See, a king will reign in righteousness and rulers will rule with justice. Each one will be like a shelter from the wind and a refuge from the storm, like streams of water in the desert and the shadow of a great rock in a thirsty land. Then the eyes of those who see will no longer be closed, and the ears of those who hear will listen. The fearful heart will know and understand, and the stammering tongue will be fluent and clear.
No longer will the fool be called noble nor the scoundrel be highly respected. For fools speak folly, their hearts are bent on evil: They practice ungodliness and spread error concerning the Lord; the hungry they leave empty and from the thirsty they withhold water. Scoundrels use wicked methods, they make up evil schemes to destroy the poor with lies, even when the plea of the needy is just. But the noble make noble plans, and by noble deeds they stand.
You women who are so complacent, rise up and listen to me; you daughters who feel secure, hear what I have to say! In little more than a year you who feel secure will tremble; the grape harvest will fail, and the harvest of fruit will not come. The fortress will be abandoned, the noisy city deserted; citadel and watchtower will become a wasteland forever, the delight of donkeys, a pasture for flocks, till the Spirit is poured on us from on high, and the desert becomes a fertile field, and the fertile field seems like a forest.
The Lord ’s justice will dwell in the desert, his righteousness live in the fertile field. The fruit of that righteousness will be peace; its effect will be quietness and confidence forever. My people will live in peaceful dwelling places, in secure homes, in undisturbed places of rest.
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Isaiah 32 continues addressing Jerusalem. The oracle contains both hopeful images of a redeemed city with righteous leaders, and dreadful images of failed crops and a deserted city. Isaiah foresees a day when a righteous king will lead Jerusalem and all of the city's leaders and priests will truly be noble men. No longer will they behave like they are blind to God or do not hear His commands. They will see and hear and lead with righteousness. As a result the city will be refuge of justice. Each person within will be like a shelter from the storm and shade from the heat.
Because they will live by the truth they will no longer exalt the wicked and the scoundrel. The poor and needy will no longer be denied. The courts will be fair. Those who come to hear a fulfilling word from the Lord will walk away satisfied, no longer subjected to half truths and error from their religious leaders. Houses of Jerusalem will be places of peace, nourishing the soul. No longer will their homes be the site of drunken parties.
The women will learn restraint after the city suffers the chastisement of the Lord. When the crops fail and there's no wine to drink, when the city empties for fear of the Assyrian invasion, then the people of Jerusalem will learn righteousness under godly leadership. The city will suffer the curse of covenant unfaithfulness until the Spirit of the Lord is poured out upon them.
When the Spirit is poured out upon them from heaven, then they will live with peace and plenty. Though all the world burn in hellish turmoil, those who receive the Spirit will live in the peace of the Lord and they will have enough. The desert will be like a fertile field, for the people will live with a quiet heart, unafraid, full of understanding, and confident in the Lord.
America is the midst of a national presidential campaign. We will elect a new president and other national leaders in less than a year. I'm sure we all hope to place effective leaders in office who will lead us out of debt, out of terrorist threats, and into prosperity and peace. I pray that the Lord will raise up noble men and women to lead who honor God and love people, who will serve with justice and righteousness, who understand with godly insight how to steer this nation back to being a place of liberty and justice for all. Tough times may be ahead for this nation until we are hungry enough to receive the Spirit of Christ. Our nation has many who are fearful and desperate. Senseless violence is an indicator of desperation and hopelessness. Perhaps, when things get bad enough, we might open our eyes and see, open our ears and hear, and open our hearts and receive the Spirit of justice and righteousness.
When Christ is king of every heart then we will see the fulfillment of Isaiah's vision. Isaiah's hope for Jerusalem is a hope pertinent to my nation. God, give us righteous leaders and noble men and women who lead with Your understanding. Amen.
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