)] in the heavenly places," (Ephesians 2:1,6) "at the right hand of God." (Romans 8:34) "Which He wrought in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead, and set Him at His own right hand in the heavenly places, Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come." (Ephesians 1:20-21) "The Lord ... lifts up. He raises up the poor out of the dust, and lifts up the beggar from the dunghill, to set them among princes," (1 Samuel 2:7-8) "even with the princes of His people," (Psalm 113:8) "and to make them inherit the throne of glory." (1 Samuel 2:8)
Hiding Places
"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." (Isaiah 32:2)
The Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, and French versions have it, "Every man shall be as a hiding place."
Lowth, as we see, has it, "the Man." This would make it refer especially to Christ, to whom it unquestionably has chief application; but all the renderings are correct, since He is pleased to make us whatever He is. Everyone whom Christ makes kings and princes and priests will be such only by virtue of His nature; and therefore they will share with Him the joy and honor of His salvation, not merely of being saved, but of saving others.
What a glorious prospect is this! Poor, fallen men, way-worn, famished, fainting, fallen, and helpless are themselves to be so transformed by the refreshing that they receive from the Fountain of life (Psalm 36:9) and the Rock of their salvation, (Deuteronomy 32:15) that they will be to others in like condition as a hiding place from the stormy wind, as rivers of water in a dry place, and as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land. Yes, Jesus is a Rock in a weary land, (African American spiritual) but He has left representatives here on earth, to carry out His work, and to be in His stead to men. What is more refreshing than streams of water in a dry, hot day? and this is the place that every child of God is privileged to occupy, for whosoever believes in the Son, "out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water." (John 7:38)
Think also of the shadow of a great rock in a fainting land. How wonderfully cool it is! It not only excludes the rays of the sun, but imparts a refreshing coolness. Just such help is every Christian intended to be to some fainting souls in this world. For understand that these promises are not confined to the future. Even now Christ reigns in righteousness, and now we are the sons of God, and therefore princes. When should it apply if not at a time when there are souls fainting and weary?
Wise Judges
"Princes shall rule in judgment." (Isaiah 32:1)
Yea, for the heaven-inspired, and therefore to-be-answered, prayer for us is that our love should "abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment [or discernment]." (Philippians 1:9)
Also the promise is that we shall "be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding." (Colossians 1:9)
The fact that the saints are to judge the world and angels, is given as a reason why they ought to be able to exercise good judgment now in all the affairs of life. "Do you not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Know you not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?" (1 Corinthians 6:2-3)
And well it may be; for this is the time of preparation for the duties of the world to come. This good judgment, the knowledge of what is right and fitting to be done on all occasions, does not come by any magic, but by giving good heed to the words of the Lord; "My son, if you will receive my words, and hide my commandments with you; So that you incline your ear unto wisdom, and apply your heartto understanding; Yea, if you cry after knowledge, and lift up your voice for understanding; If you seek her as silver, and search for her as for hid treasures; Then shall you understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord gives wisdom: out of His mouth comes knowledge and understanding." (Proverbs 2:1-6) "Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding." (Job 28:28)
Sight, hearing, speech, and understanding are the gifts of righteousness. "And 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." (Isaiah 32:3-4)
And more, it is the princes who rule in judgment with the King of righteousness, who are to be instrumental in giving sight to the people, and making the hasty to understand knowledge. "And Him the eyes of those, that see, shall regard." (Isaiah 32:3,Lowth)
Only the difference of one letter changes "to him" to "not," in the Hebrew, and Lowth is undoubtedly correct in saying that this change has been made. True, "the eyes of them that see shall not be dim," and it will be because they will "regard Him" who is the light. They will see Him in those whom He has enlightened.
The Folly of Unrighteousness
"The vile person shall no more be called liberal." (Isaiah 32:5)
From 1 Samuel 25:25 we learn that Nabal means foolish; and that is the word that is used here in the Hebrew; so that it is correctly rendered "fool," as Lowth gives it: "The fool shall no longer be called honorable." (Isaiah 32:5)
And who is the fool? He is the one who does not regard the Lord, who acts as if there were no God. "The fool has said in his heart, There is no God." (Psalm 14:1)
Since "The fear of the Lord ... is wisdom," (Job 28:28) it follows what folly is unrighteousness. The fool is the one who bears false witness against God, and thereby tends to weaken the faith of men,--to make the hungry and thirsty after righteousness still more empty. In this connection it will be well to read what the Lord says by the prophet Ezekiel: "With lies you have made the heart of the righteous sad, whom I have not made sad; and strengthened the hands of the wicked, that he should not return from his wicked way, by promising him life." (Ezekiel 13:22)
Some have with lies made the heart of the righteous sad, and have strengthened the hands of the wicked, that he should not depart from his wicked way, by promising him life. They say, either by their actions or by their words, that it will be well with the wicked, and that no matter what a man does he will live to all eternity. Thus they put no difference between "him that serves the Lord and him that serves Him not." (Malachi 3:18)
The Curse on the Earth
"Upon the land of my people shall come up thorns and briers; yea, upon all the houses of joy in the joyous city. For the palace shall be forsaken; the populous city shall be deserted; the hill and the watch-tower shall be for dens for ever, a joy of wild asses, a pasture of flocks." (Isaiah 32:13-14)
In these verse we have a description of the effects of the curse. Jerusalem is specially referred to, but the application is to all the earth. Because of man's sin, the earth was cursed. This was not an arbitrary curse, but God merely stated the inevitable consequence of Adam's sin. When he who was set to be master and lord of the earth fell, it could not be otherwise than that his dominion should go to waste. The field of the drunkard and the sluggard will bring forth thorns and thistles. "I went by the field of the slothful, and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding; And, lo, it was all grown over with thorns, and nettles had covered the face thereof, and the stone wall thereof was broken down." (Proverbs 24:30-31)
This curse we see now, but it will increase rapidly as the end approaches, and "Evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived." (2 Timothy 3:13)
At the last, the earth will be utterly desolate and waste, even as it was in the beginning before the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. "The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep." (Genesis 1:2) "Behold, the Lord makes the earth empty, and makes it waste, and turns it upside down, and scatters abroad the inhabitants thereof." (Isaiah 24:1)
The same Spirit that in the beginning brought order out of chaos, will effect the complete restoration after sin has completed its work of ruin. The Spirit of righteousness will undo the work of sin. "[When] the Spirit be poured upon us from on high, the wilderness will be a fruitful field, and the fruitful field be counted for a forest. Then judgment shall dwell in the wilderness, and righteousness remain in the fruitful field." (Isaiah 32:15-16)
Although violence shall fill the earth, even as in the days that were before the flood, (See Genesis 6:11; Matthew 24:37) yet: "The work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever." (Isaiah 32:17)
And since righteousness is to dwell in the earth simply because there will be righteous men, made so by the Spirit of God, it follows that this restoration of all things, and the bringing back of the reign of peace is effected through men. God is the great Author of all things, but He works through men who fear Him, and yield themselves to Him as instruments of righteousness. "Since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead." (1 Corinthians 15:21)
In like manner, since by man came the curse, by man comes also the blessing; since by man came the desolation, by man comes also the restoration. In every good work does the Lord associate His people with himself, and He gives to them the glory. He gives them the glory, and they give it to Him.
The Time of Trouble
"But the hail shall fall." (Isaiah 32:19,Lowth)
Terrible commotions will accompany the work of restoration. Not without a struggle will sin be rooted out of the earth. There shall be "voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and ... a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great," (Revelation 16:18) and there shall fall "upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent." (Revelation 16:21)
Yet even at this time the people will "dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places." (Isaiah 32:18)
During the time of trouble the saints of God on this earth will be as safe as they will afterwards be in heaven, for that is even now their dwelling place. (See Psalm 91:1-16; 46:1-5) "Blessed are you that sow beside all waters, that send forth there the feet of the ox and the ass." (Isaiah 32:20)
This verse is based upon the manner of sowing rice, which grows upon wet soil, and is sowed even while the water covers the ground. Then the oxen and the horses are driven upon it, and by them the seed is trampled into the ground. Thus most literally is bread cast upon the waters, to be received with increase after many days. "Cast your bread upon waters: for you shall find it after many days." (Ecclesiastes 11:1)
Blessed are they who have confidence enough in the Lord to sow the seed of righteousness, even the living Word of God, at morning and at evening, although the prospect is most forbidding. Sow beside all waters, and the harvest will reveal, instead of a watery waste, a land smiling with ripened grain, the fruit of righteousness.--Present Truth, June 22, 1899--Isaiah 32:1-20.